Stringy Things

[skuldsbane]

flosstube 18 - in which I can't count the flosstube numbers

[skuldsbane]

WIP Parade 2025 - Flosstube Extra

I’m back on my bullshit! Or, rather, have enough of a voice returned to be able to film again. Whichever.

[angelacostumery]

I spent longer than I would care to admit today making tiny corsets from "free" or public domain patterns and construction paper. Each one is about the size of my hand (pattern was sized to fit on an 8 1/2" by 11" piece of paper).

This one is from Tygodnik Mód 1869, pattern floating around on Pinterest. Really interesting three piece design.

This one is from Die Frauenwelt 1874, also floating around on Pinterest. I like the simple two piece body with gores for shaping, much easier to alter than seams. Note how this cups the stomach rather than flaring out? The longer line dresses of the 1870s required corsets to have more structure below the waist, opposed to 1860s styles that ended there.

A little later on, this is from a 1878 patent. I made this mostly because it combines the gores and full length pieces. I love the side profile, front and back, not so much.

These next two are both from "Complete Guide to Ladies Garment Cutting" c. 1883.

I think this one has the "best" shape which is interesting since it specifies it is for stout ladies lol. The back is very flat too which surprises me, I'd expect there to be more volume there to support the bustle.

This one I made mostly because it doesn't have gores and is different for that era. The pieces didn't line up well and it feels almost like this should begin below the bust? That top line is SO ODD.

But! The side profile and volume over the hips is pretty great. Something to revisit eventually, maybe, it will just require more work.

The next three are from the Symington Corset archive which is very fun to look through if you never have before! A hundred+ original patterns from the 1890s.

I picked three, starting with this earlier design which didn't end up being very shapely at all. I wonder if this is for juniors? This was an instant "no" for me, has no redeeming qualities for what I want in an 1890s corset. Maybe for the 1920s, lol...

(edit; I wonder if what I thought were narrow bones in the seams is actually cord? making it even more lightweight in terms of support.)

I love the front and back of this sooo much. It is so waspy and easier than the others to alter IMO given the simplicity of the piecing. It is very straight in the back, though, which probably won't work for me.

Lastly, is this guy. Which I think is the best rounded--this could work for the 80s and 90s. I like the side profile of this a lot but not so much the front. I also feel like the narrow pieces with centered bones will be harder to alter than the wider pieces shown above. But the back slope on this one would be better for me and the rise on the hips looks more comfortable.

This was a fun little test! Some looked very different than I expected based on how they looked flat and gives me some insight on which to use as a base for altering to my measurements.

Which is your favorite?

[skuldsbane]

The last one you posted is very similar to my go-to for corset patterns for daily wear, actually. The one I use has a separate piece added in on the side of the hips that's fully corded to help support the weight of skirts and undergarments.

With the Symington patterns there is usually some sort of notation if a piece is corded or whether boning is used. Or there will be a different look to the pattern - the breast cups of the next to last are corded. Have fun with the corsetry journey!

[lacewise]

I have a Regency era historical sewing question I am DYING to ask someone, but I am worried I will sound silly

Does Tumblr do “we listen and we don’t judge”?

[hoardofthedragon]

@dresshistorynerd i think you might be able to help, no pressure though

[dresshistorynerd]

I can at least try my best to answer! We don't judge here, there's no stupid questions! Both my asks and DMs are open.

[skuldsbane]

Regency isn't my forte, but please ask! We all start off not knowing things and the best way to learn is to ask

[nmbrs]

fuck it, i'm curious. reblog and tag with the first fictional death to ever rewrite your brain chemistry and/or make you cry like a baby. mine was ares from the underland chronicles (who, for context, was a giant bat.) to this day i will weep if i think too hard about it. okay, go.

[skuldsbane]

[thehmn]

I just came across another “haha Europeans think 1 hour by car is a long drive” “haha Americans think a 30 minutes walk is too long” debates and people in the comments were trying to defend either side by explaining roads and city layouts and whatnot but it seems obvious to me that it all comes down to what you’re used to, yes?

Because it obviously has to do with distances. Things are further apart in the US than they are in Europe so you drive more, which has made car diving a bigger part of every day life.

