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Early 19th Century Absurdity...I MUST HAVE IT!!!
I get sick of seeing everything from the period being "Frenchified." It's pretty and all, but just not the right look for me and what I want to achieve, usually. However, I stumbled across this blog entry on Mrs. Bell's designs in La Belle Ansemblee, a British publication that ran from 1806 to 1868. The blog entry makes fun of them, but I like all ( Read more... ) -
Psst--Vintage Dancer giving away Wearing History patterns!
Vintage Dancer is having a Wearing History Giveaway!
Follow the links and instructions above to enter. I dig the 1899 Jacket, but I kinda like the Day to Night dress, too. I dunno, they have a lot of patterns. -
Stays Fretting
After last night's attempt to try on the stays--the eyelets are too small to get the corset lace through--thoughts on buying stays have amplified. Should I buy? What should I buy? Who should I buy from?
There are a handful of reputable sutlers out there. I've already addressed April C. Thomas and Hallie Larkin, but I've revisted Silly Sisters. I' ( Read more... ) -
The HSF Inadvertent Pink
A wee bit of backstory: I wanted to make a pair of red leather slippers for 1810s to wear for English Country Dancing. I was going to do them for the Fairy Tale Challenge (a la The Red Shoes), but an opportunity to get a pair of Highburys from American Duchess came up when she put up a pair in my size marked down to $60. I grappled with which color ( Read more... ) -
Elation then Frustration
I'm jumping back into Historical Sew Fornightly. Challenge 1 is Make Do and Mend. Since I have nothing that needs mending and a thousand things that need finishing that's what I am working on ( Read more... ) -
Talking About Intentions
I recently read a short article about how talking about plans actually makes you less likely to do them. Something about the psychology of it: admitting or saying that you are planning to do something makes you feel like you've actually done it, taking the proverbial wind out of the sails ( Read more... ) -
Devil is in the Details: Slight Improvements and Experiments, Little Things
Other 18thc peeps--if you have not yet, check out the 18th Century Material Culture Resource CenterI've been looking over some quick and not-so-quick things to improve on before next event and season. It's all up in the air still, but Jim has decided if he gets a good enough job offer, he will finish his degree in June. If not, then it's still a ( Read more... ) -
Movies instead of Mockups
I was looking forward to a productive day. Around 7 am, I took Jim to his office so he could go on a day trip to the 1000 Islands with his colleagues. My plan was to run all the weekend errands, doing some chores, and getting some exercise in before setting to work on muslins. By the time I was finished everything, I sat down to lunch and realized ( Read more... ) -
In which I finally post about the French Jacket
I am home today, having the last of my wisdom teeth removed. I feel much better than I anticipated, but not quite so lucid that I'd want to attempt a project, so I will tell you about it.
In early September, Leisa of A Challenging Sew announced that she and another woman, Inna of Thewallina, would be hosting a Little French Jacket Sew Along. I ( Read more... ) -
Thursday Post: What Keeps You from Your Sewing?
Since I'm trying (again) to break bad habits by joining a sew-along (to be detailed in a later post), I'm running over in my head the things that prevent me from working on my projects ( Read more... )