Category Archives: Sewing, DIY & Recipes

5 Ways To Attach Ruffles – Historical & Heirloom Sewing

5 Ways To Attach Ruffles - Historical Heirloom Sewing

In the Edwardian era, there were 5 ways to attach ruffles: with a receiving tuck, flat felled seam, finishing braid, French seam or whipped gathers. The first four can be sewn on a sewing machine, while the last one is sewn by hand. All these techniques have in common that the right and wrong side of your skirt looks tidy: there are no raw edges on the wrong side and the skirt is also much more durable than if you‘d use zigzagged or serged seams to attach ruffles. Continue reading 5 Ways To Attach Ruffles – Historical & Heirloom Sewing

9 Creative Ways To Turn Jeans Into A Skirt

9 Ways To Turn Jeans Into A Skirt

Turning jeans into a denim skirt is very popular at the moment. But there’s not just one way how to turn old jeans into a cute skirt: you can make a 6- or 8-gore denim skirt, a pleated denim skirt, a distressed denim skirt … And you can also embellish your DIY refashioned denim skirt with beads, fabric applique, metal chains and fabric paint! Continue reading 9 Creative Ways To Turn Jeans Into A Skirt

How To Sew Buttonholes On The Bias

Sewing buttonholes on the bias grain of fabric is difficult. If you try to sew buttonholes on the true bias the fabric stretches and the bias buttonhole looks distorted. But there’s a trick how you can sew perfect buttonholes on the bias!

How To Sew Buttonholes On The Bias Step By Step Sewing Tutorial True Bias Buttonholes

In the Edwardian era, buttonholes were often on the bias grain of fabric. Bias buttonholes with silk ribbon threaded through them decorated necklines and hems of Edwardian lingerie. My next sewing project is an Edwardian combination suit with 144 buttonholes on the bias. And because I didn’t want to sew all these 144 bias buttonholes by hand, I had to think of something to sew the bias buttonholes on my sewing machine! Continue reading How To Sew Buttonholes On The Bias

How To Dye Cotton Fabric Black Naturally

How To Dye Cotton Fabric Black Naturally

Cellulose fibers, like cotton, linen and rayon, are more difficult to dye with plants than protein fibers like wool and silk. It’s possible to dye cotton fabric black but it takes time: at least three days (or rather a week) from start to finish! Because you have to scour the fabric, extract the dye, dye the fabric, modify the color and overdye the fabric again. But even if it’s a lengthy process, it’s very budget-friendly and sustainable: Because you probably have the materials already at home or can gather them outdoors! Continue reading How To Dye Cotton Fabric Black Naturally

18 Incredible Ways To Repurpose Your Old Jeans

18 Incredible Ways To Repurpose Your Old Jeans

One of the main topics on my blog is the repurposing, upcycling and reusing of old clothes. If clothes no longer fit or I no longer like them 😉 I refashion them instead of throwing them away. Like almost everyone I have old jeans in my house that I’ve turned into new clothes over the years or reused for other projects. Here’s a list of all my jeans upcyling projects. Continue reading 18 Incredible Ways To Repurpose Your Old Jeans

How To Refashion Jeans Into A Panel Skirt

How to make a graffiti denim skirt from a pair of jeans – easy sewing tutorial! And what’s best: the finished skirt looks like a denim skirt and not like a refashioned jeans!

How To Refashion Jeans Into A Panel Skirt

There are a lot of jeans-to-skirt refashions out there. But this jeans-to-skirt refashion tutorial is different! Most denim skirts that are refashioned from jeans look like they were a jeans before. Because most refashion tutorials tell you to rip the seams and just sew the fabric pieces together again! What was the crotch of the jeans before makes a strange pattern piece at the front and back of most refashioned denim skirts.

But your new denim skirt doesn’t have to look like it’s refashioned from a jeans: Because there’s another (easier!) way to make a denim skirt from jeans: Simply treat the old jeans as a piece of fabric! Jeans legs are perfect to cut them into A-line panels or gores. Then sew these panels into a skirt. You can even use jeans that are too small like I did here. You get 8 panels out of a pair of jeans with almost no waste of fabric! You can even reuse the belt loops, pockets, labels and buttons for your refashioned skirt. Continue reading How To Refashion Jeans Into A Panel Skirt

Modern Edwardian Bra – Historybounding

My modern Edwardian bra has a button closure, adjustable shoulder straps, elastic lacing at the back and is boned like a corset.

Modern Edwardian Bra - Historybounding

I made another historybounding garment! My modern Edwardian-style bra is inspired by antique Edwardian brassieres. But I’m wearing the bra as everyday bra because my DIY bra turned out so comfortable. Continue reading Modern Edwardian Bra – Historybounding

How To Join Lace – Invisible Seam

Do you need to invisibly join lace trim for your next sewing project? Learn how to sew an invisible lace seam by hand. This method to join lace is from the Edwardian era! Use this invisible lace join instead of a bulky seam for your next historical costuming or heirloom sewing project!

How To Join Lace Invisible Seam Heirloom Hand Sewing

Currently I‘m making an Edwardian lace chemise for which I use lace scraps from my stash. And the Edwardians knew a method to invisibly sew lace together. This invisible seam works particularly well with lace that doesn’t fray badly: like cotton Valenciennes lace which I use here. Continue reading How To Join Lace – Invisible Seam