I decided to create a Victorian Walking Ensemble for a local event. The outfit took me about a month to complete and I made everything I was wearing that day but my boots. As usual, I got a lot of laughs as people realized what the pattern on the fabric actually was. I love being able to take historical costuming and add a modern spin onto it, I think it makes costuming more accessible when people can see there are so many variations other than just the “accurate” ones. Some older people, also in costume, were less than supportive and I fed off their disapproving energy like an energy vampire. I love to ruffle the feathers of the costumers who gatekeep on accuracy.
For my outfit, I had previously made a corset, combinations, and bum pad (I repurposed one from an 18th century costume, don’t tell). For the event I had to create a skirt, petticoat, shirt, jacket, and hat. When it came to putting everything together, I saw that the petticoat was longer than the skirt. I decided to wear my outfit anyway, hoping no one would notice (or more likely, no one would care but me). I’m so glad I didn’t let perfectionism take away from wearing my new clothes, cause that would have been the case a few years ago. Not only was that a minor issue, but my hair and make-up weren’t behaving that day either. It didn’t matter, the show must go on as they say.
I felt really jaunty the day I wore this and I can’t wait to find another excuse to do so. I do plan on adding a ruffle to the bottom of the skirt so the petticoat doesn’t peak through anymore. I also need to add some buttons to the jacket, I think it looks nicer when it’s partially closed and the shirt is just barely visible.
If you’re struggling with your mental health, try crafting. No, seriously, get in touch with your inner child and go ham. The beauty in this action is it can be any type of craft and you don’t even have to be good at it.
From a blog post by Spectrum Health Services – Crafting additionally has been shown to be a natural anti-depressant. Research studies have shown that those suffering from PTSD, Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Insomnia and any level of chronic pain have achieved a reduction in symptoms by incorporating crafts into their lives.
I believe most people are struggling with at least 1 if not multiple mental health diagnosis. I was personally diagnosed with severe anxiety, ADHD, and depression two years ago. I’ve been dealing with these things my entire life, but getting the diagnosis was a big relief. Being able to put a name to the things that hinder you and knowing that help is available is a privilege that my parents generation (the Boomers) didn’t get to enjoy. I can’t always afford medications or therapy though so crafting is a way I help sooth my mind and soul when those options are out of reach.
If you’re not sure where to start, go to your local library and see if there are any books on crafts that pique your interest. You might not even like it, but the act of trying out something new, learning new skills, and working with your hands is very zen. YouTube is a great place to learn about new skills and there are oodles of websites out there that can teach you more in depth about these skills. In my local area, there are meet ups at coffee shops or other event spaces that have group crafting classes. Its a great way to meet new people if you’re feeling social. If you’re not craving a human connection, that’s okay too – crafting is a beautiful way to incorporate mindfulness into your day and not have the stress of being around others.
Crafting appears to be dominated by women, but can really be a benefit to anyone and everyone. If you’re feeling down, try crafting as a way to improve your quality of life. The bar for entry into these skills is so low, what do you have to lose?
I just finished an interview with a recruiter and all I want to do is scream. The recruiter, Brian, was so nice and it was a lovely conversation over a job that I honestly don’t want anything to do with. If I’m so apprehensive about it, why did I agree to chat? The answer to that – I try to explore all opportunities that come my way. There’s always something to learn and knowing what skills attracted the recruiter to my profile lets me know what’s working on my resume and what isn’t. I was able to ask Brian questions to see what messaging resonated versus what he completely glossed over. The call was only 23 minutes but I got a ton of beneficial information, for free.
I saw a statistic yesterday while writing an article for a newsletter – the US Labor Statistics showed that costume designer careers were on the rise, career options are expected to grow by 8% through 2029, which is faster growth than the average for other careers. I interpret this favorably, but there’s a lot of work that needs to go into making that a successful career.
I love reviewing data and conducting market research. My day job the last 3 years was to lead corporate clients like large pharmaceutical manufacturers and big tech companies through business decisions they wanted to make and pulling together the information they would need to make those decisions confidently. It was a cool job and I realized that I don’t need to be apart of a large company myself in order to do market research. I’ve been designing my own company, I’m ready to make the leap into a future where I dictate my day-to-day and I have unlimited earning potential. My greatest dream is to have a job that pays me to travel and to sew costumes. I think it’ll take me a few years to establish something like that though, so in the meantime I’m looking for a day job to fund my side hustles.
I have the energy, time, and purpose to be a business owner. The fact that I’ve been supporting other companies to do this makes me super confident that I can muddle through the initial (and somewhat uncomfortable) steps to get it off the ground.
