Antimony & Lace

Dark and Gothic Fashion Appreciation and DIY

[sugarcross]

h.naoto fw 08

[encouraging-growth]

Plus Size Sewing Pattern Database

I've seen some people on here express interest in making their own clothes, and I recently discovered this database for plus size/size inclusive sewing patterns and wanted to share.

All of the patterns/brands on the list accommodate at least a 60 inch hip measurement, though the actual size ranges and other measurements vary, and there’s even a search function that allows you to plug in your own measurements (both imperial and metric) and find brands that can fit them. The site also does a monthly pattern roundup sharing specific patterns that meet the sizing criteria, which I think is neat.

A lot of these *do* tend to max out around the 60-65 inch range, so it's not the most inclusive for superfats, but it's still waaaaay more inclusive than the big-brand sewing pattern companies tend to be.

[maidenofmadness]

Happy Halloween, cryptids and cuties!!!

May you all indulge, and embrace, your fears!

Stay spooky, stay sexy

🎃👻

[meridionalis]

the decrease in costuming quality over the last 20 years has been soooo precipitous & nauseating. i’m not even talking abt marvel’s cg supersuits or anything this time, look at the fabric quality, structure, layering, character, and craftsmanship of older costumes in 102 dalmations (2000) vs cruella (2021)

ever after (1998) vs cinderella (2021)

lord of the rings (2001-2003) vs the rings of power (2022)

this trend should upset you not just because it looks cheap, but because it suggests a strong anti-art and anti-labor movement in film and tv making. don’t forget costumers are unionized

[ocqueen]

I WORK IN COSTUMES AND CAN TALK ABOUT THIS MORE SPECIFICALLY

It's not just that we're unionized, though that absolutely plays into the financial aspect of it to a degree. There is 100% not just an anti-labor and anti-artistic sentiment, but also just an overall shift from these productions being treated as less like storytelling and performance, like they were in the past, and more like corporate investments and business endeavors. Everything is bottom line vs potential profits, marketability, and modern trends, or what will trend on tiktok, and you have to design to that constantly.

It's also that filmmaking has developed the expectation of making movies on such a short production time that there's no time to MAKE amazing beautiful pieces like this. A good gown may take weeks or months to complete and many rounds of fittings and mockups, and might be very heavy or restrictive to actors and limit how long they can shoot in a given costume. From my experience, things are decided on one day and have to be ready to shoot in a few weeks, and that's only if the writers aren't constantly having to make last second changes because the directors and producers change their visions constantly on a dime, down to the very last minute, and there's nothing we can do as the costume team except make it happen or make a REALLY good case for why we can't just find some cheap option fast that would work instead. So you might spend thousands on that beautiful dress only for them to completely cut the scene, change the context entirely in rewrites, or just decide they don't like the dress and want something else.

And because directors and producers get last say, and often they have Bad Taste and want things that are modern and marketable, and often will think things look great that are actually pretty unfitting for the character or make no sense for the design of the film, they insist on bad choices that then get pushed through to the end result of the film. Actors do this too sometimes, like what happened with Emma Watson and Belle's dress in the live action Beauty and the Beast remake, but usually only the big name actors have enough star power to swing full changes like that.

And of course, yes, there's not enough budget for high quality work. Costumers, like everyone else on film sets right now, are expected to stretch the budgets they're given to 'make it work' because so many have (in order to make the producers happy and keep their jobs). And in return, quality goes down, because in order to build a costume you need good fabric, embellishments, and labor. Good fabric costs a lot of money, embellishments cost a lot of money, hand fitting and skilled labor cost a lot of money, and costume budgets are being given none of that because the studios are incredibly strict and frugal with what they expect you to spend so they can make the most profit off of a given project, so cuts to quality end up being made somewhere in order to make up the difference and get the actors clothed.

I've rambled enough, but basically, yes, unions, but also there's a lot of deeper layers that go into why these things have been declining that are all interconnected and related to the general commodification of art and framing of art as content to consume rather than stories to tell that's happened in the past ten years or so.

[marzipanandminutiae]

and it results in VERY VERY GOOD costumers being hampered

Rings of Power? that was Kate Hawley. who also did Crimson Peak (2015) and produced costumes like this:

so it's not always a skill issue, to be sure

[mygreatadventurehasbegun]

To continue with “it’s not always a skill issue”, Jenny Beavan designed the costumes both for Ever After and Cruella.

It just shows what a talented designer can do with time and resources (and no interfering from directors, producers or actors).

