Workshops

Denise Winter (or Miss Denise), proprietor of Denise Nadine Design, has been designing and constructing historical clothing and costumes for both ladies and gentlemen for many years. She has dedicated even more years to the research and study of 19th century clothing and customs. Most recently, she has developed her own product line of period corsets for women and waistcoats (vests) for men. Denise's design and construction capabilities have earned many awards throughout the years.
Contact Information:
(719) 592-1648 or dnwinter@comcast.netrks

Hat Making Workshops

Class length: 8 hours Each participant constructs a buckram frame hat from start to finish and ends up with their own hat. Ask about detials.

March 29, 2008 -Old Colorado City Historical Society is sponsoring a hat workshop in Colorado Springs, CO - Fee $48 Contact Denise: 719-592-1648 for details

Fashion and Understructure in the Victorian Era and Beyond

This is an informative, entertaining presentation / demonstration on fashions of the Victorian era (1837-1901), and beyond. It opens with a funny - but educational - skit and includes a 45 minute Power Point presentation allowing attendees to view the high-fashion and related understructure that creates the proper look.

Take a journey back in time and gain insight the importance of the corset: its role in society, how they were constructed, and what women endured in order to wear them. Witness the evolution of fashion throughout the period. Learn how fashion looks were created using understructures such as corsets, bustles and crinolines.

Enjoy an informative demonstration covering women's issues facing women of the time and witness firsthand the many layers of clothing that were worn during the period. See reproduction foundation garments up close. Benefit from this culmination of her many years of research on this topic.
This presentation is suitable for anyone interested in 19th Century life or the fashions of the time!

Late Victorian Bodice & Clothing Construction Workshop

This workshop is for people who are interested in making more historically accurate clothing or have custom clothing made for them. Constructing Victorian clothing for your own body can be very challenging if you are not sure how to create the look you want or how a garment should fit. It is much easier than you might think to recreate historical fashions if you have the right tools and knowledge at your disposal.

One tool that is key for recreating the fashions of the time is a sloper of your CORSETED body. A sloper is a muslin pattern of the body that is used to create a pattern. The fabric is draped directly over your body so that it fits your CORSETED body exactly. This eliminates the need for fitting patterns or the need for a bodice pattern altogether and is invaluable for creating clothing for yourself. Attendees will then convert the muslin into a paper pattern that can be used for making late Victorian bodices of all types.

Additionally, the workshop covers:
Techniques for modifying the sloper for individual styles over the period from 1870-1900.
- Fabric and trim resources
- Knowledge resources
- Learn construction techniques for creating late Victorian clothing

Attendees MUST have a period corset.