All posts filed under: Sewing

Things I sew – historical and modern

A blouse for Marilla of Anne of Green Gables

Here is a bit of a confession about the Historical Sew Fortnightly ‘Silver Screen’ challenge: film & TV costumes don’t do a lot for me. Or, more accurately, they don’t do a lot compared to extant garments. There are SO many original pieces that make my heart go pitter patter, but when I watch period dramas it’s very rare for me to love something and want to recreate it. Sometimes a film makes me love a period, and then I go looking for original pieces in that period, but there are only a few costumes I really want to recreate, and even then I suspect I’d tweak. I’m a tweaker! Luckily tweaking is practically mandatory for the Silver Screen challenge, because we’re supposed to historically accuratise the costume we choose. And also luckily there is an onscreen costume that has always fascinated me, that I had fabric for (or close enough), and that fit perfectly into my sewing schedule. My screen choice comes from everyone’s favourite non-BBC period miniseries: the 1980s Anne of Green Gables. …

A sewing secrets lace 1900s blouse

Published by The Dreamstress

This is a the tale of a serendipitous sewing secret… When we’d decided on an ‘Anne of Green Gables’ theme for our Pukekura Park dress ups and photoshoot, I knew costuming ‘Priscilla’ was going to be a bit tricky. She’s petite, and I’m tall, and most of my outfits are made to fit me. I was super busy the whole week before the our trip, but figured I had plenty of white voile, and could make a simple white voile Wearing History Edwardian blouse in an evening. And then, late Thursday, I popped into an op-shop while waiting on a print job, and got lucky: I found an amazing lace tablecloth that I thought would be perfect for a blouse. It had flowers, and scallops, and greek key meanders, and was simply marvellous. However it was stained, and they wanted $3 which I thought was pricey for a small, stained, tablecloth, and it was a cash-only op-shop, and I had only $3 in cash, and they had a couple of sewing patterns I also wanted… …

On my sewing table this week

Published by The Dreamstress

I’m doing tons of sewing at the moment, and actually have photoshoots scheduled this weekend and next weekend, so I’m sewing like mad, and you’ll get to see the finished projects soon! So what am I working on? A shirt, with amazing chevroned sleeves that I am quite pleased with. And a skirt to go with it, in delicious navy wool from a recent Fabric Warehouse pop-up shop sale (aka cheapskate fabric lovers nirvana). And a petticoat to go under the skirt (made from old sheets and tablecloths – of course!) And not one, but TWO corsets! One in white, one in cream, because I’ve decided I don’t have enough neutral corsets. Felicity has, of course, been helping with everything, from overseeing the pattern matching: To taking baths while I make burritos: Because the most important thing on any sewing table is always the sewing cat!