Victorian Microsoft Word Templates for a Menu & Exercise Journal

I just made these to keep track of menus and exercise information thought I would pass them out...

 http://www.mediafire.com/?znse0uu1nck7j26

http://www.mediafire.com/?mskpekjm77hy52k

Just click the link above to download free from Mediafiire

Victorian Ferndale, Ca

Went to Golden Gait Merchantile, they have a cute little museum and loads of affordable antiques and modern day items that are still made the same way today, ie lanterns, hats, candy etc...

Victorian beaded bags and purses

So I've decided to finally try doing a small purse in seed beads and crochet thread. I am sans a bead spinner for the present but wanted to get started any way.. it is ideal to thread seed beads this way but that's if you are working with finer fiber/thread.




http://www.nannysattik.net/vintagefashions.htm

http://www.carters.com.au/index.cfm/item/33441-victorian-beaded-misers-purse/ beaded miser coin purse on sale

http://andrewhopkinsart.blogspot.com/2010/11/todays-purchases.html metallic beaded purse

Apron & Skirt

 I designed this over skirt with apron attached.

 Here you can see that the skirt is attached to the waist and then covered with double fold bias tape. I use the extra wide tape for a bold characteristic in the trimming detail. I use a very simple A-line skirt pattern and discard the waistband in favor of the bias tape waistband you see here.

Here is the entire skirt front.

Here is the entire skirt back, the zipper is also hidden behind the bias tape which is added over all seams, a nod to my rivet head past ;)

Beading with Cat "n_n" , wide beaded collar

Just finished this tutorial with my cat She is a sleepy Kitty, LOL for a wide beaded collar.

Extra long necklace design inspired by Victorian Mourning Jewelry

While some may not see this design as properly Victorian, if you study photos of Victorian Aesthetic fashion there are a few examples of incredibly long necklaces worn at the time. See this link http://doloresmonet.hubpages.com/hub/FashionsofTheAestheticMovementACultofBeautyandVictorianCounterculture

Beaded collar, easy beginners pattern

Just finished this easy to do beaded collar.

My tutorial is closed caption for the hearing impaired.

Visit this link to watch my tutorial on Youtube

Civil War Era Historian Blog

http://civilianwartime.wordpress.com/

TC Beads! & Seed bead bracelet and choker

 Have been pouring over TC Beads tutorials. She has really great ones. You can actually see what she is doing with these tiny little beads, unlike 60% of the rest of the tutes on you-tube, I find. ;)
This is the link to her channel: tsummerlee


I watched this video by TC Beads to make this bracelet:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo3AhvAMucs
This bracelet is two strips of chevron , without the fringe [is it still considered Chevron without fringe? reading..... yes, yes it is. ], connected together on the side with two beads on the arc rather than three on the arc.

Now working on a necklace for the bracelet, but I made a small alteration to the chevron by using three beads on both arcs so that is does not have a curvature on one side.

Here's my messy tutorial for this stitch ;) Click to enlarge:

This is the finished choker I made for the bracelet:

You can see how I attached the two strips of chevron stitches by adding one green bead between each of the middle beads on the arcs.

Victorian Era Handbags crochet thread and glass beads

I did not use a pattern I free-styled this handbag. It is very simple after learning a few key crochet stitches to make this.

I used crochet thread and the larger size glass seed beads that are commonly available at any Michael's or Walmart.

 click image then click once again for magnification

I used a peyote stitch for the strap clasp which is simply a small tube that you slide up the straps to keep the bag closed.

here you may see the detail I applied to the wrist straps... two rows of clustered beads as an accent

and the completed bag as seen here. Just big enough for a night out Ladies!!! "n_n"

Victorian Era Handbags

I was inspired by these Victorian Era handbags :

To create these beaded handbags, watch my new tutorial to learn how:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz3NjzEBczo

Free Victorian Books

 These are from the illustrated bible, from 1872,  it has over 300 engravings!
Download free from Google Books Here.


Just found this great dictionary free at this amazing site! Internet Archive, they have tons of free ancient books to download also, plus its free to have a membership.

Speaking of Victorian Nonsense, how about mourning etiquette

Click on image then click again to zoom in

From 1882 Colliers Cyclopedia

19th century little girls mourning dress

Here are some sketches I made of garments I found on line at http://19thcenturyartofmourning.com/19th_century_mourning_clothing.htm

The photo's on that site are poor quality so it is hard to make out fine details.

