Embroidery Stitches

Thank you all for your wonderful comments on my wedding dress construction post! Lauren of American Duchess was kind enough to share my post on her Facebook page. After she did the stats for that post skyrocketed! It's now my #1 most viewed post which I find very humbling. I'm often far too critical of my own work, seeing flaws or things I wished I had done differently. It's always nice to receive positive feedback but for my wedding and reception dresses, which were rather stressful to create, it's especially nice.
 
As a quick follow up to my recent post on crewel embroidery, today I thought I would share some helpful resources. There are lots of online resources for basic embroidery techniques. If you are searching for reproduction sewing and embroidery tools, take a look at Burnley and Trowbridge and Wm. Booth Draper. They both carry an array of beautifully made items in addition to books and fabrics!

Inspirations Magazine

Fantastic explanation of crewel work stitches.
courtesy of TW's needlework blog, check it out
https://twneedlework.wordpress.com/2010/10/08/stitches/

This crewel embroidery stitch chart shows a 'good step by step' of some of the most basic embroidery stitches.

Source

I can personally recommend the following books as I have them in my personal library.

White Work Embroidery (You can also find this on amazon too.) This book gives a history of white work and provides information on materials, pattern-transferring techniques, and instructions and diagrams for over 20 different stitches.

Art of Embroidery: History of Style and Technique is an excellent resource for someone who wants to really dive into the history of embroidery. It's filled with excellent photos and well-researched descriptions. This book is rather expensive, prices on Amazon start at around $50.00. I have an older copy of that I was fortunate to pick up at a yard sale some time ago for just a few dollars.

18th Century Embroidery Techniques, by Gail Marsh, gives detailed illustrations and color photographs of museum owned items such as aprons, gowns, and mitts. It gives you a really good understanding of 18th-century embroidery techniques and includes information on period tools and equipment. The best part are the details and illustrations showing techniques such as metal and silk embroidery, quilting, whitework, tambour and chain work, and of course crewel embroidery.  

19th Century Embroidery Techniques, also by Gail Marsh, is another good resource and is laid out in a similar manner.

Do you embroider? What are you favorite stitches and materials to use?

Finding Out About Costuming & Living History Events

In today's post I will try to answer some frequently asked questions about costuming and living history event.

• How do you find about historical costuming and living history events? 

• How did you start getting involved with them?

• Is there a website or message board that lists up coming events?  

• Are there any living history or costuming events taking place in my area?

Rebels and Redcoats at Old Strubridge Village, 2013

A while ago I received an email from a lovely reader asking how I find out about historical costuming, living history, and re-enactment type events. The simplest and most honest answer is word of mouth. Now of course I realize this is not very helpful to newbies in the living history/costuming community or to those looking to attend the occasional dress up event. Sorry!

But please allowing me to explain. I've been involved with living history/reenacting for close to 15 years now. Because of the groups I'm a part of and the connections I've made with people over the years, I mostly find out about events through word of mouth. Cori and I often receive invites to different types of events through friends. But I have to admit that some of them we simply stumble across! The Downton Abbey event we went to last January I learned about from a co-worker who had heard about it on the radio while driving to work. Random, I know! The Roaring 20s Lawn Party is another good example of an event we stumbled across. I found out about that through an invite from a friend on Facebook. It's now an annual event!

Roaring 20s Lawn Party

Battle for the Airfield WWII event in Stow, Mass

As you become more involved with living history and/or costuming, you will discover what a small world it really is! Everyone knows someone somewhere. The best advice I can give is to make connections and stay in touch! I can't begin to tell you how much I treasure the friends I've made over the years. There are many people who I never would have met had it not been for our mutual interest in history or fashion. Some of these dear friends I only get to see a few times a year at such events but that makes our time together even more wonderful.

I don't know of any specific message boards on the web but many re-enacting groups have websites and will post a list of events they plan to attend. Many events are annual so even if an events schedule is outdated there is a good chance the event will be taking place again. There are a lot of great 18th and early 19th century events that take place in the Boston area. Here's a couple of links to check out.

