SnappyDragon

I FINALLY made it to an SCA event, where I FINALLY got to hug and and FINALLY got to make a video about what medieval reenactment weekends are like! You can watch it in all the usual places : Channel, bio, stories.

Friends, we are doing a RUMP ROAST, and I need your best and silliest historical fake butts!

This year my birthday falls on a Friday, which means it shall be a Video Release Day. As a present to myself, I hereby declare that video will be 100% Pure Goofy Nonsense. Opus Elenae’s Discord server is to thank/blame for this, especially Christina who came up with The Great Pun Itself.

18th century false rumps, bustles, bumrolls, and any other butt-shaped or padded skirt support you can think of : I will be mocking and then ranking them in a tier list for your amusement and my own. But (butt?) here’s where you come in! There are so many examples of weird skirt-floofing garments out there, and I want to hear about the wildest ones you’ve ever seen. So, please send me your favorite historical false rumps! (Per the below submission guidelines.)

Acceptable rumps must :

- Be on-theme. This means they must be either stuffed (bumrolls, bustle pads, et c) or butt-shaped (wire bustles). Cage crinolines are delightful but not butt-shaped, and I am determined to keep to the pun.
- Be a real thing that existed. Extant garments, antiques, patent documents, and reliable primary source descriptions are all acceptable. Satirical cartoons (such as anything from Punch Magazine) are not, even though they’re hilarious.
- Be sent in with the necessary source information. Please include as much of the following as you can : Name/official description, date or era, region it’s from, where it currently is (museum, private collection, et c), any relevant copyright info (who owns the image?).

Rumps for roasting may be sent to my Instagram DMs , or my channel e-mail (SnappyDragonStitches at G Mail dot com). I will do my best to talk about as many as I can, but as I really don’t know how may submissions to expect, I may have to choose based on comedic value. So, uhh, make me laugh. It’s for my birthday.

if you can't be anachronistic when dressed for a ren faire, when can you? alternate title : hey look my friend and i made a thing together and she's hella cute in it! Patrons will have seen the whole adventure . . . the rest of y'all just get to wait until tomorrow

photographed by , outfit made by me and Natalie

Honored guests . . . we are here to solve a MURDER.

But who, or what, has been murdered? Are they truly dead, or is this all a clever ruse? Find out tomorrow (or join the Patreon, if you simply can't wait 😁)

🌶️ is this content too spicy for FB? 🥵 tell me if so, and why, in the comments 😈

(Patrons will already know . . . but it's more fun if I make you all guess.)

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It is AGGRESSIVELY summery today, otherwise known as linen sundress weather! This dress is made from 's "Robin" blouse pattern, hacked and attached to a circle skirt. But that's not the only unusual thing about its construction : this dress is ENTIRELY hand-sewn. Every stitch, even the buttonholes. But is it historically accurate? HECK NO.

Here's the thing : By the 1950s, even most homemade garments were completely machine-made. Techniques had been developed to avoid hand sewing in almost all cases, and hand-finishing was reserved for high-end clothes or special situations. So the fact that I hand-sewed this entire dress is actually LESS historically accurate than making it by machine!

But, given where my health was in 2022, hand-sewing was much more accessible to me that sitting at the sewing machine. Thanks to my and making a mess of my shoulders, I couldn't sit in a chair for long enough to do much machine sewing. Hand-sewing meant I could work on this dress in bed, even when I wasn't well enough to get up.

I don't care that it's not historically accurate. I got to sew a dress I love in a way that worked for me, and over a year later it's still one of my favorite things to wear. This is what we mean by "Don't let the PERFECT be the enemy of the DONE"! If I'd tried to machine-sew this dress-- the historically accurate thing-- I probably would never have finished it.

