Sewing Through the Years

I made an 18th-century style petticoat out of a lightweight ecru/beige muslin. I basically followed A Fashionable Frolick's tutorial , which I recommend. It was thorough and explained not only what to do well, but why in addition to different methods one could use. I am extremely happy with this petticoat! It was also very straightforward to make. I cut my fabric out - 120" by around 40" - then pinned the sides together, leaving the pocket slits open. I used the mantua maker's stitch which I really like the finish of - it is essentially a rolled hem but both edges are rolled together. It is similar to a felled seam, but you don't have to stitch the seam twice and you don't see your stitching on the outside/right side. Next I leveled the hem and then hemmed it using a small rolled hem, which took a little while. I finished the pocket slits using a rolled hem . I then pleated the front and the back. I had never pleated before so that was exciting....

I based this shift off of Bernadette Banner's example .  I decided to go with an off-white ecru/beige muslin fabric, rather than a linen, as she had made hers with. For my drawstring, I made a 5-strand braid out of a cotton twine that we had already. The Shift: Here is the schematic that Bernadette Banner provides in her video (linked above), I took a screenshot so that I could refer back to it more easily.  After washing my fabric and cutting all the pieces out, I followed Bernadette's measurements for the neck hole, 5.5" for each shoulder with the rest for the neck hole. The front has a depth of 4.5" while the back is 2 1/4" in depth. I rounded the corners of the neck hole. In the future, I think I'll make the neck hole a bit smaller as the shift slides off my shoulders if the drawstring is not tied. I split the gores into triangles then stitched the straight edges of the triangles together with a backstitch. Then I felled the seams. N...

I've had this gorgeous, friend-dyed fabric for several years. It had always been sort of ear-marked for this  bag pattern. I finally got around to actually sewing this bag but used the pattern as a guide rather than following it super faithfully. As I didn't really want to cut this fabric into pieces and I also wanted a rather large drawstring bag. Which I achieved! It sits about 15" high and about 17" or so across one side panel. I had four pieces of around 19"x19" fabric - purple, green, blue/green, and blue/purple. I decided I wanted the two darker ones as the 'outside' and the two lighter ones as the 'inside' of the bag. I cut the 3" corner square in the two 'outside' fabrics, per the pattern, then seamed up the area again per the pattern and continued seaming up the sides. Then I repeated this for the 'inner' fabrics. Next I turned the 'inner' fabric pouch inside out, put the 'outside' po...

I took a 1-week intensive class at the beginning of the summer (June-ish) of 2018 and sewed 2 corsets utilizing 2 different modern commercial patterns - Simplicity 8129 and Simplicity 1345. S8129 is an underbust corset with 4 views while S1345 is an overbust corset with 5 views, blue and black/gold respectively. I don't know how the instructions are in these two patterns as I followed the teacher's instructions and never looked at the provided instructions. The teacher provided the interlining, the grommets and the tools to set the grommets, the steel-ring boning, the sewing machines, and advice/instructions. We brought our own inner and outer fabric, bias binding, and lacing. Neither corset does much in the way of shaping, though both are relatively comfortable to wear. I haven't worn the black (overbust) one as much as the blue one. The blue (underbust) one does lift my bust a bit. What I learned: refresher on machine and hand sewing (finishing the bias binding),...

A list of all of the commercial sewing patterns I own by category (will be updated as needed): UNDERWEAR *Simplicity 1345 size H5 (6-8-10-12-14) - overbust corsets Simplicity 2777 size R5 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 - dress, long bloomers, shirt *Simplicity 8129 size R5 U.S. 14-22 - underbust corsets Simplicity 8154 size P5 U.S. 12-20 - short bloomers, camisoles OUTERWEAR Butterick 5078 size 12 - jackets Colette Patterns Albion sizes XS-XL - duffle coat and jacket Simplicity 9219 size P 12, 14, 16 - 'design your own jacket' Simplicity New Look 6396 size A U.S. xs-xl - cape/mantle Vogue Vintage Model V2884 2005 reprint of original 1954 design size 18-22 - loose swing jacket MULTIPLE PIECES in ONE Butterick Young Designer: New York, Deanna Littell 3976 size 12 bust 32 - tunic, shorts, romper/playsuit, belt Butterick 5613 size 12 - pants/trousers, skirt, blazer/jacket, vest Easy McCall's 8010 size D 12, 14, 16 - tunic, pants, skirt Folkwear 128 Russian Settlers'...

Back in June-ish of 2015 I came across this image (which I do not have the attribution for) and really wanted to make it for myself. I didn't really come across a true pattern, but (with help from my mom) finally came across these schematics (which I also don't have attribution for) and was able to make it with help from a friend of my mom's who had a large-scale printer and sewing experience! We had to make a mini version in paper to figure out how everything went together. I chose a green polar fleece fabric, so that it would be nice and cozy. This was all machine sewn. As this was my first 'real'/major sewing project, I didn't really take any pictures of the process. But here are the basic steps that we wrote down: Here is the approximate method that I used to make the poncho.  I'm sure there are other ways it can be done. You'll need two of every pattern piece except for the hood front.  (Ben provided them already, with the regular an...

This blog is intended as not only a sewing and crafting diary, but as an inspirations and aspirations diary as well. I plan on doing posts both about what I myself have made in addition to dreaming and planning about what I want to make in the future. I have 2 different 'series' ideas for sewing projects so far: an 'underwear through the ages' series and a John William Waterhouse paintings-as-inspiration series. I also really like the idea of 'history-bounding' as recently named by Morgan Donner on instagram. I have a bit of sewing under my belt, and I would say that I am somewhere between beginner and intermediate at this point in time.  Thus far in my sewing journey I've made a polar fleece poncho, 2 modern-pattern corsets (in a class), a shift (late 18th/early 19th century), and a bag. I will probably do quick posts about these, just to have the information all in one place. Who knows how long I'll keep posting, but this should be fun while it l...