LizCapism

09/08/2023

I’ve been experiencing some of the worst… creativity block(?), that I have ever had in my life during the past few months. I always say there’s nothing worse than a blank page, and that’s what I’ve been metaphorically staring at for months.
Perhaps strangely, this block is usually accompanied by a marked dip in my reading habits. And it’s usually the first thing to come back to me when I can see the light at the end of my thoroughly uninspired tunnel.
So please enjoy two books that I have been reading, which is exciting both because they are very good, and also because I think it means that I am coming out the other side of this artistic void.
… In which Liz accidentally makes a bookstagram post! 😂
Image description: two blue books, one covered with pink florals Entitled “The Book of Delights” by Ross Gay. And the other features a faun playing a flute on a pillar, entitled Piranesi by Susanna Clarke.

07/07/2023

Another photo dump for you all! Swipe for lovely Alberta scenery! A few weeks ago I took a little road trip up to Drumheller and the Hoodoo Trailhead. I got to be a big camera nerd and geek out over spectacular scenery and geological phenomena. This landscape never fails to amaze me and even though it’s not sewing stuff, you could make an argument that it is VERY historical. 😋



Any photos of me in this little gallery are courtesy of fellow camera nerd .

Image description: First two images are mid-shots of Liz in lightweight summer clothes, looking intently at the scenery and then at the picture-taker with a grin. Other images are of the hoodoos and other topological features of the Alberta badlands.

18/06/2023

New video! I made a weird craft out of my old IUD, inspired by Victorian decor. Because of course I did. The Victorians were into some pretty creepy handicrafts, so frankly I think this would have been right up their alley.
This was so much fun! Please enjoy my experimentation with epoxy resin mixing and floral arranging.
Link to the video is in my bio!
image description: thumbnail image of Liz living ok’ing sheepishly at the viewer with a before/after comparison of an IUD encased in epoxy resin.

12/06/2023

Sewing clothes by hand is such a calming experience for me. It allows me to take things slowly, which is not something I am naturally good at. I struggle with the idea of a “medium pace”. I am either rushing or at a standstill. So a steady task where I am physically limited in my speed is incredibly rewarding. I love my sewing machine, but when I am in need of a break from the slighting maddening pace of my own brain, I set it aside and take up my needle and thimble instead.
If you're looking for a way to do a thing more... deliberately(?), I highly recommend hand-sewing.


Image description: Liz sits near a window and a shelf full of houseplants, focusing intently on the black wool garment she is sewing by hand. One hand holds the fabric, and her other hand pulls a needle and thread, holding her arm across her chest, up and away from the garment.

Photo credit:

27/05/2023

The perfect way to spend a Saturday… Sporting a Lazy Historybounding skirt, in my Victorian-inspired “Pup Tent”… reading Ross Gay and watching the river go by…

07/04/2023

A little bit of a historybound look for your Friday. I wish I had gotten a shot of my outfit proper - it was a cute green dress under the cardigan. But alas, it’s still cute! Especially with the curled fringe disguising how unwashed my hair was! 🙃
Today is my first day off in weeks that I am not overwhelmed by how much moving and organizing I have to do. So that means you get a picture! Lucky lucky you.
If you are celebrating one of the three most holy holidays occurring this month, I hope it is a lovely and thoughtful time for you. If not, have a great weekend, little cuties!
Image description: Liz leans on the arm of an armchair directly, looking directly into the camera. She is wearing an ivory knit cardigan, a metal clasp-style band on her Fitbit, purple large-rimmed glasses, and a curled and pinned hairstyle for her red hair.

12/03/2023

New Video! (Link in Bio). The long-awaited "How To Scale Gridded Patterns" video, following up the video I posted in NOVEMBER asking "Should I Scale This Gridded Pattern?" Please enjoy the mad-dash, crash-course tour through all the different methods there are for scaling up one-size historical gridded patterns in the books of Janet Arnold, Norah Waugh, and other costume historians.
You all are amazing and patient and made of solid gold. This winter has been bananas. Thank you so much for waiting around for me to get myself sorted. I swear the next video is NOT going to be 3 months from now.
Image Description: YouTube video thumbnail. Liz, a curly-haired ginger, smirks proudly at the camera, surrounded by historical costuming books with the words "All The Pattern Scaling!" in bold yellow lettering beside her.

03/02/2023

Randomly landed on this frame while editing. Took a screenshot because it felt very apt to how this video editing is going. I SWEAR that I am making videos still! Really!
Image Description: Liz in mid-shot, red curly hair in slight disarray, wearing a white shirt and green vest. She is making a face that is somewhere between surprise and insanity.

