Category Archives: Sewing & Crochet

How To Sew A Historical Peasant Bodice

Sew a simple unboned historical peasant bodice with front lacing for historical reenactment or as modern cottagecore lace-up corset top!

Historical Working Woman Peasant Bodice Corset Top

In the past, peasants and other working women often wore simple unboned bodices or lightly boned stays. My historical working woman stays are based on antique rural stays. This historical peasant bodice features a low neckline, shoulder straps, spiral lacing at the center front and princess seams at the back. You can make it completely unboned or just lightly boned. Continue reading How To Sew A Historical Peasant Bodice

How To Sew An Edwardian Hip Pad

How To Sew An Edwardian Hip Pad Tutorial

My Edwardian hip pad is inspired by antique Edwardian hip pads, like the Scott Ventilated Hip Pad & Bustle. But for a better fit under Edwardian straight-front corsets, I actually used the bottom part of an antique corset to draw the pattern! So my Edwardian hip pad pattern might look different than the typical crescent-shaped Edwardian hip pad patterns that are sold today. But antique Edwardian bustle pads came in various forms like this or this antique hip pad. And I find that this shaped hip pad fits better under Edwardian straight-front (aka S-bend) corsets: It fills out the bum, creates the fashionable wide hips of the Edwardian era without destroying the fashionable straight-front of Edwardian corsets. Continue reading How To Sew An Edwardian Hip Pad

34 Types of Seams – Historical Sewing

Learn how to make 34 historical types of seams. For historical costumes and modern clothing!

34 Types of Seams Historical Sewing

The Victorians had a seam for every purpose! The following 34 historical types of seams have already been used since the Victorian era. While some types of seams are even older and have been used since the Middle Ages. You can use the following 34 historical seam finishes for your Victorian and Edwardian clothing. But of course you can also use them for your modern clothing! Continue reading 34 Types of Seams – Historical Sewing

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

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 was 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

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