A ca. 1750-55 reproduction robe à la française in striped silk taffeta One question that comes up frequently in online historical costuming discussions is that of how much fabric would be needed to cut a particular type of gown, or else how best to make use of available yardage.   This was certainly a serious question in the 18th century, when the high cost of materials (particularly silk) meant that an effort was made to use every possible scrap of fabric to best advantage in constructing a gown.  This is revealed in the many ways in which garments -- particularly silk ones ..read more

Three of the "Wandering Interpreters" (including myself, at right) that will be seen around the town this summer. (Photo credit: Town of Annapolis Royal) ​It was an honour for me to be asked by the Town of Annapolis Royal to represent our town this summer as a "Wandering Interpreter" and presenter of historic demonstrations.  With its rich history and many lovely vistas, Annapolis Royal is a wonderful place to be at any time of year, but especially in summer, with the warm weather, blue skies, and ocean breezes.  This year, after two difficult and empty summers due to Covid, it's ..read more

French fashion sketch of a 1908 fancy afternoon ensemble with lace plastron and high collar. If one element of women's fashion defined formal daytime elegance during the Edwardian era, it was the high, fitted, boned collar.  Unlike their rigid, often plain, Victorian predecessors, the Edwardian boned collar was usually a thing of delicacy and charm, made of fine materials such as lace, chiffon, silk net, or lightweight linen, boned in narrow whalebone, featherbone, or (later) fine zig-zag wires.   I've seen all these types in both museum examples and in pieces in my own collec ..read more

Sometimes you just want to go over the top!  This sacque gown (robe à la française) is without doubt the most opulent gown of its type I've made yet, inspired by a small number of extant gowns of the 1750-70 period made of beautiful brocade textiles with applied silver trim and lace.  My challenge was to create a gown that represented the luxury of the era in upper class dress, while still maintaining the balance, grace, and elegance of mid-18th century dress.   As often happens, this project was sparked by a fortuitous discovery of a luxurious silk blend brocade at a pric ..read more

Bodice of my new 'apron-front' Regency gown, pinned in place and ready to complete. ​It seems that everyone is creating Regency fashions these days, although I must admit it wasn't Bridgerton that influenced me (I really didn't like the series much at all, and found the costumes very poorly done).  No, this idea sprang up in my head a few years ago (BCE = Before Covid Era) to attend a garden party at a venue where fashions of the 1800 to 1815 era would be ideally appropriate.   First, as usual, I had to complete all the underthings, working from inside to outside (something I ..read more

As a maker of historical patterns, I'm the first to acknowledge the value of another maker's work if it's technically well-drafted (what I call "good pattern engineering"), reflects historical accuracy, and includes clear and complete instructions.   So I'm not averse to turning to a fellow pattern-maker in a pinch, in order to avoid having to reinvent the wheel and/or go from zero to 90 to create a garment from an historical period with which I'm largely unfamiliar (not to mention with a short deadline looming).  Now, I'm not going to go so far as to advertise another maker's ..read more

It was wonderful to be asked again this summer to act as a roving historical interpreter for the town of Annapolis Royal, reflecting dress that might have been seen here in the 18th century particularly, and sharing the deep history of this place with visitors and townspeople alike.  I and my husband will appear in town, mostly from about noon onward (weather permitting), three or four times a week, sometimes together.   Our first appearance this year will be on Canada Day, July 1st, at and around the festivities in the centre of town -- fingers crossed for a sunny ..read more

I admit, I'm crazy about sacques!  For this second iteration of my design for a ca. 1755 "grand habit" (formal evening gown, in the "robe à la française" or French style) I decided to use a glorious iridescent silk taffeta with a golden ecru ground and variable soft turquoise-teal stripes.  The colours are truly luscious!   (Click on "Read More", below right, to continue) ​ This is essentially the same design as the taupe version (see my blog on that one), but with some changes which I felt worked better with the lighter, softer colours of this gown.  Like the taupe v ..read more

It's hard not to love the graceful beauty of the 18th century robe à la française (often called in English a "sacque" or "sack" gown), with its elegant lines and ability to flatter practically any woman of any age and shape.  It's no wonder this style remained in fashion, with a number of variations, for nearly five decades of the 18th century, from the late 1730's to the late 1770's.   For this project, I wanted a silk robe à la française in a more formal style (what in 18th century France might have been termed a "grand habit"), something appropriate for evening wear in an up ..read more

Flax (linen) plants in bloom Ramie plants This is the first in a planned series of articles intended to help familiarize sewing enthusiasts with the origin, botanical features, history, and production of fabrics available to them, especially considering textiles which may be thought of as having similar characteristics.  This Part 1 will look at the two linen "twins": ramie and true flax linen, which are really more fraternal than identical twins.  Whether your focus is on historical reproductions or modern sewing, I hope you'll find something useful in th ..read more