Resources and Quick Tips for Historical Sewing {Vol. 1}

I've been doing historical sewing for awhile (seven years) and sometimes I wish that I would have had a mentor when I was just starting out. Of course, I had mom and Grandmom to teach me the basics of sewing, but neither of them had sewn a corset before! So, I've been my own trailblazer and that's taught me a lot.

 

Now, I shall endeavor to be a mentor of sorts to those of you who are just starting out on your journey of historical sewing.

I remember picking up a pattern and thinking

 

Where in the world do you find wool these days? Maybe Pa can pick some up when he goes into town for white sugar and chicken feed! Hope he'll bring me some hard candy this time!

 

That's what it felt like, anyway. Thusly, I had to forge my own path and figure things out for myself. Thankfully, we have a lovely new-fangled thing called INTERNET! And that is from where I am writing you this day.

 

This is the first of several articles in which I put out of some of my favorite resources for historical sewing. I'm not going to share links to sites where you gasp, "I can't spend $50/yard on fabric!!!" Hey! I'm on a tight budget, too. Occasionally, you buckle down and save up for the fabric that's going to make your garment perfect and it's totally worth it. But, I'm thinking of you ladies (and guys, I suppose), who just need a little nudge in the right direction. That's not to say that these resources aren't helpful to those seasoned seamstresses, but I have the beginners in mind today. Without further ado...

 

 

Sense and Sensibility Patterns

 

Jennie Chancey's patterns and articles have probably been the single most influential springboard into the hobby that has turned into a source of income (costume design) for me. Even simply reading the pattern notes on the title page of the instructions is a learning experience! Simplicity and McCall's patterns (though sometimes necessary) don't hold a candle to the caliber of design and versatility of Jennie's patterns. I started with her Regency Dress pattern after seeing Pride and Prejudice (2005) for the first time and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Historicalsewing.com

 

This site is especially for those of you interested in the Victorian Era! Jennifer Rosbrugh's mission is to make historical sewing more accessible and she does a wonderful job. I'm subscribed to the emails and they're fantastic. I could spend hours scrolling through her site and learning. See? I just took a break from writing this post to read through about 5 articles; I am now a smarter person. Be a sponge. Go to historicalsewing.com.

(And I'm going to highlight THIS article. Because it has basically changed my sewing life.)

 

Music

 

This is my personal advice to you. I have about a bazillion Spotify playlists (because I can't afford to buy all those yummy soundtracks). I like to listen to film soundtracks or classical music from the era I'm working in. For example, as I work on a 1912 picnic dress, I will listen to the Miss Potter soundtrack. And if I'm working in the Regency era, well, you know. And French music goes with literally any project (Hugo, anyone?) I would love it if you would follow me! My "Jane Austen and Friends" playlist has some great selections from Regency, Victorian and Edwardian films.

 

 

Pinterest

 

 

This might seem like, "duh, McKenna", but Pinterest is an amazing resource for costumers! Tutorials like THIS one (above) are amazingly useful and they're all over the place! And articles and images galore! For a quick peek, click HERE to go to my historical costuming board. Find and follow other historical costumers and see what they pin, too! It's very encouraging and inspiring.

 

R. Turner Wilcox

 

 

 Any book by R. Turner Wilcox is a goldmine. If you're looking for straight up historical costuming commentary, here's your chance! The value of information contained in her books (which, to buy, most are not expensive at all) is, in fact invaluable. And the drawings are detailed and positively drool-worthy! Go to the library. Get yourself some knowledge! This one of the finest resources I ever have or ever will find.

 

 

That's it for now. Were these resources helpful? Do you have a favorite pattern company or tutorial that you use? A favorite costuming book? Let me know in the comments below. Or, if you have additional questions or just need some encouragement, please don't hesitate to drop me a line at missmckennaray[at]gmail[dot]com. Have a beautiful day, everyone!

 

 



Simply Stripes

Recently, I had the distinct pleasure of blogging for Miss Eden of Eden's Evaluations . I did a "Fashion Friday" post for her and decided to share it here, too (not because I'm out of ideas or...anything...). 

