Original Girl Scout Uniform...

My daughter became a Daisy in the Girl Scouts this year.  I read through her handbook and looked at handbooks for the older girls and was very unimpressed.  The activities to earn badges, are not impressive.  This is at all levels, not just the lower levels.  I really feel the Girl Scouts have become a money maker at the expense of the girls.  Now, they can partake in activities or make things and create a badge for it.  As it was explained to me, if the Troop goes to the Zoo and talks about the animals, they can make a Zoo badge.  The girls send in their design, pay $3.50 +s&h and have a badge.  There are only a few badges at each level that have pre-determined guidelines.  And each year, the girls can earn 4 badges based around cookie sales.  Two for cookie sales and two for finances.  I am very put off.  However my daughter really wants to be a Scout like her brother.

So, I will bring her to the meetings and have her do Scouts the original way as well.  I have a digital copy of one of the first Girl Scout manuals.  We are going through it and she is earning the original badges.  Rather than pay the Scouts to make each badge, I will hand embroider them, just as the first Girl Scouts and their mothers did.  I am also sewing her the original Girl Scouts uniform.  Again, the girls and their mothers sewed these uniforms, as there was no corporate to buy them from.  As she earns the badges, they will be embroidered and stitched to the sleeves of her uniform as was done for many years.  Over this, she'll wear the current vest with the current badges.

Now, after this ramble, time to explain the project.  Jo-Ann Fabrics made a guide to reproduce the original for Girl Scouts' 100 year celebration.

http://www.joann.com/girl-scout-uniform/prod1031147/

I am using the pictures from there, but the pattern from a 1911 French fashion magazine for a similar dress.










I am copying the basic blouse, minus the trim and buttons.  It will simply slip over the head.  I'm not making the sleeve caps and the skirt will be longer.  I'm not sure yet about the pleats.  Probably, instead of the pleats, it will be gathered.  But that will be figured out later.  This evening, I have traced the pattern and cut it out of patterning fabric.  My daughter will try on the mock-up tomorrow and I'll tweak it where needed.  I have a bolt of fabric to make this dress again when she grows.