Your Wardrobe Unlock'd

Sunny continues her examination and deciphering of a black velvet Teens evening gown, focusing on the bodice and sleeves.

Jennie demonstrates how to draft different styles of sleeves (long and short), skirts, and finishes up the 1812 dress.

Izabela studies and recreates, step by step, a sumptuous gown from this oft-forgotten period in English costume history.

Izabela makes a banqueting suit for an English Civil War Nobleman... and next month, a sumptuous gown for his wife...

Mistress Etty’s smock, kirtle bodice, forepart and foresleeves are complete.  This month: completion of the kirtle, gown bodice and turnback sleeves.

When looking at sleeve patterns for 18th century dresses, there's a rather striking difference when compared to modern sleeves—they have corners.

This is because for much of the 18th century, sleeves were set differently than they are today. The sleeve was set in the lower half of the armscye, the dress was put on, and then the sleeve head was pleated to fit the wearer.

This is a very efficient method and prevents a lot of the stress often associated with setting sleeves... yet for a seamstress sewing for and by herself, it presents a problem. How exactly do you pleat a sleeve on yourself?

Last month I analyzed the skirt of a lingerie dress. This month I'll be looking at the associated blouse. In the Belle Époque literature the garment we're discussing goes by many names: waist, shirt-waist, lingerie waist, and lingerie blouse. I've chosen the term "lingerie blouse" because "blouse" is the only one of those terms that's still in use now for a vaguely similar garment.

Sleeves can be one of the most daunting challenges for old and new pattern makers.

However as long as you keep one simple principle in mind, you can draft sleeves easily.

Marion McNealy shares with us her secrets of drafting stress free fitted sleeves that set into the armscye easily every time.

The gorgeous Elizabethan gown is completed after months of work. Everything is beautifully fitted and sewn, the fabrics are near-as-damn-it authentic and just perfect. It looks amazing, but something is missing. That small detail which is always seen in the portraits but never noticed.

You need a piece of needlelace!

This Masterclass will show you how to add that little bit extra to your gorgeous gown. The technique used is Drawn Threadwork and the garment is a pair of Drawn Threadwork Cuffs (pictured right).

The technique is easily transferable to other decorative linen garments such as the ubiquitous Elizabethan Coif, a partlet or embellishment to a shirt or smock. Or you can use the technique for the border of a handkerchief.

The skill is not just restricted to Elizabethan costuming but is seen from very early medieval period right through to the twentieth century and on all kinds of linen items such as caps, Edwardian shirtwaists, collars, aprons and handkerchiefs.

Once you've learned the basics, you can unleash your imagination!