Dear Venturers, Good evening! Today I would like to talk about some 18th Century undergarments, why you don't need patterns for most of them, and instructions for making them.  Stays: Please, please, please buy a pattern!!! Shifts: Shifts are surprisingly easy to make. Here's how I made mine...  fold your white linen in half and cut out a rectangle (long enough to reach from your shoulders to below your knee) with the top end (one of the short ends) on the fold.  cut a semi-circle into the center of the folded edge (this will be your neck hole) cut an elongated triangle and two more rectangles (sleeve length) from the linen unfold the main body of the shift and sew in the pieces as shown fold it over again and sew the remaining seams Petticoats: Again, it's not to bad. Here's how I did mine...  You'll  need to start with a very long rectangle of fabric that is as wide as your waist to floor measurement (don't worry about seam allowance because you'll want it...

Dear Venturers, Good afternoon! Today I found an old turkey feather (don’t ask why) in the back of my desk. I had the random motivation to stop my search for the paper I needed to do real and productive things, and make a quill pen. Then of course I needed ink. And so... here’s how to do it yourself!  1. Remove the flaky stuff and the fluffy stuff Before you cut the feather, you should consider how much “feather” you want to keep on the feather. I prefer the pretty aesthetic of an intact feather, but it’s up to you!Use your finger nail to peel off the membrane around the feather. 2. Cut the tip off Use scissors to cut off the tip of the feather. 3. Take out the flaky stuff that’s inside There’s a waxy sort of thing (it does have a proper name) inside the feather. I used a bobby pin because why not. 4. Cut diagonally  Use scissors to cut of the side of the feather at a diagonal angle.  5. Cut a small shelf-like thing and clean up the edges I used these small wire cutter th...

Dear Venturers, Greetings! Today I stained some of the floors in my dollhouse, and I made a video to share. Here it is!  Venturing in the Prior is on Pinterest!