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Embroidery Inspiration – Spring Green

Spring may not have fully sprung yet, but there are green buds on the trees here. How about a little inspiration to add some spring green to your costuming wardrobe? Up first for your consideration, this glorious redingote of moss green and pale pink silk embroidered with lily of the valley. This is one of
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Embroidery Giveaway – 1910s Camisole Bundle

April marks the start of a new sew-along, and this time I’m teaming up with Lauren of Wearing History. The project is an embroidered camisole or blouse, using the design we collaborated on a couple years ago.  So for this month’s giveaway, I’m offering a copy of both the Wearing History e-pattern plus your choice
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Embroidery Inspiration – 18th c. Quilted Petticoats

With the upcoming release of my 18th c. quilted petticoat design, my mind is swimming with visions of quilted silk in every color. So for this week’s embroidery inspiration, let’s dive into the colorful world of 18th c. quilted petticoats. Now, I realize that quilting and embroidery are two entirely different branches of needlework. However,
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18th c. quilted petticoat

Design Process – An 18th C. Petticoat

I’m working on a design for this 18th c. quilted petticoat today, and thinking about all the steps that go into creating the files for a piece like this. It takes a mix of creativity, judgement calls, research, guesswork, and a LOT of squinting. The original petticoat is gorgeous. Scallops along the hem each hold
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Embroidery Giveaway – 1812 Clover Border

With St. Patrick’s Day on the horizon, this month’s giveaway is my  “1812 Clover Border.” This design is based on a sketch for muslin embroidery originally published in the August 1812 edition of Ackermann’s Repository of Arts, Literature, Commerce, Manufactures, Fashions and Politics (top design, below top). It’s a delicate design, with tiny clovers branching off
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Embroidery Inspiration – Valentine’s Day – Love Tokens

Happy Valentine’s Week! Love never seems to go out of style, so this week I’m taking a look at embroidery that features expressions of love, hearts, and other romantic elements. This 18th century letter case would be the the perfect place to store love notes, don’t you think? It’s made from red silk damask embroidered
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Embroidery Inspiration – Shoes

I love pretty footwear from all eras, but beautifully embroidered shoes have a special place in my heart. Perhaps it’s because shoes are one of the few pieces of clothing or accessories I’ve never made, and when combined with embroidery, they seem tantalizingly unattainable. In past centuries both hand embroidery and hand-made footwear were much
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Embroidery Giveaway – Hearts and Dots Border

Valentine’s Day is coming up, so for February I’m giving away a copy of my “Hearts and Dots” floral border. This design is based on a sketch for muslin embroidery originally published in the January 1816 edition of Ackermann’s Repository of Arts, Literature, Commerce, Manufactures, Fashions and Politics (top design, below). The flowers are made up from
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Embroidery Inspiration – Waistcoats and Doublets

This week’s embroidery inspiration is a popular one – waistcoats and doublets. Embroidered menswear seems to be a holy grail for many costumers, and it’s easy to see why. They are the height of men’s fashion, and one of the most complex and time consuming articles to reproduce. Here is a brief timeline of embroidered
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Embroidery Inspiration – White as Snow

It’s mid-January, and it seems like everyone is getting snowed in. So this week I thought I’d take a look at an assortment of snowy white embroidery. We’ve already seen a fair amount of whitework when we looked at infant clothing and aprons. You’ll also find seemingly endless numbers of white Regency gowns. I’ll be skipping
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