r/HistoricalCostuming

These are the stays I’m making as the foundation for my fantasy Rococo-inspired Bride of Dracula costume for Halloween, and I’ve officially reached the “why did I do this to myself?” stage. 😂

I made the stays from 320 GSM cotton coutil and used plastic boning. The plastic was an experiment for me, partly out of curiosity and partly because of the cost. It has worked, but so far I think I still prefer synthetic whalebone.

For thread, I’m using Gütermann Sew-All for construction and Gütermann metallic thread for the decorative stitching.

Now I’m applying liquid silk organza over the stays, somewhat like the fashion fabric over the structured foundation of a robe de cour bodice.

And this organza is testing us.

Our first mistake was forgetting just how aggressively it frays. We remembered pretty quickly once the freshly cut edges started unraveling. 😂 Thankfully, I had left a full 1-inch seam allowance at both the top and bottom, so we had room to work with.

Once the fraying started, we decided to sew a very narrow seam around the edges to keep it under control.

Then we discovered the next problem: the organza moves CONSTANTLY.

When we tried zigzag stitching it, the machine sucked the fabric in. We ended up cutting a very narrow strip of coutil and putting it underneath the organza so the machine actually had something substantial to grab onto.

The next challenge is going to be attaching all of this slippery fabric smoothly over an already constructed, boned, three-dimensional pair of stays without introducing wrinkles or uneven tension.

And after we accomplish that, the organza and stays still have to be enclosed together with bias binding.
I low-key hate myself for deciding this was a good idea. 😆

But if it works, I think it’s going to be worth it.
For anyone who has mounted particularly lightweight or slippery fashion fabrics over stays or corsetry before, I’d love to hear what worked for you.

Grandma embroidered it all.

The rest of the dress is new, except the earrings and the back jewel.

Hello all,

I am sizing up Janet Arnolds Riding Habit from patterns of fashion 1. I have sized it up by tracing from a screen so I know it is exact and has no draughting mistake on my behalf.

(Please be kind, I am aware I am thrown myself in at the deep end with this kind of project).

The back shoulder seam is slightly longer than the front at the stitch line. I've been told that perhaps this is for some kind of ease to be added.

My question is, am I meant to gather the back panel down to fit the front? There isn't any mention of this in the book and she seems pretty good at mentioning where pleats and darts go. Which makes me think, is this a technique one should know already?

I love learning and if this is one of those moments then any help or advice would be greatly received ☺️

Hi! I’m looking at draping this petticoat over my Truly Victorian Elliptical Hoop Skirt, I’ve draped skirts before but never this big a task and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for how to go about it.

I’m debating whether to do a smooth petticoat, transfer the pattern to paper and slash and spread, or just try to gather the mock up on the stand with a hand stitch as I go (does that make sense), which I’d then unpick and transfer.

Honestly I’m a bit lost so any advice would be welcome haha

Howdy!

Im about to start this 1918 dress from Janet Arnolds Patterns of Fashion, and I am wondering if anyone has made it and has advice? This pattern is massively unintuitive, especially the bodice, and I would love any tips! I understand the scale of the patterns, and ive made a half scale, however i truly dont understand how it goes together. The bodice is shaped like a leaf, and gets folded over, but it just does not match up! There is also not a ton of info in the book about it going together either which makes it tricky. Anyway! Let me know if you have any thoughts!

Thank you!

Such a gorgeous shape and beautiful colour / pattern - makes me float along

I really went over the top in creating these miniature dresses! I purchased silk taffeta, two tone silk taffeta and antique lace! As you can see, the openings are both different styles as opposed to just the quintessential paneling style we see a lot of, which I did on madam du berry’s dress but on Marie’s I did a curtain style opening. The mini stomachers were so fun to make!! These might be my most favorite things I’ve ever made! I used a sunset color guide, a bit more seductive for Jeanne, and for Marie an innocent, pastel green and pink. Both have complimenting black accents. I think the ruffles, lace and miniature sleeves were my favorite to make, the sleeves came out so ornate and cute! I am definitely going to make more rococo dresses from now on! Jeanne comes with a feathered headdress, a ribbon choker with a cross pendant and a love letter from king Louis adorned with a royal seal! Marie comes with a pink velvet drawstring pouch with a royal emblem and a feathered headdress as well! I had a leftover box that I put them in and I added a palace in the background. Any suggestions for what to make next? If you’d like to see more pics my insta is historical_calico !

Note the tar stain on the silk trousers. Tis was to show disdain for the wealth needed to own such expense (and expansive!) Clothes.

I think Madame du Barry might be one of my favorite miniature creations yet! For Jeanne’s gown, I wanted something a little more dramatic and seductive, so I chose a warm, sunset-inspired color palette with contrasting black accents. I used silk taffeta, two-tone silk taffeta, and antique lace, with a more quintessential paneled opening in the skirt. The tiny stomacher was probably one of my favorite details to make, along with all of the miniature ruffles, lace, and those ornate little sleeves! I also wanted her accessories to reflect the glamour and romance associated with Madame du Barry, so I made her a feathered headdress, a ribbon choker with a tiny cross pendant, and, of course, a miniature love letter from King Louis XV complete with its own royal seal! I had so much fun making every tiny detail of this gown, and I’m definitely planning on creating more Rococo pieces. Any suggestions for who I should make next? If you’d like to see more of my miniature historical creations, my insta is historical_calico!

My Grandma and I are tying ourselves in knots about the back of these combinations. I think I've got the front and sides assembled correctly, but the back just says "assemble the back and sides", and there's no photo which is less than helpful. I've tried sewing that big open bit up as a dart, which fit but poked out weirdly and made no sense, and I cannot for the life of me figure it out.

I have about 3 working days to get these right to stay on schedule so...... Any advice MUCH appreciated!

(Also, I'm probably going to have to mess with the fit, but I can't do that until I figure out how it all goes together to start with)

I bought Redthreaded’s 1780s Stays pattern and after doing a mockup, I shortened the waist-underarm area by an inch. The second mockup was the perfect height, but alas, I realized I was going to have to do an SBA (2 inches, so 1 inch per pattern piece) because it was far too big in the bust. However, Redthreaded’s pattern gives no instructions for this other than “look up slash and spread tutorials online.”

I tried, but they were pretty unhelpful, since they’re designed for bodices without a side panel. When I tried one (2nd picture), I couldn’t get the strap area to lay flat. So I tried moving the side bit over, but I’m doubting myself now… the bones don’t look placed correctly???

I am desperately in need of advice! Please help me, fellow sewists - you’re my only hope.

My noble clothes I wore at the recent Battle of Evesham event, pictures taken during our pre-battle brief.

Photos by Sarah Hartman

Hello everyone, I've been on the hunt for a more or less opaque linen and have seen Fabrics-store.com recommended by many on this sub and elsewhere, so I ordered a handful of samples of their various weights in bleached white. Here's what I got (pictured). Hope this helps future linen hunters.

I am in a play, and I need a cheap, somewhat accurate outfit for a 15 year old girl in 1900. Kinda like what I have in the pictures, but I really don't want to spend any more then $50 on an outfit. Doesn't have to be from that exact era but somewhere around there

I’m making paintings and looking for lesser known clothing and vestments across cultures and times. Outfits that are both niche and striking for example the female farmers in Yemen and the capirote in Spain.
The more obscure the better. Thank you for any suggestions