Sewing sisters

This is a photograph I collected at Christmas time when I was working on that Shutterfly book for my in-laws (see earlier post). I did not end up using this photo in the book because I tried to streamline what I included and I had other photos I used of this particular ancestor (middle gal) but I love this photograph. This particular ancestor of B's was a talented seamstress. I'm guessing her sisters (left and right in photo) were also talented seamstresses. Look at their dresses with all the fancy sewing work and hand work and all the different materials used just on the bodices of their dresses. I do not know whether they would have had a sewing machine or whether they would have had to make these dresses entirely by hand. It would be nice to know today. I wish the photographer would have included full-length shots of the girls in all their finery; heaven knows there is plenty of room left in the photo frame.