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...
Search Results for: 1873 Blackberry Cream
Ruching Basics for Victorian Clothing
Ruched panels – in all their glorious, gathered loveliness – seem to pop up frequently throughout the Victorian Era (1837-1900). You’ll find ruched bodice panels, puffings as skirt trims, and gathered accents in ribbons for all sorts of marvelous decorations. The process of ruching isn’t hard. But in some ways it looks so complicated! Ruching, Read More...
Duplicating Antique Garments – Do you really want it THAT historically accurate?
It’s a most wonderful thing to study antique garments then create your own reproduction based on your research! Our ancestors were wise when it came to sewing up their clothing. But then again…. It was only their clothing. We modern day costumers look at antiques with such reverence. We want to know their secrets. How Read More...
Writing Morning Pages
Aside from being a seamstress… a dressmaker, I’m a writer. I wasn’t sure of that title until many years ago my friend mentioned all the writing I do in blog posts and ebooks and sewing instructions. Yeah, ok. I loved writing short stories in junior high and high school English classes too. I’m a writer. Read More...
The Purple Silk Edwardian Corset
Made from the same blackberry cream silk I used on my 1873 ruched gown, I can now add Edwardian corset to my list of completed projects. Yay! Last summer Heather over at Truly Victorian came out with the most delicious surprises – she had ventured over the Century mark into the Edwardian Era. Did you Read More...
Getting off the Couch & into the Sewing Room
Everyone who crafts whether it be sewing, knitting, quilting, or whatever, goes through phases where the inspiration is bland or even non-existent. It may last only a few days or weeks or even months. Somewhere along the way, we crash. We take a break. Life happens. Have you been there? Yeah, me too. You’re not Read More...
Oh, For Pretty Purple Bustle Gowns!
In preparation of my probable attendance at the Gaslight Gathering in San Diego in May 2011, I’ve been casually searching for late Victorian designs and silhouettes to replicate. There’s no better time than to fall into a pile of gorgeous purple silk and come up with this… Read More...