In Fourth Place we have....

Girls Regency Outfit
Receiving just 5% of the votes, it was clear that the audience was not that interested, probably because of my lack of photos! This pattern is already multisized for ages 2-6 in a few style variations.

I created this pattern over a year ago for the little girls attending my regency themed party. I wanted something different than the patterns that were out there, so I choose to interpret this one off of flat front gowns of the period without a waist seam on the front.

Like this one from Vintage Textiles C. 1820

Source: vintagetextile.com via Corsetra on Pinterest

This C. 1810 one was also offered by Vintage Textiles, but the images are no longer on that page.

Source: i-like-historical-clothing.blogspot.com via Corsetra on Pinterest

The eventual pattern will have a variety of style options, like these sleeves
Dress, child's, red and white checked cotton, 1815-1825 Wisconsin Historical Society Object ID 1969.27
(that link is likely to break and not lead you directly to the garment)

Source: wisconsinhistory.org via Corsetra on Pinterest

I am also thinking of adding Pantaloon and an Apron, possibly also the full undergarment set as well as a pelise!

Comments about this pattern
“I'm voting with my business sense (regency girl), not my personal desire (en X)”

And the Looser is...

The poll is now closed and I want to thank all who voted,  From these results I have a better picture of what people are interested in.

Medieval Child
With just 2% of the votes this was a definite looser.

 As it stands today this pattern is already multisized for ages 2-6 in both the boy (shorter, narrower skirts, higher neck) and girl version. It has been made up by my #1 tester already at least once. While it is not a historically accurate pattern, it is a rather quick one to sew up, even when doing it all by hand, like the examples I have shown.

I think the reason this was not a popular pattern was partly due to the fact that fewer people are interested in children's patterns, and the fact that the pictures I had to show were rather poor.


The Plaid Cotehardie as it is known by many in the costuming circle is an actual style, though the examples are not shown on children.

There are a few good webpages on this style, where I made my interpretation from.
Plaid Cotehardies of the 14th century by Jessamyn's Closet
School of Lattagona: Altarpiece from the Castle of Santa Coloma de Queralt. c. 1365. Museu d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona

Source: jessamynscloset.com via Corsetra on Pinterest

Jessamyn di Piemonte also wrote on the Ever-Elusive Plaid Cotehardie on SCA garb freeserver
The Master of Estamariu, and is entitled "The Martyrdom and Death of St. Vincent", dated second half of the fourteenth century.

Source: sca-garb.freeservers.com via Corsetra on Pinterest

Merouda Pendray added a few more images to the search here

Detail from The Knighting of St. Martin, Simone Martini, fresco dated about 1320-1330, in the Lower Church of San Francisco, Assisi.

Source: merouda.com via Corsetra on Pinterest

One Day left to vote!

There is only one day left to Vote in the poll!

I am busy writing up the posts to cover the results of the poll, but you still have time to change the results!
Go ahead mess me up, surprise me.

I have also been writing patterns in the back ground while I await the poll results. Just a simple craft that I made for my children for Christmas. I will be sharing these patterns for free over on Craftsy.

Why is this Important? It gives me a chance to try out my pattern cover and layout, and a new method to deliver patterns. When they are uploaded, I will let you know, and invite you to share your opinions about the pattern layout. I find that writing the instructions takes longer than actually making the pattern and the item.

Simpicity patterns going out of print.

I got an e-mail from Simplicity about some 70+ patterns going out of print, so while you haven't seen them in stores, they have been on the website, but not for long, so now is the time to pick up these costume patterns, new.

Medieval, Renaissance
8881 Womens Elizabeth gown (Shakespeare in love)
8913 Mens Celtic costumes (kilt)

Victorian
2517 Mens long coats (Sherlock)
2960 1860's Dress
3791 1860's dress based off one in the Met
5023 American Civil War Mens shirt and pants
5033 American Civil War Mens underwear
5037 American Civil War Mens Vest and caps
9764 America Civil War round hoop and petticoat

Costume
2966 Corset

Poll image

the Pattern Poll is still going, and it has been interesting to see the votes tally up. I am very much looking forward to sharing the results with you next week.

