[h-cost] Iron Age Tunic
I agree with Danielle. The armhole is very interesting and I can't find any pictures that show it better. The bottom part of the sleeve looks like it's not attached to the armhole - as if a gusset were missing or it's left open to allow movement. I hope detailed pictures show up and that an historian is taking a pattern. Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Old thread
Pull on it. If it snaps easily, pitch it out. Deterioration often has to do with the dye and how the thread was stored. Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Narrow linen for a shift
The narrow linen of original shifts has an amazingly tiny and perfect selvage - less than 1/8". When the seams are run by hand just inside that selvage, it's a thing of beauty and a joy forever. It's impossible to reproduce exactly unless someone these days is weaving such linen. If they exist, I want to know about them! Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Starch recipe
>From the Argo web site: Q: Can I make laundry starch from Argo and Kingsford's corn starch? A: Yes you can starch clothing with regular corn starch. In a large bowl or pot, stir 1/2 cup of corn starch into 1 cup of cold water. Stir in boiling water (2 quarts for a heavy solution; 4 quarts for medium and 6 quarts for a light solution). Dip the clothing into the starch solution and let dry. To iron, sprinkle the garments lightly with warm water, roll up and place in a plastic bag until evenly moistened, then iron as usual. ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Garments at the Reed Homestead
Dede, is there anywhere you can post some pictures of the garments you're looking at? Maybe a Facebook page or Flickr? Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Heavy underwear
My first thought was early 1850's, just before the hoop, as others have said. But I wonder if, pound for pound, the 1770's and thereabout might win. Stays that were solidly boned and several layers thick were heavier than corsets, linen shifts were heavier than chemises, petticoats were worn under and over the panniers and some of these were quilted for warmth, and there was the separate pocket, often worn in pairs. It might be a toss-up. Though I'm still betting on mid-Victorian. Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] family photos
Wow! I TOTALLY agree with everybody who's told you to scan the photos before you give them away or sell them. (I'd keep them, but that's my personal interest.) Scan the front and the back of each photo if there's information on the reverse side - like the photographic studio's ad, often with the address, sometimes the date. I have set up several "albums" on Facebook with some of my old family photos, identified and dated. One of the albums is general, one is of Family Pets (with people, of course!) and another is Family Brides. My relatives seem to get a kick out of this. Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Victorian Tailoring
Oh, Ann Wass, I LOVE that old, old Simplicity booklet, "Sewing for Men and Boys." (Shall we pretend we bought it used or admit that we were old enough to sew when it came out in 1973?) The classic tailoring techniques are well explained and well illustrated. My go-to book for hard core tailoring techniques is "Classic Tailoring Techniques - A Construction Guide for Men's Wear" by Roberto Cabrera and Patricia Flaherty Meyers. I remember years ago when a friend was studying tailoring under Mr. Cabrera at FIT. Mr. C was a stickler for perfection. His book is excellent. I collect period tailoring books and I can't think of any right off the bat that tell you how to sew. They're all about cutting the garment. Is it absurd to suggest that you try to get your hands on a garment from the period you're reproducing and look closely at how it's made? I love to buy ratty garments with the lining falling out so I can see what's going on inside. Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Costume, clothes, regalia, garb, etc
We just spent the weekend with outdoorsy friends who refer to all their parkas and waterproof pants and windbreakers and hiking boots and such as "gear." Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Tom Tierney
I smiled at Tom Tierney. If I had seen Janet Arnold, I would have fallen on the floor and kissed her toes! ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Tom Tierney
Once upon a time I was in the "special collections" room at FIT doing some research and there was an elderly gentleman nearby similarly involved. We left together when the library closed and we fell into conversation. I asked what he was working on. "Oh," he said, I do paper dolls." "You mean like Tom Tierney?" "I AM Tom Tierney!" He seemed genuinely delighted that I knew who he was. I'm sure I said something noncommittal like, "Of COURSE I know you." So it goes to show that it's not just the research, but what you decide to do with it.. ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Beautiful exhibit and catalogue
There's a very interesting show of 19th century garments at the Shippensburg University Fashion Archives. Though the museum is a little difficult to get to, it's great to look at clothes there because they're not in glass cases and you can get a close view from several angles. Curator Dr. Karin Bohleke keeps upgrading this small museum. The current show "Nineteenth- Century Costume Treasures of the Fashion Archives and Museum" is beautifully mounted on brand-new mannequins that were styled with the guidance of expert Colleen Callahan. The show runs through December 8. Shippensburg is near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania - a lovely part of the country. Karin Bohleke has created a stunning catalogue for this show. It's for sale on the SUFAM web site, where you can see quite a few pages from it. Have a look. http://webspace.ship.edu/fasharch/onlinestore.html Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Shippensburg tote bag
The pattern on the tote bag is just for decorative purposes, so I used the pieces that fit in artfully. The pattern for the dress is real, however and one of a series of patterns Shippensburg Fashion Archives and I (my alter ego Martha McCain) will be making available next year. The patterns will be 1/8" scale direct patterns from garments in the museum's collection. Included will be an written essay about the garment, a picture essay of research showing its place in fashion history, and lots of color photographs of the garment, inside and out. So far I've patterned five of their mid-century pieces. When we have some of these patterns ready to put on the website, you KNOW I'll be telling you about it! Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Speaking of Christmas gifts...