Silly Pose

Now, I like stripes. Correction: I love stripes! This worked out nicely because, I don't know if you can see, the skirt is striped as well. I rummaged around my closet (and my mom's) to find these items, then came across my strappy summer shoes and it tied the shirt and scarf together. Voila! 

The "I'm going to angle the phone and crane my neck really uncomfortably so I can get this shot" picture.

Outfit Specs:
Olive Sweater | Loft (Gift)
Striped Scarf | Gap (Gift)
Striped Skirt | Coldwater Creek (Goodwill/$3.99)
Wedges | Natual Soul by Naturalizer (Gift)

The Janeite Tag

Good evening, my friends! I hope you've had a lovely day. I have been pretty sick the last few days, so the posts I had planned needed to be put on the backburner. But, HUZZAH! There was an encore to my blogging life! The lovely Paige of Sunday Best and All the Rest, being the sweetheart she is, descovered my weakness for Jane Austen and invited me to join in this fun game!

The Rules:

~Thank and link back to the person who tagged you.

~Tell how you were introduced to Jane Austen and share one fun fact about your Janeite life (This fun fact can be anywhere from "I stayed up all night reading Emma" to "I went to the Jane Austen Festival in Bath, England.")

~Answer the tagger's questions.

~Write seven questions of your own.

~Tag as few as 1 or as many as 7 other Janeites and let them know you've tagged them.

I was introduced to Jane Austen around 2007 when my family was lounging around the living room, flipping through the channels and came upon the 2005 "Pride and Prejudice." We only caught the end, but my mom and I were totally hooked! We rented it, bought it, then moved on to "Sense and Sensibility" (1996) and then "Emma" (1996) and beyond, which, in my opinion, is the funniest Austen film (and book)!

Fun Fact: I can fully quote both "Emma" (1996//Gwyneth Paltrow) and "Sense and Sensibility" (1995) doing all the voices just like the actors (Except maybe Colonel Brandon; the only one who can do Alan Rickman's voice properly is Benedict Cumberbatch) 

Paige's Questions//My Answers

1. What is your favorite Austen Book?

Hands-down "Mansfield Park"!

2. What is your favorite movie adaption of Austen's books?

One does not simply...oh, goodness! This is a hard one. I would probably say "Sense and Sensibility" (1995). I adore Alan Rickman as the Colonel and couldn't imagine anyone else as the characters! No other S&S adaption measures up, in my opinion.

3. What is your *least* favorite movie adaption?

From what I've seen so far, "Sense and Sensibility" (2008). It wasn't bad, it just didn't connect for me. It fell rather flat.

4. Which character in any of the novels do you relate to most?

I wish I was just like Fanny Price-Bertram, but in character, I am a absolutely Elinor Dashwood-Ferrars. My sister is Marianne, too! And right now (as in the beginning of the book), we are 19 and 16!

5. If you could choose a Jane Austen home to live in, where would you live?

Donwell Abbey. I relate to Emma a lot, as well, I'm afraid. But Donwell seems the most welcoming place to me. To be in the position of benefactress to so many good people (read: Abbey Mill Farm). I imagine it as a grand, inviting place with lots of stone and rugs and chandeliers that just needs a woman's touch ;)

6. Who is your favorite Austen hero?

George Knightley, bar-none! I am determined to find my own Mr. Nightley. Forget Darcy, he was an absolute idiot (forgive my language), Edmund Bertram was blind to everything, Colonel Brandon was too tragic, Henry Tilney was both charming and cold at the same time, Edward Ferrars was...well, dreamy, but rather unaspiring. Knightley had me from page 1!