If you want to share the poll on your blog, feel free to use the above image.
Link for image

One week left on the poll

There is just 8 days left to vote on the poll.
For a while there, it was a 3 way tie, and not in a way I expected! then I posted to some Live Journal Communities and that all changed.
As of this posting, there have been 20 votes.

Not much of a sample size, if you ask me.

So I ask you again to Share this post and comment if you feel like it. Why did you vote for that one? Tell me what your second choice was. Tell me which one you are least interested in and why.

On the Left is one of my Antique Skeleton Corsets. I own 2 and they are so different that the published pattern will include both styles.

On the Right is my 1810 Corset en X, I entered it into Foundations Revealed's 2012 contest and placed. You can read more on it here. The pattern will be multi sized and have at least 2 variations.

On the Left is my Regency Era Girls dress, it has a flat fron, like the inspirational period dresses I talked about here, and I hope to round out the dress into a complete outfit.

On the Right is my Medieval Child's Era Gown. it comes in both boys and girls styles. I really need to share more about this garment, I just need to dig up more of the pictures. Here is some of the inspiration.

Last of course is my Dragon Pattern. 26" long, wired and magnificent. This pattern is not a toy for children, but I have other ones that are suitable for children.

Thanks to all those who voted, and thanks to those who comment, thanks also if you shared this link!

Food, not sewing

I recently made my first Pinterest Project!
As any Pinterest user is aware you tend to hoard ideas, not actually use them.
Well I actually made something. Well actually I COOKED something.

I eat Gluten free, while *I* do not have a medical diagnosis that tells me to do so, too many of my family members do, so to be on the safe side, I and my children avoid Wheat and Gluten. The household also has other allergies and health concerns, like Corn. (which is 90% GMO!)

So when I saw The Gracious Pantry's Clean Eating Quinoa Tortillas come across Pinterest I was intrigued.
I didn't have Quinoa flour on hand, so I turned to the internet and read about how to make your own Quinoa flour.
Power Hungry: Quinoa flour 101 + make your own quinoa flour

Homemade Adventure: How to make Quinoa flour 

I have tried grinding in both a coffee grinder (not used for coffee, no one drinks coffee in this house) and in the Vitamix dry grains container. I have tried both rinsing before toasting and not rinsing. Since my quinoa was bought in bulk, I liked the rinsed batch better.

Since I was grinding my own, it was not consistent or that smooth, so I ended up adding in more brown rice flour and water than the original recipe called for. I used to make corn tortillas, so I am used to making them and knowing the proper consistency. I do not have a tortilla press and use a Bethany Heritage Grill to cook them

Over all I like them, they are just another tortilla recipe used in our house.

The LOOK like corn, and I found them to have good structural stability.

So if you are avoiding Wheat/Gluten or Corn, consider giving this recipe a try on your next taco night.

By the way, that taco up there, that shell was not fresh, I make them up in batches and store them in the freezer. Then warm them up in the toaster oven and fold them while still warm. they cool and keep that classic taco shell shape!

balancing steps

In my attempts to find the balance in my life, I have been cleaning my living quarters, I have a small area to call mine, essentially just a 6 foot table for my computer and printer, and another one for my sewing machine. I have a 4 foot table in an L shape with my sewing table, but that isn’t supposed to be a permanent fixture.

I have also looked at my daily schedule. Morning is getting the husband and child off to school, then I have 2 hours before picking up the child, which I normally allow the other children to spend playing or watching PBS.
Then comes lunch and homework, and if I am lucky the children will play nicely together and I can have some more time to work on my things. Lately that hasn’t been the case. I think we will chalk that up to Cabin Fever.
My husband doesn’t come home at the same time everyday and I am not always privy to the comings and goings of the others in my household.

Non School days are of course another beast all together, I often am not even on my computer on the weekends, which means that I have a lot of “catching up” to do on the internet on Monday. I need to weed out some of these time sucks by unsubscribing and the like.






So I have 2 hours a day to "work" hmm that isn't much, so I need to FOCUS which is why I put up the poll yesterday.





So I will be spending the rest of the month doing 3 things
1. cleaning and organizing, scheduling my life a bit better.
2. prioritizing my projects, and finishing up those that are on the machine.
3. setting myself up to do which ever pattern comes out on top from the poll.

Introducing a POLL!

