Category Archives: Sewing & Crochet

6 Ways How To Insert Lace – Heirloom Sewing Tutorial

23rd April 2020Sewing & Crochetedwardian, embroidery, hand sewing, lace, lace tutorial, sewing, tutorial, upcycling, victorianLina

Learn 6 different vintage ways to insert lace and improve your heirloom sewing skills! So if you’re wondering how to add lace trim like in earlier times, read on.

Today, lace is usually inserted with zigzag stitches by machine. But in past, lace was either inserted by hand or with a straight-stitch sewing machine. In this tutorial I’ll show you 6 ways how to insert lace by hand or with straight stitches by machine. Let me know in the comments what’s your favorite way to insert lace! 😀 Continue reading 6 Ways How To Insert Lace – Heirloom Sewing Tutorial →

DIY Recycled Denim Baseball – Tutorial & Free Pattern

29th January 2020Refashion, Sewing & CrochetDIY, dog, hand sewing, jeans, sewing, tutorial, upcyclingLina

This DIY recycled denim baseball is made from old jeans! A fun, easy, cheap and eco-friendly way to upcycle your jeans!

Make this recycled denim baseball as soft fabric ball for your baby or toddler, for your cat or dog. It’s the perfect toy for a dog that loves to fetch – like my GSD pup Khaleesi! The recycled denim baseball is a safe alternative to the usual tennis ball. Continue reading DIY Recycled Denim Baseball – Tutorial & Free Pattern →

How To Make Limerick Lace By Hand

28th January 2020Sewing & Crochetembroidery, flower, lace, lace tutorial, sewing, tutorial, victorianLina

Limerick lace is a floral tulle lace: It is hand-embroidered on machine-made cotton net. In this tutorial I’ll show you the basics of Limerick lace.

Limerick lace was made since 1829 in Limerick, Ireland, hence the name Limerick lace. There are two types of this beautiful, delicate lace: Limerick lace can be either worked as needle-run or tambour lace. In needle-run lace, the net ground is embroidered with a needle and darning stitches. Whereas in tambour lace, the net ground is embroidered with chain stitches and a tambour hook which is similar to a crochet hook. Usually, needle-run lace is more delicate than tambour lace, while some Limerick tulle laces use a combination of needle-run and tambour. Continue reading How To Make Limerick Lace By Hand →

Handmade Mirror Work Cotton Ghagra Choli

6th January 2019Sewing & Crochetbead embroidery, dress, embroidery, indian, pink, upcyclingLina

Some years ago, I made a ghagra choli with yellow and pink cotton fabric, embroidery thread and large silver sequins to mimic Indian mirror work embroidery. Ghagra choli is an Indian blouse and skirt outfit which is usually worn with a stole, the dupatta or odhani.

My handmade ghagra choli is inspired by traditional Rajasthani ghagra cholis Continue reading Handmade Mirror Work Cotton Ghagra Choli →

24 Free Old-Fashioned Christmas Crafts & Recipes – Advent Calendar 2018

20th November 2018(Historical) Cooking Recipes, DIY Crafts, Sewing & Crochetchristmas, DIY, recipe, tutorialLina

Welcome to the Advent Calendar 2018 with 24 free, old-fashioned Christmas crafts and recipes!

It’s time for my traditional Advent Calendar! This year it’s the third year that I run the Advent Calendar on my blog. For those of you who are new to my Advent Calendar: The Advent Calendar works like an ordinary Advent calendar, each day you can open a new door. Behind the doors are free vintage Christmas and winter crafts, old-fashioned Christmas and wild foraging recipes and Victorian and Edwardian winter- and Christmas-related posts. The Advent Calendar 2018 starts on December 1. Continue reading 24 Free Old-Fashioned Christmas Crafts & Recipes – Advent Calendar 2018 →

Bend Eyes Into Bars – DIY Hook And Bar Closure

24th April 2018Sewing & Crochet1950s, DIY, sewing, tutorial, upcycling, victorianLina

It’s easy to turn store-bought hook and eye closures into hook and bar closures. In this short tutorial I’ll show you how to make a DIY hook and bar closure.

Hook and eyes and hook and bars are a great way to fasten your garments: I use them on skirt waistbands, as vintage dress closure together with snaps instead of a zipper closure (picture below) and as secure and historical accurate closure for my Victorian bodices. Continue reading Bend Eyes Into Bars – DIY Hook And Bar Closure →

Easter Countdown 2018 – 30 Free Easter Craft Tutorials And Recipes

1st March 2018(Historical) Cooking Recipes, DIY Crafts, Sewing & Crochetarticle, easter, recipe, sewing, tutorialLina

Count down the days until Easter Sunday 2018 with 31 free Easter and spring craft tutorials and Easter recipes.

Each day a new Easter recipe, Easter craft or sewing tutorial, or a post about Victorian and Edwardian Easter customs and traditions awaits you on my blog. Stop by every day to open a new door and find out what’s behind it waiting for you! The Countdown starts on March 1 and ends on March 31. Continue reading Easter Countdown 2018 – 30 Free Easter Craft Tutorials And Recipes →

Advent Calendar 2017 – 24 Christmas Craft Tutorials For You!

24th November 2017(Historical) Cooking Recipes, DIY Crafts, Refashion, Sewing & Crochetarticle, christmas, DIY, edwardian, recipe, sewing, tutorial, victorianLina

I’m excited to announce that I’m hosting an Advent calendar again this year on my blog!

Count down the days until Christmas with my Advent calendar. Each day from December 1 to December 24, a new Christmas craft tutorial, a Christmas recipe or a post about Victorian Christmas customs awaits you on my blog. Continue reading Advent Calendar 2017 – 24 Christmas Craft Tutorials For You! →

1940 – 1950s Bra & Garter Belt + Free Patterns

30th October 20171950s, Sewing & Crochet1950s, belt, DIY, finished historical costume, lace, sewing, tutorial, underwearLina

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that we’re clearing out Grandma’s house at the moment. And I found some of her lingerie: bras and garter belts! They’re probably from the late 1940s or early 1950s. The bras have the characteristic, pointy, conical bullet bra shape of the 1950s – but not as exaggerated as some of the 1950s bras.

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And if you want to sew your own pin-up bra or vintage garter belt, I traced the patterns of two of the bras and of one of the garter belts. You can download the patterns for free and adjust them to your size. Continue reading 1940 – 1950s Bra & Garter Belt + Free Patterns →

30+ Easy DIY Summer Crafts & Recipes

22nd July 2017(Historical) Cooking Recipes, DIY Crafts, Sewing & Crochetaccessory, boho, DIY, jeans, recipe, roundup, sewing, tutorial, upcyclingLina

Celebrate summer with these easy and fun DIY projects and summer recipes. 30+ tutorials to make your own summer accessories, summer recipes with fresh berries & flowers and, of course, ice cream recipes! Those long summer days are perfect to chill out on your DIY pallet couch with a glass of homemade refreshing lemonade enjoying the smell of your natural rose petal blush! Continue reading 30+ Easy DIY Summer Crafts & Recipes →