The British Brigade - The BB is made up of various British and American re-enacting groups that portray soldiers, etc. from the time of the American Revolution. There are strict rules rules and regulations for joining and authenticity. However, you will find on their website a list of groups involved -many of whom are always on the look out for new members - as well as a schedule of history events.

Brigade of the American Revolution - Very similar organization to the BB and well worth checking out.

The Hive -A talented and dedicated group of individuals with a focus on details! Check out their site for a list of sewing workshops and Hive sponsored events.

Mass Costumers and Vintage Dancers - Lots of fun costume events and dances. I believe many of these are open to the public.

For vintage/swing dance related events check out the Facebook page Greater Boston Vintage Society as well as Boston Swing Central.The Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governors Island in another good one.

Try an Internet search for living history or costume events and "your state". There seem to be a lot of costume events on the West Coast. Check out the Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild, or the Costumers Guild West. There is also Costume College which I have never gone to but hope to some day. For the East coast there is the Dress U Conference. The Millinery Through Time conference at Colonial Williamsburg, which is actually a series of lectures and workshops but there will be plenty of opportunities to dress up too. For those interested in WWII, the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, Penn. hosts a huge WWII airshow each year.

Another tip would be to check out various websites for museums or historic houses and sites in your area because they often host special events. The site Discover New England has a list of living history museums that may offer costumers the opportunity to dress up. Just keep in mind that some historic sites may frown on visitors coming in costume so it might be worth a quick email to the site prior to your visit to avoid unnecessary disappointment.

Don't be afraid to ask around! Bloggers are good people to ask. :) I bet if all the costume bloggers I know got together, we could put together one heck of an events list!! (Would anyone be interested in helping me put one together?)

Can't find an event in your area? Get a group of friends together for a Victorian era picnic or croquet match in the park. Get dolled up in your best vintage attire and go out for lunch or dinner at your favorite restaurant. Create your own costume or vintage adventure! The possibilities are endless!

War of 1812 event at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum - Photo by Kris Jarrett

 

On the film set at the Saranac Laboratory Museum for a documentary on George Washington Carver - Read about my experience here.

That's all I can think of right now.  Hope that helps get you started. As always, feel free to contact me with your questions. :)

Snowshill Costume Collection Tour

Hello everyone,
I have a very quick post for you all today. I just learned that a costume study tour of the Snowshill Costume Collection is being organized by Aylwen of Aylwen Historical Costuming. Please see her post here for more details. This fascinating collection is held at the Berrington Hall in Leominster, UK.

 National Trust Inventory Number 1348709.1

Those familiar with the collection will know that pictures and details of the some of the items can be found in Janet Arnold's books Patterns of Fashion 1 and 2, Hats and Bonnets by Althea Mackenzie, London, The National Trust, 2004,  Shoes and Slippers by Althea Mackenzie, National Trust 2004, as well as Costume in Detail: Women's Dress 1730-1930, by Nancy Bradfield.

Photo source - http://historicalcostume.wordpress.com/

Any pair of their 18th century shoes would be top on my list of must see items, followed by any their 18th century gowns. The fabric of this gown is particularly interesting.

Yellow brocade shoes? Yes, please!! These are dated 1740-1750 National Trust Inventory Number 1348843.1

Unfortunately for me, a trip to the UK is not in my budget right now. But how wonderful would it be to see some of these gowns, shoes, etc. in person?!? I so wish I could go. Thank goodness for the Internet! The Snowshill Costume collection is available to view online here!

There is still time to enter my vintage pattern giveaway! Details on how to enter can be found here. :)

Crunch time and some resources

Hello all,
It's crunch time for this little seamstress. I have to admit, I don't know if this dress is going to get finished in time. I have a sneaky suspicion I'll be doing some sewing in the car. Still need to cut out my sleeves, cuffs, and collar. Also need to hem the skirt. I finally found my corset, which by the way was in the last place I looked go figure, so I was able to finish fitting the bodice last night.

I thought today I would share a couple resources for those of you interested in women's fashions of the 1860s. In particular American women during the Civil War, 1861 to 1865. I have an album on Pinterest with lots of photos and links to original garments.

