Consider your sewing area for a moment. What tools or supplies do you use the most? Are some of them unique or specialized? Generic? Perhaps you create with a few of the most basic tools. Since I’ve been sewing for over 30 years, I occasionally get asked what sewing implements are required for my work. Read More...
Constructing a Victorian Bustle Dress
It’s that moment when you are ready to jump into your first Victorian dress and hold out hope that it’s not as complicated as it “seams.” Because I’d been sewing clothes for about a dozen years before I got into historical costuming I wasn’t afraid. The gorgeousness of the 1870s & 1880s called me strongly. Read More...
Petticoat Lengths and Widths
We’re talking about petticoats again!! [This should come as no surprise if you’re a regular reader here.] It’s that important to your overall historical look to do the best you can with these undergarments. From the “why” to the fabrics used to selecting the patterns – each component plays a part. That now brings us to discuss Read More...
How I Use Historical and Modern Sewing Techniques
The question came up on my Facebook page: do I use all historical techniques in my period costuming like hand sewing, or do I use modern methods like synthetic thread and sewing machine? Some of you already know how I cheat with modern methods. But I’ll go a bit further and list out the techniques I Read More...
The WHY We Are Involved with Historical Costuming
“How in the world did I get here?!?” In the middle of a making a costume, do you ever stop and question how you got into this hot mess? “Why am I sewing this project today??” Costuming isn’t just a “thing.” We are “involved.” As in a close relationship. As in, we show love and Read More...
Knitting Myself into a Frenzy
Ah… life with a newborn. It’ll make you re-think your life. Ha! Well, yes and no. As a new, older mom (one they call “Advanced Maternal Age” or what I jokingly referred to as “geriatric mother” 😛 ) I have found that my sewing time has been reduced dramatically* and of course I want to Read More...
1880 Vanilla Dressing Gown – Constructing the Gown
The full length princess gowns of the late 1870s and early 1880s scare me. They do. I guess it comes from trying to achieve a good fit with such long seams over such figure curves as mine. So when I got the need to reproduce the c.1885 dressing gown from the Met Museum I had Read More...
1880 Vanilla Dressing Gown – Creating the Lace Panels
Over the years I’ve pondered making a Bustle Era tea gown – aka dressing gown. It’s also been requested I create an online class for those who want to make one too. (That’ll be coming later.) Well, I had the marvelous opportunity present itself a few months ago when, after over 14 years of anticipation and Read More...