7. If you were to write a sequel to any of Jane's novels, what would it be about?

"Death Comes to Pemberly" is a pretty acurate sequel already. But I think I would love to write more about Emma. She still trips up, she still makes mistakes, but she never gives up and with her husband by her side, she can learn a lot more. Plus, I would love to see what their children would have been like. Most likely, at least, a level-headed daughter and a wild, conniving son, always getting his poor sister into the most terrible scrapes! That would make me laugh :)

Here are my "nominees", if you will:

Desarae of Gladness of Heart

Tara of A Lass of Yesteryear

Kellie of Accordion to Kellie

Amanda of Amanda Grace

And I have one dear friend who is decidedly not a Janeite and I thought of tagging her, but I thought better of it. You know who you are ;)

MY Questions for YOU

1. Which do you prefer? Books or Movies?

2. How would you go about introducing a friend to Jane Austen?

3. It's Marathon Movie Night! Which 4 adaptions are you going to watch and in what order?

4. Who is your favorite "Villain"?

5. Who would you rather travel with on a long journey by carriage? Mrs. Jennings or Lady Catherine DuBurgh?

6. Which book/movie do you think is the funniest or most clever?

7. With whom would you rather be forced to stay with during your London trip? The "Affable" Miss Lucy Steele, the incorrigible Lydia Wickham, or the incessant Mrs. Elton?

I can't wait to see your responses! Don't forget to comment with the link to your post when you get around to it :)

Period Film Game {1}

I have had so much fun participating in Old-Fashioned Charm's Period Drama games, I decided to bring the fun here!

Here's how the game works. Below are a selection of screen-caps from period drama/action films. The goal is to correctly name as many of the films as possible. Comment with your answers. You can earn 10 points for every answer you give correctly!

Get it? Excellent! For this first round, I'm going to make it easy. Remember, you can earn 10 points for each correct answer for a possible 100 points! I will post the answers alongside the scores next week. Ready. Set. Go!

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

Have fun and leave feedback!

Book Review: "Ellen" by Heidi Peterson

“As the young wife of a sea captain, Ellen lives cheerfully and faithfully. Then tragedy strikes and all that she has–and is–is put through testing fire. Bound up with her story is that of Pierre–an urchin off the streets of a far-distant city shipping out on a great adventure–and also that of his captain–a man seeking to snatch safety for his men whatever the cost to himself.”

Ellen is the newest addition to my library and I am proud to place it among my beloved family of books. Just like the members of a family, all books have different personalities. Different stories; lives of their own. I don't judge books by covers. If I did, my dilapidated copies of Little Women and An Old Fashioned Boy might not have made it to the place of honor they hold on my shelves. On the outset, Ellen might seem like just another shoddy attempt to remake Jane Austen but it most certainly isn't. 

 An instant classic, this skillfully crafted story of a young woman living in 19th Century England, captured my heart and encouraged my Spirit. I have read "Christian" books that tell an otherwise secular story and slap a few Bible verses and some nice sayings on the top like an afterthought. Refreshingly, Ellen starts with sound Biblical principles and builds a story to support it. 

I have little to gripe about. I'm no Simon Cowell but I will speak the truth, though I haven't much of anything ill to say. The main flaw I found with the story is that the principal characters seemed a bit too perfect. Thus, the main flaw is no flaws. Though the main characters are relatable and were created, I think, with the intent to be an example of excellence, only one of them had any of his personal faults exposed and he was a child in need of guidance. Also, though the book stands on the legs of a solid story, I felt that some of the details were not expounded upon as they had the potential to be. 

However, a book should not be defined by its faults. I think that, like a food critic, though the plating gets points, the flavor of the dish is what should be the focus. The flavor (the plot) of this dish (book) is delicious, nourishing and satisfying, though the plating (minor details) could have been improved. I hope that made sense. Overall, Ellen is a charming, encouraging and inspiring story. I recommend it for girls ages 12 and above, as it deals with some mature concepts like grief, pregnancy and deprivation but it serves as a lovely introduction to antiquated language as well. I hope that you snatch up an opportunity to read this book! I know I'm so glad that I did.

Heidi Peterson is a daughter and sister living at home with her family in the American mid-west. As such-and among other things-she enjoys gardening, photography, fiddling, ethnic cookery, history, literature and word craftsmanship. Visit her website at http://ladyofanorien.blogspot.com/.

