Ojibwa and Mic Mac Hand Sewn Regalia in Elk Update

I'm getting ready to start these projects back up now that I have the room and space to do it. Please feel free to comment and share your project!

Sew Your Own DIY N95 Type Forever Safe Mask Sewing Tutorial

Sew the safest, washable, long lasting homemade mask with my do it yourself tutorial. Based on the Florida University pattern judged best fitting for all persons including those who wear glasses or have facial hair. 95% virus proof when properly cared for. Long term mask for daily wear at work or in public

This is my Rendering of the 1618 Plague Doctor Mask. It is made from Orange Tan Elk Hide.

Sewing Perfect Continuous Bias Tape Strips, No Sewing, Glue or Fuss

I’m sewing protective masks for Coronavirus and have seen sewers using the bias tape foot but joining the strips with sewing or glue. I show how to join your strips quickly, neatly and easily as my Mother showed me as a child with no glue, stitching or ironing before sewing using the Bias Tape Attachment. I’ll be making another video about the masks I am making so subscribe and you’ll see the next steps in making a reversible, washable reusable mask with Pelon Non Woven lining for extra safety. These masks will last months, if not years and are easily maintained.

Fabric Destash to Restash The Vintage Textiles Roll Out of Bed

Celebrate with me the moving of my fabric from my inaccesable under bed storage system to the upper cabinets in my new reorganized ewing/craft room in my RV that I live in full time.

Before: All my fabrics were stored in my RV under bed storage. I couldn't access them alone.

I refolded and rebolted all my textiles stowing them in my
upper cupboards in my Sewing/Craft room.

Lovely old Vintage Cottons

More cottons and a fabulous fabric, Unknown Content, if you know if
this gossamer gold checked textile, please let me now. It is transparent.

Matt Hamilton Woolens from his vintage ware house. They don't make this kind of wool anymore. Also some cottons.

stashed!

Sorted and folded

Woolens Away!

OK, this brings tears to my eyes. Some of you will understand.

Rebuilding my Historic Kitchen Costumes

This half bolt of incredibly beautiful cotton India block print has been through several rebuilds and outfits, it was first a huge 5 yard Colonial skirt my Sister hand stitched up for me at Grand Portage Rendezvous in 2006.

It then was taken apart and a shirt for my husband was made from it and the rest used as a Irish working woman's weskit and 3 yard skirt.

Over time the boning in the weskit began to curl and the bottom tips flipped up every time I sat down. I also spent a lot of time tugging it down into place, since I had miscalculated the length of my waist when I made it. It also puckered between the eyelets as the boning got tired. I temporarily fixed it by adding more eyelets but I knew I had to do something to save one of my favorite outfits.

This got me thinking that if I got out my dress form, I could attach the skirt to the weskit, which would pull the boning straight by it's weight, and bring the dress into better conformity with the actual fashion of the day.

I pinned the skirt backwards on the form and split the seam down the back, putting the weskit on over it.

I then invisibly whip stitched the weskit bias to the skirt from the outside, turn the edges of the skirt in about two inches down the split and matching the front points of the weskit with the turned back skirt edge.

 After hand stitching the two together from the front, I turned the garment inside out and remounted on the form, cut off the excess fabric and whip stitched along the edge of the weskit bottom to assure a strong joining.

Here I am in my redone outfit, with my new skirt and wonderful stays made by Pat Lund. The colonial stays are spiral metal boning and actually help me with back support as I toil through the day. This outfit is 5 years old and has seen weekly heavy duty in my kitchen. In fact, I wear it every Saturday, cooking, hauling water, pounding stakes and in general abusing it in every way known to working woman kind. This rebuild keeps it in my working wardrobe for years to come.

Vintage Kenmore C Cam Decorative Stitch Tutorial Model 158.1781

Demonstrating how to use Decorative Kenmore Vintage C Cam Stitches to add structure and beauty to your garments. My Kenmore Sewing Machine, model 158.17811 is a convertible to free arm, portable machine I bought in 1976 and have used to sew everything from leather, wool and canvas to silk. Watch for more vintage sewing tutorials from Stitching Up History soon, subscribe here, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to keep up with my sewing adventures!