Fabric : IL020 lightweight linen in "Dawn" from
Lining : 3.8oz linen from
Pattern : the "Robin" blouse by
Photos : (how many people get to have their picture taken by the maker of their outfit's pattern? 💚 )

Remember I said in my last video "I have no association with the authors of these books I am talking about"? Yeah, well, that lasted all of FOUR HOURS, after which I got an e-mail from the authors M. A. Carrick : "Hi, we hope it's okay to e-mail you, a fan sent us your video, we already know and like you, want to interview us about fashion?"
Dear friends, I SHRIEKED. And then I texted who recommended the books to me, and she also shrieked.
Let me tell you, talking to Marie and Alyc is an absolute delight, and I am so excited that I'll get to share our conversation with you on the channel! We chatted about fashion history as inspiration, bringing together multiple historical and cultural influences to build a fantasy aesthetic, and the role of fashion and costuming in storytelling. Also, they have been kind enough to run a GIVEAWAY with me! Stay tuned for details, and if you simply cannot bear to leave getting book-related shinies up to chance, GO CHECK OUT THEIR KICKSTARTER : https://loom.ly/6QmB-Fo

Art by of the famous duel from

In which Vi pretends to be , but in historical dress : I gotta gush about these books! The Rook and Rose series, in addition to being some GREAT fantasy novels, has an amazing amount of fashion history and historical sewing detail worked into the storytelling. Fictional works and historical fantasy may not always represent historical fashion accurately, but as long as the representations suit the story they are telling, who cares?!

Drop your favorite fashion-favorable fantasy book titles in the comments! (No, this isn't about my reading list, why do you ask? 😁)

My outfit :
dressing gown made by lengthening a blouse pattern, out of an Ikea duvet cover + old bedsheets
Modern pajama set in shot linen from

My class on making Ren Faire costumes Jewish is now available to all! Thanks so much to for hosting and recording this class. Whether you're dressing up for the first time or a veteran Ren Faire attendee, whether you love historical research or prefer fantasy cosplay, these concepts can guide research and costume design to connect with Jewish history (or any other marginalized background). There's also a digital handout full of sewing pattern recommendations and fabric choices. Check it out here : https://loom.ly/TNUXxqE

Swipe to see the Ren Faire outfit transformation : Historically accurate -> Ren Faire fantasy! I love sticking to fashion history when dressing up in costume, but sometimes I want to have it both ways. While the first outfit is historically accurate for late 16th century Western Europe, it doesn't have the fantasy vibe I like to bring with me to the ren faire-- and while some details of historical dress make hot weather easier, it can be tricky to survive a hot day at a crowded event wearing extra layers.

To restyle it for Ren Faire aesthetic and my own comfort : Lose the sleeves, lose the tichel (sorry, not for me) and let the hair down in a fun braid, add a cool-looking leather belt, and tuck the kirtle skirts up to show off the contrasting petticoat. Same historical dress, but a totally different look!

What costume pieces do you like making multiple looks out of?

Apparently I do classes now?! and I I want to help make your Ren Faire costumes a Jewish experience, from historical research to sewing pattern recommendations and fabric choices. This class is FREE, so y'all better make a good show and drag your friends along! See you next Monday 7/24 at 3pm Pacific time. You can register here : https://loom.ly/pDYVRxY

Outfit : Rectangular-cut linen shirt with fabric buttons, linen kirtle lined with pad-stitched canvas for support, pleated linen petticoat, linen tichel, hat from a vendor at NorCal Ren Faire last year, veil/sleeve pins from my dear . And glasses, and headphones, because sometimes the camera setting test shots come out well 🤣

I broke the sewing process for The Clothes On Their Backs up into two episodes to give each of these extremely detailed clothing reproductions the time and attention they deserve. Episode 3 focuses on the skirt and overskirt construction, how working-class dressmakers would have adapted the opulent Natural Form fashions to suit their budgets. Episode 4 focuses on the dress bodice, the most carefully fitted part of the dress.

I heavily considered the issue of fabric waste in cutting out this dress. While we think of cotton print as relatively inexpensive these days, the fabric for this dress would have taken a working class woman like my great great grandmother weeks of saving her pennies. I get enough cutting anxiety when cutting into a nice fabric as it is, can you imagine what taking a pair of scissors to the most expensive thing in your closet must have felt like?

These videos explore sewing techniques popular in the Victorian era / 19th century for creating beautiful yet durable garments with very little waste. Link in bio for the full episodes!

