Marna Jean Davis- Clothing Historian
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Books & Publications

We are currently selling through Etsy. If you need to place an order for a historic site, or require an invoice
Please Email me at  [email protected] 
My Etsy link is ​https://wickedstepmothers.etsy.com
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That Full Dinner Pail- What to Put in It
A reprint of a 1901 cookbook with plenty of middle class and working class recipes! 
Currently sold out.


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No Lady of Leisure

A little covered, yet much needed look at an overlooked part of fashion history.
Focus is on late 1860-1907, but earlier clothes are touched on somewhat.

Using clues from fashion magazines on "everyday" dress, period photos, and Marna Jean's personal collection of 19th century women's working clothing, she examines the differences were between those fashion plates and reality, how paper patterns and dressmaker's systems helped bring fashion to the working class, what types of fabrics were in use, exceptions to the "rules" in construction, and some of the shortcuts made to "working class" clothing.

80pp - Spiral bound to lay flat - Retail $19.95
Currently out of print- Digital PDF form available

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Men Behaving Badly- The Saga of the Mother Hubbard Dress

Men Behaving Badly follows the social history behind the introduction of and reactions to a new  style. Through newspaper accounts,  original photos, and extant dresses, Marna traces the beginnings of the Mother Hubbard dress and searches for the reason it caused such a stir when worn. Extensive photos from her personal collection and a close up look at the extant Mother Hubbard gowns she owns help to round out this interesting subject. Included are scaled tailor patterns from six of the dresses with notes on construction and dating.

​ Spiral bound to lay flat  46pp Retail- $17.95 

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Pattern Catalog Reprints

From my personal collection of antique Butterick pattern catalogs I have selected  to reprint.
Currently available are Autumn 1886, Spring 1872, and Spring 1893.


The originals were carefully scanned, color corrected and clarified so that it prints off in like new condition, as if you had stepped back into time. Suitable for use by reenactors, historic sites and living historians.

The catalogs feature women's, children's, and men's clothing. This is NOT the patterns- just a reprint showing the patterns available in that year. Great for documenting clothing.



1872 Spring Butterick Catalog Reprint    $9.00
1886 Autumn Butterick Catalog Reprint $9.00
1893 Spring Butterick Catalog Reprint $9.00

COMING SOON!

Titles Currently in Research and Development
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A Century of Sunbonnets

A journey through the 19th century with the sunbonnet. Features Marna's personal collection of sunbonnets from her 1810 to 1920's. Scaled pattern drawings, detail photos, extant photographs and how the sunbonnet evolved to meet each generations needs.  

Publish date estimate December 2019

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Miss Marna's Guide to Victorian Speed Sewing- 
Actual shortcuts and techniques used ​on Extant garments 1868-1905
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By the 1870's the sewing machine had become very affordable and available. Many of the everyday dresses in Marna's collections show some great shortcuts and speed sewing methods to be able to sew an "everyday" type dress very quickly. We will explore the methods used, and ways that they saved fabric. Rich with photos and drawings, this book will be a lifesaver!

The Domestic Lady's Dressmaker- Volume I
Hoop and Early Bustle

​Explore the world of everyday dresses from the Hoop and Early bustle period through extant garments, antique photographs and pattern catalogs.  Although there are many books available showing the pattern structure of high fashion, there are not many that show detail and pattern for the lady who ran her own household.  This series of books attempt to fill that gap in clothing research.  Living Historians will delight at detailed photographs of original dresses paired with their graphed patterns.
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  • Home
  • My Work
    • Classes and Lectures
    • Museum Exhibits
    • Dress Gallery
    • Antique Sewing Machines
  • Books
  • Patterns
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Etsy Shop
  • Classes
  • That Full Dinner Pail
  • KaysHousekeepingdressclass
  • 1880sPatterns
  • Corded Corset Class
  • Online classes