First up, Who Wore What?: Women's Wear, 1861-1865 by Juanita Leisch. Since its publication in 1995, the book has become very popular with re-enactors and is a great resource who those just started out in the hobby or for those who want to gain a general knowledge of the time period. It also includes descriptions of accessories and construction tips for those interested in making there own clothing. No patterns, just wonderful photos.

 Juanita Leisch's book is the result of her study of 1860s fashions depicted in cartes de visite, or CDVs. Her book is organized into sections by clothing types - coats, day dresses, ball gowns, underpinnings, etc., and emphasizes the difference in fashion between young women, middle-aged women, and older women. The photographs, there are over 300 of them, show what real women actually wore to the photographer - not the fantasy dresses of Godey's Lady's Book. What I like is that the author tries to dispel some of the miss truths about women's clothing and shows what styles were most common for women in different age groups. There are exceptions to every rule, but as a re-eanctor myself, I like to represent someone from the main stream population. :)

Who Wore What? is available on Amazon but I was rather surprised at the price. Over $50 for a used copy and over $100 for a new one! Ouch! I received my copy as a graduation present about 10 years ago, pretty sure it was under $50 then. I'm not sure I would pay that much for it now. Inter-library loan would be a good option for this book. Don't pay too much attention to the not so nice reviews of this book - some people claim the book is too general, others say the author say no idea what she's talking about. I really can't say anything negative about this book, aside from the current sale price of course. Do keep in mind though, that this book is meant as a general overview of women's fashion and is not an in depth study. It's a good starting point but if you really want to get in depth combine it with other resources. Such as ...

The Way They Were Dressed in 1860-1865 by Donna Abraham. Available on Amazon and at Abraham's Lady. Don't let its small size fool you. This is an outstanding collection of CDVs, nearly 600 of them and all American. Like Who Wore What? its broken into sections. Unlike the previous book, it includes fashions of infants, young boys and girls, and men. It's nice to see the guys getting some attention. All too often the men are left out of clothing books and that's a shame. There are also some interesting group photos in this book.

Last but not least ...
The Way They Were Dressed in 1860-1865 Volume 2 by Donna Abraham. This is a new release. If it's as good as volume one then I will be adding a copy to my library. I plan on stopping at Abraham's Lady this weekend to take a look!

That's all for now. I'm leaving for Gettysburg tomorrow so I wont be posting anything for a few days. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Sew for Victory - Free Knitting Patterns

If only I could knit. I'll admit, knitting is a complete mystery to me. I envy those you who have this marvelous talent. Knitting is a skill I would like to learn but in all likelihood never will. Mainly because I already have so many interests and unfinished sewing projects. I'm fearful of adding too many things to pile of UFOs!

Anyway, I came a cross this awesome resource they other day and thought it would be of interest to some. The Victorian and Albert Museum has several free knitting patterns available online. Any of these knitting projects would be perfect for the Sew for Victory Challenge.

Here are a few of my favorites.

'Neat and Feminine' - Source V&A

Matching cap and gloves.

'Fair Isle Cap and Gloves' - Source V&A

Anyone want to knit this one for me? lol

Your Victory Jumper - Source V&A

Updates and More

Greeting lovely readers. Just a quick post today to let you know a couple things. First, I've added to my Resources and Inspiration page. Please take a look! As always, if you know of any resources not included, please let me know and I will be happy to add them. :)

And second, you can now follow My Vintage Visions on Facebook! Enjoy!

Source

Resources and Inspiration + Gown Update

I thought I would let everyone know that I have added some new sources to my Resources and Inspiration page. New sources include the Russian Virtual Shoe Museum or Shoe Icon website, the National Trust Collections, and links for fashion plates and art galleries.

An update on my purple and white gown ...
After much fussing and practice pinning of the back pleats, I finally cut my fabric. Eeek! That's always the scary part for me. I know I bought plenty of fabric for the gown and I checked my measurements for the back panel and gown skirts multiple times but I'm always afraid of screwing things up when it comes to cutting. It's happened before and I'm sure it's bound to happen again. But for this project, so far so good.