24/12/2022

This is my gentle but insistent call to all of us accustomed to extreme cold : Lay Off the high-horse superiority nonsense. You’re not better prepared for winter than Florida, Texas, or any other place recently hit by freak cold snaps. You have access to municipal and domestic infrastructure, collective knowledge, service providers, local retail with the right products, and experience. Winter survival is not common sense- it is learned and practised. Offer help and advice if you can, but otherwise chill the f**k out.

Image description: Close up image of a window almost entirely frosted over and the window crank covered in frost. This frost in on the inside of the glass. It is a perfect demonstration of how even houses designed for subzero temperatures are fallible and subject to the whims of nature.

24/11/2022

“Weird doors open. People fall into things.” ― David Sedaris
There is just no way in the world I could have imagined this life for myself four years ago. It's absurd on the face of it. I cannot stress enough how much this was not planned. Sometimes the choices you make feel huge and yield very little. Sometimes you make a little, inconsequential decision, and you fall sideways into an entirely new lifestyle.
Who knew that a couple YouTube tutorials about mending thrifted clothes would bring me to the life, vocation, social group, and future I have now?
This has been your pensive and incredulous

Image Description: Liz sits in a mid-century modern chair against a black backdrop. Her pose feigns a casual demeanour, legs crossed and one elbow propped on the back of the chair. Her red hair is pulled back primly in a snood. Her outfit is a matching pencil skirt and short-sleeved blouse made with green wool with a yellow and red tartan motif.

23/11/2022

Things don't always have to be complicated. Sometimes you can give yourself a rest. It's one of the reasons I started my Lazy Historybounding videos! Dressing in historical style doesn't have to be an exercise in overthinking and obsessive details. It can also be simple things, done the easy way. Like a shirt made with rectangles, designed specifically to wear on lazy days.
Have fun and take care of yourself!

Image Description: Liz reclines on a sofa, wearing a handmade orange linen shirt. Her arms are tucked behind her head and her eyes are closed, the picture of repose and relaxation.

20/11/2022

New Video! Should You Scale Up a Gridded Pattern from Historical Fashion Books? (Link in Bio)
Historical fashion books like Patterns of Fashion, the Cut of Women’s Clothes, and etc. are amazing! But before you scale up a gridded pattern from these books you should consider if it’s the right choice for you. I can help you figure out if spending time and effort on scaling it up will be worth it for you. Enlarging a pattern is a lot of work, and it’s worth asking yourself a few basic questions first!
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Image Description: YouTube thumbnail - Liz looks askance at a picture of Patterns of Fashion 2 by Janet Arnold with the text "Probably Not" laid over the picture.

13/10/2022

Are you a Patron? Hop over to the Patreon and give me your two cents on a survey I just posted!
Not a Patron? Sign up now and you can vote!

Official Post from LizCapism

08/10/2022

I'm back at it! After a break to support family during a health event, I am back to being on social media! I have been working on some stuff while I was away in spare moments, so hopefully it won't be too long until I am releasing new videos for you! Thank you so much to everyone for your patience and kindness while I was away!

31/08/2022

Hey folks! Posts and Stories will be temporarily on hold due to a family health situation which I am helping with. Everyone is safe, but this situation will require my ongoing attention for a bit. Automated posts may still appear but I will not be available to answer direct messages or comments. Thank you for your understanding.

10/08/2022

Are you a patron? First of all, thank you. Second of all, there are some changes coming to the Patreon in the next few weeks. Check out the post below (only accessible to Patrons) for details.

Join LizCapism on Patreon to get access to this post and more benefits.

03/08/2022

"Give me the splendid silent sun, with all his beams full-dazzling;” -Walt Whitman
Ok, summer sun. You can calm the heck down. This is just showing off. It’s embarrassing.
I’m back to making videos! This selfie was taken during some outdoor filming and I am SO HAPPY to be back in the saddle, finally.
Any guesses what the topic is, based solely on this photo?
Image Description: Close up shot of Liz, with bright red lipstick, red nail polish, a purple bob haircut, wearing a black felt sun hat and teal jacket. A bright lens flare streams in from the top of the frame in a way that seems staged, but Liz promises is genuine.

12/07/2022

Muse and Dionysus] has a birthday coming up! Why not give them the gift of fully funding this initiative? No money? No problem! SHARE THIS BASTARD ALL AROUND.
Image description: screencap of a post by Muse and Dionysus] which reads: They’re a Ten but the most anti-racist thing they ever did was post a black square.