Using Your Gifts to Glorify the Lord and Bless Your Family

Oftentimes, when people find that I am a home-educated young lady living at home, they stiffen up a bit and remark, "If you're spending all your time at home, then aren't you wasting your talents?" If you're a young lady who has decided to live at home under the protection of your Father until the day he hands you in marriage to the love of your life, maybe you've had this reaction before as well. Sometimes, people on the "outside" have a hard time seeing things from your perspective. Firstly, let me note that I don't say "outsider" in a derogatory manner at all. What I mean by the phrase is someone with a different view point than yours. For example, if you live in the country and step out onto your back porch and see the mountains in all their glory, it would be difficult for someone, who has grown up in the city and never traveled, to imagine the view you get. Have I clarified myself? Good. 

"For What are the Voices of Birds" by Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale

If you have talents (e.g.; cooking, sewing, writing or playing music, singing, managing taxes, wrangling alligators, etc.) it's a common assumption that since you "spend all your time at home", you're locked in a dungeon of uselessness. This is the opposite of the truth! The years that you have at home can be some of the most talent-useful years of your life! The people that make these seemingly-ignorant comments are operating on the assumption that all you do is sit on the couch in your PJs, do schoolwork and change diapers. Coming from that angle, it would be easy to justify their questions. 

One of my goals in living at home is to be a blessing to my family. To come under the headship of my Father and further his vision as is Biblically accurate. It is my JoY (see my Mom's blog) to serve my family and that is actually where I have the most opportunity to use my gifts and talents! And I must stop to clarify again; often, the word serve is associated with bad or unpleasant things. I beg to differ! When I get the opportunity to do as Jesus did and spend my time and talents to bless those around me, I'm content and happy. 

Art by Jessie Wilcox Smith

Now, on to practicality beyond sentiment :) The point of this post is not to say "thou must not use thy talents outside thine dwelling place"! This is merely a suggestion that your talents, whatever they may be, were given to you by God to reflect Him and to bless those around you. If God has given you a talent for music, be it playing an instrument, singing or writing new music (or all of the above), I believe that your musical skills are far from being "wasted" on your family! Teaching your little sister how to play the piano or scoring your brother's short film is anything but wasting your talents. And I'm certainly not decreeing that you shouldn't play in the band at church or offer to teach the young children in your community how to sing or play.

 If you are a Christian, the ultimate goal of your life is to give glory to God and lead others to Him. When we, as gifted young ladies, use the talents that He has bestowed upon us to bless Him and others, that is fulfilling one aspect of the way He designed us! Jesus knew that He had a limited time on Earth, yet even with that in mind, He served others without self-focus. He could have been off preaching to the masses when he took the time to bless the little children (Matthew 19:13-15). And I think that following Jesus' example is an excellent idea!

Blessings,
McKenna

Thanks-Christmas Gifts+A Mini-Tutorial

I hope everybody had a lovely Thanksgiving! In my family, we spend Christmas with my Mamma's side of the family and celebrate "Thanks-Christmas" (Christmas celebrations on Thanksgiving) with my Daddy's side of the family. Gratefully, I had time to sew some small gifts for the family. The theme was about the best football team on earth, Ohio State University! You may not agree with me, but please don't post any Michigan nonsense in the comments. Saturday proved our point. Anyway, I took some photos and I have links to any tutorials I used. But, I've found that it's really hard to think of something to sew for young boys. I have 3 cousins, ages 8-15 on my Daddy's side and I couldn't find any tutorials on Pinterest. So, surprisingly, I decided to make my own and the idea that came to me was to make a Minifigure wallet! You can read the tutorial here. But first, a few pictures and helpful tutorials by others...

 

These here, above and below, are the clutch/purses I made for my Grandma and Aunt. I used Beth Huntington's "Pendleton Clutch" tutorial (you can find on eHow here ) I also encourage you to check out her amazing website "The Renegade Seamstress"  (http://chicenvelopements.wordpress.com/ )

For Grandma's Clutch (above), I used the wool from a felted brown vest with plaid cotton for the lining. Sorry it looks a bit lopsided, it's actually not. And for Aunt Amy's Clutch, I used the wool from a reclaimed coat, red polka-dot cotton for the lining and red gingham ribbon for the accents on the front. The tutorial was quick and easy. I will certainly be using it again!

