My first 18th century skirt (note: not a proper petticoat) was made for my Claire costume from Outlander (Season 1). I didn’t have a pattern or much skill/knowledge, so I bought 9 yards of heavy upholstery fabric and manually box pleated the hell out of it. Wishing I had pocket slits, I went back about a […]
18th century
Sewing 18th Century Stomachers
I’m of the opinion that one can never have too many stomachers. They’re like the statement necklace of the 18th century; interchangeable, drawing the eye to the chest *giggle* and worn in the closure of women’s shirt jackets. And because they’re easy to make and need little fabric (yeah, scraps!), I currently have six…and counting! […]
Sewing an 18th Century Drawstring Bag
After my dogs attacked my prized Pottery Barn duvet cover in the dead center of it (rendering it completely useless as bed clothes), I cut the bottom lining off to use for other projects and saved the decorative top for…whatever may come up. Turns out I have super educated and talented friends who spotted the […]
Ghosts of Costumes Past: DragonCon 2016
Every year during Labor Day weekend, I attend DragonCon in Atlanta, one of the largest pop culture conventions in the United States. While it’s not the largest and the most widely known, it is my version of a costuming Super Bowl. So as DragonCon approaches and I take a teeny tiny break from the frantic […]
Capturing Savannah: A Photo Tour Review
A guest blog post by Tracy Waking at 5:00 a.m. while on vacation is not generally my idea of a good time. As the alarm so rudely blared that Tuesday morning, I wondered what on Earth had possessed me to schedule a tour at such an ungodly hour. I was still questioning myself as I […]
DragonCon 2017 Costumes: Preview & Works in Progress
For “normal” people, Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer and Labor Day marks the end of summer. For those of us costume hobbyists, Memorial Day means there are less than 100 days until Labor Day weekend when we bring our favorite costumes to DragonCon in Atlanta, one of the largest pop culture conventions in […]
Sewing 18th Century Pockets
When I made my Claire from Outlander (Season 1) costume last year, I didn’t include pockets in the skirt. Pockets make every outfit magical, from 18th century on. So rather than adding the pockets in the skirt I so desperately coveted, I decided to make a set of traditional 18th century pockets that could be […]
Costuming Claire from Outlander: Season 1
My mother tried to get me to read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon for 20 years. So after it aired on Starz, I quit resisting my mother and read the first book. I was hooked! Hooked on the show and hooked on the novels (which took two years to read). I love the character of Claire […]