Buoyed up by the success of their embroidery “Medieval Woman in the Stour River Valley”, the Blandford Town Museum Textile Group (now called Blandford in Stitches) is embarking on a new Community Textile Project. Inspired by the “Red Dress” project, the Group plans to create a dress in the style worn by an upper-class Englishwoman in the 1730’s.
Embroidery on the underskirt or petticoat will depict the pre-fire townscape and on the overdress the post-fire town. It will be decorated it in the bright style of the age with a motif of flames. A fan will also be embroidered with portraits of key figures of the town community at that time.
A local MA student has been consulted to advise on the design and materials. Her thesis studied the costumes of this time and a contemporary dress held within the Blandford Fashion Museum collection.
The dress will be made to fit an individual who can portray one of the key characters of the time. She will wear the costume and tell the story of the fire and Georgian life. Research has started on details of key members of the community and how the medieval town can be portrayed.
The first meeting to scope out the project was held in November 2025.
