American Duchess Historic Shoes Blog
1930s Pink Easter Dress and Vintage Underpinnings
I love a holiday, a great excuse to wear something frothy, frilly, and vintage. I've been rather lazy the past several holidays, though, not wanting to shimmy into the underpinnings...
A Mid-to-Late 1860s Elliptical Hoop Skirt
One of the things that became obvious with my purple 1860s gown was that my underpinnings were no longer doing the job. Due to shortage of fabric, I cut my...
18th c. Red Petticoat Re-Fashion
Woot! The first project of 2015 is complete, and piece #1 of my Robe a la Turque is ready. Refashioned red petticoat with apron This petticoat was once a sad,...
Hard Lessons in Victorian Corset Making - My "Duh" Moments...
Left side - boning, strength additions, and padding. I still have wrinkling, but it's better than it was.Right side - no boning, no strength layers, no padding. I can make...
1740s Riding Habit Waistcoat and Shirt
It's been a flurry of sewing madness here, getting ready for Colonial Williamsburg next week. I've ripped into a lot of garments, and made some pretty big changes to many...
The Angel Wing Bum, 1785
Save for one tiny bit of stomacher fabric, my wedding gown is DONE! *happy dance* Last week, when sorting out hems and skirt volumes, I decided I needed a new...
Victorian & Edwardian Stockings
Via - I'll take any of these, please. Throughout history, people have worn some pretty spectacular hosiery. I'm tickled today when I see fantastic socks for sale (and I often...
Finished Project: 18th Century Grand Panier
And my, what a big panier it is! I purchased the now-out-of-print Simplicity 3635 pattern on eBay a few weeks back. The package contains patterns for stays, pockets, a chemise,...
Finished Project: Regency Half Stays
They ain't pretty, but they seem to get the job done... I've finally finished something! I've been experimenting with Regency stays for a bit, trying out different designs, and I...
How Wide Should Your 18th Century Panniers Be?
I've set out on the adventure of making a Grand Pannier to wear under voluminous 18th century apparel, and the first question that came to mind is - how wide...
V357: Beginning Corset Training - Day 1
My New Years Resolution for 2013 is to experiment with corset training. Nothing crazy. Nothing extreme. I'm just curious about the effect consistent pressure on the natural waist will have...
V353: 1920s Knickers Pattern
Hi all! Miss Emily, of My Vintage Visions Blog, sent over this adorbs little original 1920s knickers pattern. Aren't these just sweet? /want/ I'm off to cut my hair like...