I JUST had to have a hoop skirt for Civil War this year. I thought it would be such fun. Yup. Fun. Getting stuck in doors. Walking in single file lines all day. Needing help in the bathroom. Hiding small children.
My dress research started here: 
I decided to go with black and gray (I hadn't given thought to the colors of the union/ confederacy)....like this dress:
So I got my gray skirt and black ruffle going....then I found out that historically, women wore red or crimson petticoats (to save their whites for formal or social occasions), so I whipped up a red ruffle for my petticoat....
The tatting took me a couple hours a night for two weeks. I love how it looked so it was completely worth the time!
I got my hat done at midnight the night before civil war day.... Turned out pretty well- I just need to change the ties under my chin to something cottony and softer. Grosgrain ribbon was certainly hot and itchy.
I tried (unsuccessfully) to avoid cameras throughout the day....I love this next picture. I look like a ghost. Lol! 
Back to my tuffet to consider steampunk. Hmmm...
M
