Short Edwardian Tailored Black Wool Walking Skirt

1900s - Edwardian, , ,

Short Edwardian Tailored Black Wool Walking Skirt

‘Margery was always in black and white, short walking skirt and trim white shirt waist, freshly laundered […] There was no picture hat on her bonny brown hair, but a little black sailor with a swallow’s wing on one side and a bunch of violets in a knot of ribbon.’ (Madeira Mercury, 1907)

Because my gray Edwardian wool walking skirt is so comfortable that I wore it almost every day during the winter, I made another short Edwardian skirt with black wool broadcloth this time! Continue reading Short Edwardian Tailored Black Wool Walking Skirt →

5 Ways To Attach Ruffles – Historical & Heirloom Sewing

Historical Sewing, Sewing & Crochet, , , , ,

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 →

Short Edwardian Walking Skirt – History Bounding

1900s - Edwardian, , ,

History Bounding Modern Edwardian Clothes Old Bridge

The girl ‘wore a big rat under her pompadour and preferred a short walking skirt, even if men did turn around and look’ (Los Angeles Herald, 1900).

‘She certainly was an unusual figure, for that quiet neighborhood. Attired in a close-fitting suit of gray with a short walking skirt and a wide-brimmed gray felt hat that concealed her beautiful hair (Inyo Independent, 1902).

My short Edwardian walking skirt is a 9-panel godet skirt with two circular flounces, arrow-shaped wool appliques, tailor stitching along the hem, fake button closure and it’s made of gray pure wool broadcloth fabric scraps! Continue reading Short Edwardian Walking Skirt – History Bounding →

9 Creative Ways To Turn Jeans Into A Skirt

Refashion, , , , , ,

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 & Crochet, ,

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 →

5 Ways To Make An Edwardian Gibson Girl Updo

Historical Costuming, Historical Hairstyle Tutorials, , , ,

5 step-by-step tutorials from the Edwardian era on how to make an everyday Edwardian Gibson Girl updo.

How To Make An Everyday Edwardian Gibson Girl Pompadour Hairstyle Step By Step Tutorial
How To Make An Everyday Edwardian Pompadour With Figure 8 Bun

The pompadour was the typical everyday hairstyle of every Edwardian woman. Below are 5 Edwardian tutorials on how to create a basic pompadour hairstyle. Continue reading 5 Ways To Make An Edwardian Gibson Girl Updo →

How To Dye Cotton Fabric Black Naturally

Natural Dyeing & Printing, , , ,

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 →