It wasn’t only the corsets in the late 19th Century that had boning in them. No, women’s bodices did too. You might be thinking: Why? Well, corset boning helps hold the body in a fashionable silhouette, whereas boning in a bodice holds the bodice in place. The two garments each have their place for a Read More...
Tag: Original Sources
19th C. Pocket Solutions Because You Have to Put Your iPhone Somewhere
Hidden pockets. Wide pockets. Tiny pockets. Welt pockets. Watch pockets. Patch pockets. Pockets with flaps. Pockets in seams. Decorative pockets and functional pockets. Inside pockets. Breast pockets. Back pockets. It truly is amazing the variety and locations of pockets in 19th Century clothing! For easy reference, let’s look at where our ancestors carried personal Read More...
Visit to Downtown LA for Costumes & Fabrics
Yesterday my husband and I made our annual trip to FIDM to see the Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibit in their museum. And, as always, we were not disappointed. (No photography is allowed in the museum so no pretty photos to gaze at the costumes.) It’s so much fun to see the movie Read More...
Simplifying the Search for Undergarment Patterns – Chemise & Drawers
If you’re at all like most historical costumers, you tend to focus on the main part of a new costume – the dress. I know I do. Sure, you give a thought to the corset; maybe even make a new one which we know is the substance for a well-presented silhouette. Then you follow with Read More...
Reproducing a Late 1830s Pleated Sleeve
One of the most fun projects that I’ve had the chance to bring to life is a reproduction of a late 1830s dress held at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Having sewn 1830s garments before, the bodice and skirt seemed rather easy to me. But the sleeves were where the fun began. Besides the museum Read More...
Reducing Petticoat Layers So Your Waist Looks Small
Those of us who make Victorian dresses are all after one particular feature – a small waist. We do this primarily through corset cinching but also a visual trick with wide sleeves and full skirts. Another hidden method is to reduce the amount of fabric layers around your waist, specifically on skirt layers. When you Read More...
Flatlining in the 1860s
No, I’m not actually talking about dying or death (although so much of it happened in the early years of this decade because of the American Civil War). I’m also not discussing how a costume project nearly “kills you” in its journey to completion. (ha!) Flatlining in the dressmaking or costuming sense is the technique Read More...
Attaching Hooks & Eyes to the edge of a Bodice
It so often seems that after you spend hours on a project that you’re very proud of, you come down to that bodice opening that you dread finishing. You know, ALL those hooks & eye to hand sew on. How many to sew on? How far apart do I place the hooks? Do they need Read More...