It did make me wonder what a day in the life of an American looks like though. Forget about the distance, how do you have the time? How doesn’t an hour or two one way by car eat a huge chunk of your day? I never see any Europeans talk about this when they say “an hour is too far away” because I promise you what they really mean is “an hour is too much time spent on nothing”. I know Americans work longers hours than Europeans too so it seems to me like you’d have very little time left for family, friends and hobbies or am I missing something?

But yeah, I think it’s really important to understand that when Europeans complain about a long drive it’s not the distance but the time that’s bothering us.

[skuldsbane]

Ah, but that's just the thing.

We don't have time.

A lot of the generalizations about people in the US actually has a lot to do with this. We don't have time to cook, so we eat out quite often, and often at fast food places. We don't have time to read, so we use the commute to listen to audio books or podcasts. We don't have time to go to parks or museums or libraries, so they are underfunded and ignored. We don't have time to do hobbies, so stores related to those hobbies face liquidation and closure.

Part of why we binge watch series and hyperfocus on one thing (at least for a while) is because it's all we have time to do. We're so exhausted by the end of a work week all we want to do is stay home and do... nothing. Or maybe a craft or something, but that means driving an hour to get supplies to do crafting or whatever the something is, and by the time we get home with the supplies we're too tired to want to try.

I personally believe that people in the US would benefit from everything being closer and more available. Being able to cut two hours in a car five days a week would change our entire culture - but it would take time. It's so indoctrinated at this point that people would be lost for those couple of hours. It would take a very conscious effort for people to fill that time with something. But it would be an interesting experiment to see what would happen if this were all a possibility.

[makereadgrow]

RIP Joann, now what?

I wanted to make a post I could copy and paste and or link when I see folks asking where to buy fabrics when Joann is gone. I sew a lot, generally between 100-200 items a year and I don't do it on a big budget. Stores are not in a particular order.

Notions:

Wawak.com - start here, mostly stay here. Wawak is a supplier for professional sewing businesses and have the prices that show it. I will not pay for gutermann Mara 100 anywhere else. I buy buttons, tools, thread, and most elastic here.

Stitch Love Studio - this is where I buy lingerie supplies https://www.etsy.com/shop/StitchLoveStudio?ref=yr_purchases

Fabric:

Fabric Mart - this is one where you want to sign up for emails and never buy unless its on sale. They run different sales every day and they rotate. Mostly deadstock fabrics but I buy more from here than anywhere else. Fantastic customer service and if you watch you can get things like $6 wool suiting or $4 cotton jersey. https://fabricmartfabrics.com/

Fabrics-Store - again, buy the sales not the full price. Sign up for the emails but redirect them to a folder because it is TOO MANY. They stock linen or good but not amazing quality. https://www.fabrics-store.com/

Purple Seamstress - This is where I buy my solid cotton lycra jersey. They have other things, but the jersey is what I'm here for. Inexpensive and very good quality. If you ask she will mail you a swatch card for the solids. https://purpleseamstressfabric.com/

LA Finch - deadstock fabrics with a fantastic remnant selection https://lafinchfabrics.myshopify.com/

Califabrics - mix of deadstock and big brands, easy to navigate and always seem to have good denim in stock. https://califabrics.com/

Boho Fabrics - good variety, nice bundles. I have also gotten some really great trims from here. https://www.bohofabrics.com/

Firecracker Fabrics - garment and quilting fabrics, really nice selection and great sale section. I've bought $5 yard quilting cottons here several times. https://www.firecrackerfabrics.com/

Hancock's of Paducah - Quilting fabric and some limited garment fabric. AMAZING sale section. Do not sleep on the sale section. This is my first stop when buying quilting fabrics. Usually the last stop too. Not particularly speedy shipping. https://www.hancocks-paducah.com/

Itokri - This is something a little different. Itokri is an Indian business with incredible traditional fabrics. Shipping to the US is expensive, but the fabric is so inexpensive it evens out. I generally end up paying like $30 for shipping. Beautiful ikat and block prints. https://itokri.com/

Miss Matatabi - this is a little treat. This isn't where you go to save money, but there are so many beautiful things in this shop. Ships from Japan incredibly quickly. https://shop.missmatatabi.com/

Lucky Deluxe - Craft thrift store, always has an incredible selection and fantastic customer service. I need to close the tab fast because I never go to this website without finding something I need. https://www.luckydeluxefabrics.com/

Swanson's - the OG of online craft thrift stores, but I find their website harder to navigate. https://www.swansonsfabrics.com

Honorary Mentions: I haven't shopped at these places yet but I have had them recommended and likely will at some point.

