Shhh, don't tell anyone, but Victorian ladies liked to care for their skin (even if they were unknowingly causing more harm than good by applying scary things like lead) and many did wear makeup - minimally of course - it was definitely a no-makeup makeup look for them (since they didn't want to be mistaken… Continue reading My Victorian Beauty Secrets
Something to Dance In
My original plan for a secondary look with my Aubergine Dress was a fancier bodice based on an extant House of Rouff bodice and to wear it to attend a dinner. Alas, time not being on my side, and with the dinner ticket being out of my price range (as I'm also attending the ball… Continue reading Something to Dance In
Progress on Mum’s 1890s Plum Outfit
You've already seen the petticoats that I've made for my Dear Mama and since then I have been busy working away on more of her outfit. Here's a quick update on the progress I have made so far. Starting off with another undergarment, I have made Mum a chemise to wear under everything. I used… Continue reading Progress on Mum’s 1890s Plum Outfit
Petticoat Party!
Petticoats are brilliant for creating a really good Victorian silhouette - no matter what decade/style era you're sewing. Two, or even three petticoats can take a skirt's shape from good to great. I recently made up two new petticoats for myself - another one for the 1890s, and a new 1880s petticoat with lovely organdy… Continue reading Petticoat Party!
The Aubergine Part 1
After (nearly) experiencing costume burnout while making my Bastille Dress the last thing that I felt like doing this year was taking on another 'big' project. I certainly did not want to make anymore trim for several months! Back in March I picked up some half price taffeta in plum and eggplant, with plans of… Continue reading The Aubergine Part 1
Finding Inspiration
There are so many different places and ways to find inspiration for your next historical costume. Sometimes you see a dress, whether it's a real dress that has survived or one that has been captured on film or canvas, or a depiction of one in a fashion plate, and you just know: it has to… Continue reading Finding Inspiration
Accessorise Your Way To A Completed Look
So often when we are creating a new outfit we spend most of our time thinking about planning the dress. The colours, the fabric, the patterns, the trims and embellishments... The dress is what we all focus on - it's the biggest part of our look - but it's not a solo act. There are… Continue reading Accessorise Your Way To A Completed Look
Bastille Day Masquerade 2018
Warning: picture heavy post! I got a little carried away while getting dressed for the Masquerade... (well, okay, perhaps a lot...!) I think that I had been so busy in the lead up to Bastille Day working on my dress I didn't have time to get excited about the Bastille Day Masquerade until the day… Continue reading Bastille Day Masquerade 2018
The Bastille Dress
Last year, the local French Society's Bastille Day Masquerade and Dinner presented a rare opportunity to travel further back in time than the Victorian era. Not having a dress of my own to wear I was fortunate that Liane had a spare that I could borrow. Afterwards, I started thinking about attempting my own and… Continue reading The Bastille Dress
Pretty Pink Panniers and Stays
As always when starting a new silhouette one needs to start from the skin out. So, for my first foray into the Eighteenth Century, that's where I started. Rather boldly too, in lolly pink. After all, who says that underwear has to be boring? I used the American Duchess Simplicity pattern 8162 for the stays… Continue reading Pretty Pink Panniers and Stays
