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How To Dye With Woad & Indigo – Historical Dye Recipes

How To Dye With Woad Indigo Historical Dye Recipes

In the past, indigo, woad and pastel (a variety of woad) was used to dye wool and cotton fabric blue. Indigo and woad dye are different from other natural dyes because the dye isn’t water soluble: you have to make a vat. Today, chemicals are used to make a quick vat. In the past, however, it was usually a fermentation vat using different ingredients like bran, madder, yeast, weld, molasses, urine, potash and lime. Continue reading How To Dye With Woad & Indigo – Historical Dye Recipes

50 Edwardian Pompadour Gibson Girl Hairstyles

The favorite hairstyle of Edwardian women was the pompadour hairstyle. They wore it as an everyday hairstyle and for balls and evening soirees. The basic Edwardian pompadour hairstyle is high over the forehead and close at the back with a bun at the top of the head.

50 Edwardian Gibson Girl Hairstyles

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Pompadour hairstyles became popular in the late Victorian and early Edwardian era. Almost all Edwardian women wore a variation of the pompadour coiffure. Continue reading 50 Edwardian Pompadour Gibson Girl Hairstyles

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

17 Natural Materials To Make DIY Candle Wicks

17 natural materials you can use to make your own candle wicks at home! Learn how to make your own candle wicks with natural materials. The following 17 natural DIY candle wicks are all natural, sustainable, non-toxic (not treated with chemicals like store-bought candle wicks), easy to make, cheap, readily available and of course work as wicks for candles and oil lamps! You probably have the materials for your homemade candle wicks lying around the house or you can simply collect them in nature.

17 Natural Materials To Make DIY Candle Wicks

I love to make homemade candles and oil lamps with DIY candle wicks! Continue reading 17 Natural Materials To Make DIY Candle Wicks

15 Christmas Gibson Girl Hairstyles & Holiday Hair Accessories

Over 15 Christmas Gibson Girl hairstyles & DIY Christmas hair accessories from the Edwardian era!

15 Christmas Gibson Girl Hairstyles And Holiday Hair Accessories

Gibson Girl hairstyles are in again! Gibson Girls were the it girls of the late Victorian and Edwardian era. The fashionable hairstyle of the Gibson Girl was the pompadour hairstyle. For Christmas parties, Gibson Girls wore elaborate pompadour hairstyles decorated with DIY hair accessories: From gilded leaf wreaths to hoar frost flower hair accessories, all these DIY Christmas hair accessories are easy to make at home. You’ll surely find some to your liking for your Christmas time outfit. Continue reading 15 Christmas Gibson Girl Hairstyles & Holiday Hair Accessories

History Of Candles – Oil Lamps & Fatwood Torches

DIY Stone Oil Lamp With DIY Rush Wick Stone Candle History Of Candles
DIY Stone Oil Lamp With DIY Rush Wick

History Of Candles

‘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

How To Make Rushlights

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!

How To Make Rushlights DIY Emergency Candle Tutorial With Leftover Cooking Fat DIY Natural Wicks

‘”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