[systlin]

So my sister wants to start sewing more, because

a. She’s 5′ 11″ and can never find pants long enough for her legs or shirts long enough for her arms.

b. She hates synthetic fibers as much as I do and it’s difficult to find natural fiber clothes that aren’t made of cotton

c. She’s a biologist and would physically fistfight microplastics if given half a chance

So her gift from mom and dad for her birthday was a sewing machine. Not a super expensive one but a good solid serviceable one.

And recently she asked “So where do I GET wool or linen and thread that isn’t polyester” and mom was like ‘go ask your sister’

And I, of course, crashed into the group text like “GET A PEN I HAVE WEBSITES FOR U” and honestly I’m thrilled about this

[systlin]

“Where did u get all this”

“Bets, u know I’m a 15th degree blackbelt of buying shit on the internet”

“oh yeah tru”

[hermesmuse]

Op can may we inquire about the website list

[systlin]

Linen; https://www.graylinelinen.com/

cotton and Silk thread; https://redrockthreads.com/

Linen thread and wool fabric; https://burnleyandtrowbridge.com/ (they’ve got wool stuffs and worsted wool fabric for $15 a yard! I just got three yards of navy worsted wool I’m making a constellation winter skirt from)

More linen thread and wool; https://wmboothdraper.com/ (just ordered wool broadcloth to make a coat)

Silk fabric (THE best place to get silk lining fabrics and raw silk fabric):https://www.dharmatrading.com/

A varying assortment of wool and silk and cotton and even some leather, use coupon code  spring2020 for 50% off your full order, worked yesterday when I bought some stuff there; https://metrotextilesnyc.com/

Wool. You want wool coating for under $20 a yard? Sure you do. It’s here. Not a huge variety of colors, most are black or brown, but hey https://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/Catalog?refinementIds=4096748&Keyword=wool&pageSize=16

[wingedtyger]

I don’t know a lot about sewing, but I want to make or have my mom make some linen pants & shirts for when I’m watering, because it gets to 105 here and we have mosquitos so I need to be covered. What type of linen do I buy? Also, linen pajama shorts, yes/no?

(I’ve been wearing my renfaire pants which are a linen mix, I think. But the frikking mosquitos that hide in the tomatoes get my arms)

[systlin]

Medium weight is what I’d go with.

And linen pajama shorts is a HARD yes.

[beggars-opera]

Renaissance Fabrics is good for all sorts of things

Mood doesn’t specialize in natural fabrics but they do have basically every fabric ever made so

[the-merry-otter]

For wools, I cannot recommend Woolsome enough! They’re a bit more expensive then the above links, but they have a spectacular range of colours and weights, as well as diamond pattern and herringbone weaves. They also have a range of linens, though not as extensive.

Woolsome

Historical fabrics for re-enactors

[justgarb]

Tiedtohistory.com has sheer voile linen

The Linen Lab has a variety of weaves, weights, and colors available

Period Fabric has a variety of wools, but switch to the full website if you’re on mobile

[mabellonghetti]

Isabelle Adjani photographed by Hubert Fanthomme behind the scenes of the play  'La dame aux camelias’ at the Alfredo Arias Theatre Marigny in Paris, 2001

[demonspeeding666]

Jonny Slut and 80s goth nightclubs and culture itself

[girlwhodoeskratom]

Katia Garanina @ Emanuel Ungaro Fall/Winter, 1994 Ready-to-Wear

[girlwhodoeskratom]

Katia Garanina @ Emanuel Ungaro Fall/Winter, 1994 Ready-to-Wear

[antimonyandlace]

I just want to share that I followed your instructions on circle skirts to make a knee length skirt, and then sewed long black lace around the inner circle so it drapes down to my ankles and it is now one of my favorite garments that I own.

That is fantastic! Would love to see pictures. Keep creating.

[widowshouse]

Today's WIP~

Some loosely victorian inspired cockade/brooches.

Made with scraps of Dupioni taffeta, silk taffeta and/or poly taffeta, vintage silk velvet ribbons, jet beads, antique lace and vintage buttons.

Each one was sewn entirely by hand & each on is one of a kind.

They will be available in the next shop update August 5th at Noon AKST.

[skullchicken]

Things I wish I had read in "beginner" sewing tutorials/people had told me before I started getting into sewing

You have to hem *everything* eventually. Hemming isn't optional. (If you don't hem your cloth, it will start to fray. There are exceptions to this, like felt, but most cloth will.)

