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...

How Do You Know It’s a 1870s Bustle Dress?

First off, the girly-girls really get to have a party in the Seventies! If you’ve seen the first half of The Buccaneers you’ll know what I’m talking about. Even if you’re a tomboy and play softball with your skirts hiked up, you’ll still experience what “playing dress up” is all about. My first dreams of Read More...

Not Inclined to Dance, I can’t move my arms – Ease-y Does It – Part 3

  I’ve sewn way too many garments (both historical and modern) where the sleeve was just a little too tight around the upper arm limiting my movement. This is especially frustrating after valuable time was spent adjusting the pattern in the first place. Wrapping up our Ease-y Does It series for adding Historical Ease to Read More...

Embroidered Voile Regency – Cutting & Pattern Work

Initial progress has been made on my ca. 1811 embroidered voile Regency gown. I pulled out all my most recent dress patterns and decided to go with a combo of my last Regency ballgown and the bodiced petticoat I made for under it. Here I’m tracing the original pattern. I then cut down the neckline, lowered Read More...

Seamlines of 1860s Fashions

As I browse through the myriad of fashions in my Godey’s Lady’s Books from the 1860s, I take note that underneath all the ruffles, rows of velvet bands, trim panels, fringe and other various items, the shape of the dresses themselves stays relatively the same. Honestly, if you study any mainstream fashion you’ll notice the Read More...