Redthreaded Blog

After all the hard work of creating a costume, whether historic or cosplay, documenting it can feel like just one more thing to tackle. But what if rather than an afterthought the photography was the point? And what if that photography was taken in a fascinating and unusual way? Enter this month’s feature, Victorian Photography Studio!

Caps are the quintessential 18^th century accessory, and no one does them better than this month’s featured business—Goodwives Linens!

From elegant historically inspired designs to whimsical creations, Bluestocking Designs features a wide range of jewelry and accessories perfect for modern or costume wear.

This month’s feature is The School of Historical Dress!  Best known for their meticulous research, the School’s purpose is to “encourage new research into historical dress and introduce students to the tools needed for this, such as how to study an object, to identify its materials, cut, construction and historical context.”

Fashion trends are always cyclical, and styles from the Edwardian era have been having a major resurgence in recent years. Whether you are looking to put together an outfit for a full historical look, or you want to incorporate a few history-bounding pieces in your modern wardrobe, you can’t go wrong with this month’s featured business: Gibson Girl Dress

Online fabric shopping is a trial at the best of times. Finding just the right pattern or print can be frustrating, and add to that the extra challenge of finding something appropriate for a historical project…But this month’s feature to the rescue! Renaissance Fabrics specializes in natural-fiber fabrics for all your historically inspired projects.

Founded in 2012, Shocking Bad Hats is the place to find all your extravagant and fabulous millinery needs! The shop specializes in late 18th century and early 19th century styles but also has a wide range of hats and bonnets from a variety of other time periods. Styles include everything from the Regency to the 1920s and even historically-inspired fantasy creations.

This month’s featured business, Penny River, LLC, specializes in historical accessories and sewing supplies, and their kits, in particular, are fan favorites. Owner Jess knows that there is nothing quite so satisfying as a well-stocked kit, so each one in the shop comes with everything you need to start making the project immediately, including pins, thread, needles, pre-cut pieces, etc.

It seems a universal rule of sewing is that one can never have enough patterns. Even with an overflowing stash, the right one is never there when you need it for a specific project. So if you haven’t heard of this month’s business before, it’s time to add them to your shopping list for just those moments!

With cozy season in full swing, many of us are planning our winter wardrobe projects, and this month’s featured  business will certain spark some inspiration! For over 15 years, Decades of Style has been providing high-quality reproduction sewing patterns, perfect for your vintage or modern closet.

It all started with a regency dress, but since then, In the Long Run Designs has expanded to encompass a wide range of art forms—cosplay, historical costuming, photography projects, and a small business specializing in historically inspired jewelry and accessories.

“Remember what your hands can do.” Sewn Company’s motto reflects its central mission—"to reconnect you to yourself, your past ,and your global community with a needle and thread.”  

Owner Sarah E. Woodyard has taken her decade of experience of sewing and interpreting at the Margaret Hunter Shop in Colonial Williamsburg and applied these historic techniques to modern practice, providing education and inspiration to encourage and promote a love of hand sewing.