A Victorian hoop skirt with no hoops?! Sewing a DIY corded petticoat

[@eruditeimp]

"The historical accuracy has already sailed and sunk without me ever getting on" is such a perfect way to describe this approach to sewing. I feel that so much :D My favorite hack isn't really a hack I don't think -- but it's something you mention on the dress, which is to use bedsheets for fabric. I can trawl through my local second hand stores and get so much good fabric for relatively cheap -- it also makes me more likely to do a mockup if I have a sheet lying around.

[@SnappyDragon]

They're so great! My friends have learned that I am always happy to take old household textiles off their hands for mockups. Only issue with this gray dress is that it's *so heavy* it's difficult to wear.

[@nicelliott1175]

I used exclusively old sheets for mockups for almost fifteen years, until I went to college for costuming and started to make them out of muslin. While I find that heavier muslin works better for starting from scratch or doing the multiple rounds of alterations needed to make a pattern block for an individual, I would much rather work with old sheets if I have a good starting point and just need to tweak things from there. Then I typically follow the seemingly fairly common Victorian practice of using that as both the pattern for the outer layer and as the lining. Who wouldn't want old cotton bedsheets as lining, especially the well-worn ones? Soft, breathable, and infinitely easier to work with than any stupid modern polyester crap.

[@kikidevine694]

Even new bedding, ie from tk Maxx or Ikea or Primark can be super cheap too

[@kikidevine694]

@@SnappyDragon you're such a wee thing. If you were like a carthorse (like me) you'd be fine

[@historiansrevolt4333]

I mean, is there anything more historically accurate than hacking your way around physical limitations to get the fashionable shape?

[@SnappyDragon]

Probably not much! Maybe only hacking your way around budgetary limitations 😂

[@TheCatGodess]

Ok this is genius. Not only is it lighter and easier to move it, it's also way more cost effective that traditional steel hoop wire. Thank you so much for sharing

[@SnappyDragon]

You're so welcome! I do really feel like I gave myself all the backache while making it, to have none while wearing it 😂

[@elizabethclaiborne6461]

You might want to pull all that cord off the spool and lay it out to relax. It has spool memory. It was twisted being wound on and that’s why it’s kinking up. I only know this from a gig pulling cable for NBC Sports, things wound onto spools will do this. Had it explained by real roadies. Education is never a waste, amazing how things transfer.

[@elizabethclaiborne6461]

That’s a zipper foot. A cording foot feeds the cord through the center - it’s for skinnier cord though. This is actually an important distinction. Zipper foot is fantastic, it does all sorts of tasks fabulously. And imagine hand sewing that sucker? One machine foot on a desert island, it might be this one.

[@Rotten_Ralph]

I’m very inspired by this… I’m going to order welting cord for my already planned corded petticoat. Most excellent. I have no historical costume hacks, but I did discover that my Bertha Banner approved pocket in my walking skirt is able to hide an open can of beer (I don’t drink beer, but aunt Terri was sneaking it out from room service, I don’t know why. I’m just an enabler.) it just tucked in my pocket and didn’t spill. Sneaky sneaky.

[@SnappyDragon]

Historical pockets are the best for drink-smuggling! I love sneaking water in to Ren Faires because they charge a ton for it, but no one will ever dare search under my skirts.

[@jodywarren54]

This is such a great idea. I'm disabled myself and can only walk short distances with crutches. I've always been put off making a corded petticoat because of the potential weight, but now I'm really tempted to try this. Thank you!

[@SnappyDragon]

I hope it works! 💚 Something I haven't made yet but definitely will, is a set of "suspenders" to help carry what weight it does have on my shoulders as well as around my waist.

