This is a selection of my historical costumes that I’ve made over the last few years. Click on links below the images for the detailed posts about my historical costumes.
My current main focus in historical sewing is the Edwardian era: particularly historically accurate early Edwardian corsets, underwear and tailored garments, historical hand-embroidery and how to achieve the extreme early Edwardian silhouette. Continue reading My Historical Costumes – Portfolio
I love making historical lace and whitework embroidery. I often research how different types of lace and embroidery were traditionally called. But over time I forget the names again. 😉 That’s why I put together this list of historical lace and embroidery styles – rather for myself. But maybe you find this list useful too! 😀 Continue reading 50 Historical Types Of Whitework Embroidery & Needle Lace
First of all, I don’t wear corsets regularly in my everyday life. But a while ago I wore historical corsets everyday as an experiment because I wanted to find out how it would feel. And also to learn more about the pros and cons of wearing a corset on a daily basis. This is just my personal opinion, no universal pros and cons of everyday corset wearing! 😉 Continue reading 7 Things I Like And Don’t Like About Wearing A Corset
Do you want to make your own historical costumes and don’t know where to start? Or are you wondering how to start with historical costuming on a budget? These are my 8 tips on how to get started in historical costuming! 😀 Continue reading 8 Tips On How To Get Started In Historical Costuming
11 tips how on to wear vintage and historical clothing in your everyday life without making people thinking you’re crazy or old-fashioned! 😉
Do you want to wear your beautiful vintage and historical dresses in your everyday life? But you don’t want to look too costumey or old-fashioned? Below I share 11 tips on how to incorporate your vintage and historical clothing into your everyday wardrobe and how to style them to look modern! Continue reading 11 Tips On How To Dress Vintage & Historical Without Looking Too Costumey
Flat steel boning, spiral steel boning, German plastic boning (aka synthetic whalebone) – what is best for historical corsets?
Historically, corsets were stiffened with whalebone (baleen), whalebone substitutes – such as horn and featherbone – and later flat steel boning. Continue reading 10 Types Of Corset Boning For Historical Corsetry
‘Artificial light is probably as ancient as the human race or the use of fire; but the means employed to produce it among the savage tribes have scarcely advanced beyond burning branches of trees or splinters of wood.
Torches were probably an improvement upon these; and lamps, even of the simplest kind, display a great advance in refinement, requiring a combination of contrivances, such as the preparation of oil, a vessel to hold it, and a proper substance for the wick. […] Continue reading History Of Candles – Oil Lamps & Fatwood Torches
Learn how to make rushlights with leftover cooking fat! You can use this DIY bacon fat candle with a DIY natural wick as emergency candle or as eco-friendly alternative to store-bought candles!
‘”I have no more influence than a farthing rushlight.” “Well,” was the reply, “a farthing rushlight can do a great deal: it can set a haystack on fire, it can burn down a house; yea, more, it will enable a poor creature to read […] Go your way, friend; let your farthing rushlight’ shine. (The Christian Miscellany, And Family Visiter, 1868)
Rushlights are one of the most ancient forms of lighting: They were already used in the Roman Empire and they were still used in the late Victorian era, especially in working class households. Rushlights were a cheap alternative to candles: They were usually made at home by children, women or older people.
Rushlights are really easy to make: You can still make them today as eco-friendly and cheap emergency candle. Besides, rushlights are a great way to use up leftover cooking grease! All you need to do is to gather rushes in summer or autumn, peel and dry them and then dip them into cooking grease or tallow. Continue reading How To Make Rushlights
Learn how to make a straw hat from scratch with straw or grass!
In the Victorian era, straw hats were made from scratch: Straw or grass was cut, bleached and then braided. By the way, straw braiding was called straw plaiting or straw platting in the Victorian era. These straw braids were then sewn together to make DIY straw hats. Continue reading How To Make A Straw Hat From Scratch
How to prevent moths from eating clothes? How to get rid of moths and carpet beetles? Are you wondering how to store your expensive vintage and historical wool clothes to keep them save from moths? And how did the Victorians prevent moths damage to clothes and carpets? Find out how to prevent and get rid of moths and carpet beetles effectively and naturally!
If you find holes in your woolen clothes, you know you have a problem with fabric pests! There are two main insect species that damage woolen clothes: clothes moths and carpet beetles. The larvae of moths and carpet beetles eat irregular holes into wool clothes, especially in the summertime.
Clothes moths, as well as carpet beetles, can do serious damage to expensive and valuable historical wool clothes. Continue reading 10 Ways How To Get Rid Of Moths & Carpet Beetles Naturally – Historical & Today