The Singing Costumer

  Moving on to the next and most important pieces in this “Delilah” ensemble. I used Simplicity 8162 for the stays. This pattern is by American Duchess for Simplicity, and I was pleased with it. This brown cotton twill was in my stash. But I thought this project needed a bit of pizzazz.  I am obsessed with the leopard print bias binding I used (found on Etsy). It really elevates this garment to the next level. As per usual for my boned garments, I used heavy duty zip ties. Getting the boning channels marked on the twill was quite annoying and tedious, but I managed in the end. All the channels were stitched by machine. I used my machine to sew almost everything on her. I think the only handstitching on this is the eyelets. I set small eyelets up the front and back, and then hand embroidered around each one.  I really don’t care that the sewing machine wasn’t invented in the 18th century. I’ll say this again, in case it isn’t obvious. I am aiming for historical accuracy in...

  I have quite a difficult time focusing on one time period. One minute, I’ll have grand ideas for a huge bustle gown. The next minute, I’m dreaming of medieval cloaks in warm, delicious, soft wool. It’s a problem, let me tell you. This year, I am trying my best to finish projects that have languished too long in Unfinished Objects purgatory. (The size of my UFO pile is embarrassing.) This set hasn’t been waiting as long as other projects, but I’m incredibly excited just the same. It is the underpinnings for an early-to-mid 18th century middle class ensemble. I’m calling this set “Delilah”. I have decided to name my sets, just for fun. I am getting close to my goal of sewing an undergarment set for every major fashion period in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.  I need to make a Regency set and an early Victorian set, and I need to finish a few other projects for other time periods. But I’m almost there.  The idea for this project was born when I found a fun leopard pri...

  Princess Gowns are my jam. Disney cosplays are my favorite. So I thought it was high time I created a gown for Walt Disney’s original Princess, Snow White. But of course, me being me, I decided that I need a whole new set of underthings. In many clips of Disney park princesses, they seem to be wearing bloomers and petticoats with layers of ruffles. So, I decided to begin there. My usual sewing method recently has been to serge around all the edges of all pattern pieces, and then assemble them. It makes for a tidy interior, which I adore. A sewing teacher of mine once said that a nice, neat interior is a sign of a good sewist . And I have taken that to heart. I spent $16 on serger and heavy duty threads. (Plus trim for the skirt, which will be discussed in a future blog.) I’m sure I didn’t even use 2 dollars’ worth of the thread.  I  And I was able to cut out this whole set from a yellow sheet I found for $4 at a thrift store. So let’s say this whole set only cost me six...

       This is the last installment of my blogs on my new Edwardian undergarments set. I have 3 petticoats. I shall write about them in chronological order as I finished them.      The first is a white cotton petticoat trimmed with lace, shown below. I made it at least 4 years ago or more. I used the Free Hoop Petticoat Diagram on the Truly Victorian website for cutting directions. I don’t think I followed it exactly to the letter. I just did two tiers total. It was way too long, but I had already attached the lace at the hem, so I couldn’t just cut it. So I instead made rows and rows and rows of tucks at the hem. It only took 5 million hours. It is beautiful, though. This was simple to make, but tedious. This will continue to be a theme as I write about each petticoat. The top edge is pleated and sewn to a ribbon for a waistband. This is meant to be worn under my Belle costume, so I chose a pretty scalloped lace for the hem to match her petticoat. One...

     Please allow me to take you back to last year. Well, actually, that might not be the best plan. Let’s leave 2020 in the past. Anyway. In 2020, I had a project which I called “Unmentionables Through The Decades”. As a whole, this project was very successful. I managed to complete a good number of my planned sewing projects that year. There were a few projects that I didn’t blog, a few that I might do later, and a few that I don’t plan to make after all. Today, I thought I’d get back to my Edwardian undergarments set. This is by far my favorite set in this series. I blogged about the drawers, the chemise, and the “bustle”  last year.  This week, I’ll write about the corset and the corset cover, and finish up the 1900s series next week with the petticoats.      Corsets are always my least favorite projects, but I am incredibly pleased with this one. They are usually a lot of work, for a garment that isn’t even seen. This is the “Edwardian Straig...

My YouTube video associated with this blog The next step in my continuing quest to become a Gibson Girl was to make a bum pad. I knew I needed a little more oomph in the back then nature has provided me for a fashionable Edwardian silhouette. This period is all about curves and flowing, smooth lines. Padding strategic areas was a common period trick to create curves. It is lovingly referred to as my Ruffle Butt. Because who doesn't want ruffle butt? The fabric is scraps from a green polyester brocade tablecloth. It's a pretty design, although the fabric was a bit of a hassle to sew. It's prone to fraying. If I recall correctly, it was from Joann Fabrics, in one of their seasonal spring collections. I've had it for years, and this is the year of “Reduce the Stash”. And it looked beautiful with the other pieces I've already made, so it was a win all around. I wasn't sure how I wanted to make this at first. I didn't really want to pay for a pattern, and I d...

I decided to wear mid-1850s underpinnings with my future Princess gowns. These have to be complete before I can fit my new gown to myself, as these proper underpinnings change your shape significantly. First layer is a chemise. A thrift store soft cotton dress fills this role admirably. The cut of the neckline just falling off the shoulders is very accurate to this time. I especially love the flower print and the lace trim along the neckline. The second layer is the corset. I have made a few corsets in the past, but they were more like a bodice, not meant for waist reduction. And my skills are not quite up to the task yet. So I bought a Timeless Trends corset from their Nude Corset Collection,  The Hourglass Nude in Vanilla.  (  https://timeless-trends.com/ )  I love this collection because it has a whole range of colors to fit different skin tones. It comes in latte, crème, caramel, butterscotch, vanilla, cinn...