The type of cloth you choose for your project matters very much. Your clothing won't "fall right" if it's not the kind of stretchy/heavy/stiff as the one the tutorial assumes you will use.

Some types of cloth are very chill about fraying, some are very much not. Linen doesn't really give a fuck as long as you don't, like, throw it into the washing machine unhemmed (see below), whereas brocade yearns for entropy so, so much.

On that note: if you get new cloth: 1. hem its borders (or use a ripple stitch) 2. throw it in the washing machine on the setting that you plan to wash it going forward 3. iron it. You'll regret it, if you don't do it. If you don't hem, it'll thread. If you don't wash beforehand, the finished piece might warp in the first wash. If you don't iron it, it won't be nice and flat and all of your measuring and sewing will be off.

Sewing's first virtue is diligence, followed closely by patience. Measure three times before cutting. Check the symmetry every once in a while. If you can't concentrate anymore, stop. Yes, even if you're almost done.

The order in which you sew your garment's parts matters very much. Stick to the plan, but think ahead.

You'll probably be fine if you sew something on wrong - you can undo it with a seam ripper (get a seam ripper, they're cheap!)

You can use chalk to draw and write on the cloth.

Pick something made out of rectangles for your first project.

I recommend making something out of linen as a beginner project. It's nearly indestructible, barely threads and folds very neatly.

Collars are going to suck.

The sewing machine can't hurt you (probably). There is a guard for a reason and while the needle is very scary at first, if you do it right, your hands will be away from it at least 5 cm at any given time. Also the spoils of learning machine sewing are not to be underestimated. You will be SO fast.

I believe that's all - feel free to add unto it.

[renthony]

There are historical garments in museums that have wonky stitching and makeshift repairs. No sewist is perfect. Even experienced and skilled sewists screw up!

Muslin is a super cheap fabric that you can use to make test versions of projects, or practice your stitching on. I got five yards of it for $15 at JoAnn just a couple weeks ago.

Assistive devices exist to make a lot of different things easier on your hands and eyes. Magnifying tools, needle threaders, seam guides, spring-assisted scissors, rotary cutters, etc., are all pretty easily available. Don't hesitate to try them out if you need them.

Sewing machines need cleaning and maintenance! Read the manual! Even the best machine in the world won't do what you want if you neglect caring for it.

[errantfaery-deactivated20240806]

Purple goth :) I love matching my lips to my eyes btw; it’s just so fun

[gothiccharmschool]

Because I have seen way too many "90s goth" makeup tutorials that start with "Fill in your eyebrows" and then go on to "Apply your contour and highlighter" ...

Yes, this is how the broke goths of the 90s did things. Shout out to Maybelline Great Lash!

Don't get me wrong, I love seeing how The Kids Today reinterpret looks, but I found this video and cracked up.

[antimonyandlace]

Made your port shirt for a cosplay and AAAAAAAAAAAAA

TYSM for making this an easy to understand process.

YIPPEE

Looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing!

[evermore-fashion]

Robert Wun Spring 2024 Haute Couture Collection

[upcycleability]

Resources for Mending Clothes

We toss out over 80 pounds of textiles each year. These textiles are often made of plastic materials (polyester, nylon), made in unethical conditions, dyed with harsh dyes that often get put into the rivers, etc. Even a single cotton shirt releases carbon emissions and uses tons of water. 

So the best thing to prevent the unsustainable growth of the fashion industry is to make sure that your clothing lasts as long as possible. To do so, mending clothing is a must. So here are some resources to help you learn how to do various things, such as sewing a button, to tailoring clothes, or even upcycling old clothing into new styles. 

* How to sew on three different types of button

* How to hand sew on a patch on a torn pair of jeans

* How to sew up a hole in an old shirt

* How to sew a simple T-shirt

* How to upcycle old clothing into new clothing

* More upcycle and sewing techniques

* How to repair a damaged sock

* How to do an invisible stitch

* 3 different stitches to work with for different results

* How to make a T-shirt smaller so it fits you better

* How to make repairs to your shoes

These are just a few of the things that you can do in order to make sure that your clothing lasts for a long time. Nobody wants to keep buying new clothing, as it is expensive and wasteful. 

So making alterations to your clothing, or fixing small holes hen you see them can be hugely beneficial to your wallet, to garment workers, and to the environment in the long term. 

[afewdroppedstitches]

Mending! It’s really satisfying, saves money, and saves the planet!