01/07/2022

In the spirit of respect, reciprocity and truth, I honour and acknowledge Moh’kinsstis, and the traditional Treaty 7 territory and oral practices of the Blackfoot confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda and Tsuut’ina nations. I acknowledge that this territory is home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3 within the historical Northwest Métis homeland.

I am a descendant of colonizers, and therefore also a member of Treaty 7, of whom the Crown is a signatory.

I am a guest here. I am grateful, but not satisfied. I will not be satisfied until the stewardship of the land is turned over, reparations made, and sovereignty returned to its original caretakers and inhabitants.

Image Description: Above text is overlaid a composite background of orange fields and grass, a grey sky, and clouds.

20/06/2022

Got a Quick and Dirty Vancouver Fabric Store Tour with today. If I keep meeting CosTubers on holiday I will run out of money in a quick hurry…

Image description: Liz and Melissa, both masked, taking a selfie amongst a forest of colourful fabric bolts.

02/04/2022

When it’s 8 pm and you can’t be arsed to set up a proper “reveal” shoot… Photoshop is a marvellously silly thing. This is a sneak-peek of my Regency “Men’s” Trousers, which will be the opening salvo to a new project!
Image description:
First image is full-body shot of a red-headed woman, wearing a white button-up, cream wool cardigan, and tan regency-era fall-front trousers. She leans casually against the edge of the frame, having been superimposed on an image of a garden archway.
Second image is same photo, but in its original locale, a messy studio.

28/02/2022

New video! A Medieval Kirtle for my Favourite Medieval Poet.

I made a medieval gown inspired by one of my all-time favourite poets, Christine de Pizan! This video is the penultimate video in my medieval kirtle series ...

05/12/2021

Community Sources! Featuring Tasha Kelly from La Cotte Simple. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/3PJy_xe1ieM

Do you know where to find historical clothing information from within the historical costuming community? When you find the resources and information, how do...

28/11/2021

https://youtu.be/XWpt1pGXDYo

How can you research historical costuming when historical accuracy is impossible to achieve? What is even the point of doing research? Should you abandon any...

21/11/2021

New video!

Let's make some historical skirts for lazy historybounding! Want to try historical dress, but also laze around the house? This is the video for you! In a sin...

27/10/2021

New video! Check out some of my Agatha Christie-inspired makeup looks while I answer your questions about Cozy Mysteries.

Cozy Mysteries are all the spookiness I can handle - so come and chat with me while I put on some Cozy Mystery inspired makeup looks for this halloween spook...

17/10/2021

100 Years of Pattern Drafting: My Fall Historybound Wardobe https://youtu.be/SyIRu8sd944

I made 5 outfits for fall from 5 different Sewing Pattern Drafting Guides! They span over 100 Years, from 1895 to 1972, for a historybounding wardrobe worthy...

14/08/2021

is next week and I am hosting an Instagram event on Friday August 20th. Below is a transcription of the text in the above images.
Let’s have a Book Bash!

Share pictures of your book-inspired costumes, your cosplay-themed or historical bookish accessories, your favourite costuming manuals and guides, or anything else that blends your love of costumes and books.

Is it bookish?
Is it costume-ish?
Then it's perfect.

Friday, August 20th, I will be sharing, reposting, commenting, and celebrating posts with the hashtag .
While the love of books is eternal, and the hashtag may live on, reposting will stop at 11:30pm Pacific so I can sleep.

I will happily share and repost your beautiful pictures with the following exceptions:
1. Racism, cultural appropriation, or culture-as-costume will not be tolerated whether or not it is intentional.
2. If the image is of a minor wearing anything that might be construed by Instagram guidelines as sexual.
3. Images that depict violence or warfare. (Costume-appropriate weapons being held, but not in active use, are OK.)

I cannot be aware of every book plot or character featured and may not be aware of a violation of these standards before reposting.
If I inadvertently repost an image that is harmful or hateful let me know ASAP.
My repost will be taken down immediately no questions asked, and reparative action taken.
While I cannot control the posts of other users, I will inform the original poster in the hopes that they do the same.

See You Then!

07/07/2021

I mean… we all know the answer is … (sorry for the terrible screenshot quality, Jimmy!) Go watch his most recent video - a really simple but effective bit of kit for a costumer/reenactor is a hat!

I just wanted an excuse to share my own medieval pillbox hat from my Herjolfsnes project last year. I didn’t make it on camera, but I AM wearing it in the final reveal footage. Check it out if you like!

13/06/2021

informs me that today is Sewing Machine Day!
Whether you sew with an antique machine, a hand-me-down from an aunt/mother/cousin/granda, or a brand-new model with all the trimmings - it’s all good! It’s all sewing.
Even if the machine is YOU!