Handbound Costumes

11/07/2024

Blue Stays Project Update 💙
The final body panel has now been b***d (whoop!) which leaves only the shoulder straps to do, and which I'll start Monday.
Apart from the straps, the next job will be wrapping the seam allowance in for each panel and then joining them together - and this is where the project is going to get really exciting!
But one stage at a time lol.

08/07/2024

Meant to share the last of the Normanby Hall videos that went live last week on Youtube. Oops lol - totally forgot!
These were shot last December when I was up there as part of my research into late 18th century menswear in prep for the 2nd book.
The Parkinson collection is a really incredible collection of late 18th century menswear. It's not because it's grand or even beautifully sewn, but almost because of the opposite of that. It reflects a more everyday tailor for a more everyday man. It also all belonged to the one man - making it invaluable for intercomparison between the garments.
Anyway, waffle waffle waffle lol - we'll be sharing bit from our research during the Colonial Williamsburg 's symposium in November so please do join us if you'd like to hear more.
Here's the link to Youtube. :)
https://youtu.be/BFk9hMUXGmU

This video looks at a late 18th century Wool Coat from the Rev John Parkinson's collection at Normanby Hall, North Lincolnshire. It's a stunning coat and is ...

02/07/2024

George Drummond by Gainsborough - 1779-80.
I am in slow 🐌 preperation lol for creating a timeline of images and studying the fashions found in paintings. These annotated video notes just help me look a bit deeper at a pic - and so thought I'd share one with you all.
This one is particularly interesting as I've just been going through my notes of a Velvet Double Breasted Frock Coat. This is a decade earlier but is great to see the double breasted in action.

24/06/2024

Patreon has just created this little clip for me this morning so thought I'd share 😃.
This is the blue stays that we are currently working on. And a great example of our Patreon updates as we follow the project along. Our posts on Patreon can feature everything from making photos - to instructions- to little video notes - to workroom updates.
The more you are interested, the more we share as there's nothing quite like talking costume with an interested audience 😍

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21/06/2024

Fancy getting free entrance to this years 'Colonial Williamsburg 's Symposium Conference?

For each conference, Colonial Williamsburg offer a handful of scholarships which give the candidate free access to all of the conference (receptions, dinners, talks). The scholarship programme also gives a 7 day free ticket to the whole of the Colonial Williamsburg site. And it mayyyy also include accomodation but that totally depends on numbers.

The only thing you have to do it be available lol, apply and pay the travel. Which, if you'er like us is quite a distance from UK, but this is such an amazing offer for social networking and paving your path more in the world of costume.

Click on the link below to find out more - and to apply. :)

https://www.cognitoforms.com/ColonialWilliamsburgFoundation2/SymposiumOnHistoricalDress

20/06/2024

What Lies Beneath - Blue Stays Project 💙
For the last 2 months we have been working on the boning of this pair of replica stays, which we are studying at the NMS.
The goal of the project is to better understand the how's and whys behind the extreme shaping the original stays contain, of the Centre Front Panel. Like seriously: it's extremme shaping lol.
And expertly made.
So much effort has gone into the inner construction of the original stays that it speaks of how important it was for the fashion that the stays created this very 3D shape.
The stays have been X-rayed, which means the inner construction is now visible. The heart of the project is to sample the techniques seen...and hence why we need to create a replica.
The photo shows where we're currently at the project 😊 and we're now down to the final panel ...........watch this space....😃
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20/06/2024

I'll be sharing the up-to-date photos of the stays in a minute but we've also been sharing the journey on our Patreon account.
I know lol it's easy to roll your eyes at another 'Patreon ' advert but Patreon really supports us - a) we get a space to share our research and sewing with people who want to know and b) it provides the business with some finance, which, tbh, right now is rather needed.
But - whether u follow us here on Instagram or Patreon, we're just happy to be doing this research and having u interested 😊😊😊.
Stays Update is - the Side Front 1 Panels are completed! And the next 2 to be sewn are the FINAL panels - WHOOP!!!
After that comes the rest of the jobs lol, but it's GREAT to see the stays slowly taking shape 💙.
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14/06/2024

Blue Stays Replica project 💙
8 panels have now been b***d and sewed 💙 and we are now nearing the CF panel and things are getting exciting.
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During the hours that it has taken to hand sew all these boning channels, I have been growing in looking forward to seeing these panels all joined together. To get to that stage where we are working on creating that VERY 3D CF cone and all of the inner workings that has shown up on the X-rays is what I'm REALLY looking forward too.
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It is getting nearer 💙💙💙...

10/06/2024

New YouTube Video Uploaded :)
This exhibition is still open and will be closing in Feb of 2025 so plenty of time to see it if you are in the area.
The whole business around the Rev. Parkinson is awesome - his clothing collection is incredibly awesome. His diaries of his travels are incredibly awesome. And the paperwork collection at Grimsby Archives is also incredibly awesome. This exhibition is just the starting sneak peak of this collection.

