Tag Archives: victorian

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

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

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

In This Post:

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

Historical Peasant Woman Outfit: Unboned Stays, Bumroll & Corded Petticoat

Historical Peasant Woman Outfit

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

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

10 Types Of Corset Boning For Historical Corsetry

Flat steel boning, spiral steel boning, German plastic boning (aka synthetic whalebone) – what is best for historical corsets?

10 Types Of Corset Boning For Historical Corsetry

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