Summersunstories

09/09/2026

A little secret beneath the dress…

I’m making the sweetest pair of 18th-century Pocket Hoops from my 1775 Crimson Floral Vine fabric.

Delicate flowers, soft cotton, a little lace — and quite a lot of love.

Because really… why should something hidden beneath the gown be boring?

These will become wonderfully romantic Pocket Hoops, quietly creating the perfect 18th-century silhouette while hiding underneath layers of petticoats and skirts.

And who will ever get to see them?

Well… who knows.

The fabric is 1775 Crimson Floral Vine, inspired by late 18th-century British woodblock-printed floral textiles and the light, wandering botanical designs fashionable during the 1770s and 1780s.

A tiny piece of Georgian romance — even where nobody is supposed to look.

1775 Crimson Floral Vine
Historical fabric reproduction by SummerSunStories

07/09/2026

Meet 1818 Elizabeth Kortright Monroe – a historical cotton print inspired by an American dress from the late Empire and Regency period.

Delicate botanical garlands form elegant vertical bands across a deep red ground. This arrangement enhances the long, slender silhouette associated with fashionable gowns of the early 19th century.

Recreated for historical dressmaking, the design is particularly suited to late Empire gowns, Regency dresses, day dresses, historical costumes and period-inspired interiors.

The design is named after Elizabeth Kortright Monroe (1768–1830), an influential American First Lady whose years in Europe brought diplomatic sophistication and European elegance to Washington society.

04/09/2026

Meet 1790–1810 Lucy Barnes – an English dress print from the fascinating transition between late Georgian structure and early Regency simplicity.

The original fabric survives in a historical English dress dated 1790–1810. Its repeating leaf-and-teardrop motif forms a disciplined lattice in soft rose, muted blue and charcoal. The balanced repeat flows beautifully across the fitted bodice, long sleeves and full skirt.

Recreated for historical dressmaking, the design is particularly suited to late Georgian dresses, early Regency gowns, walking dresses, petticoats and period interiors.

The design is named after Lucy Barnes (1780–1809), an American writer whose work The Female Christian is among the earliest written by a woman in defence of Universalism.

02/09/2026

Meet 1798 Sophia Cecil – a small-scale English floral design recreated from a textile sample preserved in Barbara Johnson’s remarkable Album of Fashions and Fabrics at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The delicate pink flowers and deep brown ground make this design wonderfully versatile for transitional round gowns, early Regency dresses, aprons, petticoats, bedgowns, banyans and historical accessories.

The design is named after Lady Sophia Cecil of Burghley House, a talented artist whose drawings provide a valuable record of the house and its interiors during the early 19th century.

Available on several fabric qualities, from lightweight cotton for softer garments to cotton satin, poplin and linen blends for greater structure.

01/09/2026

30/07/2026

Off You Go…
From our workshop...
to your masterpiece.

23/07/2026

Off You Go…
Across miles and borders,
towards a beautiful new life.

16/07/2026

Off You Go…
Somewhere, a sewing table
is waiting just for you.