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Category: Experiments

Hat of fruit

How (not to) Make a Carmen Miranda Hat/Costume Thing

So my sister has a Halloween party every year.  Every year there is a theme.  This year’s theme was “Hollywood … More

Carmen Miranda, Fail, Fruit, Halloween, Hats

New Block Draft for the Anti-Math Crowd

What if I said you could draft a torso block without all those pesky maths and measurements?  Would you laugh? … More

Block Draft

A Pretty Little Learning Experience….

After the fluffy-white-tutu-athon of Les Sylphides, I decided that the best way to recover from all those tutus was … to … More

Tutus
dress over bustle

Das Über-Bustle

So I made a sedate little dress with just a teensy hint of a bustle for Stephanie last fall to … More

1800s, Bustle, Pool Noodles, Support Skirts
Tyler in Pfalzgrafin mockup

Early Corsetry: Are we making too many assumptions?

I’ve been playing a lot with the Pfalzgrafin corset lately. One of the things I said in the original post … More

1500s, Corsetry, Pfalzgrafin
Paper Alcega Mockup, Side

How do you Reproduce the Alcega Farthingale Pattern?

I’m totally obsessed with the Alcega farthingale. I mean, I’m always a little obsessed with it, because it’s sort of … More

1500s, Alcega, Geometry, Support Skirts

You say “yard waste”, I say “free, eco-friendly corset boning”

So I was out trimming the privet hedge the other day, like you do (she says, sounding perfectly British about … More

Boning, Corsetry, On the Cheap, Rennie

Comparison of Different Boning Materials for Use in Sixteenth Century Corsetry

File this one under “possibly useful to some one, at some time, somehow”: this is a series of pictures of … More

1500s, Boning, Construction, Corsetry, Elizabethan, Patterning, Rennie, Theater

You can dye with frosting paste colors….

…but only if you really like pink. Mom and I were in Milwaukee a couple weeks ago, and we stopped … More

Costuming, Crafts, Dyes, Theater

Reverse Leather Applique

In case there was any doubt in anyone’s mind, I love working
with leather. I think it can add a very sophisticated touch to a costume, and,
let’s face it, the number of people who do leather work is limited. I’ve been
wanting to try the rev…

1500s, Elizabethan, Embellishment, Leather, Rennie, Sewing

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