Category Archives: Tutorials

An 18th century men´s shirt – Part 1

I´m back in the 1790´s! No special occasion is coming up, just that I planned to finish the 1790´s men´s pattern series with a shirt which I have so far neglected.

Men´s shirts are quite simple garment´s, made from rectangular pieces of fabric and have changed less than other garments during the last centuries. Therefore, the shirt in this pattern can be used for costumes over several decades, from about 1750 to 1830.

Gussets at the underarm and shoulder slope gave the shape needed. The shoulders were reinforced with additional patches, attached to the inside of the shirt with a fell or slip stitch. There are several ways to insert gussets, attach shoulder patches or cast all the raw edges, especially at the armhole. My templates are three extant men´s shirts displayed at the “Germanisches Nationalmuseum” in Nürmberg, Germany.   

Let´s start sewing, following the pattern instructions step by step.

You prefer a sewing pattern rather than a diagram? Go to my Shop and get yours!

(1) Of course, my step #1always is to cut and prepare the pieces from fabric, marking all the notches. I made the shirt from a fine linen. When sewing with linen, it´s important to pre-wash the fabric at least with the same temperature as you´re going to wash the shirt later. Cutting linen in the straight grain can be tricky as well, I prefer to pull out single threads. This can be boring and time consuming, but in the end it´s worth it.

(2) This is the shirt bodice, slashed horizontally for the neck opening, and slashed down the center front at the chest. Along slash at the center front, a narrow seam allowance is double-turned in and fell stitched in place. To hold the edge of the fabric straight when sewing, I used a plastic clamp from the hardware store (my third hand).

(3) When I first started sewing a 18th century men’s shirt, the most difficult thing I found was the shoulder patches and gussets. Because of this, I’m going to show it in great detail.

Take the shoulder gussets and turn in the seam allowances along two consecutive edges, or along all edges as shown in the pictures.

Slash the shoulder patch and turn in the seam allowances (except along the armhole edge) and insert the gusset as shown. It is shown and described a little differently in the instructions, only at the end the result will be the same.

Continue reading →

The 1845s Day Dress Tutorial Part 2 (Step 5 – 8)

Part 1 – Getting started Step 1-4

(5) The fronts and backs are ready prepared to be stitched together. First seam will be the shoulder seam, stitched from the back with a backstitch. I recommend to sew this seam by hand. At point (1 – red arrow) just the back is notched V-shaped and the seam allowances of the shoulder trimmed back to ¼” (5mm).

The seam allowance along the back neckline is trimmed back too, just leaving the uppermost layer of the piping.

Continue reading →

The 1845s Day Dress Tutorial Part 3 (Step 9 – 12)

Part 1 – Step 1-4

Part 2 – Step 5-8

(9) Take the bodice and mark the stitching line around the armhole. Line up another length of piping and baste in place. Trim back the cord only at the start and stop (in the range of the armpit) to remove bulk and fold the ends of the bias tape crossing each other.

Insert the sleeve into the armhole, right sides together, matching the sleeve seam with the side seam of the bodice. Ease in the excess width of the sleeve by pulling the threads and spread evenly along the sleeve head. Sew the sleeve with a backstitch, right beside the piping cord (sew from the side of the bodice to get better controll of the piping cord). Trim back the seam allowances and neaten with an overcasting stitch.

Continue reading →

The 1845s Day Dress Tutorial – getting started (Step 1-4)

Hi everyone, reading my blog!

This time, I´ll show you the sewing process of my new 184s day dress, made from a checked cotton muslin. The pattern includes two versions of the dress, first a simple day dress, with V-shaped neckline, with the skirt attached to the bodice with cartridge pleats, and a second, more elegant version, similar to a dress, Jenna Coleman wears in the TV show “Victoria”.

I found a checked cotton muslin in my preferred colors on Ebay, just the right fabric for a light and simple 1845s summer day dress.