In my attempts to find the balance in my life, I have decided I need a good clear goal and a path to achieving it. I also need to be held accountable to someone. I think what I need is to do a month end post on the current project pattern, so which pattern should be first?

So here is the Poll, which you should be able to see at the upper left of this page. If you can’t see it, comment!

Which pattern should I FOCUS on first? It may not end up being the first one released, but it will be the one I focus on and blog about creating. All will probably become patterns in time, so don't fret if your first choice is not the one that comes out on top.

The Poll is now CLOSED you may see the results here 

Feel free to share this post, the wider audience the more variety of votes, the clearer the picture will be for me.

The Skeleton Corsets

Needs contact Met again, and the two patterns are SO different, it is more like 2 different corsets, not one in 2 sizes.


The 1810 Corset en X

Needs museum contacts, and grading, then testing. Read more here.

Regency girls outfit.

I have the basic pattern and instructions for the dress, I need to add the under and outer layers.
Read more about the inspiration here

Childs “Medieval” outfit

Refinement of pattern and instructions, additional layers added then off to testing

Dragon pattern.

CAD the pattern and make a new one, photos and testing.

Once again, the Poll should be in the upper left of my blog, and is open until January 31st, 2013. if for some reason you can not vote in the poll, comment! I will tally them all up at the end and anounce the scores on February 2nd.

Please SHARE this post to anyone you think would have an interest in these future patterns.

The Poll is now CLOSED you may see the results here

Finding the Balance

I know that I have fallen off the blogging wagon for a few weeks, the Holidays and getting back to routine will do that.

Source: vintage-ephemera.blogspot.se via Corsetra on Pinterest

Tightrope walker Photographed by Eulenstein of Leipzig.

But I have other issues as well, and without getting too much into my personal life, I will just say that I am having issue finding the balance between being a GOOD mom (something I am trying to work on, I need to be better for my children) the general house chores, my personal projects, and the business adventure.

Source: metmuseum.org via Corsetra on Pinterest

Wooden Box with Bronze Balance Scale 500-600 made in Byzantine Egypt Metropolitan Museum 14.2.2a-e

One of the issues is when I waste time on the Internet. I know lots of people suffer from this too. FB and Pinterest are two of my biggest time sucks.

I have a stack of half finished projects, a running list of things I want to do, an even longer list of things I need to do. I just need to find my place, my groove. So I am asking YOU to help keep me on track. I will be posting a time line of things and a deadline for them, I am calling out for some people to poke and prod me on those items if you do not see regular updates.

January 7, 2013 Etsy Monday: Vintage Paper

I was recently given boxes of paper to use for childrens crafts

But these two items are too interesting to be thrown at my children.

First up is a Teacher's Daily Lesson Plans book for the School years 1976 to 1980

The second is a stack of prints of an 188 engraving by Alexander Schilling. these are not high quality being on fairly regular paper. I have no clue how old these are, but they do qualify as vintage!

Both of these items would make great scrapobook or other paper art projects material.

Welcome 2013

New Year, New Post!

Okay so I am a day late, it being the 2nd and all, but today was the day that we got back to normal routines of school and the like here in my home. Boy does morning come early!

I am not posting any holiday gifts I got, because I honestly didn't get much, most effort went to the children, as it should.

I do not have an interesting list of what I made to share, as I moved earlier in the year and then spent several months getting a routine set up in our new location. I moved away from my costuming buddy, and the events we would attend together.

Mock tunics for 12thnight

I did make the 1810 Corset Elastique, which I hope to make into a pattern

But no other costume sewing really got finished.

Halloween was not much of an effort Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, but I can report that they have been used and loved well, so that is good.

I did some craft sewing, making a doll and a pony. I also sewed holiday gifts, though those posts are not ready.

Nor am I posting a list of intended projects, or joining any challenges. Though this does look cool

No, I plan to put more effort into Corsetra Designs, and I HOPE to have a corset pattern in testing phase by the end of the year. I also hope to have a craft pattern ready for sale.

I am however discontinuing Etsy Monday. Though I do intend to get 1 new item up in the shop every month on a Monday. The Etsy shop is my only source of income at this time, no one wants to hear a sob story, but there it is.

So thank you to for reading this blog, I have some exciting things planed, including free patterns, and maybe even a giveaway!