[@tegansutherland7299]

My fave historical hack was also an intentionally not historical theatre trick. I was costuming a production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged and so the theme was 'Elizabethan but modern in a funny way'. I took some Elizabethan gowns that I had already made (for a production of Knight of the Burning Pestle) and laced zippers into the front. So now all of my front-laced gowns were zipper front gowns. It required having grommets on both sides of my zipper tapes and having two sets of lacing cords that were adjusted on the actors, but it meant that now my gowns were quick-change AND were flexible for a wide range of bodies that they weren't originally designed for. My gorgeous Elizabethan gowns got two stagings, one approximating period, and one as fun dress up. My absolute favorite hack! Love your new petti and hope it holds up well with use. :)

[@SnappyDragon]

That's such a clever trick! I am in constant awe of theatrical costuming.

[@sans-seraph]

I sew historical goodies for 18 inch dolls-cause if you're gonna go niche, might as well go *really* niche, right? Pretty much everything is a hack or a fudge or a 'historically close enough' because of the scale, and I cannot *wait* to see if this is transferable. ❤

[@h0lda]

That sounds amazing, do you share your work?

[@SimpleDesertRose]

That's awesome do you have an Etsy shop? My duaghter has 4 18" dolls that she would love to dress up in historical garments.

[@kirstenpaff8946]

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the next step in the sewing process will always somehow be harder than the previous step, even though in theory it is supposed to be simpler.

[@SnappyDragon]

Well said! I love it.

[@Wolfsbaene]

I was already in love when you explained how you were going to use the welting cord, but what truly won me over was the dress made from bedsheets! Trawling through my local Goodwill for sheets is a favorite pastime of mine, since I love to gut them for various projects. It's so much fabric for a helluva deal!

[@SnappyDragon]

They really are great! Just don't do what I did an line an already-heavy skirt with a *second entire heavy cotton bedsheet* . . .

[@knittingmoose]

When I first joined the SCA as a teenager it was in that summer when broomstick skirts were incredibly popular. Guess what makes an amazing petticoat to fill out a skirt when you don't know what the actual underpinnings are yet!

[@Nyx773]

Thank you for this great idea!

[@beyondallmeasure]

As a disabled person, it makes me so happy to see people adapting their costuming to accommodate their needs with no judgment. 💗💗💗

[@FlybyStardancer]

Yay for a lightweight option! (Even if it was being a pain until you managed to show it who’s boss.) It does give a very lovely shape!

[@SnappyDragon]

Thank you! 💚💚💚

[@linr8260]

Oh my goodness this is SUCH a good idea. It looks so stiff too, like you could almost make an actual cage out of it. Anyway congratulations! Finding workarounds when working with a disability/illness can be such a pain... And force us to become engineers lol.

[@SnappyDragon]

The 1/4" cord, sewn into a shaped petticoat or cage framework probably would! It's a good thing I come from a long long line of engineers 😆

[@Chibihugs]

Very clever way to avoid weight but to still make your petticoat.

[@SnappyDragon]

Aww, thanks!

[@liav4102]

My best cording tip would be to check your local habitat for humanity restore for cording material they have lots of cotton, hemp, nylon etc options where you can get hundreds of yards for a few dollars which I’m pretty sure is cheaper than you are going to find in any craft store. As for Dickensian events…I found a small town that does one on their Main Street that I’m seriously considering attending next year.

[@SnappyDragon]

That's such a good tip!

[@rhondacrosswhite8048]

Galveston, Texas has their Dickens On The Strand every year the 1st week of December. It was cancelled for 2020 but should be crack for 2021. Y’all come and see us.

[@selkiemorien9006]

I was sceptical how smooth the skirt will lay, since the petticoat looked lumpy on it's own. But in the end it's absolutely fine, you can't tell at all :D It's great you discovered this hack for yourself and make your life easier at future events!

[@anonymousperson4214]

I wore a hooped petticoat for a stage production once. It was really light because it only had three hoops, but the best thing about it was the way I could pop in into a collapsed shape like those pop up laundry hampers. Total lifesaver for scuttling behind short sets. Did really swing like a lampshade though. I bet a corded petticoat would be better that way (and so warmer in winter). My favorite hoopskirt hack though was that when I got too hot, I could just sway side to side and get a wonderful breeze.

