And then all of a sudden it was next Saturday. Oh.
I had plans to make a 1920s housemaid outfit (volunteering, see), so I scrambled a bit to find some appropriate fabric for a maid's dress - of course there wasn't anything in the Stash, as I don't really go in for practical dark stuffs in my historical costume! Two yards of wool won't break the bank, though, and it should get here tomorrow or Tuesday.
(As an aside: yes, wool. I flatly won't wear synthetics on a day I have to be outside in a Philly summer, plus it of course wouldn't be correct to the 1920s. My instinct's against linen for a maid's dress - would look too sloppy and wrinkly. Rayon or cotton, possibly, but it's hard to find a dress-weight cotton that's not a sticky broadcloth nowadays, and neither of those will hold up as well as wool for a work dress. I'm a little fuzzy on the history of rayon anyway, not sure that it would be a cheap practical choice as yet in the 1920s? So that left me wool. A nice lightweight wool will breathe, and wear well - although I probably will only ever wear it this once! Details...)
So I did a bit (a very little bit!) of research into the maids of well-off families...and mainly discovered there's a relative wealth of information on British domestics when compared to their American counterparts! Not that this has to be a well-researched project, but I always feel the need to add a disclaimer when I'm Making It Up As I Go Along. Which I am doing. I'm running on a few pictures (mainly sans attribution, annoyingly) and common sense.