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!

 

 



A Few of My Favorite Things {Vol. I}

Sorry for the silence. Life tends to happen and usually, that takes precedence over blogging. I'm going to share with you a few of my favorite things. Things I've always loved and things that I've discovered lately. Fun things, blogs, crafts, etc. I hope you enjoy Volume I of "A Few of my Favorite Things".

 

 

My new blunt bangs!

This isn't an incredible picture, but I like it. You'll be seeing lots of my new do in future posts and in the launch of my new fashion blog

 Empress of Autumn

 

 

It's Not About Staying at Home

I absolutely love this recent message by the beautiful Botkin sisters. It's a convicting and uplifting talk that I would encourage every young lady to listen to (I listened while I was cleaning my room). It's free on their website HERE

 

Not a Care in the Whirl Heels

These GORGEOUS shoes are from Modcloth.

Find them HERE . I'm telling you, I am absolutely in love with them (and I'm dropping a not-so-subtle hint that I'm an 8.5).

 

 

Ulyana Sergeenko

This lovely Russian fashion designer is my new role model and style icon. The way she carries herself and dresses and smiles is the epitome of elegance and grace. (Disclosure: If you look her up, be warned; 90% of her designs are gorgeous, and modest but that other 10% is a bit disturbing, actually. "High Fashion", you know.)

 

 

 

Starlooks' Ultra Olive metallic eye pencil

An amazing eyeliner that came in my November Ipsy Glam Bag. It seems foofy, but it's actually a sensible addition to your makeup collection. Paired with neutral eye shadow, it gently opens and brightens the eye and adds a touch of elegance and panache, especially if you're in a hurry. The pencil is to be purchased HERE. I highly recommend it!

 

 

Lawana Blackwell

I cannot stop reading her books! Mrs. Blackwell is a Christian author whose books I stumbled upon in our church library. Her novels have me captive and I've enjoyed all of them (I've read eight this month!). Her Gresham series is especially heart-warming and absolutely worth the read.

 

 

Star Trek: The Original Series

and

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Specifically, I'm kind of crazy about Lieutenant Commander Data. Brent Spiner is a seriously brilliant actor, not only portraying an android, but often completely different characters when Data's circuits are taken over or he's emulating Sherlock Holmes.

At this point, (Season 3) I'm getting pretty annoyed with Commander Riker's behavior, but I still watch the show, mainly because PATRICK STEWART!

 

 

Sweater Weather!!!

This is seriously the best part of Fall/Winter. Here in Kansas, it's frigid, so I'm busting out my sweater collection...except for the awesome/unfortunate fact that I've lost some weight and now all my yummy sweaters are being passed up to my mom (at least it benefits her). So, I'm going sweater hunting at Goodwill today.

 

That's all I've got. What have been some of your favorite things lately? What do you think of my favorites? Agree? Disagree? On the fence? Drop a comment below (because comments are also one of my favorite things!)

 

I Don't Want to Go...Why I Won't Continue Watching Doctor Who and Sherlock

I can't believe I chose that picture; I'm already crying and I haven't gotten to the sad stuff yet! If you know me personally (or follow me on Pinterest), you probably know that I [was] a Whovian/Sherlockian. However, due to unforseen circumstances, I have decided to leave those respective fandoms and I'm writing to explain why.

Not gonna lie, I kind of expected that reaction from you, Sherlock. Call me a Cyberman, call me Mycroft, but I'm not pleased with the "upgrades" that BBC has made to the most recent seasons of my two favorite shows.

I don't like those disappointed/angry faces!

Before I continue, I want to say upfront that the purpose of this post is not to bash either show or the beliefs of the writers and crew who produce them. My ultimate goal in life-or for this post, is not to defame Steven Moffat (brilliant writer of both shows). I am simply revealing, from a Biblical standpoint and mindset, the flaws that have come to my attention. Up to this point, I have thoroughly enjoyed both shows (I even have a "Time Lord" t-shirt and "Exploding TARDIS" mug) and unabashedly branded myself a Whovian and a Sherlockian.  

Really, John?! And you too, HedgeMartin?! Dang, you've all turned against me. Well, almost all...

*sobs* I'll miss you too, Doctor...

So, here's the underlying issue of both:
MORAL AMBIGUITY

In Doctor Who:
If you, the reader, has seen DW season 7 and beginning of 8, you probably know, off the bat, what (who) I'm talking about. For those of you unacquainted with the show, I am referring to a lesbian couple.

 I am not "homophobic". I am not afraid of homosexuals or LGBT.
 But this does not mean that I agree with their lifestyle. 