A Thrifty Notion - https://athriftynotion.com/

Creative Closeouts - https://creativecloseoutsfabric.com/ being rebranded to sewsnip.com on March 1 - quilting deadstock

Hawthorne Supply Co. - I just got this rec and I think I need to not look too closely or I'm going to slip with my debit card. https://www.hawthornesupplyco.com/

This is not an exhaustive list of everywhere you can buy fabric, or even a full list of where I shop. There are SO many options out there in the world. You also need to think outside the fabric store box. I thrift men's shirt fabrics for quilts and sheets for backing fabric. I don't do a ton of in person thrifting and my local stores don't get a lot of craft materials but every thrift store is its own universe and reflects the community it is in. Go out and find something cool.

Oh and final note: Don't shop at Hobby Lobby.

[skuldsbane]

Flosstube 16 - Learned things about myself this month

[tobbogan-13]

to 1830s haters,

how does it feel to be allergic to joy, fun, and whimsy

[skuldsbane]

So... a couple of weeks ago I was part of an educational "living history" weekend (we had a lot of modern stuff, but used a lot of museum artifacts, reproductions, etc.) about the Battle of Camp Monroe. Happened February 8, 1837, and was just... kind of funny, really, looking back at the battle and how it happened.

Day one: got to talk to people from toddler to senior about army field medicine and what exactly happened, complete with period tools.

Day two: got to be the "iron general" of the camp cook fire, ensuring everybody was fed and watered (and caffeinated) using period tools and techniques, while educating people about the roles of camp followers.

It was work! It was tiring! It was hilarious to watch people's reactions! (Especially the woman who "volunteered" her child to have an "amputation" to show how the chain saw worked. We had a good laugh about that later.) We laughed at the director of one museum rowing the director of another museum around a pond in a handmade boat - after she nearly toppled backwards out of the boat and into the water, because skirts.

If you can't have fun with this, what's wrong with you? (And can I practice my trepanning skills to see if we can relieve some of that pressure?)

[skuldsbane]

flosstube 15 so much 310

[skuldsbane]

flosstube 14 - Not many projects, but one is done!

[skuldsbane]

flosstube 13 - plans interrupted

[frostedmagnolias]

Vest

c. 1845-1850

Maryland Center for History and Culture

[stitch-n-time]

Flosstube 12 - take two, a month later

[bamboo-is-a-lie]

guys help me for the love of god bc I’ve decided it would be a good idea to start a 70,000 stitch cross-stitch project for my first try at it

[nadg-ttrpg]

Hey there! I assume you have researched the subject before, but just in case here is what I wish I knew before starting my own mega cross stitch: 1- Get a little box for all your threads. Take the time to roll each thread on a little cardboard bobbin marked with the symbol for the color and the DMC/ISPE/whatever code. 2- WASH YOUR HANDS. You are going to work on this for literal years. Wash your hands before each session. You don't want to see what years of natural skin oils do to a fabric.

3- Get a square hoop. One of these (I'm not affiliated to the link, it's just the kind I use). They don't crinkle the fabric nearly as much and are a lot nicer to work with. 4- No matter the hoop you use, don't put the fabric face up in it, like you'd on a drum or to display the embroidery. Put it upside down, this way only the backside of it will be in contact with the table (see: advice n2). Also it's just easier, the hoop don't get in the way around the edges. Handy illustration of what I mean

5 - Mark the grid on your fabric, either with a washable pen or with black threads. At least the edges of the pages or something, to make sure you are correctly centered and to help with double checking your work. 6 - Take pictures of it to send to your friends. It helps to see the progress. Celebrate milestones. 7 - Take breaks. Put it down. Work on other, smaller projects when you feel like it. It's a marathon, not a speed race. All that matter is getting to the end one day

Show me what pattern you want to do, I'm so excited for you!

[stitch-n-time]

Flosstube Stitch With Me 1

Since Flosstube 12 was really staticy in the sound, it was taken down and this put up instead.

[skuldsbane]

Flosstube 12 - So many projects!