by Jennifer Rosbrugh on June 13, 2013
A packed costume closet but suffering with burnout
We’ve all been there… pushing so hard in our sewing projects that the joy gets sucked out of us. We don’t even want to look at a spool of thread.
Burnout happens to all of us. Life gets in the way. We fall into a mode of doing so much for others that we find ourselves struggling with easy sewing techniques that were always so simple to us. Suddenly we realize our passion for making historical clothing and costumes is gone. There is no joy.
You are not alone! Here’s a quick video I recorded this week to encourage you to hang in there.
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by Jennifer Rosbrugh on June 6, 2013
This tutorial is dedicated to Corinne Pleger who taught me the beauty of cartridge pleating in July 2000.
How to Sew Cartridge Pleats
Cartridge pleats are eye-catching! Neat little pleats stacked in a row, stitched together and standing at attention. Those little pleats do a heck of job too with getting an enormous amount of skirt fabric into a tiny waistband!
If you’re ready to tackle this common method of pleating in the mid-19th Century, let’s get to work on how these pleats are actually made. Although cartridge pleats are found on sleeve caps in the 1830s, we’ll stick to gauging skirts in this tutorial.
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by Jennifer Rosbrugh on May 30, 2013
The Needlepoint Tracing Wheel
In high school clothing class I was taught to trace darts, seamlines, button placements, etc. with a round tracing wheel – you know, the one with the blue plastic handle? You cut your fabric then make a mess trying to get that carbon paper in-between the fabric and pattern to mark. Well, I ditched that practice as soon as possible. Couldn’t deal with all the time it took.
A needlepoint tracing wheel is NOT the same as a regular marking wheel. Leave those to the home ec marking class. We’re going to go deep into garment fitting and pattern drafting….
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by Jennifer Rosbrugh on May 23, 2013
1880s Summer Berry Hat
The latest millinery project to come from my sewing room is my 1880s Summer Berry Hat. It was made to complement my all-stripe 1887 Summer Berry Trifle dress (still in progress), and also became the foundation for the 1880s online hat class.
Whipping up something this yummy takes a bit of time, the right ingredients, and a little know-how to mix it up well and serve it delicately perched on the head.
I can’t say this was a “30-minute or less” project. The delicious trim took a good three evenings to get it all mounted into place. Along the way my previous millinery experience confirmed certain construction methods and I learned a new trick or two as well.
If you want to make your own Bustle Era hat, remember these tips so the icing on your costume cake will be divine!
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