All posts tagged: 19th Century

The Historical Sew Fortnightly: The ‘Something Simple’ challenge

To ease into the Historical Sew Fortnightly challenge for 2013 there is a bonus challenge due on the 31st: ‘Something Simple‘. I thought it would be nice to give us something a bit easier to start with, and I think it’s good to remember that not every important historical garment is massively elaborate and over-the-top. Throughout history people have depended on simple, workable garments – the historical equivalent of our T-shirts. There are lots of periods when even the very rich wore mix-and-match separates that were (relatively) washable and easy to make. One of the things about Princess Alexandra that particularly impressed Queen Victoria when they met was her frugality in dress – Queen Victoria commended her for wearing the same jacket with multiple skirts, and thought it demonstrated a praiseworth restraint and sensibility in dress and character. I was hoping to do a whole post of simple historical inspiration, but the problem with simple, easy to wear, easy to make garments is that not many of them have lasted to come down to us. …

Terminology: What is alamode or allamode fabric?

Published by The Dreamstress

While a la mode may mean ‘in the fashion’ it was also once the name for a fabric. In the 17th, 18th & 19th century alamode was a thin plain tabby weave lustred silk, usually black. It was used mainly for mourning, and for the linings of expensive garments, as well as as the outer fabric, especially for outerwear such as hoods and mantuas. A 1691 theft included “”two blacke allamode hoods worth 5s”. Eighty years later, in 1770 Mary Berridge’s London house was broken into, and one of the items stolen was “One Black Allamode Clock Lined in the Blue Latestring” In early histories of 18th century fabrics it is described as being like lustring or surah silk, but more loosely woven (which may be a very non-technical way of saying that it is a plain tabby weave, rather than a twill like surah), and some references even describe it as the same fabric as lustring, but period advertisements make that very unlikely. While usually spelled allamode or alamode, the vagaries of 17th …

Aline’s bonnet part II

Published by The Dreamstress

So, Monday I told you about beginning Aline’s bonnet, and getting all the basic construction done. Here are the finishing details. After cutting the brim down a lot, I bound it with blue and white tartan bias ribbon (from Nana, her stash is the gift that gives and gives!) that I folded into bias tape. I like the way it works with Aline’s skirt fabric, without matching exactly. And it’s hard to find two tartans that work with each other! I sewed a piece of florists wire under the the bias tape around the upper brim of the bonnet, to help it hold the tight curve of Aline’s bonnet and my inspiration bonnet. First I zig-zagged on the wire, and then bound it with the bias tape. The tension of pulling the wire through the machine actually curved it into the perfect curve. The brim didn’t hug the face enough once it was bound, so I ended up taking in little pleats where the brim meets the back of the hat and tacking them down …