Unlike today, clothing in the past was made to last. So I was intrigued when I found a pattern for knit stockings with replaceable soles from the 1910s! 😀 There are some patterns for socks with replaceable toes and heels. But I couldn’t find a modern knit pattern for socks where the toe, heel and sole are replaceable. So I was eager to try making the historical wool knit stockings with replaceable soles. Continue reading Victorian Stockings With Replaceable Soles
After making an Edwardian cotton wash dress a couple of years ago, I now made another Edwardian cotton dress. 😀 It’s an early Edwardian dress with a separate bodice & skirt, tucks at the front and pintucks at the back of the bodice, wide bishop sleeves and a tulip skirt with a wide hem circumference and a ruffle at the bottom. As always I used a self-drafted pattern based on antique Edwardian sewing patterns and made the dress as historically accurate as possible. Continue reading Edwardian Blue Polka Dot Cotton Dress
The Edwardian shirtwaist costume was the most practical everyday attire. A shirtwaist costume consisted of a tailored skirt and a separate shirtwaist blouse.
‘With a good black skirt and two or three well made, neat and stylish shirt waists we can always manage to look well dressed.’ (San Francisco Call, 1905)
Shirtwaist costumes were basics in every Edwardian woman’s wardrobe: She could wear it every day for almost any occasion! My version of an Edwardian shirtwaist costume consist of a tailored black wool trumpet skirt, a white cotton shirtwaist (blouse), a patent leather belt with metal belt buckle, a leather chatelaine bag with metal chatelaine hook, a black tie and hair ribbon and a pink rayon taffeta petticoat – all parts of the outfit are made by me. 🙂 Continue reading Edwardian Shirtwaist Costume
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
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
In the Victorian era, hay was made by hand with a scythe. But even today, a scythe is often used to cut grass and make hay. I love making hay with a scythe – it’s the best full body workout! Every summer, I make hay for our rabbits by hand with a scythe. Besides haymaking, the scythe is also perfect to cut grass on a hill in our garden that is too steep for a lawn mower.
‘Now, whilst the mowers are whetting their scythes, and the fragrant smell of the hay fills the summer air, let us sit on the haycock, and glance at the flowers around us.’ (English Wild Flowers, 1868)
Continue reading How To Make Hay With A Scythe – History Of Haymaking
‘As every girl who loves the outdoor sports knows, corsets and athletics have long been on unfriendly terms with each other. For some strange reason, not entirely understood by those who devote a part of every day to athletics, the designers of feminine harness have made little or no study of a corset suitable for such exercise, and they certainly have made no effort to combine the straight front with the freedom of movement required in playing golf and tennis.
For the very first time on record peace has been established. We now have the pliable, easy straight front that is adapted to the needs of the athlete. Continue reading Edwardian Athletic Corsets For The Edwardian Sportswoman
‘Beautiful substantial articles that can be made by any woman of artistic tastes and strength enough to drive a hammer Continue reading Edwardian Woman Carpenter
I wanted to sew woven fabric stockings for a long time, and now I’ve finally sewn a pair of medieval fabric stockings! I like how they turned out. And they’re more comfortable to wear than I thought! Continue reading Medieval Stockings