The Shippensburg Fashion Archives and Museum has a really nifty tote bag (uh, if I do say so myself since I designed it) for sale on their web site. http://webspace.ship.edu/fasharch/. The bag's graphics are a pattern "in the Janet Arnold manner" for a dress in the SUFAM collection. The hang tag is a picture of the actual dress. We're really proud that this bag is totally manufactured by loving hands in the state of Pennsylvania. The printing was done in Chester and the sewing is taking place near Shippensburg right now. It's 100% cotton canvas - grown in the USA, though probably somewhat south of Pennsylvania. All of the profits will go toward the preservation and exhibition of garments in the remarkable collection of this small museum. There is also a shoe bag and a jewelry bag available, not to mention a couple of wonderful catalogues written by the museum's curator Dr. Karin Bohleke. ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Butterick B5405
I agree with De. I think it's late 1930's. I've just written Customer Service at Butterick to ask. Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] What costume things did you learn in the 60s?
I learned to embroider because boyfriends liked their sign of the zodiac embroidered on a chambray shirt. I went through several boyfriends and a lot of astrological signs between '69 and '72! Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Virginia Women's Colleges in the 1960's - definitely pre-hippie
Hi Kate (Sweetbriar) and Catherine (Radford) I was at Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg, Virginia from 1964-1966. Then I went to Northwestern. Because I was there such a brief time and because new clothes were bought for college, I have all sorts of snapshots of my friends and myself that I can nail to a short period of time. I do wish we could post pictures here. Absolutely NO pants of any kind allowed on front campus or in class. For 8:00 AM French class we rolled up the legs of our pajamas and hid them with our London Fog raincoats. The most popular footwear was Bass Weejuns (Scotch grain). Weejuns were spiffier than Old Maine Trotters. In high school we put pennies in the brown loafers and nickels in the black ones. By 1964 this was uncool. We wore our loafers with knee socks or with panty hose. Keds were good for summer. They were white canvas and had a blue label on the back of the heel. I had a few real Villager outfits, but mostly copies. The popular style was an A-line heathery skirt with a matching cable-knit sweater. You wore this on a casual date and to "mixers." The appropriate length was mid-knee. Everyone wore printed cotton blouses. These were often floral, but sometimes whimsical. I had one with eggplants. These usually had Peter Pan collars and roll-up sleeves. They were worn with solid-color skirts. Cardigans were worn, unbuttoned, over blouses. Many were hand made. We were all busy knitting. Fair Isle sweaters were greatly admired. Everybody had a yellow slicker with a hood. Hoods in general were popular, but garments with them weren't called "hoodies." Madras was everywhere. My Madras dress had a hemp belt. In fact, I had hemp belts in all colors. The front part was always leather and the buckle was metal. I had a Granny dress made out of a mustard-colored cotton with a tiny print. It was empire waisted and almost touched the floor. It was trimmed with rickrack. This style was a new concept in Virginia in the mid-60's. Very daring. For church, and for the President's Tea, we wore little white gloves. Our purses matched our heels. We wore pantyhose and always wore a slip. Pettipants were around, too. There were no tattoos. Not much nail polish. Ears were not pierced. We all smoked - absolutely everybody. Martha PS By 1969 I was working at Actor's Theater in Louisville and buying myself 1930's velvets at the Salvation Army. ** ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Dotty Paper
For Penny If you don't find the dotted pattern paper easily, it's available at Greenberg and Hammer http://www.greenberg-hammer.com/ and at Steinlauf and Stoller http://www.steinlaufandstoller.com/Workroom%20Tools.htm Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Down sleeve supports
Several years ago the Costume Institute mounted a wonderful little show of odds and ends from their collection. I distinctly remember a little glass case with five or six versions of sleeve supports. I know some were down-filled 1830's. I've looked in their swell new data base and can't find anything but the 1890's. Does anyone else remember these? Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Re. wrinkles out of silk
A hot iron with steam - absolutely, but did anybody mention a damp press cloth? Damp, not wet. I iron the whole shebang with steam and then go back and catch resistant wrinkles with the damp cloth. Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Thank you for Louis!
