Thursday’s Book Review:
Dressmaking Course in 8 Easy Steps
by Singer
Book Cover ~ Singer Manufacturing, © 1961
Rating
5 stars = Shiny
Description
This is a vintage 1961 dressmaking manual produced by Singer, as presented in their sewing centers. It promises just eight easy steps to learn dressmaking. Continue reading
Tuesday’s Tips & Tricks
Sewing Machine Maintenance
If you own your own sewing machine, you need to take proper care of it. This means knowing how to clean and oil it regularly. There are some newer models that don’t require oiling—indeed, that should not be oiled—so be sure and check your manual.
One precaution you can take is to always keep your machine covered when it’s not in use. You can buy specially-fitted covers, or you can make your own. Alternatively, you can just drape a piece of muslin over it, something large enough to cover the entire machine and keep dust out. Your machine will still need to be cleaned and oiled, but a cover will help keep it clean longer.
Friday’s Fashion Plates
1875 Racing Dress
This dress is from La Mode Artistique in 1875 and is described as a toilette for the races.
“Toilette De Courses”, 1875
We’ve just added a new sewing diary: the 18th Century Robe á l’Anglaise.
Our excursion into the 18th century began with the undergarments and accessories, and now it culminates with the creation of this green and white floral print gown with coordinating green petticoat.
Enjoy!
Sunday’s Someday Project
The Phantom of the Opera Costumes in Miniature: “Point of No Return”
In October, 2011, I attended a live screening of the 25th anniversary performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. It was phenomenal. There were extreme closeups of every actor—and their costumes. I immediately decided to recreate every costume from the show. Unfortunately, I simply don’t have the storage room in my house for such an endeavor, so I scaled back my plans. I’ll be making each of Christine’s main costumes in miniature—for the Gene doll.
During the song “Point of No Return” Christine wears a ruffled peach and black dress that’s sometimes known as Aminta’s dress. This is the first costume I’ll be recreating.
Fashion Sketch
Wednesday’s Project
The Phantom of the Opera—Hannibal Ballet Costume
A few years ago I decided to make a miniature version of one of the costumes from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. I chose Christine’s red and green ballet costume from the Hannibal ballet.
Costume Sketch
Thursday’s Book Review:
Fashion Illustration for Designers
by Kathryn Hagen
Fashion Illustration for Designers
Rating
5 stars = Shiny!
Description
This is a book on how to draw fashion illustrations. It starts with the basics of figure drawing, then moves on to poses and adding various types of clothing. It includes chapters on men, children, and teenagers, and briefly touches on digital illustration and working with color. Continue reading
Tuesday’s Tips and Tricks
A Rat’s Nest
Throughout many historic time periods, the fashion for hair was huge. As near as I can tell, it began in the 17th century with the frizzed Elizabethan styes. In the late 18th century, the pouf became popular, followed by ever-increasing heights of teased, ratted, and frizzed hair. Large hair made a comeback in the 1870s, and again with the Pompadour and Gibson styles that began in the 1890s and lasted for nearly twenty years. Large hair has returned on and off throughout the modern era, as well, such as the Victory Roll during the late 1940s and the teased styles of the 1990s.
Michelle de Bonneuil, 1778
I would like to apologize for the lack of posts in recent months. First, I had to take an unexpected hiatus for health reasons. Then, just when I was ready to come back, we had some trouble with hackers: someone broke into Yesterday’s Thimble and added a ton of computer viruses to the website. This has been dealt with. Tech Support assures me that all the viruses have been deleted and the site is once again safe.
To get things going again, we’ve added a new tutorial: Hooked Together: Sewing With Hooks and Eyes. We’ve also added a Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, just to cover our legal bases. In the upcoming weeks, you can expect more articles, book reviews, sewing diaries, tips and tricks, and other blog posts about sewing and historic costuming. Enjoy!
Thursday’s Book Review:
Victorian Fashions: A Pictorial Archive
by Carol Belanger Grafton
Book Cover ~ Dover Publications, © 1999
Rating
4 stars = Satisfactory
Description
This is a book filled with scanned images from antique fashion magazines, periodicals, and catalogs. Sources include Harper’s Bazar, La Mode Illustrée, Peterson’s Magazine, Godey’s Lady’s Book, Salon de la Mode, Dames et das Demoiselles, L’Art et la Mode, Der Bazar, Harper’s Weekly, Frank Leslie’s Ladies’ Magazine, and The Standard Designer.