[@sArnoldsdotter]

Oh, clever solution. That corded petticoat looks like a cloud 😊 I might have said it before, but this era suits you very well. I've made two corded petticoats. The first was hand stitched with 80+ rows of fine cotton cording - not something I'm likely to be doing ever again! Turned out nicely though. The second was an experiment using a corded bedspread, as fabric with woven cords could be bought for the purpose at the time. That also worked well. They are both heavier than this though.

[@SnappyDragon]

Thank you so much! It seems like I love any silhouette with a big skirt and big sleeves, *except* the 1830s 😂

[@sArnoldsdotter]

@@SnappyDragon It does take some getting used to - I dislike the 1890's sleeves, but think some of the 1830's ones are fun. Not very consistent, but... 😁

[@euansmith3699]

There is so much patience and skill in this video.

[@SnappyDragon]

"in this video", maybe. You don't want to know what kind of language was used off-camera 🤣

[@kittycat3312]

I made my "hoop skirt" with reeds and cotton. I also care zero percent about historical-ness, so grain of salt and all that. But it gives me that conical silhouette I wanted.

[@floramew]

Historical accuracy really depends on what a recreation is going to be used _for_, I think. Since you're going for the visual aesthetic while also being accessible, the unseen construction doesn't matter. Like, imo it would only matter if someone were wearing the full getup to properly understand what it felt like, in the day. Sort of method acting as education. Or, if the construction of the piece was the point, rather than a wearable end product. So tldr, while I believe that historical accuracy in both methods and tools (and tulles, I guess 😂) have their place, I also think there's no reason anyone should be upset about this dress being more accessible to you. ... further ranging but whatever. Anyway. Tbh, even if you didn't have those conditions, there's no reason to make the dress more uncomfortable than necessary, and no one should have to disclose disability/ conditions of they don't feel it's safe, wise, or even just don't want to for literally any reason.

[@camib2864]

That is an amazing way to make a hoop skirt without so much heaviness. It looks fabulous and won't cause pain, that is a win-win!

[@redravenwing3553]

Love that you use bedsheets. I've been using sheets for all my costumes for years. It can actually be cheaper (a queen size sheet is approximately 7.1 yards of fabric ) I buy sheet sets on clearance when the stores change out "winter colors" for the "spring colors" and vice-versa, depending on the brand I can get a queen set for as low as $10 vs buying one yard of similar material for the same price (or more ) unless you tell people it's a sheet , noone will be able to tell.

[@thehydrusconstellation1844]

This video saved my cosplay!!! I’m a wheelchair user that started making and planning a cosplay with a massive hoop skirt as my petticoat before I started needing a wheelchair full time. When it came to wearing it my hoop skirt would NOT fit into my wheelchair at all! This is the perfect solution to a structured petticoat with enough flexibility for my wheelchair, thank you so much!! 💖💖💖

[@betsyhill3254]

Love the cording ..... Thank you!

[@tetchedistress]

Thank You for another lovely video. I too am disabled, and have come up with only one hack so far. For my chemise, I picked my favorite sleeveless day dress as a pattern. It was loose enough that I could wear it without bunching up as I also wear it as a nightgown. The sad part with that day dress is that it was a one of a kind, and had worn so thin that it wasn't 'decent' anymore. Yet as a pattern, I can reuse it a thousand times and no one ever sees it except for my dog or my husband. I did buy patterns at one time, however the problem between the patterns and what works for my body is that I'm a hefty human, and most patterns don't fit in the right way. Rather than adapt them I adapted garments that work into patterns. Thank You so much, I love your channel. For cording, I'm going to be using a cotton yarn. The local mega store sells it in cones, and while using a similar technique to yours, I will be cording more rows. I saw the technique in a video on stays somewhere. Thank You again, am going to be working on a corded petticoat this winter. I have a few projects ahead of it in line though. Take care. -L

[@HockityPock]

made a franken corded petti out of thrift store pillowcases and abandoned yarn last year- it's very satisfying to sew the cording in place....until you realize you've accidently put tension on it and have to gently nudge out the wrinkles in a spiral around the fabric on a 100 inch hem over 5 layers of cording!! Thank you for sharing the welting cord hack, i wonder if any of the local stores carry it....

