Toile: Laughing Moon #115 Regency Long Stays

My latest project is a pair of long stays. I need a pair of later stays for my thesis project, and for them to be as historically accurate in silhouette as possible. I went with the LM stays because of the company's reputation for HA, and because I didn't have time to mess around with…

Completed: Regency Round Reticule

The final accessory of my summer Regency accessories project is complete. This round reticule was made based on the tutorial at Darling and Dash. Photo by author. Project Information Pattern: This tutorial based on an original in the Met from the first quarter of the 19th century.Fabric: The main fabric is cotton sateen from my…

Completed: AD Frog Reticule

I decided to put my hands to reticule making this summer - I am still working on my round reticule, as the cartridge pleating takes a toll on my joints. I figure with a few reticules and other accessories it makes my one gown more versatile. It is probably a little too early in style…

Video of Fitting Black Snail 0119 Regency Dress

I've been working on the idea of a regency ball gown. My first regency gown was intended to be all-purpose, dressing it up or down with accessories to suit the occasion. Now, though, I'd like to make something closer to a typical white muslin ball gown, and preferably one that didn't have such a binding…

Completed: Regency Sleeveless Spencer

Photo by Rebekah Markewich. I'm so pleased with the overall look I've been developing with my regency accessories and this sleeveless spencer has really been the cherry on top, I think. Other accessories seen in the photos include a fichu and bonnet I had made previously, a necklace (actually made from 18th c. beads!) which…

Planning for a Picnic: New Regency Accessories

Our little group of regency picnickers has decided to get together again this June, so I am trying to use the deadline to motivate me to sew some new regency accessories. Black Snail's Sleeveless Spencer I bought all the regency era Black Snail patterns during a sale awhile back, but have yet to use them.…

NHS/Audrain Exhibit: 1920’s Dressmaker’s Toile Reproduction

My favorite project I completed for the NHS/Audrain exhibition was a toile of a dress for a tableau in the 1920's dressmaker's shop exhibit. The dressmaker, Mollie O'Hara, actually had her shop on the premises which is now the Audrain Museum. Image from Mrs. Depew's Patterns. I was limited on time and resources, so while…

NHS/Audrain Exhibition: Making Mounts

In May, I did some volunteer work on the Newport Historical Society and Audrain Auto Museum's co-curated exhibitions "The World in Motion, Fashion and Modernity 1885-1945"/"Women Take the Wheel: Fashion, Modernity and the Automobile: 1900-1945." This was under the supervision of my professor, Rebecca Kelly, who was curating, conserving, and mounting the fashion objects. It…

A Regency Redingote Update

For the month of January, I hosted a #wednesdaywinterhistoricsewalong on Instagram, and coordinated a weekly Zoom sewing hour with some friends to motivate us to do just a bit each week. I'm not good at chunking out a project in this way, usually I start dreaming that I'll finish a whole project! I have all…

Good, Better, Best Practices for Storage of Vintage/Antique Sewing Patterns

When I started out collecting I could not afford conservation grade materials (nor did I realize how important they are) so I have tried to write this as a Good, Better, Best Practices so that each collector may do the best with what resources they have at hand. I, myself, am just starting the process…