Ever come across the term “for an elderly lady” when researching antique sewing patterns and designs? Yeah…. So what does THAT mean?? My mom is in her sixties. If you read about a 65 year-old woman in the news you might think that’s an elderly woman. But then I consider my 102 year-old living great-grandmother Read More...
Tag: Victorian
Waist Tape Wrangling, or the Unseen Bodice Support
The inside of antique bodices. If you sew historical costumes you know THAT is what you want when you research. How did they do it? Where and how is the boning put in? What is that underlining fabric? Any chance we get we study existing bodices from our favorite era. If we want to produce Read More...
Using a Pizza to Help You Make Historical Costumes
So it’s a bit cheesy (sorry…) to compare pizza to sewing. I mean, how alike are they really? Not very much. The only thing I know of pizza being even remotely good for helping you sew is when you’re on a deadline sewing crunch and you order out. (Here’s hoping you keep it FAARRRR away Read More...
Are You Wearing Your Chemise Wrong?
Are you? Is that even a question to discuss? Apparently it is. Who’s to say I’m wearing my underwear wrong? Or even if I’m wearing it right? This is such a personal question even for modern conversations, but how does it apply to those of us who make and dress in underwear from another time? Read More...
Want to be More Historically Accurate?
Everyone who loves creating historically-inspired garments, at some point or another, will want to improve their skills in the accuracy department. As we are all on various creative journeys, this urge falls upon us at different times and with diverse intensity. For some, the “accuracy thing” hits as soon as we sign up with a Read More...
Steampunk from a Victorian Costumer’s Standpoint
Guest Article by Valarie LaBore Editor’s Note: When I first came to know Val she was all into Steampunk. Being hesitant but intrigued with this up-and-coming genre I found myself attending her class on the subject a few years ago at Costume College. This article is her condensed version of that class. First off, Read More...
Fitting a Victorian Bodice on Yourself
Fitting. Some people can figure it out like that – ‘snap’. Whoo-hoo! Good for them. (It IS one of the biggest mistakes costumers make and getting it right is like Devonshire cream! Divine.) 🙂 The rest of us have to struggle through each mockup as if we were climbing the Cliffs of Insanity with dental Read More...
Planning a Big Costume Project
Yeah… you’ve finally reached that point where you want to tackle a huge project. Something that challenges you. An undertaking that takes your skills to a new level. It may be a trained 1882 dinner dress; a Civil War ball gown; or an embroidered Regency dress. But where to begin? You have a brief idea Read More...