[@SnappyDragon]

I wouldn't say I so much "gently nudged" out the wrinkles as "brutally yanked" them out 😅

[@ladyhawthorne1]

I'd say it was definitely worth the work, you look fabulous!

[@SnappyDragon]

Thank you so much! I'm looking forward to much less back pain at my future events.

[@annelooney1090]

This is the coolest thing ever

[@SirCaseyoftheLea]

This tutorial couldn't have come at a better time. I'm so glad to have found this. This will be perfect for my next project

[@saraquill]

My absolute favorite hack is sewing for dolls. They take up less fabric, and they don’t need a special occasion to wear their finery. One of my favorites for humans is using striped organdy for corded petticoats. No need for endless marking!

[@michellecornum5856]

I am not surprised you did the math. Hooray for technology making things sturdy and light. I was totally expecting this to be twisted and wound around, though, just given the nature of the foam cord. Very interesting.

[@TealCheetah]

Organdy is magical!

[@Stringist42]

This really clever! I thought you were going to use horsehair braid; it's a little bit finicky but it's lightweight and really provides a lot of body to the hem of a skirt or structure to puffy sleeves. Probably not historically accurate but like you I missed the historically accurate ship at the dock XD

[@SnappyDragon]

Horsehair petticoats were totally a thing! It's where the name "crinoline" comes from. But I was going for a level of floof that I don't think I could have gotten even that way.

[@evelynkrull5268]

Ok but thank you so much for this as I wanted to get into costuming for a while but with lupus and fibro I decided it wasn't worth it for the pain

[@SnappyDragon]

It takes some adjustment and accommodations, but it is doable! I find it really satisfying to work out the accessibility solutions when making an outfit.

[@lenaeospeixinhos]

You have a very clear enunciation and even someone whose native tongue isn't English can understand you super well but damn is it worth to put on the subtitles 😂 full of little jokes

[@canucknancy4257]

What a cool alternative. Glad you found something that worked AND was so much lighter. Looks great!

[@lenaeospeixinhos]

Omg the pleating trick 😍 thank you!

[@PocketFullofPoseys]

Awesome! I used PEX tubing and twill tape to make a light hoop skirt and it worked really well! I love the look of your corded petticoat!

[@breeinatree4811]

When doing cartridge pleats I get a length of gingham, straight on the grain is a must, and sew it to the waist. I can then gather stitch using the squares on the gingham as a guide. No measuring.

[@fumblingwiththimbles2609]

For my first bustle gown I used a narrow pillow, an a line petticoat and a simple circle petticoat pinned to fill the sides and bottom to make a perfect silhouette for bustle period gowns :-)

[@SnappyDragon]

Never underestimate Ye Olde Underskirt Pillow! Also useful if you get bored at an event and want a nap.

[@ReneePowell]

I’d be willing to bet that there were people in the period who did very similar hacks while making or obtaining the proper fashionable underthings and restyling their existing clothes to the newer fashion “Crap, I have nothing for this season’s dresses! Must scramble!”

[@kylakeloghomeky5171]

Our town has a Dickens event every year in December. I had no idea that more area embrace this event in their area! Lovely presentation and hacks!

[@elizabethhatfield2115]

I love this hack, V! Thank you!

[@cjemmeson109]

Favourite hack - curtains. You can get some pretty glorious fabric for free if you find someone redecorating.