What does this have to do with my sewing business? I’m working through that right now and I’m loving it. I have been sewing almost every day since I was let go from my day job. I spend a lot of time researching for my costumes, trying new skills, and getting through my stash. Being this creative every day brightens my soul and I know that I have to find a way to keep this up. To this end, I am opening up a business for commissions and I’m prepping some pieces to put on Etsy. I’m even considering how I can get enough stock together to have a booth at a fair or a full on retail store. I love business and finding a way to incorporate my sewing into a retail endeavor is opening my mind to so many opportunities.
The biggest issue I’m seeing is I have TOO much opportunity and the business consultant in me is looking to hone in on 1 or 2 of my idea’s (at least to start). I’m ready to blow my own mind at what I can accomplish, especially in order to avoid going back to work in a corporate job. I am letting go of something to make room for something else and there’s beauty in that process.
If you’re wondering what I’m currently working on, I’m prepping for a local event called Victorian Days. A town nearby hosts a weekend long event where people dress in Victorian wear, vendors set up along the town green and musicians play throughout the day. Last year I wore a late Victorian style walking skirt (Black Snail pattern) with an Edwardian style blouse (Folkwear pattern).
I’m currently working on a new Victorian ensemble using Floral Wars fabric I got during the May the 4th sale on Knitorious. I’m not in love with this outfit yet but I’m trusting the process that I will eventually. I made everything from the underwear, to the shirt and skirt pictured below, as well as a jacket that I’ll be getting pictures of later this week.
My name is Kelly and I’m the owner of the Silver Lining Sewing Lab, which is a fancy name for my home studio where I create a variety of costumes and cosplays. I believe that every project, especially the ones you are so frustrated with you want to light them on fire, has a lesson to teach you.
I’ve been sewing for over 20 years and tend to use a lot of patterns. When you use patterns, it’s nice to find finished pictures of other peoples projects to get a sense of what they could look like. It’s nicer still to find reviews and even further instruction for complicated patterns. I don’t tend to find a lot of details around the types of patterns I like to use and thought others might be in a similar situation. I started this blog as a way to help other costumers get information on patterns.
My favorite types of sewing projects include medieval fantasy garb for men and women for larping, historic reenactment pieces, and cosplay. I live on a farm in New Jersey with my husband and we like to adventure.
My main take-away from 2022 is I didn’t take nearly enough pictures of my work. A few of my project will end up being finished in 2023, but such is the way of life when you can only sew a few hours a week. Regardless, I’m feeling pretty accomplished.
I went to Costume College for the first time this year. To prep for the event, the focus of the first half of the year was primarily Edwardian fashion. I started with a series of undergarments and discovered a deep love for a new-to-me pattern company called Past Patterns. I used #107 for the Ladies’ Edwardian Combinations and #109 for the 4-gored Edwardian Petticoat. The patterns were really easy to use and I loved the fit.
These items didn’t end up coming to CoCo2022 with me so I need to find a good reason to wear them out of the house one of these days.
I made an Edwardian long-line corset and petticoat that did end up under one of my CoCo2022 outfits. I used Truly Victorian patterns for these pieces. The patterns were easy to follow and the pieces themselves didn’t take too long to put together. I didn’t add any fancy embellishments to these and that helped shorten the time it took to make them. The long-line corset was one of the easiest projects I’ve worked on in a long time and was made with a single layer of fabric and synthetic boning.
Costume College was a blast and I’m planning on attending again in 2023. One facet of this event that I loved was the classes that are offered each day. There are free classes and classes you can pay for. I attended many of the free sessions and took a class on making an Edwardian corset cover that was taught by Kristen of Black Orchid Atelier. The convention offers rental sewing machines so I didn’t have to sew by hand (though it was an option for those so inclined). The pattern Kristen drafted up is based off extant pieces and it took about 2 hours to put together a basic piece. I forgot to bring fabric and notions for this class but the dealers room had everything I needed and I ended up adding the ruffles on the front when I came home from the trip.
I was invited to an Oktoberfest party and had the perfect fabric for a dirndl. I used Folkwear 123 for the dress and used a chemise I had made for a larp character. I found every excuse I could to wear this dress and will continue to do so, it’s so comfortable! When I make this dress again, I’ll be adding pockets.
One of my favorite projects I finished but haven’t had a chance to get photographs wearing yet is this Edwardian Calico Day Dress/Wrapper using Folkwear #208. I found the pattern at an antique show and it was sewn within a week. It’s a really comfortable dress but my husband pointed out the fabric looks like a hospital gown, which is all I can see now.
As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t get through all the projects I started this year. I plan on attending Costume-con 39 in April 2023 and Costume College in July of 2023, so there’s time to finish them and have a great place to show off my work. I’m almost done with a late-Victorian silk corset, a chemise a la reine, and a late-Victorian Seaside Dress.
That’s it for my 2022 project recap. Can’t wait to see what I’m able to accomplish next year, I have lofty goals for the upcoming conventions. I’m also thinking about starting a sewing circle at my local library and joining the local historical societies so I can find some friends I can sew with on a regular basis.
