I’ve always wanted to have an 18th century embroidered stomacher and now I actually made two! 😀 One of my 18th century stomachers is hand-embroidered and the other is machine-embroidered on my old treadle sewing machine. In addition, both stomacher are reversible: so I have four 18th century stomacher now. Continue reading 18th Century Embroidered Stomacher
I’m currently making some historybounding or cottagecore dresses. The dresses are inspired by historical fashion. However, they are still modern enough so that I can wear them today as summer dresses. 😀 This is one of my historybounding dresses: It’s inspired by 18th century dresses. Continue reading Modern 18th Century Dress – Historybounding Dress
Sew a simple unboned historical peasant bodice with front lacing for historical reenactment or as modern cottagecore lace-up 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
If you read my blog regularly, you know that I’m more drawn to historical lower class everyday clothing, especially rural working woman costumes. This is my newest peasant woman outfit: It consists of an unbleached chemise, unboned rural stays, bumroll and dyed-by-me corded petticoat and tucked skirt. An outfit like my historical farm girl outfit would’ve been worn in the 18th century or early Victorian era. And without the bumroll the working class woman costume is even suitable for the Edwardian era. Continue reading Historical Peasant Woman Outfit: Unboned Stays, Bumroll & Corded Petticoat
Learn how to make 34 historical types of seams. For historical costumes and modern clothing!
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
A while ago I bought chintz cotton fabric for an 18th century dress but the fabric was too flimsy for that! So the fabric sat in my stash for a couple of years until I finally had the idea to use the fabric for 18th century stays. I had just enough fabric left because I’d already used most of the fabric for a tablecloth. 😉 Continue reading 18th Century Chintz Stays With Stomacher
This bum roll pattern is suitable for the 18th century and early Victorian era (1830s and 1840s) particularly for working class wear. It creates a fashionable bell-shape, especially when you wear it with tucked and corded petticoats. Continue reading How To Sew A Bum Roll
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
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
I like to reuse old clothes: One old piece of clothing less in the landfill and a new beautiful denim corset top instead! Double yay! 😀 For these modern 18th century-inspired recycled denim stays I used one of my old jeans. Denim is a strong twill-weave fabric suitable as corset fabric. Because it’s a two-layer corset, it’s already so stiff that I didn’t even had to add boning. Continue reading Modern 18th Century Recycled Denim Stays – History Bounding