[@breec]

That cording is amazing!!! And I'm still so in love with your corset

[@tenaoconnor7510]

That is a zipper foot. It turned out cool. I like the idea of the cording being so light. That was an awesome idea 😊

[@Ophiotterkin]

I have the same model sewing machine. Mine never could do a button hole stitch with the provided or replacement button hole feet. The level to trigger the back and forth mechanism never worked. I know it's not as detrimental as not being able to shift the needle shaft left or right, but I feel your pain. The limitations of the lower end models are felt by so many of us. And replacing them for better is just not a cost we can afford to do. I appreciate watching someone work on a machine that is literately my machine. It helps reinforce the "See, they are normal people. If they can do it, I can do it." idea everyone needs to remember. You are sooooo much appreciated for your work.

[@SnappyDragon]

Aww, thanks so much! This little machine does *amazing* things for what it cost me. I've literally sewn a leather doublet with it, and that was before I had any clue what I was doing. It regularly works far above its pay grade, which is why this is the first time ever I've found myself wanting a feature it doesn't have.

[@Ophiotterkin]

@@SnappyDragon oh wait, I am making assumptions based on what you said. You couldn't use that foot on the right side And you ran it setting on Stitch 0 width 0. So far left is how you could use it? It really doesn't move right at all? Like you can't move it to Stitch 1 width 7? That's how I would have used that foot to get the right side of the stitch. But again, I was assuming because you said it, that you can not, you already tried doing those setting or the function is 'broken' on your machine. But, hey, if you didn't know.... try it. Stitch 1, width 7 would push your straight stitch all the way to the right and you could use that foot (unless there a problem I do not know of your machine) :-D no need to answer me if you already have answered these things else were. I'll find them if I look.

[@rebeccacuthbertson1271]

As a pain in the ass that cord was to sew and gather up, that petticoat came out so beautifully V! Seriously! The shape it gives you is so freaking on point. I'm so happy for you!! I don't know if and when I'll ever need to make a corded petticoat (or hoop skirt to sub make the swap for a corded petticoat instead) but I know I'll come back here for that foam cord in a heartbeat. Thank you for sharing V!!

[@cdeg1964]

I am wondering if making the petticoat in the shape of the bell you are looking for... so shaping from the top first, would increase the smoothness of the silhouette without causing the wrangling with the cording that you had. Yes, it would be more math... sorry... but it would also... maybe... be much less work and struggle. You would also then not need to worry about gathers or pleats since it would be waist size at the top and adding the waistband would be more simple. Just a thought.

[@KathleenStidham]

I love how this turned out - I know that getting the cording in was a battle, but the final effect is so nice!

[@cherrylee1103]

that thing is incredible!!

[@catherinejustcatherine1778]

I'm so glad you found a solution! Congratulations!

[@Harko-]

The foam welting cord was a brilliant idea! I feel for you when seeing you wrestle all the fabric through the machine, but the result looks amazing.

[@janisi9262]

At the end of the video, all I can think is "How many people can you fit under that skirt?" That petticoat was a BEAST, but it came out so well! I hope it has many years of service, so you don't have to make another. (None of this is a dig at you in any manner: I've made similarly frustrating, enormous garments and I KNOW how maddening they are! Example: A fully-lined robe I sewed with right sides together that I then had to rip apart entirely - I still don't know how it went so wrong.)

[@VickyCooksalot]

Welting cord! Ingenious! Now that you're finished I hate to tell you this... In the quilting stitches of that machine is a setting that will place the needle to the right side of the foot. I only found this out after having my machine for 6 or 7 years. 😅

[@winterburden]

Cool hoop skirt! 🙆‍♀️

[@inchb.wigglet640]

People with various disabilities must have been improvising lots of ways to keep up with fashion.

[@talithacrow7530]

I like to make no sew tutus for theatre and move the tulle around to create the correct silhouette for a certain play. This way you can get so many different eras with the same garment just by sliding it around

[@SnappyDragon]

Ooooh how does one make a no-sew tutu?!

