Monthly Archives: April 2017

My first attempt at hand embroidery

The last hand stitching embroidery I remember was at school. That´s quite a long time since then. After some research, I decided to copy this pattern for my husband´s 1840´s waistcoat. A friend, Helena, who does a lot of 18th century needle painting embroidery, recommended using floss silk for my project. I was a little bit shocked when I got my floss silk. The thread was so fine, and with its golden color it was nearly invisible with the background of my kitchen table. However, the first try on my ice green silk was not too bad. I used a sateen stitch for the branches and a false satin stitch for the leaves, due to my panic running out of thread during the project. All the embroidery process was quicker than expected, enjoying the first spring sunbeams on my terrace while working.

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At the same time I started to prepare the other waistcoat pieces. Here you see the back, ready prepared to be joined to the front. Just a single layer of fabric, the armhole neatened with bias binding.

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I interlined the front pieces with linen and made the welt pockets the usual Victorian way. Anybody here interested in an extra how-to?

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I sewed a cotton tape along all edges and the roll line with a catch stitch, along the stitching line I tried to make small stitches through the fashion fabric. At the center back, I joined the fronts and laid the interlining one side over the other to avoid bulk.

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The front with the embroidered lapel facing already attached and pressed.

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Now I decided to make things a little bit different, due to the single layer back. I sewed the back part to the fronts, first the neckline, after notching the shoulder seams and at least the side seams. All seam allowances are trimmed, and notched at curved seams, then pressed towards the fronts.

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Then I folded the fronts along the roll line and sewed the edges of the facing to the interlining. I notched the facing at the shoulder seam, turned in the seam allowance along the neckline and fell stitched the collar.IMG_4639

I prepared the front lining, turned in all seam allowances and fell stitched the lining to the inside of the fronts.

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A 1830´s Stock Collar for my husband

During the last months I sewed some 1830´s clothes for my husband. He got trousers, skirts, waistcoats, a Frock Coat and a Tail Coat. To be properly dresses just a stock collar was missing.  I´ll show you how I made it from silk sateen fabric and inlay, all fabrics came from stock except the buckle. 

First, I cut two collar pieces from the inlay, one on the straight, one on the bias. As it was a fusible inlay I didn´t had to pad stitch the pieces together, just fuse with the iron. Now it had the desired stiffness for my collar. Then I covered the inlay with the silk sateen using a catch stitch on the inside.

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Next was to cover two pieces of linen for the belts with the sateen and prepare two straps for the buckle on the back.

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I attached the belts to the collar with the straps for the buckle underneath.

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I placed the belt pieces on top of the collar and basted them to the collar on the center front. Think of additional width needed for the belt when the collar lays around the neck.
For the bow, I lined up the two straps, right sides together, and sewed around. I left an opening and turned inside out after trimming the seam allowances. I pressed the bow strap carefully and closed the opening with some invisible stitches. I made a bow, arranged the loops and ends carefully and fixed everything with some stitches. Then I attached the bow to the collar.
I covered the back of the collar with lining fabric, attached with a felling stitch.

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For the inside collar I lined up the collar pieces, right sides together, sewed and trimmed back the seam allowances.  I turned the inside out and pressed. I lined up the straps for the collar stand, right sides together. Placed the collar pieces between, leaving a gap at the center front, and stitched along short and upper edges.  I trimmed back the seam allowances, turned inside out and pressed.  I turned in the seam allowances of the bottom edge of the collar stand and stitched along the bottom edge.
At least I starched and pressed the inside collar, folded the front edges and basted to the inside of the stock collar.

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You can download the pattern for the stock collar here, have fun with sewing:

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