It's been a while since I dedicated an entire weekend to crafting, especially sewing. For starters, Gemma, my usual machine has been in storage since we moved. For another, there just hasn't been time, and all of my fabric is currently in the pod with the machine. But then...I saw an offer I couldn't refuse.… Continue reading Weekend Crafting
Tag: fashion
Woman Killed by Underwear
I've talked in the past about how dangerous 19th century fashion was. From the dyes used in clothing to the creams women used on their faces, fashion was a deadly business during the Victorian period. Crinolines are the Civil War-era descendants of the big, poofy underskirts of the 16-1700s. With a form made of wire… Continue reading Woman Killed by Underwear
What’s Old is Now New Again
Warning: This post is about to get political. I spent the 4th of July watching WWII movies. The world had become a terrifying place. In the last two years we have seen so many awful changes in the US. There's more violence. People struggle to make ends meet as industries not supported by the current… Continue reading What’s Old is Now New Again
One Stitch at a Time
I am a crazy person. I think we've pretty well established that fact around here, but lately I have even more proof. Because with 6 weeks before the event, I somehow volunteered to make 2 bridesmaid dresses and completely makeover a wedding gown for a friend. I should say here that said friend has been… Continue reading One Stitch at a Time
Character Aesthetics: Micha
Continuing my series of posts of patterns that make me think of my characters, today we have Micha. If you'd like to see Evie's collection, you can find it here. As you can imagine, having a book set in Canada means knitwear is a pretty big part of my characters' wardrobes. Especially since Evie, the… Continue reading Character Aesthetics: Micha
Character Aesthetic: Evie Cappelli
I thought I'd do something a little different this time around, and show off some knitting and crochet patterns that remind me the characters in THE SPIDER'S WEB and THE FERRYMEN. All of these patterns are available on Ravelry. Some of them are free, some are not. And no, none of these are my designs.… Continue reading Character Aesthetic: Evie Cappelli
More Sewing
Weren't expecting another sewing segment so soon, were you? Neither was I. I found this fabric a couple of weeks ago when I took my mom to Walmart, and fell in love with it. It's bold, it's in one of my favorite color combinations, and I thought it would make a perfect skirt or dress.… Continue reading More Sewing
Sewing Break
It's been a while since I've done some sewing. I tend to sit down and binge-sew in a weekend, with a boxed set of something on my computer (which has to share desk space with my sewing machine, thanks to our itty bitty apartment). In December and January, the boxed set of choice was Witch… Continue reading Sewing Break
Dressed to Kill, Part III: Conclusions
You can find parts one and two in the series here. While my search into the history of arsenic dyes did not dredge up any stories of mysterious Medici deaths-by-ball-gown, I did pull up a few interesting tidbits on historical and mythological poisoned garments. Perhaps the earliest cases come from the Greeks, and the story… Continue reading Dressed to Kill, Part III: Conclusions
Dressed to Kill, Part II: Drop Dead Gorgeous
Read the first part of this series here. Between 1837 and 1839, more than 500 people died of accidental arsenic poisoning in England, and a look at a Victorian household is enough to make one wonder why that number wasn't significantly higher, with household manuals of the time recommending various combinations of flour, oatmeal, or… Continue reading Dressed to Kill, Part II: Drop Dead Gorgeous