The Singing Costumer

To slightly paraphrase Miranda Priestly from the classic film The Devil Wears Prada, “Faux fur? For winter? How groundbreaking.” But nothing beats fur for warmth and beauty. There is a reason it's a classic every year. This gorgeous purple fur was a gift from a friend. She was clearing out her fabric stash and invited me to take some pieces. I was very excited to find this particular piece. It is an incredibly thick and soft faux fur in a deep, rich shade of purple. Purple is my favorite color, so it had to come home with me. It wasn't a very big piece, so I knew it needed to become something very special. I found this New Look “Fun with Fur” pattern on Etsy and loved it. I loved the collar and cuff set and also the scarf, but I didn't have enough to make both. I went back and forth for several days, weighing my options. Finally, I decided that a scarf would be more practical, and I would be more likely to actually wear a scarf rather then a collar and cuf...

Onward to the last few pieces of my 1920's project; a simple slip and a pair of elastic garters. The slip was the first piece I actually finished for my #unmentionablesthroughthedecades project. I would like to formally thank past Sarah from 2012 for saving so carefully this little bit of gorgeous lace. It was originally purchased to sew a pattern test for my first foray into historic costuming; Elizabeth Turner from the first Pirates film. This length of lace was just the right color to add to this slip. It is basically a tube with straps. It was very easy to complete in afternoon. I started with an old self-drafting tutorial from The American Duchess blog, and added a couple center pleats, as I have seen on some period examples. This is just to pull in the neckline a little bit and adds a bit of interest. But the lace covers the pleats, so they aren't seen anyway. C'est le vie. You live and learn. One item that could and perhaps should have been ...

In my Pinterest board for 1920's, I have many examples of period sewing instructions. These are from popular Women's magazines of the time. They showcase new trimming ideas for a dinner dress, or perhaps an easy one-hour afternoon dress (VERY popular, judging from the number I found). These were meant to keep the home sewist well-informed as to the latest fashion. Many of these instructions seemed to emphasize the ease of their directions and ideas.  This lingerie set was inspired by a dinner dress instruction page (detail of that page shown below). In particular, it had directions to bead a beautiful bow on a formal dress with tiny seed beads. The finished effect is rather like a necklace. I loved the shape of the bow, but of course I didn't want to weigh down my delicate fabric with lots of beads. And beads on undergarments is not exactly practical. So instead, I made “ribbon” from my fabric by sewing a 3/8 th inch seam, trimming the allowance, and then...

I am slowly but surely making myself a cold-weather Disney Parks wardrobe. That is, items that are just a bit too character-focused or too “young” for me to wear all the time here at home, but are entirely appropriate at the Parks. For everyday wear, I tend to pick Disney tee-shirts that are more subtle. Things that “whisper” Disney rather then “shout” Disney, if you get what I mean. I've blogged about my XL sweatshirt-to-accessories project here. Also, a fleece Elsa cape is almost complete (which I might pair with this set? But it might be too much Frozen for one outfit.) Then, I bought a white fluffy Mickey Mouse jacket from Target last year. I think that should be enough. Maybe a long sleeve tee-shirt or two. Everyone thinks about Southern California and Florida being hot or at least warm all the time, but that's not quite true. There are some cooler days here and there. On my very first trip to California by myself, I got cold waiting for the fireworks. It was in...

Are you, dear reader, in the mood for some winter accessories? Or, like me, are you already anxious for spring to arrive? The only good thing about winter is the cute accessories, I always say. I have a big canvas basket full of scarves, gloves, mittens, and hats. I have a black and also a purple peacoat. Plus my dramatic leopard print fleece cape, which I have previously discussed. Simply put, I don't like to be boring with my accessorizing. It is my only source of cheer and happiness when preparing for a cold winter's day. Ok, enough with the dramatics. On with the subject of today's blog. I knit this up several years ago. This is what the pattern calls a “Bow-Tie Necklet”. It is a scarf, but not in a traditional long rectangle shape. One end is pulled through a loop on the opposite side, forming a sort of bow tie. I have seen several examples in mid century photos of similar knit scarves that seem to have been made the same way. Of course, I forgot to save them/...

YouTube video associated with this blog For my first project in my “Unmentionables thru the Decades” project, I decided to start with the 1930s. This was really the decade when the fashions for underwear changed into the form we recognize today. In the '20s, they did have bras and panties more or less as we know them today. But they were really only popular with the very young and fashion forward ladies. More conservative ladies and older ladies still wore plenty of layers. Maybe not a true corset as we would call it today (more like a girdle), but basically everything else their fore bearers wore. But by the '30s, a much lighter style of underthings was worn more universally. Here is a gorgeous example I found on Etsy. It has a similar style. And here is mine! I decided to begin this project with a gorgeous reproduction pattern, Simplicity 8510. It is a reprint of a bra and tap pants set pattern from the 1930s. https://www.simplicity.com/simplicity...

Unmentionables. Smalls. Underthings. Lingerie. Underwear. Intimates. Whatever the name, everybody wears them (if you don't, I don't need to know). I love all the little frilly, girly bits of lace and soft cottons and smooth silks. So this year, I plan to make a set of underthings for every decade of the 20 th century. Each decade will have a dedicated blog with a pattern review and photos. I will also be posting on Instagram regularly. This will be a chance to improve my sewing skills, especially in working with lace and fine finishing work. I feel I have a solid grasp of the basics, and would love to make more heirloom quality pieces. Also, this project will lay the foundation for any 20 th century costumes I want to sew in the future. Half the work will already be done. Plus, it just makes me happy to sew pretty things. And that's enough reason. The only garment I plan to purchase will be my 1900 corset, and a 1910 corset, if possible. Thankfully for my budget,...