The week after Christmas I got this gem for half price during the Sullivan Entertainment’s Christmas Boxing Day sale!
I am now the proud owner of a WWI dress pattern based on Anne’s’ wedding dress in Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story.
COSTUME DESIGNER RUTH SECORD
The dress was designed by award winning costume designer, Ruth Secord, whose focus was of a completely different era from the previous Anne movies.
All the award-winning period costumes in the Anne of Green Gables Films were authentic and intricate. Toronto stage and wardrobe designer Martha Mann, who designed for Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea, was faithful to Edwardian styles, right down to the petticoats, furbelows, corsets and more. Mann worked with London’s Cosprop design firm in order to obtain many of the supporting players’ wardrobe. Every care was put into making sure that every costume was authentic, and
wardrobes were constructed based off of each character’s personal history.
Ruth Secord took the reigns as costume designer for Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story, but stayed true to Mann’s initial vision. Secord used both items that were made specifically for the film, and authentic vintage pieces. Secord was able to source genuine period clothing, such as Gilbert Blythe‘s WWI medical uniform, and the costumes that could not be pieced together of genuine articles, such as
Anne’s volunteer uniform, were meticulously reproduced. – Sullivan Entertainment
In the movie, Secord designed all the costumes, from period dresses to Anne’s wedding gown to WWI military uniforms detailed to their representative country.
Since Anne and Gil quickly marry before he leaves for war, she obtains a quick catalogue mail order wedding dress.
Accordingly, Ruth Secord did her research. (I can tell already we are kindred spirits!)
Her inspiration came from an authentic 1916 mail order catalogue from Eaton Department Store, which was highly popular in Canada.
WORLD WAR I PATTERNS
Having been bitten by the costume bug, I’m loving this incredible addition to my pattern collection.
Although WWI dresses are not my favorite style, I do enjoy incorporating my history and literature teaching with period accurate costumes.
A year ago, when we studied WWI, I could not find a period accurate pattern.
Now I not only have a period accurate pattern, but I have one from one of my favorite movie series.
When the movie first aired, I confess I was saddened by the complete departure from the Anne books.
The jump in history never made sense to me.
MOVIE SYNOPSIS
The first two movies are set in the 19th century, and I’ve heard that The Continuing Story is actually the story of Anne and Gil’s youngest daughter, Rilla.
With all that aside, I *did* appreciate the movie from a historical perspective.
Based on the research I’ve done on WWI, I’ve been quite impressed with the historical accuracy of the movie.
As a teacher of history, I am glad to have an Anne perspective to WWI, bringing romance, poignancy, intrigue, and bittersweet hope to a horrific world reaching war that was unique in nature from any other war previously fought in the history of humankind.
We have other movies set in WWI, which are terribly heavy and depressing, due to the nature of this unique world-wide war.
Anne courageously faces the war, immersing herself in its danger first as a Red Cross worker, which wasn’t as neutral a position as she had hoped.
Then she’s caught in espionage as she pursues a triple adventure of aiding the allies, protecting Dominic, and finding her missing husband against the lurking backdrop of the enemy who appear at her every turn, holding the viewer in suspense.
Truly, I think it is a war story masterfully and poignantly produced.
Ah, well, back to costumes…which were in themselves so masterfully designed that they helped a cast of thousands across the WWI timeline of five countries: America, Canada, England, France and Germany to portray a masterpiece.
PATTERN SPECIAL TOUCHES
The mastery of the design craft, in dressing believable characters by the thousands, is represented in my new historic pattern.
The pattern guidelines detail the array of historic fabrics that can be used.
Far more can be created from this pattern than a wedding dress.
Great fabrics from world wide travels were popular in the early twentieth century.
Ideas galore can be inspired from viewing the video clip of Ruth Secord’s work, as well as immersing oneself in the movie itself.
I am especially pleased with the pattern’s tip on one of the seam placements, popular in 1916 but not today.
Little tidbits of information like that can make all the difference in the success of a pattern.
The pattern also details something I’ve yet to ever see presented in pattern instructions: the advice of making a muslin first for a proper fit.
EPILOGUE
Now that I’m updating and moving my old blog to a fresh location, I’m looking everywhere for my pattern but I can’t find it. =(
Nor can I find it in any of the stores, anymore. =(
COMMENTS FROM MY OLD BLOG
Rebecca January 20, 2011 at 6:42 PM – Ooooo, thanks for the link to the designer’s website! I hadn’t seen any of that, and didn’t realize she also did the costumes for Wind at my Back and the last season of Road to Avonlea. I wish we could persuade Sullivan to release some of those as well!
Do you have any ideas yet on what kind/color fabrics you want to use for this one?
Clare January 25, 2011 at 5:35 AM – Hi Laurie! I came across your blog and was wondering if you would be interested in speaking with me about your thoughts on the costumes in Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story. I write blogs for anneofgreengables.com and thought you might want to share your blog with our readers! You can contact me at chill@sullivan-ent.com. Thanks!