Tate.org

I stitched the pleats of the center back panel to the bodice lining and cut out the panels for the gown skirts. I still need to cut sleeves and the bodice fronts. My plan is to try and match the floral print as close as possible at the side seams. I'm finding the floral stripe on the fabric a little harder to work with than the cross barr'd fabric of my last gown. But the challenge is kind of fun too. I think I'm pretty happy with how things are turning out thus far.

I might be able to squeeze a matching petticoat out of the remainder of the fabric but will have to wait until after I cut my remaining pieces. If I make a matching petticoat I'll most likely need to piece it with some different fabric. I've seen this done a few times with silk petticoats. The back portion of the petticoat that is covered by the gown and never seen was sometimes made out of a different, cheaper fabric. However, I don't know if this was ever done with printed cottons.

I don't have any pictures yet but will try and post some soon.

The image to the right is a detail from a painting by John Hamilton Mortimer at the Tate museum. Although the gown is blue and white, it has a very similar floral print to my fabric. Lots of other great details too. Look at that gorgeous purple work bag! Also embroidered lawn apron and sleeve ruffles.

Easter Egg Jackets - IMATEX

IMATEX

Rococo Atelier posted recently about an online searchable data base called IMATEX. This is a new resource for me. I think I spent about an hour or more trying different searches. Not as many whole garments as I had hoped but lots of textile fragments which is nice. Another downside it that there is very little, if any, information on many of the artifacts. However, the pictures on this site are amazing. Each artifact has multiple views and you have the option of viewing most pieces in a standard size or in an extended view. In the extended view the details that can be seen are outstanding especially when looking at trim - either on a garment or the many individual pieces in the collection.

Looking for ideas on 18th century trim? Do a search for "passementerie".

I had to a share a selection of jackets from this collection. With Easter just around the corner, these brightly colored beauties make me think of Easter eggs. Enjoy! :)

IMATEX

IMATEX

IMATEX

IMATEX

IMATEX

IMATEX

IMATEX

IMATEX

Research and Inspiration Page Updates

Greetings,
I just wanted to let you all know that I have updated my Research and Inspiration Page. I have added a whole new list of books, a few additional links to museums, and new sources for fabric. I've added a little bit here and there since I started my blog but this is the first big update.

Most links for books will take you to Amazon.com but there are other places you can purchase them. Burnley and Trowbridge, for example, carry many of the 18th century costume/fabric books. Also consider inter-library loan!

Have suggestions for additional resources? Just let me know and I'll add them!

Who Wore What?: Women's Wear, 1861-1865, by Juanita Leisch (Author), Thomas Publications (PA); 1 Ed edition (April 1995)

Using period prints and paintings for inspiration

If you want to recreate a historic garment nothing beats having an original to study. There are a number of books, museums, historical societies, and online galleries that allow us to view these beautiful creations. (I've posted a few in my resources and inspiration page) If you're lucky you may even know someone who has a private collection they are willing to share. Or maybe you own a few antique or vintage pieces of your own. Great! However, in some cases these options may not be available or meet your specific needs. So what do you do? Take a look at period prints and paintings of course!

Prints and painting are great source of information as well as inspiration for your historic costuming needs. But do keep in mind that just because an artist painted something does not mean it was accurate or commonly worn in a particular period of time. One such example is Mrs. Thomas Gage (Margaret Kemble) by John Singleton Copley. Mrs. Gage wears a Turkish-style costume, an exotic sort of dress that would not have been worn for every day common dress in the American colonies.

Two online sources that I have found to be very helpful in researching 18th century clothing are the Fitzwilliam Museum and this Catalogue of 18th-Century British Mezzotint Satires As with most prints and painting, satirical prints must be taken with a grain of salt.

Below are two examples of historic costumes I’ve made using an 18^th century print and painting as inspiration. At some point I’ll post a separate blog for each of these projects.

Blue and white linen cross-barred gown.

My gown was based on the print "Native Meltons" by British printmaker Richard Houston. In this particular project I purchased the fabric long before I discovered Houston's print. When I found the fabric I knew it needed to become a gown but was afraid of cutting the fabric until I had a better idea of how an 18^th century gown should be constructed. So it went into “the stash.” I'm glad I waited because I had just enough for the gown and matching stomacher.