[@LixiaWinter]

An elastic for a waist band, then millions of tulle strips tied to it, like when you fold a strip in half and pull the end through the loop. Only in this case you have a bouqet of strips for the volume

[@talithacrow7530]

@@SnappyDragon usually we use ribbon as a wasitband so it's more adjustable and then tie the strips of tulle around it. Its kinda difficult to describe in text form, but there are so many tutorials and it's so simple when you get the hang of it

[@Marialla.]

Very nicely done! Wonderful upgrade in materials.

[@christineb5232]

it looks fantastic. cant wait for the next video

[@franlevaillant6749]

The first thing I wanted to say is that this concept is brilliant, the video is brilliant, you are brilliant. I have often admired corded (and quilted) petticoats from the 1830s in particular, but balked at the idea of the weight. The second thing I wanted to say... tentatively... is that I *think* it might be possible to tell your Brother machine to move the needle to the right, but it's a bit of a roundabout process. [For context, although I did use to sell Brother sewing machines, it was here in NZ and I know for certain that the models are slightly different in various markets, so if you've already tried what I'm about to suggest to no avail, I'm sorry and please feel free to tell me so I can improve my knowledge]. First you set the stitch number to one of the straight stitches (00 or 01 in your case), just as you normally would, but then the trick is to not only adjust the stitch length to whatever you want, but also the stitch width. Yes, the width is primarily there to determine the size of zigzag stitches, but because the machine isn't set to make a zigzag stitch, the stitch width adjuster will instead set the position of your needle. Set it as high as it will go, and it will move the needle to the extreme right of the needle plate. If this method works for you, it's also a way to fine-tune the position of your needle for a straight stitch, for example when trying to get close to zippers - the needle doesn't have to be simply "on the left" or "on the right". But if this doesn't work for you I really am sorry and you're awesome for managing to wrangle that sea monster.

[@SnappyDragon]

Ooooh I will have to try this! Thanks so much 💚💚💚

[@ShannonLambert]

V: "Welting cord" Me: "YES!!! SO CLEVER!!!" Carry on.

[@robintheparttimesewer6798]

Love this it’s so much easier and more obtainable!!

[@TealCheetah]

This is indeed genius!

[@ushere5791]

what a brilliant hack! as a fellow contradancer who enjoys dancing in huge skirts, i will have to try this. so far, all i've tried so far is polyester horsehair braid in all my hems, but methinks i'd really like a welting-corded organdy petticoat!

[@magiv4205]

What I love about these corded petticoats/hoop skirts is that not only are they super lightweight, they are also amazingly flexible and allow you almost perfect freedom of movement (almost no need adjusting the hoops when sitting down somewhere, for example). A downside I see is that because they are so flexible, they look like it's alot easier for them to lose their shape or get squished and then stay wonky. How do you deal with that?

[@pattischulz5379]

Thank you for this. Not only is cording lighter, it is much Less expensive. BTW, the foot you showed is a zipper foot. A cording foot has a slot in the middle and feeds the cord in the middle of the foot.

[@catherinerw1]

Brother foot I (at least in UK labelling) is the sort of cording/piping/zipper foot where you can move the foot from side to side, so it doesn't matter if your needle doesn't move around :)

[@mandysberi]

Oh god, having flashbacks from the time I sewed myself a weighted blanket before they were popular and commercially available! (shoving large amounts of fabric into my sewing machines armholes + 16 lbs of poly weight beads to hold with my left arm)

[@BethDiane]

A friend of mine got married in her mother's wedding dress, which had a petticoat stiffened with a few hoops made of electrical cord.

[@vanillabananacrepe]

OMG THAT'S SO COOL

[@JenInOz]

I tried making the "skirt" from mccalls 7306 (sorry, can't figure out how to link to a picture here) using plastic boning and twill tape, but it bowed and rippled too much to be useful. I wonder whether this foam "boning" would work better?

[@SnappyDragon]

There was a lot of bowing and rippling with this, but mostly because my overambitious self tried to make it *too* floofy. A smaller hem circumference and thinner cording and I probably would have been fine.

[@saoirsevicteoiria2759]

This is a fantastic idea! Thank you for sharing it with us!

