The Vintage Nerd Sews

My modern sewing machine has been in the shop for the last couple of weeks, and was finished and ready for pickup just a couple of days before Christmas. While I was there, it was a moment of love at first sight with this Morris & Co quilting cotton. I grabbed a couple of yards and whipped up this sweet little jacket using Janet Arnold's pattern again. I went with View D this time, with the swallowtail back, and added lacing. It goes remarkably well with my wool sage petticoat (pardon the wrinkles--I pulled it out of the trunk for a few quick photos). I had to eke out the pattern as I got the least possible yardage, but it was well worth it to match up the pattern at the back and center the stomacher. I'd like to get some green silk ribbon to add a bit of flair to the stomacher so I can wear it pinned in as well. Nicely centered pattern on the stomacher As ever, I can only hope for opportunities to wear this in the upcoming year!

We spent the weekend visiting the place I've dreamed of visiting since I was ten years old and first read an American Girl book: Colonial Williamsburg. Friday night, we walked around the campus of William & Mary and the main street of Colonial Williamsburg while the sun set. Even though it was excruciatingly hot on Saturday, we made it all day walking around and seeing almost all of the historical village. The buildings were beautiful, the interpreters were knowledgeable, and the food was excellent. Wren Hall at the College of William & Mary  The Governor's Palace at night       I was a little worried as we drove down to Virginia that I had built up this experience in my mind over the last 20 years, and that it wouldn't be that interesting after all. I was also worried, looking at the weather, that if I didn't wear my 18th century garments on the day we planned to tour things, it wouldn't be the same if I got photos another day. Both worries were truly silly...

For my second gown, a working class gown for summer, I went with the Angelica gown pattern by Scroop and Virgil's Fine Goods again. The fabric is a gorgeous striped linen from Burnley and Trowbridge. This was my big splurge for spring, and 100% worth it. I got just enough to cut out the gown, and I'm not joking when I say I had ribbons left over. I did my best to balance economy of cut and match the stripes, and somehow I was successful. I have enough room in the hem that if I decide to dress this up for a more middle class impression, I can easily bring the hem down to achieve that look. The first step in assembling the gown, and my favorite. I love the elegant lines of the center back pieces.   Bodice assembly underway! Trying to pleat the skirt and do justice to the stripes was the most difficult and time consuming part. I did this two times before I called it good. I have the most helpful assistants. I mean, just look at how helpful.   The initial finished product   ...

Jacket, bedgown, shortgown. There seems to be a lot of overlap in both definition and construction with these short, everyday pieces to cover the torso. In fact, the more I researched, the more confusing it got. Buckle up folks, because this is going to be a long one. Disclaimer: I am not a professional researcher! But I have been doing a lot of searching of museum databases, books, and asking questions of those who know more than me. I'm continuing to do a research deep dive, and will be sharing my findings in an upcoming post. For now, I want to be sure that I have something to wear to Williamsburg at the end of the month, so I need something. But what?  In a fit of impatience, I went ahead and made up view C from J.P. Ryan's jacket pattern, and I have to say, I'm pleased with the fit. I'm long-waisted, and this typically means adding between .75 and 1.25 inches to most patterns I make between underbust and waist. This is part of why my first shortgown was such a di...

Pincushions were a valuable tool in the 18th century, when most people made and repaired their own clothing. These little keepers of pins are prevalent in art of the time, often found hanging from aprons and waistbands. We see two main types: pin balls and pin pillows. They can be simple or elaborate, but they all serve the same purpose. Below are images of a few surviving examples. All of these happen to be embroidered, but not all were. Some pin balls had a silver band to join the two halves, and others had ribbon.   Pinball, 1750-1800, Winterthur Museum. This pinball is embroidered on both sides. Pincushion, 1770-1800, Manchester Art Gallery Embroidered pincushion, 1770-1780, Colonial Williamsburg I went to a couple of different sources for making this practical 18th century tool. The information and photos on Kozy Kitty's tutorial were really valuable in helping me visualize how the pin ball came together, even though I opted not to embroider mine. You can find the blog po...