The Rev. Parkinson's collection consists of 8 coats and other garments. The coats are making an appearance in a brand new exhibition at Normanby Hall looking...

05/06/2024

And the project continues....
Blue Stays Project Update 💙 is that the Side Panels are now complete!
And the Side Front Panels are being started today.
This project is being funded by the Society of Antiquaries of London and aside of the X-rays and the replica, the project is also comparing the original pair of stays in Edinburgh, NMS, to a pair in the LACMA collection. Very cool 😎 .
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04/06/2024

Am having a 'finally reading some of my reading list' kind of evening, so am sat on my sofa, all nicely curled up, and reading
'The Hidden History of the Smock Frock' by Alison Toplis ....
And this name made me giggle 😊.
Overall though, it's been a timely booked, loaned to me by a friend, and I started it like over a year ago!
The reason why it's timely is that it is helping build an understanding behind this term 'Frock'.
My brain is always in danger of making too many leaps between terms and suddenly filling in links I have no evidence for, but I am trying to simply understand the basic translation of the word 'frock' and how and when it was used.

30/05/2024

Blue Stays Update 💙.
The Side Back Panels are now complete, and they are the largest and most complicated of the panels so it's a big 'phew' from me.
There are 12 panels in this pair of stays so we're now 4 down and 8 to go, but the rest are much slimmer as they make up the side and front panels.
The side panels seen above have 2 godets inserted and have been sewn in using the original methods - which has been great fun to learn as this is the first time I've made a pair of stays with this type of godet 😃.
The project as a whole is mostly to test out the CF inner construction that we've learnt from the X-rays of the original stays. AND the project's goal is also to assess if the specifications of this pair of stays matches the specifications of the mantua as a court gown.
If you'd like to see more of the constructional details of this project then please come and join us on Patreon.

27/05/2024

Just added a link to the Perth Creative Exchange for our Staymaking Course. 😀
In the course we will be teaching:
- how to alter a pattern to fit your own personal measurements
- how to sew the boning channels and how to construct the stays
- how the originals aided the stays' shape by inner construction work.
- and how to bind your stays and finish your stays

The course is ONLY 4 DAYS long so there is a lot of ground to cover within that time. We will therefore be advising students to only half bone their stays and for the pair made in the course, to use a sewing machine for the boning channels. We will also be suggesting students schedule in home work for each evening so that their stays are ready for each next step. It's gonna be full on but good and deep! And full of good info for those who want to learn how and what stays are all about.

If you'd like to know more then click on the link here: https://handboundcostumes.co.uk/online-courses/

15/05/2024

Blue Stays Update 💙.
In this project we are creating a replica pair of stays from the NMS collection so as to be able to test out the methods found on the CF panel. These methods have created a VERY solid and curvaceous front, something clearly desired by the makers and wearers.
This replica will enable us to practise those methods found on the original, but also to better understand the reason behind this extreme shaping.
Once the replica is made, we will be sampling the stays with a mantua gown to see if the key details in the stays match the key requirements of a mantua gown.
For more updates or to read up on more of our research then please do join us on Patreon.

06/05/2024

Our study series on 18th Century Coats is still going on on our Patreon channel.
This morning I have listed up the 9th coat - a lovely green example from the Bath Fashion Museum - and all of this is sharing with you the research we've been doing for Book 2.
I'm pretty sure you can have a flick back through and see the previous posts too, if you were interested.
:)

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01/05/2024

The first stitches are in!
'What Lies Beneath' Blue Stays Project Update 💙.
The whole goal of this project is to better understand the inner construction work of this type of stays. For this purpose we have had the original pair of stays X-rayed, and have completed a comparison study with a similar pair of stays at the LACMA museum.
With all the info now together, the next stage of the project is to start creating a replica sample.
This may take a while lol.... but the first stitches are in and we shall be sharing some of the stages of our journey here on the Socials.
We'll also be sharing more of the process on our Patreon page for those interested.
I am very excited about this project!! 💙💙💙 More to follow 💙💙💙
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30/04/2024

Meet our Blue c.1760s robe a l'Anglaise or 'night-gown'.
We've just had to go through some of the old photo shoot images for another images and came across these, so thought we'd share 😃.
She wears beneath her gown a pair of brown linen, fully b***d stays, layers of petticoats and a pair of hip pads.
It was made using the methods found in our 'C.1760s Yellow Night-gown Handbook' but adding a petticoats and a stomacher to complete the outfit. 😊.
If you weren't sure what it is we actually do, essentially we research 18th century sewing techniques. But through that, creative replicas for our clients and publish our research in various formats. Check out our website to see what we're upto - or follow us know Patreon to learn more about the research.
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24/04/2024

Richard Newton satirical prints from the around 1790s
- First image - Disinterested Love - Nov. 1795
This morning I've been sucked into the world of caricatures and satire. Initially, I was just searching for one particular image, but as always, it ended up being 3 hours on the British Museum website.
One of my jobs for the preparation of book 2 is coordinating my images onto a timeline. Satirical prints are over- exaggerated but are still good examples of fashion in the same breathe.
The first print is entitled 'Disinterest Love' and see if you can spot it on the wall of the 2nd print.
The second print is also Newton's work but features the print shop where he sold his prints at William Holland's.
Which is kinda cool 😎. So many of the prints seen on the wall of this print are ones I've been looking at on the British Museum website 😄.
Images courtesy of the British Museum.
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23/04/2024

This looks interesting!!!

