Simply Seamed Things

Well after four years of abuse I think it might be time to retire my red ridding hood corset. I love the corset immensely the wonderful Michell over at Damsel dress made it for me, but because I'm so curvy it doesn't stay up in the back. I think I need to make myself a reinforced back with some shoulder straps. We shall see how this Frankenstein corset comes together. Stay tuned.... This might just be the project from hell. Oh and did I mention I want to wear it in exactly one month from yesterday???? Hum.... maybe I'll just make a waist corset. Did I mention this all started because of a trip to the fabric store? I found the perfect fabric... >,< August 2017 Update: This never happened.  Instead I stepped out from Wenching and went on to Nobility.  I admit the first try was not so fantastic but I adore my new attire. (This is Elizabethan attire... I have since switched over to Italian. <3 br="">

Wearing History is doing a give away. They are releasing a new 1910 blouse pattern its simply smashing. I'm really excited the pattern looks beautiful and I can't wait to see what else Wearing History will create. In 2009 when I was going to go to an Edwardian event there were very few options for patterns for this era. I'm so happy that companies are starting to release more. Don't get me wrong Truly Victorian has MANY patterns for all of the Victorian styles but I can never get the fit right on their patterns. The sizing throws me off.

March has somehow snuck up on me... One minute it was barely the begining of February and not its March. *SIGH* I have got a 1912 corset on my cutting/sewing table and I have many things to get ready for the Celtic Faire in but one and a half weeks. Before the Lovely Kim at VPLL took over the request for the patterns the other groups were recieving I was fortunate enough to get the Bodice pattern I really liked its been printed out (Pdf file) and is currently being taped together. I will have to enlarge the size, since the pattern is bust sized 36. (I am not a 36 by any means. :D) After reading many of the blogs about this pattern I believe I will lower the waist line a bit as well. I am still waiting for my Groups assignment... (I'm group 26) and we haven't had the chance to get our assignment yet. Understandable since there are so many people in our Challenge. I can't wait to have a little more time and be able to try out some of these lovely patterns. :D

First things first: So I might have fibbed just a little... I finished the hat and I will be doing the second tutorial now... however! It just shows you how to get to a covered hat frame. It is not going to be decorated. I will post the decorated hat once I get paid and can afford the netting I want to put on it with the feathers I also have waiting for it. :D So I guess technically this will be a three parter... in a sense. I will post the finished hat as well as answer any questions that happen to come through either on here or on the various forums this is linked to. OK, so when I left you last you had three pieces to your hat, the brim covered in wire, the crown top covered in a swirl of wire and the crown sides lined in wire. Its time to get out your Millinery Needles because you are going to be doing some hand sewing. I would say that the cover of the hat is done half and half. The top is hand sewn and the brim is machine sewn. This is how I covered my hat... the dir

The Lovely and talented Tara Maginnis, creator of the Costume Manifesto, has a wonderful hat pattern on her site that is for an Edwardian hat out of Buckram.= I have used her pattern many times. I have even modified her pattern to make a Victorian small crown hat. Her instructions are easy to follow and once you have made it you and know the fundamentals you can pretty much make any hat. I admit I forgot a crucial step whilst making my newest hat and I'm hoping that it doesn't affect the final product. (I will of course tell you which step I missed and inform you how to do the step.) So this will be a two part Tutorial the first part is how to make the buckram frame. (My way... I don't quite follow all the instructions but you'll see where I differ slightly) * I HIGHLY recommend using at least a size 14 or 16 needle as I hit the wire at least a dozen times while making my hat and if I had had a thinner needle on my machine it would have snapped. ALSO! I wear re