Gorgeous photo taken in Battery park by , and equally gorgeous design sketch also by Ora!

As we lead up to the final episode of The Clothes On Their Backs, I want to reflect a little on the unique challenges of reconstructing a 19th century / Victorian dress for a working class woman.

Drafting systems like the patterns we rely on today for womenswear were actually pretty new in the 1880s. Flat drafting methods were used in tailored menswear for a really long time, but for womenswear and for working peoples’ clothes, things they made at home, you would either drape a fabric pattern right onto the person’s body, or take a pattern from clothing they already had.

And I feel like that last method would probably have been the most familiar to Carolina, but I haven’t read anything explaining how to do it! There’s a lot of these things throughout history where it was considered such an obvious or basic life skill, the sort of thing every person would know how to do, that it was rarely written down.

In episode 2 of The Clothes on Their Backs, "Reconstructing my ancestor's Shabbos dress without... anything?" I go into more detail about how I approached designing and sewing this dress, with no pattern or even photo reference to work from.

Dress reveal time, I guess! Tomorrow (or today if you're a Patron), you can finally see my great-great-grandma Carolina's best dress in all its ordinary, realistic glory. The next installment of The Clothes On Their Backs is a getting-dressed episode, from the chemise and drawers all the way to hat and gloves, as a Victorian-era working class immigrant girl would get dressed for Shabbat.

Those of you who guessed we filmed this in : you were right! They were kind enough to let us shoot this episode in the exhibit that best reflected a Jewish immigrant's tenement from 1881, although my ancestors' likely did not live in circumstances as nice as this. did SUCH amazing work on this shoot, I literally have no words.

We had THE BEST location ever to shoot this week's episode of . . . guess where? Or you can wait until it premieres on Youtube Wednesday morning (Tuesday for Patrons 💚)

But why am I in my underwear (again)? We shot an entire getting-dressed sequence, from the innermost layers all the way through accessories. I've always wanted to do one of these, and I am beyond excited with how it's come together.

Outfit : 19th century working class chemise made in in cotton muslin, with no decoration.
Photo :

Exciting news! I'm thrilled to announce my long-awaited project "The Clothes On Their Backs," a historical costuming series exploring the fashion history of my own Jewish immigrant ancestors. I'll be partnering with the Jewish Writers Initiative to bring this project to life, diving into the rich history of fashion and the personal narratives woven into each garment.

As part of the project, I'll be inviting you to share stories of your own historical garments inspired by articles of clothing worn by your own ancestors, honoring their memory and bringing their stories to life through fashion. Let's sew our way through history together! Stay tuned for more updates and behind-the-scenes glimpses.

Taking this me-made 1950s style dress off to a dance weekend in the woods! I'm going to twirl until my little feets fall off, because this skirt deserves it.

This dress was featured in in an article by on sewing with scoliosis. Wearing it out in the world and seeing people's reactions has been a really interesting metaphor for how people view disability! People don't tend to notice my spinal curve in this dress, because the dress is cut to fit my asymmetrical shape as well as a symmetrical person's clothes would fit theirs. They're often surprised, because they expect all clothes on an asymmetrical person to look ill-fitting and awkward. Society expects something like a spinal curvature to be fundamentally incompatible with a good fit, just like it expects disability to be fundamentally incompatible with a good quality of life. No amount of structural accessibility will make having chronic pain not, well, painful. But so many of other problems we attach to disability are not inherently part of it. Those are the fit issues. Those are the wrinkles and awkwardness and misplaced lines the world expects to see in my clothes. Those are the problems solved by making something with disability or difference in mind.

Dress bodice pattern : the Gina blouse by
Fabric : printed cotton lawn from
Shoes : the Ida sandal by
Photos :

Wrong answers only : Why am I making this face? 😘 😉 Leave your guesses in the comments . . .

(Patreon subscribers who know the answer, y'all better not spoil it.)

