Ahh… sleeves. The bane of nearly every historical costumer. Aren’t we glad we only have two arms! Ever work yourself into a frenzy just trying to get your sleeves right so you can at least *move* in your costume? Yep. It’s the challenge for most of us. Over and over with each bodice…. Well, after Read More...
Tag: Victorian
Linings & Underlinings – Do You Really Need Both?
I frequently get questions from our many readers about patterns that call for both an underlining/interlining fabric as well as a full lining fabric for a bodice and even skirts. They range from “So that makes three layers, right?” to “How in the world do I add all those layers of fabric?” and “Won’t all Read More...
How Much Yardage Do I Need??
We’ve all been there. Standing in an aisle of gorgeous fabrics… swooning at the computer screen… gazing lovingly (and with drool at the mouth) at THE.PERFECT.FABRIC for that next dress. Question is… how much to buy?? Will 5 yards be enough? 10? Or do I have to sell a kidney to afford some unmentionable amount Read More...
A Look at a 1860s (or 1870s) Original Girl’s Dress
Late in summer 2017 I had a follower (Ruthann Gray) send me a girl’s dress that is in wonderful condition aside from the few random holes in the skirt and spots on the bodice front. I shared it recently in a Facebook Live video (posted below) going over each detail in the construction. For a closer Read More...
Flatlining 19th Century Sleeves
Flatlining – or the process of mounting an underlining to a fashion fabric – is a hallmark of garment construction in the 19th century. You find it everywhere in all decades of this era – in bodices, skirts, collars, reticules… and also sleeves. Essentially, flatlining in these antique pieces is what we’d call putting in a Read More...
Selecting Color Palettes for Your Historical Costumes
You look fabulous in red. Or purple may make your heart sing. But green is calling to you recently. In all the colors we have to play with in creating our historical costumes, how do you decide what to use? What shades are complimentary to each other? Will they “look period”? And how do you 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...
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...