I am a writer and editor for a living. I started out in costume because I am interested in the history of weaving, and became fascinated with the way weaving technology and trade influenced fashion throughout history -- the huge expansion of gowns in periods where new technology makes fabric cheap, the design elements that are "forced" by limitations in the fabric (notably the avoidance of horizontal seaming), and the way trade in fabric parallels the trade in ideas. I got into re-enacting when I was researching a fiction idea I had about all this stuff, and needed to immerse myself as far as possible in what it was like to wear the clothes and use the technology and in an attempt to see how the material culture might influence ideas.
At some point I became annoyed by 18th century re-enactor complaints about the unavailability of appropriate printed cottons, and began investigating options for getting fabrics from India. At some point I found a buyer who traveled to India every year and would look into getting me block printed dress goods, but only if I would place a wholesale order to make it worth her while. So I did, and became, by accident, a fabric merchant. See http://www.timetraveltextiles.com I use the cloth-selling partly to give myself a mercer/draper persona for playing at re-enactor events, and partly to pay for some of my costume fun, and partly to be able to deduct other elements of my costume fun from my taxes. But mostly to be able to handle the fabrics and to "justify" researching the fabrics and rationalize making the costumes. My intention is to start weaving more of my wares, but as I am between houses right now, almost all the looms are in storage and I am putting more of my energy in! to purs uits that make more money per hour than handweaving, which is basically, um, anything. I have seen far too many people at this point, including some on this list, who have become disillusioned or even embittered trying to make a full living from whatever aspect of historical costume or merchanting they once loved, and so about a month ago I did take a full-time job to take the financial pressure off the cloth business and off my freelance writing. Due to my interest in moments when textile technology and trade changed fashion and the world, my two favorite periods of interest are the 10th century, when the horizontal loom was being adopted in Europe and England for wool and linen weaving, and the end of the 18th century, the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. And now I must shut up and get back to work! Lauren Walker [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > In a message dated 05/06/2007 03:10:39 GMT Standard Time, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > >2 months is an impressively short amount of time for such a project! > > > > I get the sense from messages I have read that most folks on this list do > > not make/study/write about historical clothing for a living. Is this > > true? > > If so, what do you all do to fund your need to build historical clothing? > > > > I am an attorney by day but I am fascinated with all types of historical > > clothing from about the 15th century through the 19th. Someday I will > > focus > > on one time period but I haven't yet. > > > > Jennifer _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
