Tiger Lily's Threads

While  I'm a few years behind the Gigot craze that rocked costuming community back in 2019, I finally managed to make an 1830's day gown of my own. Everything about the gigantic sleeves, the bell-shaped skirts, and the ornate hairstyles, lured me to this awkward and fascinating era of fashion - I'm all about it!  Materials:  7 yards of printed cotton fabric  2 yards of tulle (for sleeve enhancers)* 3 yards of scrap fabric (for sleeve enhancers)* 3 yards of muslin to line the bodice (the pattern calls for 7 to line the entire gown, but that can be left entirely up to the wearer in my opinion) 2 packs of piping trim corset bones to stabilize the front and back of bodice  Small Hook & Eye closures  Pattern-TV455 from Truly Victorian  After preparing the pattern and cutting out the fabric, it was pretty easy to put the mockup together for the bodice. However, I failed to realize that the bodice actually closes up i...

Over the Summer, I faced a medical emergency which resulted in a week-long “staycation''. While in isolation, I opted to do some stash-busting. The project started off with a simple plaid Edwardian skirt, made from a recycled cotton 1830’s gown I made in the Spring. I was very pleased with the finished result, but realized that it needed something more elegant than the blouse I made two years prior. While you can never have too many shirtwaists, I really wanted one that was best suited for this future ensemble.                                      Using the Edwardian Blouse instructions from Black Snail Patterns , I opted for vers.1 -- but with some modifications. Instead of cutting out the neckline as directed for the insertion lace (for the upper portion of the blouse’s neckline and collar) I left the pattern as is. I also pin-tucked the collar for the sake of ornamental aesthetics…whi...