Tiger Lily's Threads

Not too long ago, I've been working on making an 1870's bustle gown. So far, I have a lobster tail Imperial tournure, and the waistcoat. As far as the petticoat and bustle skirt, I've been doing some research on how to bustle the skirt to give it it's fullness and silhouette. Sure enough, I came across this awesome resource guide that has given me some pretty neat tips. If you're interested in making a skirt for steampunk or an event, this is a great read!  http://historicalsewing.com/selecting-the-correct-bustle

Just got back from the Battle of Bladensburg, in the town of it's namesake with my 1812 military unit, the Royal Marines. When we arrived around 8:30am, it started to rain…and did not stop raining until 3am Sunday. It rained so much, that I actually caught a cold. So, you could only imagine how wet the  the grounds were. But that did not stop everyone from showing up and continuing on with the festivities and the reenactment; lots of sutlers that were supposed to be there were rained out, and some canceled. The battle did very well, and even had a cool smoke-foggy effect because of the rain. I wish I had pictures of that, but I was trying to get out from the rain and cold mostly. After the event, my unit and I went back to Riversdale Mansion where we were camping and had dinner. My husband finally got to meet everyone and will be going to the next reenactment as an independent sales merchant or organizer, as he prefers to be a civilian interpreter. I'm very excited to get start...

Just saw Guardians of the Galaxy with my husband, and loved it! I enjoyed the plot. It was very easy to follow. The characters were all hilarious, such as the relationship between Rocket and Groot, and Peter "Star Lord" Quill and Gamora. The other character whose name I forgot, was played by WWE wrestler Batista. Oh my gosh, his inability to understand the figure of speech (his alien species are more literal than metaphorical) was absolutely hilarious. Aside from the adorable Groot, I really liked Gamora. Regardless of her past, she stays close to her new friends, and kicks some serious butt. Also the costumes were pretty cool, and something that I'd definitely consider cosplaying in the near future. Anyway, there were plenty of pop culture references, such as Kevin Bacon, the tape player from the 1980's, and songs like "Cherry Bomb", "Hooked on a Feeling", and "ABC's" from The Jackson 5 (Well, they're more 70's but it w...

With only two weeks left until my reenactment at Bladensburg, my early regency bonnet is just about done. As mentioned before in my earlier post, I wanted my bonnet to look as close as possible to the painting, so with close observation and research, I was able to get the right thickness in ribbon to help fill out the hat. Perhaps later, I'll add lace under the hat and then adorn the top with either flowers or feathers; I'm not absolutely sure, so I'll probably do some more research, or just leave it be (sometimes, simple is always best). Any-who, the  next project to make for this kit, are the detachable sleeves, and the chemisette (which will more than likely be part of my sewing demonstration). So stay tuned! :)