Reenacting and historical costuming is marked by the growing, improving, and continuous learning you do. With my journey into the 18th century in particular, I've focused on balancing research and creating. It's easy for me to get "analysis paralysis" and stuck in a researching spiral without ever accomplishing. I'm proud of the fact that I've not allowed myself to do that as I've pursued this project. However, it means re-making things as I learn more about what an item should look like and as my own skills improve. Previously, it was my stays; now I've redone my cap.  I used the same pattern and the same fully hand-sewn construction techniques as before. My first cap was made of cotton organza, and there is nothing wrong with that. It looked nice, and from what I have been able to learn, would be appropriate for an upper-middle class impression. However, I'm focusing on a working class or lower-middle class impression, where a cap out of a simple...

I finally made an underpetticoat. I can't vouch for its historical accuracy, but it does the job.  With optional handkerchief as a top Fabric is a heathered blue and cream stripe cotton from my stash. It's a heavier weight cotton, reminiscent of a chambray. The cream of the stripes is the same as the twill tape I had in my stash, so it ended up looking even more put-together than I intended. I had exactly the right amount: 1.5 yards of a 45" width. I cut it in half top to bottom so that the selvedges were the side seams, and pleated it. With a 1" hem, it comes perfectly to below my knee, the right length for an underpetticoat, and for wearing around the house this summer as well. I'm hoping to spend more time working in my garden and yard this summer, and a sturdy cotton skirt like this will be perfect. Also, thanks to the side slit closure, I can wear it with my pockets and haul around all my gardening tools on me, rather than leaving them around the yard like a ...

I didn't get the market bonnet made in time, but I did finish my linen gown in time to wear to Fort Frederick Market Fair this weekend. Under it, I wore my new Augusta Stays and the undergarments and petticoats I made last summer. After several hours walking around in it all, I had a few fit notes. Thankfully, nearly all were quick fixed that I was able to correct in a short amount of time.  The first thing was my stays. I found the fit to be overall good, but gapping a bit at the bust. This is normal for me, so I typically just add a little padding and call it a day. However, after several hours of wear, I realized that these needed an adjustment. The curved portions of the stays top where the shoulder straps attach spent the afternoon digging into the front of my underarms. Having narrow shoulders as well, I didn't love where the straps sat on my shoulders, so I applied a quick fix. I shifted the eyelet down and further in, trimming down the curve of the top of the stays. Aft...

 Last weekend, I was able to get together with a very talented friend and take some photos of my completed ensemble. The photos are...perfection.  Setting a spooky mood, courtesy of the lack of snow Look at that beautiful hand-stitched back! Mid-twirl I didn't really have a thought-out plan as I put this ensemble together, which will shock no one who knows me in person. The sage colored petticoat is from last winter, and the brown wool of the gown was a clearance purchase with no specific project in mind. The red cloak was always something I wanted, and the blue mitts are from strap wool in my stash. The handkerchief was a surprise Etsy find that beautifully ties the colors together. It was freezing out, but I was really quite comfortable in all my wool! I look forward to more opportunities to wear this before spring arrives.

  Shortly after I finished my cloak, I realized that I'd need mitts to ensure full protection from the elements. The first attempt, in scraps of a blue windowpane check wool, was something of a measure once, cut twice situation. I won't say I do it all the time, as I have grown and learned to take my time as a seamstress over the years, but I will say that I still do it often enough to keep myself both frustrated and humble. For the second attempt at cutting out my mitts, I was much more careful of my dimensions, and successfully cut out mitts in a solid blue melton wool. For linings, I used scraps from my failed short gown, a cream cotton with blue palempore print.  I enlarged the pattern found in  Costume Close Up , and because the instructions there are comparable to the instructions on a Week 8 Bakeoff technical, I used the instructions from the American Duchess  Guide to 18th Century Costuming  to actually put things together. Once again, I love the i...