As a Christian, I believe that homosexuality is sinful. In the Old Testament, by God's law, homosexual behavior was punishable by death (Leviticus 20:13). But after Jesus payed the price of our sins by His death on the cross (thereby taking all the weight of humanity's sin upon Him and redeeming it), the "old" law was not rejected, but fulfilled. The fact that we live under Grace (God's forever acceptance of those who believe in and follow Him), does not mean that we can just do anything we want and still get our "ticket-into-heaven". One day, we will all stand before The Judge (God) and give an account of everything we've ever done. In addition to what is written in the New Testament, we can study the laws that God originally put in place to discern His heart and how He feels about things. I think He feels very strongly against an act of sin that was punishable by death, don't you agree?

You might be familiar with the very Christainese phrase, 
"Hate the sin, love the sinner"
While somewhat cliche, it's so true! I am not the judge of the world, God is. I don't want to shy away from people who wear their lifestyle on their sleeve, whatever it is (you know, unless they're a serial killer or something).

It's become clear to me more than ever that every form of media has an agenda.

Usually, it's an agenda to shout from the mountaintops their support of "Do what you want whenever you want; ditch consequences! That's a made-up word." In the media, "Chase your dreams" often translates to, "Pursue all the twisted desires of your heart regardless of motive or morals." I didn't notice it in BBC much until this year. Especially after watching "Deep Breath". Vastra and Jenny (the lesbian couple) must've said aloud, "we're married", or something to that effect, at least 20 times during the 70-minute episode. They had appeared in a few episodes of the previous two seasons, however, I had just brushed it off. But after my sister (whose Spiritual gift is Prophecy) watched the episode in which they kissed, God lifted the blinders for her. She came to me and explained how she felt the Lord speaking to her about the issue and that got me thinking. 

In Sherlock:

The same sort of issues popped up in this one with lines like, (John to Sherlock) "Do you have a boyfriend? Which is totally fine, by the way." And speculations within and without the show questioning the nature of John and Sherlock's relationship. And in this newest season,  Sherlock shrugged off the fact that he slept with and feigned affection for a woman simply to get information from her. They turned Irene Adler's character from being a thief in the original works, to being a bisexual prostitute who appeared to Sherlock nude (only the clever angles of the camera kept us from being entirely exposed). It's these red flags that popped up here and there (except for the Irene episode that I caution everyone away from if talking about the show), including Mary becoming pregnant with John before they were married, that I had been unintentionally ignoring. 

This video by our beloved Skit Guys really hits the point home!



The morality of BBC (and the media in general; this post really applies to a lot of things) is dwindling away and I'm deeply saddened to see it go. But I wish to look inward more than outward. Where is my morality diminishing? I was shocked to find how much questionable content like fornication and language I have been allowing myself to shrug off because, "I would never do that" or simply scrunch up my nose and mutter, "I don't agree with that". But the more junk we allow ourselves to witness, the more we begin to accept it in our hearts, probably without noticing. I certainly didn't notice how apathetic I had become about what shows I watched until my younger sister gently took me by the hand and by confessing what she saw inside herself, lifted the blinders for me.

As much as I really enjoyed the shows in and of themselves, I can't, in good concience, continue to support a company (by watching on tv or buying products) that champions sinful behavior. I may or may not re-watch the episodes I know to be appropriate; still praying about that one. Certainly won't be plastering my name on the fandom bilboard for the world to see, that's for sure. I have cried a little bit over this decision; prayed a lot and turned the matter over and over in my mind. I really liked Peter Capaldi as the Doctor and I'm sure he'll do a bang-up job, but I can't continue to watch a show that could hurt my morals.

If you've been considering this matter already, I know you've seen the pros of watching either show. What I hope I have presented, after a lot of careful thought, are the cons that prick my conscience. The worst thing that could happen, is that any show with questionable morals could desensitize you. The goal should be to keep your conscience tender so that you can listen closely; movies and media without morals can cause a callous to form over your conscience. Thus, I encourage you to look at whatever your conundrum is, from each point of view; pros and cons. Pray about it and seek wisdom. I read this post to my parents, edited it then reread it to them several times before I posted it :) Don't ever do anything rash; deciding to join or leave a fandom is a big deal, even if you don't realize it. You're putting your stamp of approval on whatever that is and I can guarantee there are people looking up to you and following your example.

And as a token of my tears, I place this gif atop the grave of future unwatched episodes. May I rest in peace with my conscience intact.

