Tiger Lily's Threads

Earlier this Summer, I wanted to work on some stash-busting! So, I made myself an early 1780's cap drafted from the American Duchess Guide to Beauty.  I really enjoyed making this cap not only because I got to expand on the size of the lappets to make it resemble a Moon Jelly resting on my head (lol), but also I enjoyed creating the design around the crown by making two different sized puffs and intertwining them around one another. I do plan to wear the cap with high hair style sometime in the near future once it's safer to participate in public reenactments and events again.  

As many of us are collectively hunkered down at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic and with most historical events being cancelled, believe it or not there's been a lot of contingency plans and new hobbies  brewing for 2021. Several people I know, including myself, have spent this time researching topics, making new outfits, and honing on our new discovered skills (baking bread, sewing, gardening, Yoga, Youtube channels, etc). 2021, we're coming for you!  On another note, Edwardian fashion has been a popular trend among some historical costumers this Summer. I don't blame them! The natural form silhouette is much appreciated during these hot summer months and the light and airy fabric choices work just as well...also, being able to play around with so much lace and floofiness! Who couldn't resist!?    This is my first fitting of the full gown. Please ignore the wrinkles.  The skirt pattern is from Simplicity 1558; I elongated both the front and back ...

Back in March, before the nation was put on lockdown due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, I had the opportunity to participate in a living history event, called "Women & The Vote" at the First State Heritage Park in Dover, Delaware. As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment which allowed women to take part in the voting system, in addition to celebrating the biographies of famous American suffragists who pushed for equal voting rights.....let's hone in on that for a moment, because I'm about to tell you the other side of this important part of history. The stories of other suffragists who were not acknowledged for their contributions and were excluded purposely, all because of the color of their skin: the challenges of the Black Suffragists.  The Women's National Baptist Convent was one of the many black suffragist groups that petitioned for voting rights  Along with groups such as The National American Women...

Earlier this month, I had the honor of performing for the Center For Education Reform at the George Washington University Jack Morton Auditorium. TCFER is a foundation based in Washington DC whose mission is to "expand educational opportunities" for students all over the nation. The program in which I participated in was called "Why America". This program is an interactive field trip in which students and teachers use resources in and around the Nation's Capital and is broken down into 5 categories  The Constitution & Its Origins  Hamilton's Vision  The Father Of Our Country & Presidency  Women Abolition & Suffrage Movements In The President's Neighborhood   Military Memorial & Flag Days "The Father of Our Country & Presidency", spotlights the executive branch of government and why Congress made the imperative decision to elect George Washington as 1st President; why was he the perfect candidate to lead the new ...

Like with any women's undergarment, there's always wear and tear and the occasional body fluxuations that make you want groan but have to bite the bullet and make a new pair or shopping for a new set. The corset and stays are no exception. After remaking my first pair of fully boned stays 2016 and a pair of half-boned in 2019, it was time for me to make a 3rd pair (this time switching back to the full-boned). Using my favorite pattern from J.P. Ryan, I made this new pair of stays out of cotton tweed fabric. I also elongated the front and sides of the stays by 3 inches, as the original pattern I used to make my first pair of fully-boned stays were a bit too short for my torso. Compared to my last two pairs of stays, where I used metal boning (which definitely retained a lot of heat) and zipties (flexible, but not enough rigidity), this was the very first time I used reed canes for boning. I was a bit hesitant to use them at first, as the bones were so lightweigh...

This year so far, Maryland has experienced a very short and mild winter. With Spring arriving quickly, it's getting close to the point where I'll have to put away my winter wear. With that being said, I never really got the opportunity to really take some good photos of the new wool capelet that I made in January. This capelet is perfect for any time period  Initially this capelet was a result of a de-stashing project. I had 1.5 yard of left-over wool fabric that I wasn't planning to do anything with, and instead of donating it to GoodWill or selling it, I decided to make a winter capelet based off of a couple of 18th century examples I found on pinterest. Now, what made this project most interesting was that while many of the wool caplets and silk mantelets I have seen were hooded and were lined with fur, there were a few that surprisingly did not require such.       This was a fairly easy project to do. I laid out some leftover Waverly fab...

                         Last weekend, my friend Steph and I took a day trip up to Gettysburg to experience a pretty fun experience of getting wet plates done, at the Victorian Photography Studio. With it being January and pretty cold and snowy up in Pennsylvania, I wanted to wear a nice head covering that would be historically accurate for the period I was dressed for. The quilted winter hood was one of the most popular bonnets women wore in the 1860's as it not only covered the sides of your face but also protected the back of your neck from the cold.  So, here's how I made mine. Example of a silk quilted hood I did not have a pattern for this project, so I made one instead by looking at the construction of the hood through photos on Pinterest. It looked really simple to make: a long rectangle that acts as the brim of the hood, a crown, and a skirt for the nape of the neck. The hoods also looked l...

I'm WAY behind schedule with keeping my posts up to date. So, I will try my best to remember everything that happened - or at least go over the highlights. Back in early November, Gadsby's Tavern in Alexandria, VA, hosted a Harvest Ball. I had a really great time that night and put my ballroom shoes to good work as I danced the night away with many friends who attended.  This event, I decided to pull out the old (but revamped) Waverly gown I wore back when I attended my very first ball at Gadsby's in 2013. Not much of a difference in color choices, but the zone front style look personally amiable to me rather than late 70's style the dress donned at first; also, upgrade on the accessories.  The evening started with me staying over my friend Beth's house in NoVa. She was a wonderful hostess, and I cannot thank her enough. Once we were ready for the evening, we headed into Alexandria and had dinner at Jackson's 20; By 7pm, we arrived at Gadsby...