You're welcome to guess why I took all these photos in my underwear . . . but I'm not telling 😉 💕

(custom-drafted asymmetrical Edwardian corset in vintage silk brocade from , handsewn Edwardian combinations underwear with lace insertion.)

cheekier sneak peek? 💕

(i promise, there is a point to this beyond showing off the hand-done flossing on this Edwardian corset, and the beautiful lacing hook I got from . but it's more fun if I don't tell you.)

sneak peek? 😘 🥵

(Hand-sewn Edwardian combinations underwear with lace insertion, silk stockings from )

Guys, I'm in a magazine! I was super excited to chat with about the importance of scoliosis and disability representation in the sewing world. With scoliosis and fibromyalgia, it can be really challenging to make clothes that are comfortable, well-fitting, and supportive. Plus, so much of the advice on sewing for scoliosis focuses mostly on creating the illusion of a straight spine! Learning to adapt patterns to fit my particular body shape lets me wear beautiful dresses that don't try to mask how my body is different.

I'm grateful to Simply Sewing for giving me the opportunity to share my story, and for talking openly about disability representation. If you want to read the full feature with more scoliosis sewing tips from .circle and , you can find it in issue 108 of Simply Sewing Magazine.

Dress bodice pattern : the Gina blouse by
Fabric : printed cotton lawn from
Shoes : the Ida sandal by
Photos :

Beware, ye fair maidens, for I have Regrets! Forsooth, I hoped "online dating" would bring me a different kind of gentleman. But lo and behold, the louts of yesterday have merely updated their methods of disturbing a lady's peace. Aye, they may have donned a virtual armor of charming words, but the true colors of a knave still shine through. Prithee, here's to hoping that there's a worthy knight* hidden in the digital realm, with a true heart and gentle spirit-- or mayhaps I shall forsake dating apps forevermore and get me to a nunnery.

New video in which I react to medieval dating advice is up on Youtube! Link in bio, you know the drill.

*Still not entertaining suitors in comments or DMs.

💕 Oh, how thrilling it is to be a medieval maiden in search of love in this modern age! I am delighted to be embarking on this journey in search of my perfect match. With my charming personality and unwavering love for all things chivalrous and romantic, I am sure to win the heart of a gentleman who is just as kind and courteous as I am. This experience will surely be nothing short of a proper courtly romance!

*Suitors are not being entertained in comments or DMs.

'Tis the age of chivalry and courtly love, but alas, even medieval maidens must embrace modern ways 🤦‍♀️💻 I find myself in uncharted waters, setting up an "online bio" for "internet dating." Pray tell, which of these three photos best captures my spirit of romance and adventure, and will attract a suitable courtship match? 💕

(This is definitely for a 100% serious dating profile that I am actually making, which is not even a little bit strictly for comedic purposes.) /sarcasm

Dry shampoo, sulfate free shampoo bars, and more : medieval hair care products, or modern inventions? If you want the answers to yesterdays' "Evidence or Not" game about old hair products, here's where you get them! I'll also post them later today.
I had so much fun dusting off my hairstylist credentials to get into the history of what products were and weren't used for medieval hair styling. Link in my bio-- and thanks to for rescuing this video more than once by being Costube's research library desk 💚

Corsets weren't torture, they're just bras . . . how many of us LIKE our bras??? I've FINALLY recorded my hot take(tm) as to whether corsets were torture devices or better than the most comfortable bra ever . . . as usual, the answer is "fashion history isn't that simple". Join me for a look at period underwear catalogs, retail practices, why corset shopping was a lot like bra shopping, and more! Link to the Youtube video is in my bio and stories.

Jews in : the full video comes out today! And this is just about the best way I can sum it up . . .

(link in bio!)

I'm giving away my old costume! Now that I've made a new kirtle, I'm giving away my previous outfit so it can find a new home and free up space in my closet. Details on the outfit are below; even if this isn't your size you can still share the post in case it will fit someone you know!

There are four pieces in this costume :
-A knee-length full-sleeved off-white cotton chemise with a drawstring neckline and an 86" body circumference. Made this when I was a very new costumer, and it shows a bit.
-A reversible front-lacing bodice with adjustable shoulders, one side dark green twill and the other black microsuede, with steel bones at center front. Measures 24" at the waist with no lacing gap, 13" back neckline to waist, only piece in this outfit I didn't sew myself.
-Two separate cartridge-pleated skirts, both 24-25" waist and 39" long, closing with hooks and eyes. The green one is poly-cotton canvas, the black one is a repurposed plain weave cotton bedsheet.