[@CopenhagenDreaming]

Best - and also period-appropriate - hack is: Improvise with what you have available. If Victorian women had had welting cord available I'm pretty sure they would have used it. As well as a modern sewing machine and electric lights and KZbin tutorials. Fashion has at all times been about achieving the look, not how it's achieved. (Though there is also pleasure in using old-timey craft skills that are falling out of common use. I just don't see why one would ever want to be a complete purist.)

[@CopenhagenDreaming]

Also, really just re-watched this video for getting inspiration for a giant petticoat that I plan to stiffen with narrow strips of polyester felt. Because making a hoop skirt is EXPENSIVE, and cords do seem VERY heavy, even for any person with no back issues.

[@tambriggs]

Cotton sateen bedsheets! You are a genius 🤯

[@arianahernandez3932]

I'd love to try this, was the welting cord expensive or hard to find? and do you think a few rows of ruffles would help or harm the silhouette?

[@SnappyDragon]

Nope, I bought a 60yd roll for around $20-- it's very findable if googled. Some ruffles certainly might help with any lines, although the issue of the cord buckling is probably because I used too thick of cording, and too big of a petticoat. Don't be overambitious like me!

[@arianahernandez3932]

@@SnappyDragon Thank you so much! Perhaps I'll try to find a thinner type, and maybe iron it out ahead of time 🤔

[@SnappyDragon]

@@arianahernandez3932 ​ @Ariana Hernandez I used 5/32", but I think it goes as small as 1/8".

[@saritshull3909]

@@SnappyDragon could it als be possible that it wasn't thick enough? was the cording fighting the fabric or did it lose against the fabric?

[@LadyB_20]

This is sooo cool. Especially without the clunkiness of walking with a cage.

[@dressdeveloper]

Looks like you tamed the sea monster. 😉 That was fun to watch, and an impressive result. I sadly cannot share any historical sewing tips yet. Should finish my first costume before that. Not that I begun last year… 🙈

[@SnappyDragon]

I need to make buttons that say "my skirt support is a sea monster"! 🤣🤣🤣

[@arianahernandez3932]

@@SnappyDragon maybe a parchment colour with fancy script that says "Here there be sea monsters" like an old timey pirate map! :D

[@SnappyDragon]

@@arianahernandez3932 further reasons my comments section is the *the best* : y'all are just helping me stock my merch section that I will definitely ever have the spoons to make!

[@techmanfriendscrafter]

She did an excellent video and and at the end of her video, I wouldn’t really call that a hack. I call it more of a Adaptation

[@mcwjes]

My only sewing hacks are running the thread through my fingers 10-15 times with a bit of lip balm on my fingers, to train the thread to not tangle on me and make my projects smell like cookies. I also thread seven or so hand needles at once so I don't break my stitching flow or get tempted to procrastinate. Not really hacks as much as things a self taught sewist finds out the hard way.

[@saritshull3909]

You should try beeswax like we use in embroidery

[@MuseAndDionysus]

Oof that foot made everything take so much longer for you BUT the end result was worth it The petticoat turned out great!

[@alaskacosplay]

I've tried to achieve an early 1850s shape using petticoats but it was 1840s or even 1830s at best. Not to mention they are really warm and a bit itchy because they're made of stiff tulle and silk linings. I find a hoopskirt helps me with my stride while walking and my sitting since the hoops hold the petticoats away from my feet which is quite refreshing especially in hot weather.

[@SnappyDragon]

What I love about this petticoat is that it's the best of both-- stiff structure keeping a million petticoats off my legs, but lighter and a bit more collapsible than a cage crinoline. I'd probably still go for a cage (if I had one) for outdoor events where it's hot and there's lots of space, though.

