one dress to rule them all...the story of an addiction

I just realized, that I'm in my tenth year of sewing addiction!! On that occassion I bring you some pictures of my first handmade pieces. Have fun :D

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Ten years ago I decided, that I need a Lord of the rings costume. First I needed it only for carnival, but when this was over I still wanted to have one of those dresses. The first picture below shows my first costume, it was a skirt from my mom and some other clothes I put together. Nothing self-made at this point.

Trying to buy one wasn't successful, because they were quite expensive back then. I just finished my A-levels back then and while I was learning for my biology test, I had the idea to teach myself how to sew. My mom had an 25-year-old Veritas, so I thought I could give it a try, what can be so difficult about it ;)
I ordered some cheap fabric and a sewing pattern and started. I don't have pictures of this very first disastrous thing, but somehow it got me hooked. This "dress" was made from two fabrics, that just didn't work together and of course I did not know anything about grainlines or things like that. In addition to that it had the dimensions of a tent. I used a Mccalls pattern back then and didn't know about the American sizes. Anyways, it was enough to keep me going, so I made the white and golden dress below after that first try.

The fantasy costumes brought me to medieval dresses and so I gained interest for authentic clothing through the centuries. The Victorian era was my favorite and so I started making bustle dresses with corsets and steel-boned underskirts. I sewed miles of ruffles and when I made the corsets, my room looked like tool shop, not like a sewing room (which was my bedroom, btw). But it was fun and I still love the dresses of that era, although I don't make them anymore (no space for that, I just don't live in a castle).

I still make costumes, but as you may have noticed, I found my soft-spot of sewing in the 1940s and 1950s. But anyways, I just love all kind of crafts, especially sewing. So thank you Lord of the Rings, you got me hooked on a needle.

(credits)

If you are new to the wonderful world of sewing, all I can say is:

Each crooked seam brings you closer to perfect straight ones and your seam ripper is your best friend :)