The Ceinture à la Victime References in French fashion to the Revolution's victims are not exactly unknown - in fact, they've achieved an almost mythological status. They seem to be thought of as a flash-in-the-pan pertaining only to the Directoire era (1795-1799) and its uncertainty, but in actuality, they lost the connection to the guillotine and … Continue reading Lesser-Known Regency Accessories (HSM #7.2)
Category: historical sew monthly
Knitted Garters (HSM #7.1)
This is the first time I've actually made something that fits into the Historical Sew Monthly - it's more of an accident, so I'm still going to do a text post on two lesser-known Regency accessories. But it's an accomplishment I'm proud of! This past weekend was my friend Julie's bridal shower, and for a … Continue reading Knitted Garters (HSM #7.1)
Scaling Up Patterns: A Guide (HSM #6)
It was hard for me to figure out what to write for "Out of Your Comfort Zone". My comfort zone is pretty wide, and what's outside of it - the later twentieth century - is also outside of the limits of the Historical Sew Monthly. So I tried to think more broadly about what I'm … Continue reading Scaling Up Patterns: A Guide (HSM #6)
A Practical Wedding Dress (HSM #5)
Practicality. This was a difficult topic for me, as much of my research is done through fashion plates and the like, and I had no idea where to begin. (There is the Ouvrières de Paris series of plates I posted to Tumblr, but I couldn't think of anything substantial to say about them except to note all … Continue reading A Practical Wedding Dress (HSM #5)
War & Peace; or, What Happened During the Napoleonic Wars? (HSM #4)
The idea that English and French dress diverged because communications were disturbed due to the conflict between the two countries is very common. In actual fact, the fashion of this period did see lines drawn along national lines, but not out of necessity. Let's start at the beginning. Was there a distinct difference between English … Continue reading War & Peace; or, What Happened During the Napoleonic Wars? (HSM #4)
Mimic of Modes 