[@coreygilles847]

If historically accurate is uncomfortable…definitely skip it

[@annloker4503]

a corded petticoat is itself my favourite "historical hack". i use it for a number of periods outside its ostensible ones. by manipulating what other kinds of bum pads (or lack thereof) and compressing or augmenting fullness under/over it, i can get remarkably accurate silhouettes for a wide range of periods. i actually prefer the tudor look i get with a corded petti and otherwise correct underpinnings to the irritating farthingale i had. i use one for romantic era outfits layered with another petticoat. i use it for 18th looks, too, with false rump or pocket hoops on top of it. obviously, it's great for victorian, even working with some bustle era looks. i have a much narrower, very light, corded petti that's great with edwardian walking suits, especially the wintry sorts. my other favourite non-historical-historical hack involves stitching modern bra cups into various period corsets, etc. i like the way i look better, and there's less 'smooshing' or need for, er, rearrangement. it's emphatically not period correct, but it is comfortable and i feel more relaxed wearing the corset all day this way. especially good with regency looks, where it actually is compatible with the desired period look. my transitional 'busk optional' corset with modern bra cups added is one of the most comfortable undergarments i own, of any time period.

[@katechaste]

ok question...could I, in theory, use something like the welting cord to make a corded pair of stays? As someone who wants to sew historical stuff and wear it but not having the resources, I absolutely love the idea of using alternatives from the hardware store

[@SnappyDragon]

Quite possibly! I would go with much smaller cord than this, maybe 1/8" instead of the 5/32 I used.

[@lenabreijer1311]

My daughter and my sister use zip ties for boning. They come in all different lengths from handcuff to a yard long, which we use for tieing up peonies and roses. They are washable and cheap.

[@katechaste]

@@lenabreijer1311 Thanks! I did get some zip ties, the biggest ones I could find, but turns out that they're still too short and I can't find them industrial zip ties anywhere in my town. So this idea failed on me 😅

[@katechaste]

@@SnappyDragon Thank you! I'll get some soon and try it out! Did you wash your petticoat with the cord it? does it do well in the wash I wonder?

[@lenabreijer1311]

@@katechaste my sister orders them online.

[@carolempluckrose4188]

What fabric did you use for your corset? It looks wonderful. I won't be doing a corded petticoat any time soon, but it's great to know that there are things that make life easier for making one.

[@SnappyDragon]

The corset is made from an out-of-stock cotton-backed satin from Sew Curvy. I think I bought the last meter and a half of it in existence 😭

[@barberaradford7349]

Great idea for cording. Can you add the bustle pad without having to adjust the hem?

[@susanpolastaples9688]

Thanks. What colour will your Mira Lappideau gown be? Enquiring minds want to know?

[@SnappyDragon]

I'm going to save this comment and show it to everyone who thinks my color palette is too predictable! 😂 I'll show you all in a couple weeks.

[@rachelvenardi582]

Maybe I missed it somehow, but what size of lightweight foam welting cord did you use?

[@flikkeringlightz7472]

Does my butt look big enough? No? Then let's add more stuff in!

[@rachelvenardi582]

where did you buy your lightweight foam welting cord? Do you remember what brand it was?

[@techmanfriendscrafter7767]

Looks awesome

[@Tones87]

I’m Irish I love that we’re the poor people.

[@khazermashkes2316]

Is it still helpful to email Red Barn about discrimination at Dickens Fair, as suggested in the linked video?

[@fawntheresa5338]

Wonderful!

[@medicaoctavia8002]

My favorite hacks are faking an 1890’s pouter pigeon bust with a sports bra and underbust corset and faking a bustle pad with a thrift store kidney shaped purse.

[@simplybeingelle]

I've been thinking of ways to help you with this. And it just clicked. Get some brim wire and run it along some of the foam. It will hold the shape but won't be heavy. I just relocated a hat I made with brim wire in it. I also made a new KZbin channel and will be showing my costumes. I'm cleaning my sewing room lol.

[@hakudoushinumbernine]

Can the welting cord and the organdy be washed and dried in modern machines?

[@indoora]

If you were sewing on a table that was long and a little wider than the sewing machine it would be slightly easier because the fabrick could hang down as you move it along.