TRC studiedag: Wat is een weefsel? Vrijdag 10 mei 2024

Een belangrijk onderdeel van het bestuderen van textiel en eindproducten, zoals kleding en gordijnen, is het kunnen identificeren van de belangrijkste soorten weefsels en hoe deze zijn gemaakt.

Het doel van deze interactieve studiedag is om de deelnemers de belangrijkste weeftechnieken te leren begrijpen. De dag omvat een inleiding tot het weven, het identificeren van de belangrijkste elementen van een stuk geweven stof, evenals het bespreken en uitproberen van de basisweefvormen (effen, keperbinding, satijn, gobelin, damast, brokaat, fluweel). Gedurende de dag zal de nadruk liggen op historische methoden, meer dan op moderne productietechnieken.

Voorbeelden worden gebruikt vanuit de uitgebreide textielcollectie van het TRC, van over de hele wereld, om te zien hoe mannen en vrouwen door de eeuwen heen stoffen hebben gemaakt

De studiedag wordt geleid door Dr. Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, directeur van het TRC Leiden.

Datum: vrijdag 10 mei 2024. Tijd: 09.30 – 16.00 uur. Lokatie: TRC Leiden, Hogewoerd 164, 2351 HW Leiden, Nederland. Docente: Dr. Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood. Taal: Nederlands en Engels. Kosten: 85 euro, inclusief materialen/koffie/thee. Gelieve uw eigen lunch mee te nemen. Max. aantal deelnemers: 8. Graag vooraf aanmelden: [email protected].

Illustratie:
- Deel van een mid-18de eeuws zijden, handgeweven stukje doek (TRC 2011.0422).

22/04/2024

BLUE STAYS PROJECT OFFICIALLY STARTED 💙
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Today I finished scaling up the pattern I took from the study session. And I have added the estimated (and learnt) seam allowance.
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I was uo in Edinburgh the week before last, SAW THE X-RAYS!!!, studied the stays for a 3rd time and came home full.of joy & inspiration 😄.
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Since then I have sample dyed the silk, ordered the supporting linen, ordered the threads and other paraphernalia - and all in all, we are almost ready to put the first stitch in.
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Click to follow the tag to see the progress and regular updates for this project OR you can join us on Patreon where we'll be sharing more intimate and more detailed photos of the making process. 😊. Happy days.
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15/04/2024

Back before Christmas, when we were up visiting Normanby Hall for a study session, we got interviewed as part of the exhibition for the Rev John Parkinson's collection.

Though I can't help but roll my eyes at myself in the film lol ( I think I sound annoyingly passionate) but the videographers have done a stunning job. (.film media) and it is also a great promotion to the collection....so....ignoring my pride lol....here is the video....

https://youtu.be/kbljzNLG8X8

There are 3 video's all together, talking about the collection, and looking at more specific parts. This is just one of them and we'll be sharing the others over the next coming daysss.

Normanby Hall has opened up this year with several exhibitions all surrounding the life and times of George Stubbs, the famous horse painter. Stubbs had his ...

03/04/2024

Why do I feel like the original maker did what I do....and accidentally sew one of the seams on the wrong way.
I'm sure that shoulder seam should be on the inside.... 😅

25/03/2024

18th Century Coat Making post series...if anyone's interested :).

We are currently in the middle of doing a series of Coat Studies on our Patreon page, taking a deeper look at each coat that has been studied as part of our preparation for Book 2.

These posts cover a free basic introduction to each coat, before going onto deeper levels for the various paid followers that we have.
But please do come and take a look and a read, whilst we research and document each coat. There's some fascinating details in here. :)

Here's the link to posts that we've posted so far.

https://www.patreon.com/collection/457125?view=expanded

To date we're on Coat 4 and there is a free post for each coat which you will have access too. A new coat will be posted each Monday. :)

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05/03/2024

Getting ready for thus event 😍

28/02/2024

I read so much about 'blonde' so it's very nice to put a picture to the name!

28/02/2024

Beginning to turn our thoughts to this now = the Artisans and Reenactors Market happening in just a few weeks 😍

23/02/2024

A small snippet of what I was studying at Grimsby Archives the other week.
Gosh Archives are amazing places! And a place where you wish time could literally stop time so that you could give each document the time it deserves.
The Rev.J.Parkinson left behind ALOT of paperwork when he died...amd somehow during the ins and outs of family life and clearing houses...the paperwork managed to find its way into the archives. Most of it is at Grimsby.
This page is from a notebook that the reverend took with him on some small UK based travels. In these notebooks he records the tips to postillions, the hiring of horses, paying Inns and all the other travel expenses.
And boy does it add up!
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