 

I also fashioned 2 Ohio State University ear-warmers for my Aunt and my cousin Hannah. They are made from the comfiest felted sweater and the are so cozy and soft! They are both original designs but easily replicated, so I won't bother with a whole tutorial.

I made these ear-warmers by first measuring around my head and subtracting 5 inches. Then, I cut a rectangle to the measurement and tapered the ends. Now, all that's left is to stitch a button to one end and 3 inches of elastic, folded in half to the other. You can add an applique or a flower or anything you want! But, of course, an Ohio State emblem is the best way to go!

 

 

And, finally, I made my Uncle Steve an Ohio State iPad cover inspired by this one from StyleMingle . It's pretty self-explanatory and worked out really well!

 

 

And I must make one more honorable mention. Although I wasn't able to take a picture before I gave it as a gift, check out Lula Louise's Reversible Shoulder Bag tutorial here.

 

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you liked it or have any questions, comment below or email me at missmckennaray@gmail.com Have a blessed day :)



Regency Drawstring Gown and Half-Robe

Ever since I saw Jane Bennet (Rosamund Pike) in her lovely blue and pink half-robes in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice, I have dreamed of having one of my own. Seeing Elinor Dashwood (Emma Thompson) in her own striped version confirmed my desire and I plunged into research. And now, thanks to the Historical Sew Fortnightly (HSF) ( Click here to join in the fun! ), I have finally got the chance to finish my project!

I made it of blue sari fabric that my Daddy brought back for me from England a few years back. I actually made a dress from it in 2009 for a piano recital (I was playing a Pride and Prejudice piece) and I wasn't pleased with it in the end. I only wore it once. Here's an old picture of it below.



It wasn't terrible, but the neckline was too high (I didn't know about fichus yet) and I didn't have my stays way back then. Anyway, after years of sitting at the bottom of my historical wardrobe bucket, I joined the HSF and the poor old dress got nice new facelift :)

This fortnight's challenge is "Robes & Robings". I used about 3 yards of Indian sari fabric recycled from the other dress. I used my favorite; Jennie Chancey's Regency pattern ( sensibility.com ). I actually have nearly the whole set of her Regency patterns. This half-robe is dated toward the beginning of the Regency era (1790s-1810s) The gown I wore underneath was 1790s as well. The only notions I needed were 2 small white buttons. This gown is historically accurate, even if where I wore it wasn't. See, half-robes were actually house-coats and wouldn't be worn outdoors so much. However, since I don't have access to an accurate indoor setting, my backyard served just as well, methinks. Since it was a refashion, it only took me about 2 hours to complete. I ended up spending most of my time on the white dress beneath :) In the end, it cost me absolutely nothing but 2 hours, since the fabric was a gift and I already had the buttons! It was an easy last-minute project that was doable since, our family is moving in a few weeks. Below are the pictures of the finished product. If you have any questions about altering Jennie's Regency pattern to be a half-robe, feel free to email me at missmckennaray@gmail.com.

 

A view of the back.

Closeup of the fabric details.

I made this white cotton drawstring gown this week as well. I needed something to go underneath and I finally broke out my "Elegant Lady's Closet Pattern" (also Sensibility :) The pattern is fantastic! Easy to understand and super practical. I've been in need of this Regency wardrobe staple for a long time and now that I have it, so many possibilities have opened up! I made it out of, get this, a size Full white cotton flat sheet from Wal-Mart! I recommend that fabric to everyone! It's great for unmentionables and so many of the classic white staples you need for any historical wardrobe and it's really inexpensive for fine quality fabric.

 I want to give a very special thanks to my dear sister Marley who was gracious enough to photograph me today, even though she wasn't feeling very well. She has incredible talent as a photographer and took these all on my digital camera! Visit her blog at nogostatusquo.blogspot.com