A while ago I bought Edwardian-style hairpins made of real horn. I always wondered how ‘three or four pins’ (Every Woman’s Encyclopaedia, 1910-2) should be enough to keep a pompadour hairstyle in position. Continue reading Edwardian Horn Hairpins
Monthly Archives: December 2015
Edwardian Silver Hairbrush And Mirror
That’s my ‘new old’ Edwardian silver dressing table set which I recently won at an auction. 😀 The vanity set consists of a hairbrush, mirror and clothes brush. The dressing table set is made of 835 silver and might’ve been manufactured in the 1910s. What do you think? Continue reading Edwardian Silver Hairbrush And Mirror
Victorian Laundry: Washing And Stain Remover Recipes
‘As the appearance of many articles of dress depends greatly upon the skill of the washerwoman, it is thought that a few hints on the subject may not be misapplied; these have been collected from experienced laundresses’. (The Workwoman’s Guide, 1840, p. 234) Continue reading Victorian Laundry: Washing And Stain Remover Recipes
Victorian Rainwear: How To Make Fabric And Shoes Waterproof
To protect themselves against rain, Victorians wore boiled wool coats, oiled silk capes, oiled silk umbrellas, or early rubberized coats. I’ve compiled Victorian and Edwardian recipes how fabric and shoes were made waterproof between the 1840s and 1910s. Continue reading Victorian Rainwear: How To Make Fabric And Shoes Waterproof
How To Sew An Authentic Mid-Victorian Day Cap – Tutorial
In this tutorial I’ll show you how to sew an authentic 1840-1850s plain cotton day cap by hand. Continue reading How To Sew An Authentic Mid-Victorian Day Cap – Tutorial
Face Powder And Make-up – Victorian And Edwardian Beauty Routine And Recipes
In this part of my ‘Victorian And Edwardian Beauty Routine And Recipes’ series, makeup is the topic. I’ve compiled makeup tips from the Victorian era till the 1920s, as well as different Victorian and Edwardian face powder recipes.
‘She sat in front of her mirror, and with rouge, powder and black pencil went deliberately to work to show her face how wrong it was, and succeeded.’ (The Saint Paul Globe, 1902)
Continue reading Face Powder And Make-up – Victorian And Edwardian Beauty Routine And Recipes
1850s Sheer White Muslin Dress
For summer I made a Victorian sheer cotton day dress. I used sheer white cotton muslin from the UK. Unlike US muslin, UK muslin is a very sheer, lightweight cotton fabric – perfect for summer dresses!
I love how my Victorian muslin dress turned out: It looks so elegant. And at the same time, it’s comfortable and cool to wear in summer despite the tons of underwear! Continue reading 1850s Sheer White Muslin Dress
Edwardian Lace Combing Jacket
For challenge 11 ‘Silver Screen’ of the Historical Sew Monthly, I’ve sewn a 1900s lace bed jacket or combing jacket. My inspiration was the combing jacket in the film ‘A Room with a View’. Here‘s the ‘A Room with a View’ combing jacket. And another picture of the lace jacket. Continue reading Edwardian Lace Combing Jacket
DIY Rope Dog Leash
I made a rope dog leash for my dog: A spliced natural-colored polyhemp rope leash with turquoise whipping and brass carabiner.
Comparing Victorian Skirt Supports: Corded, Tucked And Quilted Petticoats
In the 1840s and 1850s, dome-shaped or bell-shaped skirts were fashionable. The steel cage crinoline was not yet invented. So Victorian women used different types of petticoats to create the fashionable shape: like plain cotton petticoats, crisply starched petticoats, tucked petticoats, corded petticoats and quilted petticoats. Continue reading Comparing Victorian Skirt Supports: Corded, Tucked And Quilted Petticoats