After washing and pressing the fabric, I started cutting out the pattern pieces. I tried to pattern match the checks as good as possible, with the fabric pulling out of shape even when watching (the fabric is a double layer muslin with stripes on the wrong fabric side).

For the lining, I choosed a glazed cotton fabric in a (not really) matching color. I left the selvages on the fronts to avoid fraying.

To transfer the neckline corner mark (1) easily, I punched holes into the pattern and marked it with tailor´s chalk. I made just notches to mark the back lines of the bodice.

Continue reading →

The Edwardian Women´s Trousers and Gaiters #0216 Tutorial Part 1 – The button fly

Recently, many of you asked me for a button fly trousers tutorial. In this tutorial I´ll show the Edwardian women´s trousers, the men´s trousers, especially the patterns #0316 (Edwardian men´s cycling breeches) and #0716 (Edwardian men´s walking trousers) are made up the same way. Only the buttons are on the right side of the men´s trousers and on the left side of the women´s trousers. I personally prefer the buttons on the right side, my women´s trousers open like men´s trousers!

I used a checked suit fabric from my stock and tried to pattern match whenever it was possible, unfortunately, it makes the pictures partly confusing. I tried to mark the important edges with red dotted lines.

First was to press the folds on the fronts and backs. My checks were the exact measurements to fit the folds, so I decided to omit basting down the folds, I also left out the fork reinforcement. (The trousers where supposed to be a quick project.)

Time to make the button fly! On the picture you can see the left (lower) and right (upper) front, on the left the fly facing is lined up, on the right the button-stay. I decided to use the fashion fabric for the fly facing, thin enough to avoid bulk. If you´re working with a thicker fabric, I´d recommend to use a thinner lining fabric in a matching color. The last pin on the left indicates the notch, where you have to start or stop stitching.

Let´s continue with the fly (left side). Stitch the fly facing to the left front edge of the trousers, with a seam allowance just a bit less than the 5/8” (1,5cm) included (for the turn of cloth), starting exactly at the mark. Notch the seam allowance toward the end of stitching at the notch and fold the fly facing to the side, understitch if wanted. The understitching automatically rolls the seam slightly out of sight toward the garment wrong side and helps to keep edges and corners precise and flat when turned the right way out. Fold the facing inside the front and press the edge.

Line up your fashion fabric with the lining and the interfacing, right sides together to prepare the fly. Sew along the front edge, trim back the seam allowance and turn the right way out. Cast the raw edges as they would be one layer of fabric (ok, I used the overlock – absolutely not HA). Sew the button holes as indicated on the pattern, matching your buttons.

Place the fly inside the left front that the edge of the fly lays a bit 1/16” (2mm) behind the left front edge, with the right side of the fly facing the wrong side of the left front. Baste in place, then topstitch J-shaped from the right side, starting at the notch, catching the back edges of the fly facing and the fly.

Now the button-stay on the right side. Stitch the button stay from the fashion fabric to the right front edge of the trousers, starting or stopping exactly at the mark. Notch the seam allowance toward the end of stitching at the mark. Trim back and press the seam allowances towards the button stay. Stitch the button-stay facing from lining fabric to the button stay, right sides together, and trim back and press open the seam allowance. Fold the facing inside the button-stay, wrong sides together, turn in the seam allowance along the loose edge and line up the edge with the stitching line. Fell stitch along that line from the notch to the top edge.

After sewing the sides and inseams (see next post), turn the right leg only to the right side. To sew the crotch seam, push the right leg into the left (or vice versa as seen in the picture), lining up the crotch edges with matching marks, notches and seams, right sides together. Start sewing at the top edge of the backs and continue until reaching the notches on the fronts, without catching any material from the fly or button-catch. Lock the seam carefully at the notch and press open the seam allowances.

Turn the trousers right side out and place the fly on top of the button catch. Bar tack the fly end through all layers from the right side, on the inside, sew together the fly and button stay with some stitches. Trim back the end (point) of the button catch to avoid bulk and neaten with overcasting stitches.