1880 Victorian Childrens style bodice

This is a pattern for a bodice from 1880 for an adult from Katherine's Dress Site



Here is the picture she took of the original
http://www.koshka-the-cat.com/bustle_bodice.html

I altered the pattern to be considerably narrower at the hips removed the bustle fit and removed the tabs for a very simple hem line.

Here is my version of it as a children's style bodice [made to be worn without a bustle]

 Collar and cuff detail.

Here are very rough sketches of the simple alterations I made to Koshka the Kat's bodice pattern to bring in the hips to remove the bustle fit.

Victorian Childrens style mourning suit

Victorian cosmetics, homemade cosmetics & skincare

Punch, 27 January 1894

The caption reads:

“O, Mummy dear, why did Papa say he was thinking of having you painted by Sir John Millais? I'm sure he couldn't do better than you do it Yourself. ”

“Ethel, dear, I think you had better go play in the Nursery with your little Brother!”

 
As far as cosmetics go there really wasn't much to choose from back then.  You had face powder that was either talc or a starch and for rouge there was carmine [insect derived red pigment] or plant pigments such as beets or that from petals, that was added to salves or balms made from lard or tallow to use on lips and cheeks.

The eyeshadow [lead powder] or white pigmented face creams where still toxic & most considered they were only to be worn by actress's or prostitutes.  As Queen Victoria was not fond of cosmetics that dutifully trickled down through her loyal subjects and plebes.

I've read some used burnt match sticks for eyeliner which is essentially charcoal.

links for research:
beautifulwithbrains.com
thevictoriangarden.co.za
the-cup-that-cheers.blogspot.com
fashion-era.com
erasofelegance.com
victorianpage.com

Speaking of skills devalued by mechanization, how about homemade cosmetics and skin care

I've been looking into making soap & skincare.

Here I have made some "handwax" for my dried up overworked hands.  After I wash dishes and my hands are still warm I pick up the bar and rub it about a little then rub the rest into my hands. There's no drying alcohols like in liquid lotions and it stays on my skin keeping it soft longer.

ingredients: beeswax, shea butter, clarified butter, olive oil, and coconut oil {96 degree melt}

This is a very forgiving recipe so exact amounts are not necessarily important, the ingredients are listed according to how much was used, first listed was the largest amount, last listed was the smallest amount used, etc.

[Yes I used clarified butter, people use milk in soap so I figured why not use clarified butter in a lotion bar. Besides it does not go rancid like all natural oils/waxes.]

Searched for two weeks before I purchased my ingredients, found this seller on bonanza.com to have the freshest ingredients and the lowest prices. www.bonanza.com/booths/countrysoapshack

 Here is the lotion bar "handwax" coming out of it's mold

I keep my handwax bar in an old Altoids tin.

My 'NotVaseline' recipe

1 3/4 cup cold pressed olive oil
1/4 c. unrefined peanut oil [natural source of Vit E for skin health]
1/2 c. beeswax
amber oil

I heated the beeswax and oils [not the amber oil] for about 10 minutes stirring. Warmed the amber after pouring my 'NotVaseline' into the jar I then added the amber oil and stirred for a minute to make sure it was well incorporated.

Using this just after a shower or bath keeps my skin velvety soft longer than lotion and I use less of this than lotion for a fraction of the price of the super moisturizing lotions I have bought.

It smells like a peanut and beeswax but after it absorbs into the skin you are left with the amber fragrance.

If you don't want peanut oil this recipe should work with just olive oil.

This recipe also serves well as a pomade or brilliantine for hair. I have very long hair and I do not like to use conditioner. I apply this lightly to the ends of my hair for softness and shine.

Victorian childrens mourning skirt with ruched apron overskirt

I was inspired by these girls Victorian mourning dresses to make these skirts.

I used the same a line pattern just lengthening one skirt slightly longer than the next.

They can be worn separately or together and as underskirts as seen here with a ruched crepe overskirt-apron.

 Preshrunk wool for skirt panels.

 Preshrunk crepe used for ruched apron and skirt ruffles.

 Here you can see I used a simple a line skirt pattern and just added 1 tier of ruffles to the hem for that "Victorian" effect.

  I added additional faux seams to the shorter top skirt to make it appear to be a 7 gore skirt.  You will have to forgive the cat hair! ;) lol

 I made the over-skirt into an apron with ruching & simply left the zipper seam open all the way to the hem to turn it into an apron, and making the bias tape waist band longer to create the ties for the apron.

For a video tutorial for applying elastic to create ruching on a skirt check out: Evange's tutorial for a lolita/hime skirt

 This is the simple pattern I used for both the overskirt and the underskirts, it doesn't even have darts.  Its pieces 1 & 2. There is so much you can do with this pattern.