New Projects!

So, I've been branching out from the costumes and working on some "everyday" items.  I've fallen in love with the little clutch purse design and have been building my stock of those, and I just finished a new project this morning!  An E-Reader Cover!  My first one is for a Nook and features an awesome Steampunk Butterfly!  One for the Kindle will also be available.  Next will be a cute little Poe themed one, with an adorable raven on the cover.  I'm also planning a few for Father's Day, which is right around the corner!

Current happenings

Just got back from quite the adventure in Colorado!  I have so much to catch up on in my sewing room!  I just finished a few new clutch purses and I'm about to start some new projects.  I have some really cute applique designs for the little tykes that I will start putting together for the Beeville and Goliad Market days next month, plus I need to make up some more of the mini-diaper bags.  And while I'm doing all of this, I have a new corset pattern that I want to pick up and try out, plus maybe get something done on the Anne Boleyn gown.  I just finished reading The Lady in the Tower, which is about Anne Boleyn's fall and I am inspired by the gown she wore to her trial.  That's next!  Well, back to the machine!

Happy Sewing!

Rainy Day Cleaning

Today is cleaning day!  I'm currently in the middle of so many UFO's, I don't know where to begin again, so I'm spending today cleaning out the sewing room and starting to make sense of all the projects I have going on!  I have a little helper today, my 4-year-old daughter, Helayna.  This should be fun.  She keeps picking up trim and notions, asking "Is this trash?"  Cute, but only slightly productive.  We're finally getting a little rain down here in South Texas!  I just hope we don't lose power.  I have a 14-year-old Chow-mix that is afraid of the lightning, so he's joining us, along with my Corgi-mix.  It's a bit crowded in here.  Well, back to work!  Maybe I'll get some work done on the Modified Anne Boleyn this week.  Or maybe I'll just make more purses.  Those are fun!

Happy Sewing!

A few past projects

Here is a showcase of a new past projects that I have done, either for myself or to sell.

First is the Shades of Sage Elizabethan gown, currently for sale at www.maeflowersjunebugs.etsy.com.

Next is a red oriental corset, overbust, front lace for ease of dressing.  This one is also for sale in the etsy shoppe.

This pretty little dress is from my JuneBugs line, which was sold last summer.  The last picture is a wonderful Customer Appriciation Photo that I recieved!

Well, I'm off to go make more beautiful dresses and gowns!  

Happy Sewing!

Modified Anne Boleyn Gown

 The first project to be documented on here will be a modified Anne Boleyn inspired gown.  I'm actually going to take two gown patterns and combine them into one to give an easy-to-wear gown that looks historically accurate.  Instead of having to layer a chemise, underskirt, and then the big gown, I am combining the idea of McCalls pattern 3282, which is an all in one Tudor gown, with Simplicity 2589, which is a full Tudor style.  I like the one-piece skirt and the sleeves off of the McCalls pattern, but I like the bodice much better off of the Simplicity one.  So I'm trying my hand at combining the patterns to get what I want.  I'm making this gown out of a light gold taffeta with black fleecing and black contrast.

Starting Out!

This is officially my first post!  Let's start with a little of my personal history before delving into historical costuming.  I am 29 and a single mother to two of the smartest, most amazing (and hard-headed) children in the world.  I currently live in a small town in South Texas, I doubt you'd know where it is.  I'm close to Corpus Christi and San Antonio.  

I learned to sew at a very young age, with my great-grandmother setting me on her lap as a baby.  Through my school years, I joined 4H and excelled in the clothing competition.  I even started playing with designing my own formal dresses while in 4H.  I got into fights with my homemaking teacher at the high school, because she doubted my sewing abilities and wanted me to make a pair of shorts when I wanted to make a sundress.  I didn't last long in her class.  

Around the time I turned 22, I moved to Corpus Christi and got taken to my first Renaissance Faire.  I'll never forget how amazing it was.  I was in love with historical costuming!  I started buying patterns and made my first corset!  It was awesome!  I have since torn that corset apart and made different ones from the hardware.  Over the years, I have started branching out from just making pretty corsets and plain skirts and chemises.  I recently finished my first ever full Elizabethan gown!  Then I made another one to sell.  

After my kids were born, I started taking them to the Renaissance Faires, and they love it as much at I do.  Of course, I can't have them in just anything when we go.  They have to dress the part, too.  I'll be honest, it's more fun to make the girls' clothing than the boys'...  But we all look good when we go to faire.  In the past year, I was inspired by fairies and started designing my own fairy costumes.  The wings are unique as far as I can tell, I haven't seen any like mine.  

The plan of this blog is to stitch my way through history, and learn about different techniques and styles along the way.  I will not only visit my favorite time in history, the Tudor period, but also the Vikings, the French styles, Italian Renaissance.  I will document it all here, and share what I've learned with the world! 

Now to figure out what time period to start with...