Feature Friday: Tiger Lily's Threads
Whether it’s a stunning fantasy ball gown or a meticulously crafted historical accessory, this month’s feature shows off her creativity and talent in a myriad of ways!
Though she only launched her shop a few years ago, Nastassia of Tiger Lily’s Threads has been making beautiful things for far longer. “My interest in creating historical clothing began roughly in my first year of junior high school in the mid-90s,” she shared. “During that time, I was participating in Rev. War reenactments and volunteering on weekends at Mount Vernon; so naturally, my focus on fashions from the past sprouted from that. As I reached adulthood, my desire and curiosity for history and material culture and creating historical ensembles grew. I delved into other periods that I found alluring, such as the Regency period, as well as the Victorian and Edwardian Eras.”
It was with that love for history at the forefront of her mind that she decided to open her own Etsy store in 2022. “For my shop, the focus is on hand-crafting unique 18th and early 19th century items and ensembles,” Nastassia continued. “I am also a huge stickler for the high quality of the item, rather than quantity of the item. When I create a project I want to make sure that what the customer is receiving is the perfect piece (whether it's coming off the sewing machine, knitting needles, or hand-sewn, I ALWAYS check the quality).”
Currently her work centers on ready-to-wear items, but Nastassia also likes to push herself with larger projects for the shop periodically. “I used to take sewing commissions, but I quickly realized that my work schedule and assignments conflicted with the deadlines. So as a result, I only make pre-made items,” she explained. “I mostly focus on accessories because it’s easier getting sizing and measurements right than if I were to make full outfits. However, I am learning to move out of that comfort zone; there are a few garments I have tested that I have up for sale currently.”
But her passion for creating doesn’t apply solely to historical garments. One of her most recent makes, a fantasy, historical-inspired cosplay, is also one of her favorites. “I would have to say my most exciting and yet challenging project I’ve worked on, was my Drolta Tsuentez cosplay from the Netflix show Castlevania Nocturne,” she shared. “There is no real life example of the outfit that I chose to recreate. I was going completely by the concept art that the animators rendered. So with that, I had to get creative and find appropriate pattern pieces and fabrics that would best fit this unique gown.”
“Before getting into historical costuming, I also used to cosplay when I was in high school and in my early years of college,” she added. “I did it for over 15 years, until I backed away and focused on historical costuming full-time. So revisiting those crafting skills and adding them to my knowledge of 18th century clothing really came into play there, and it looked so much better than I imagined.”
You can find all of Nastassia’s offerings in her Etsy shop, Tiger Lily’s Threads, and you can see more of her beautiful creations on her Instagram, @tiger.lilys.threads.