Fitzwilliam Museum

Photo taken at Colonial Williamsburg last spring. I'm wearing a silk bonnet but often wear this gown with a black straw hat similar to the one in the print above.

Ivory silk polonaise with blue and white bows

“The Music Party” by Louis Rolland Trinquesse, 1774 is one of my favorite 18th century paintings. There are lots of great little details that are not really visible unless you can see the painting up close. If you have a chance, take a look at the book French Genre Painting in the Eighteenth Century by Philip Conisbee. The painting is featured on the cover. When I received a copy as a birthday present I realized I needed to rethink my trim. On close inspection of the painting you can see a very delicate fringe, and a short, transparent ruffle around the outside of the gown's skirt, the bottom of the sleeves, and around the neckline. The front of the gown is not visible but I decided to go with a stomacher front. The painting is dated 1774 and closed front gowns don't really start to show up until the later 1770s. Because I was pressed for time the stomacher I made looks crappy (to me anyway). I'll eventually make a compere, or false front stomacher as they seem to be pretty common on gowns of this time period. Plus it's a lot easier to pull on a gown and button the stomacher than it is to pin the stomacher to your stays and then the gown over top. Good thing this gown is still a work in progress! The ivory silk and the blue and white stripe silk used for this gown came from Renaissance Fabrics.

“The Music Party” by Louis Rolland Trinquesse, 1774

Photo taken at Colonial Williamsburg last spring. The gown still needs the trim added to the stomacher, petticoat and skirt fronts. Also needs the blue and white bows.

Another resource that I think is under utilized in the costuming world are historical newspaper databases. While it's helpful to have both an image AND a description when recreating something, I think it takes away some of the challenge too. After all, doing the research, even if it means extensive research in some cases, is part of the fun in reproducing a period garment. Isn't it? I think so anyway. :) 

The New-York Gazette August 29,1748

What I'm "sew grateful" for

I thought I would take this opportunity to write about a few things I’m grateful for. Debi from My Happy Sewing Place is hosting a 'Sew Grateful Week'. She has invited people to blog about the sewing related things they are grateful for. In addition to many great posts on her site there are some awesome giveaways. Check it out! 

As a person who is new to the blogging world, I would have to say that I'm "sew grateful" for the online community. I’m grateful for having access to an amazing selection of online sewing and costume-related resources. I started this blog after being inspired by a number of really great blogs created by some very talented individuals. The online community is a wonderful way to share ideas, fabric, patterns, inspiration and much more! 

Here are just a few of the blogs I find inspiring…

American Duchess – This is one of the first blogs I started following. Lauren is a very talented seamstress and has shared a number of her sewing projects on her blog. Lots of great pictures and how tos! 

Sign of the Golden Scissors – I have had the opportunity to take a few workshops with Hallie and I always learn something new. She is a wonderful teacher and a lot of fun to work with. I thank her for her support and encouragement in my sewing adventures.

Chronically Vintage, Tuppence Ha'penny, In the Hey Day, Va-Voom Vintage,  Vixen Vintage, - These lovely ladies find every opportunity to get dresses up! Lots of great inspirational pictures for those of us who want to wear more vintage.

AllThe Pretty Dresses and OMGthat Dress – Something new and pretty everyday! What’s not to like?

The Fashionable Past – I first learned of Katherine through her website. Her attention to detail is outstanding. I don’t know how she finds the time to complete all her projects.

Here are a few more things I’m grateful for…

Online museums with zoom features

Sites like Etsy and Ruby Lane.

Fabric sales! Who doesn’t like those?

Having like-minded friends who are always up for a shopping adventure. Especially when the adventure includes fabric stores, second hand clothing shops or antique stores!

I’m especially grateful for having such a wonderful boyfriend who not only tolerates my sewing and vintage collecting habits, he encourages them too! I know he secretly enjoys fabric shopping, (so long as it’s for him) and dressing up too. He and I have attended reenactments and living history events together for the last several years.