Dahlia scarf hoody and beaded bag

These prototypes are gifts for my friend Jen, another creative mastermind.

I used the tutorials found here for the dahlia and here for the scoody [scarf hoody]

She (BobWilson123) has a huge library of great tutorials for all levels.

free ebooks BEETONS BOOK OF NEEDLEWORK 1870

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15147

Speaking of Aesthetic Dress look at this!

They are restoring this dress worn by Ellen Terry [role of Lady Macbeth at London’s Lyceum Theatre in 1888] immortalized in this John Singer Sargent portrait , http://www.ecouterre.com/victorian-era-dress-made-from-1000-beetle-wings-restored-for-50000/

Pearl bracelet design

I recently made this as a gift for my stepmother for Xmas. Fresh water pearls and 24k clasp and 24k 3 tier bead.

I really dont think this design is Victorian per se, I was inspired by ancient Roman and Greek jewelry I have been looking at so perhaps this would appeal to an Victorian Aesthete instead.

SEED BEAD PURSE UPDATE

This technique is quite time consuming but well worth the result. It's really my first attempt with such tiny beads. So pretty though. This is with a 1.5 crochet needle, rocaille seed beads and cotton crochet thread.

The design I have in mind is not the 'miser coin purse' but more like a small hand bag with a draw string, we will see. I like to improvise as I go and let the project surprise me when I am done.


This was my inspiration,
http://www.somewhereintime.tv/antiques/miser.html

http://www.jewelscollectingdust.com/cutsteel.htm

http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections/80095681



Still working at it! Here is the latest on feb 10th:

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.