To be entered, participants must :⁠
1. Share this post, and/or a photo of you at a Ren Faire, to your Stories! One entry per person though, so no bonuses for doing both.
2. Use the Link Sticker to add a link to my latest video about Ren Faire costumes to the Story share. The link is in my bio.
3. Tag me! Otherwise I might not see your entry and can't count it.

One entry per person. Worldwide shipping included. The winner will be chosen by entering participants into a spreadsheet, then using a random number generator to select an entry. If they do not respond to a DM within 48 hours, I will choose another. The giveaway closes at 1pm Pacific time on October 5th, 2022.⁠
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Per Instagram rules, this promotion is in no way sponsored, administered, or associated with Instagram, Inc. By entering, entrants confirm that they are 13+ years of age, release Instagram of responsibility, and agree to Instagram’s terms of use.

A 50s summer dress . . . but is it or ? New video out today on this block-print cotton sundress!
What two eras of would you combine in one outfit?

Wanna see what's under this corset? 😏 Well, unless you're a Patron, you'll have to wait until tomorrow. . . Not like that, people! Get your minds out of the gutter, we're talking about perfectly respectable bustle pads here.

So many of you were interested in the comb I used in my medieval haircare experiment, so now you can win one-- and more! Jackie of and I are giving away one of their complete Healthy Historical Haircare kits, including shipping to anywhere in the world. The kit includes the same double-sided golden sandalwood comb I used in my experiment, a 2oz bottle of hair/beard oil in the winner's choice of scent, a length of satin ribbon for braiding/hair taping, and my favorite of all : two bronze trefoil hairpins. These pins are replicas of an extant medieval hairpin, made of sturdy hammered bronze, and work for a variety of medieval and modern styles. Two of these pins are enough to hold my waist-length, thick, curly hair in a secure bun, and much more comfortable than clips or other hairpins. More info on the kit, including a list of hair oil fragrances, is available at Rigr Crafts' website, link in my bio.⁠
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To be entered, participants must :⁠
1. Follow both me and .⁠
2. Share this post, AND the link to my medieval haircare experiment video, to your Stories!⁠ The link can be found in my bio.⁠
3. Tag me (), otherwise I won't see your entry and cannot count it.⁠
⁠
One entry per person. Worldwide shipping included. The winner will be chosen by entering participants into a spreadsheet, then using a random number generator to select an entry. If they do not respond to a DM within 48 hours, I will choose another. The giveaway closes at 1pm Pacific time on May 7th, 2022.⁠
⁠
Per Instagram rules, this promotion is in no way sponsored, administered, or associated with Instagram, Inc. By entering, entrants confirm that they are 13+ years of age, release Instagram of responsibility, and agree to Instagram’s terms of use.

Today is launch day for t-shirt collection! So, I present to you in a t-shirt 3 -- Get creative with eras! Sure, 1890s skirts go with anything, but a works just as well. I was especially happy this look worked out because of the origin story of this shirt's design : check out their absolutely hilarious video at the link in my bio. This apron dress is made 100% of SHAPES, so I hope I have done my dear friends proud.⁠
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Thanks again to them for sending me one of their designs for free! I can't recommend the quality of these shirts enough. Go check out all their other designs, and hopefully now you have lots of ideas for how to style them!

in a t-shirt, look 2 - Swap out your blouse! A t-shirt can stand in for a blouse in nearly any historical outfit, whether it's a that would normally have a blouse under it, or an 18th century jacket with the pinned closure left open. Jackets, vest and skirt sets, jumper dresses . . . the possibilities are endless!⁠
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t-shirt collection goes live in only 4 days, so don't forget to follow them and check out all the other designs they have. This is literally one of the comfiest and best-fitting t-shirts I own! So grateful to them for sending me a free shirt 💚