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Making the Victorian Symington Pretty Housemaid corset (1890s) – phase 3

One of the biggest things I wanted to do on the second half of this corset was to leave myself even more seam allowance than I’d initially left.

Unfortunately, I forgot that I cut the burlap & canvas for the second half.
for both halves at the same time.
So though I made sure that the top two panels on the
second half had more seam allowance, I was restricted
by the underlayers and still couldn’t treat the seams
as I had hoped.

Continue reading “Making the Victorian Symington Pretty Housemaid corset (1890s) – phase 3”

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Planning an “every day” Victorian style blazer jacket

This has been a tricky one to navigate!
On one hand, I’ve wanted to have a more historically-inspired wardrobe – but on the other hand, I’m acutely aware of just how full my wardrobe is at the moment.

I’m not a person taken by the fast-fashion of today.
My clothes (aside from underwear, t-shirts, and perhaps a small handful of other items) have been purchased or received second-hand … and most of my clothes are worn until they cannot be worn anymore.

The funny twist here, is that I’ve also received lots of “second-hand” fabric over the years! My stash is HUGE and most of it is stuff I’ve not had to pay for!
So you could say that I’m in a double-predicament!

Continue reading “Planning an “every day” Victorian style blazer jacket”

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Creating an outfit: Two Centuries Collide – 1860s meets 1960s

In January 2018, I was looking through images of “Boho” style skirts and dresses (whilst dreaming of summer) and the thought crossed my mind that an 1860s skirt paired with a 1960s cropped top, brought together with a corset (which would be on display over the mid-section) might be a fun ensemble!
It took nearly two years for the project to come together, but here’s what happened.

Continue reading “Creating an outfit: Two Centuries Collide – 1860s meets 1960s”

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Making the Victorian Symington Pretty Housemaid corset (1890s) – phase 1

Quite a few years ago, I made a corset.
I made it out of a heavy-weight burlap-style material. I had no intent on wearing it close to my skin. It was foundation. It was support.
I used coat hangers (because this was prior to the recent popularity of corsets, and busks were hard to find (and cost-prohibitive at that time), approximately 30 hooks and eyes, and some commercial 1/4-inch ribbon for lacing.
It worked!
But I wanted more. Continue reading “Making the Victorian Symington Pretty Housemaid corset (1890s) – phase 1”

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A “pieced-together” chemise

I created my mock-up for a Symington “Pretty Housemaid” interpretation last year. The idea was that the corset (being stiffened more with hemp cording rather than steel bone) would be something to replace my normal supportive undergarments – something that I would wear on a day-to-day basis.
Still not designed to be washed, however, ensuring that I could prevent it from direct contact with my skin became imperative. Continue reading “A “pieced-together” chemise”

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Victorian-boot-style Christmas Stockings

This project started a few years ago in 2016, when I made a similar Christmas stocking for my mother-in-law, Ferne.
She had recently become very much in love with all things “Steampunk”, so I fashioned a Victorian lady’s boot – style stocking which was ornamented with various cog-style buttons.

This year, I decided it was finally time to make a pair of “boots” for our own enjoyment and what better double use of the project than document the steps for you!! Continue reading “Victorian-boot-style Christmas Stockings”