Lookee!!! I learned how to add a GIF to my blog posts! I'm so proud of me...

Period Film Game {2}

I think the last Period Film Game went well so we'll give it another go, eh? Now, for those of you who didn't participate last time, the rules are as follows: I put 10 screencaps from different period films and tv shows and you make a guess as to the title of the film/show. Comment below with your guesses. 10 points for each correct answer for a possible score of 100 points! Next week, I will post the answers alongside the individual scores of each person. I went easy on y'all last time but now I'm cracking down ;) Have fun!

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

Have fun! And remember-don't peek at another's guesses until you've posted your own!!!

Period Film Game {1} Answers and Scores

I'm afraid that I didn't explain things very well last week. So, not many people joined in the game. But I'll be posting another soon so that those who weren't sure can come back and join in. It's so much fun!!!

Below are the individual answers and at the bottom are the individual scores :)

#1

The Young Victoria (2009)

#2

My Fair Lady (1964)

#3

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

#4

Jane Eyre (2011)

#5

Pride and Prejudice (1995)

#6

Emma (1996)

#7

Little Dorrit (2008)

#8

The Help (2011)

#9

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

#10

Sense and Sensibility (1996)

The Scores

Paige-90 pts.

Heidi P.-80 pts.

Sorry if it seemed like that Sherlock Holmes cap was a wild-card. But I do enjoy doling out challenges!!! I hope you will participate next time and let your other period-film junkies know, too!

The Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge #26-Celebrate!

This is a post concerning the two dresses I made for seeing the first and second HOBBIT movies. The blue one (an original design, since I went as Gilraen, Aragorn's mother) was made last December for "The HOBBIT: An Unexpected Journey" and doesn't count for the HSF challenge, but I'm including it just for fun. But first, the Challenge gown. Then, I promise you'll get more photos of the blue one below :) 

This here is the gown I made for seeing "The HOBBIT: Desolation of Smaug" 2 weeks ago. It's mostly a self-drafted pattern...which explains why I spent most of my time altering it! It's made of Wine-Colored Velveteen and Soft Pink Silk. The Velveteen dress has cap sleeves with double Princess-Seams (like Susan Pevensie's green archery gown from LWW). The pink under-sleeves are attached to the cap sleeves and end in a point at the knuckles. It's medieval-inspired but I'm not entirely sure how historically accurate it is. As for the shoes, they were a miracle of a Goodwill find from this Summer and I couldn't resist their charm! They go really well with my Regency dresses!
What's that? Oh! You like my new haircut? Why, thank you! I think it will go with my 1930s and '40s plans for the HSF 2014 very nicely!

Sleeve Detail

Yeah, I'm a foot and ankle model like Black and Tan

Shoe detail

Marley (My sister/photographer) was jumping up and down with excitement over how well this shot turned out!

The Challenge: #26-Celebrate! I am celebrating the release of The HOBBIT films!!!

Fabric: 3 yards Velveteen, 1 yard raw silk

Pattern: Hand-Drafted

Year: 1200s?

Notions: Thread

How historically accurate is it?: Not sure so...not very...I suppose ;)

Hours to complete: 4ish

First worn: December 14th to "The HOBBIT: Desolation of Smaug"

Total cost: Stash Fabric so $0!

Now, on to my Gilraen gown! It's made of about 4 yards of an unknown rather sparkly dark blue fabric (a rayon/cotton blend, perhaps?) with a yard of stretch lace for the sleeve extensions. There is a separate shirt underneath made of another unknown fabric (I'm really bad about the proper names! It's ribbed with a silky quality to it. If you have any thoughts, please comment!). This dress is also self-designed and self-drafted and I purposely made it too big so that it would gather underneath the girdle that is made of the same stretch lace as the sleeve extensions. It went really well with the red cape I made this Spring (Oh, the blessings of being a costume designer for the stage and screen!) The cape is made of red velveteen and is (you guessed it) a self-drafted pattern. 
I was inspired by the Renaissance gowns of the 1500s and thought that Gilraen's age of Middle Earth might have reflected a different time period than that of her son's.

It was SOOOO cold this noon!

Closeup of the bodice and the tricky fabric

Lace details

There you have it! Two Lord of the Rings/Medieval/Renaissance-Inspired gowns. Perhaps something you might find straight out of a Waterhouse painting, if I do say so myself. Which do you like better? And do you have any ideas as to what the mystery fabrics really are? I wish I could give them a title! Please comment below if you have any thoughts on the matter or if you want to give me a virtual pat on the back for the blood, sweat and tears that is the life of any seamstress!