Years ago I fell in love with a charming watercolor by Louis de Carmontelle (also known as Louis Carrogis) in MIRROR MIRROR by Michael and Ariane Batterberry. It's three ladies having tea in the garden. I've been looking for more of his work ever since. This it IT! Both Suzi's and Bjarne's tinyurls worked. Thanks again. Martha >See if this works http://tinyurl.com/5k8w4v Suzi Try this! http://tiny.cc/PLZOh Bjarne ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] I want to see the Louis Carrogis watercolors
I'd love to see these watercolors, but the link doesn't work for me and when I get to the web site all the error messages are in French. Can someone help me? Martha > Louis Carrogis made these water colours pictures of the french nobility: > http://www.photo.rmn.fr/cf/htm/CSearchT.aspx?Round=2&Total=500&FP=17986705&E =2K1KTS5GS7Q6&SID=2K1KTS5GS7Q6&New=T&Page=1 > Mind you there are more than 500 prints!!! > > Bjarne ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Thank you, Bjarne
Thank goodness I just got another external hard drive! Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Danish Museum Patternmaker
I was interested in finding out more about the patternmaker, Karen Jacobi, who did (most of, if not all) the patterns on the museum web site. She seems to have been working in the 1970's -'90's in Denmark. I've found one book, but for all the Danish I can read, it might be a book about carving duck decoys. Bjarne, do you know about her? Are her patterns published in book form? Would that they were available in English translation!! Jacobi, Karen - Bevaring af gamle tekstiler. S.m. Minna Kragelund og Else Ostergaard. Museumstekniske studier, Nationalmuseet 1978. 160 sider. (bevaring, udstilling) Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Thank you, Bjarne for the Danish museum site
Wow! Just lovely! When you say, "Also pdf files of the pattern cuts and also zoom in." do you mean sewing patterns laid out as in Janet Arnold? If so, how do I find them? Thanks again for this treat. Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] New York Garment Center is in trouble
I read with interest last week a discussion about dwindling fabric shopping in New York. No kidding! Ive been a costume designer in New York since 1972. Way back then there were several fabric districts 57th Street, the 30s (the Garment District), 14th Street (cheap fabrics for off-off-Broadway and dinner theater), and Orchard Street (Jewish-owned stores open on Sunday). There were also stores on lower Broadway, which is now more of a college town for NYU. For those in the know there was also Louis Gladstone (up near MOMA) and LP Thur on 23rd Street. Diamond Discount and C&F were in the East Village. There was fabric and trim ALL OVER the city. Practically all the fabric outlets outside the actual Garment District have closed. When it was time to renew the lease, their rents went through the roof. I was on Orchard Street a few days ago. It used to be a place you could find wonderful, affordable fabrics and trim, stacked to the ceiling in hole-in-the-wall shops. I was amazed to see one ultra-cool eatery after another and up-scale shops selling witty little evening bags that cost more than an off-Broadway production of Hamlet. Now the Garment District itself is fighting for its life. New zoning is threatening to open up space once zoned for light manufacturing (cutting rooms, etc.) to office space. Not only the small manufacturing and design spaces on the upper floors in the Garment District are disappearing. The costume shops, milliners, vintage clothing rental establishments are being priced out of the area. And so are the fabric and trim shops that have always occupied the ground level. Can this unique area be saved or will New York become a city of office workers and Starbucks? There is a group fighting this and we ask you, as people interested in costume and fabric and fashion, to become involved. Please have a look at the web site- http://savethegarmentcenter.com/. Sign the petition, write a letter in support. Read the letters from other costume people under Press and Stories. Meanwhile, if I can help any out-of-towners with shopping specifics in New York, Ill be glad to. I just bought some perfectly lovely linen for $5.00 a yard on 39th Street. And, by the way, Greenberg & Hammer has just moved downtown from 57th. Google their web site for information about the new store. Martha McCain ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Simplicity and ease
Simplicity has an article on their web site explaining their version of "ease." http://www.simplicity.com/index.cfm?page=section/classroom/sewingLessons/sew ing101part2.cfm If that link doesn't work, try Simplicity.com (http://www.simplicity.com/) and go to "Sewing 101 - Part 2." Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Something like Accessible Archives?
I swear by Accessible Archives for the entire run of Godey's Lady's Book, scanned at high resolution and word-searchable. A subscription is affordable to an individual, not just a library or university. Does anyone know of a comparable site for Peterson's or Harper's Bazaar - the sort of thing you can use at home (without being university -affiliated)? I know some sites have an issue here and there, but I'm looking for something more complete. Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] New York fabric stores
I'm going to stick my neck out here and recommend TWO Fabric stores. I live in New York and I've been a costume designer since 1968. I'm one of those people who doesn't think the shopping is over until I've hit every store in the city. But here goes: B&J at 525 Seventh Avenue on the 2nd floor. B&J is almost always the place I end up buying Really Important Fabrics. Their fine linen is the finest. Their silk taffetas are the nicest. I have dealt with the owner, Mel Cohen, for thirty years and I know he will bend over backwards to help you get what you want. The store is "new" because the building they were in on 40th Street has been leveled. In the old store it was a crawl-and-peep-under shopping experience. The new place is set up differently and I've come to love it. Instead of looking at bolts, you now go through hanging swatches (LARGE swatches - maybe 1/2 yard), much like going through a rack of dresses at Macy's. If you want to see the bolt, they'll gladly get it out for you. This fabric is not a bargain. It's high quality stuff for a fair price. Mood at 225 West 37th, 3rd floor. This is where you may find some real bargains. I recently got a silk for $35 a yard that was $125 a yard at the Scalamandre outlet. Scalamandre had it in six colors, Mood had one. The store is huge and gets better and better. They now have wonderful silks in the home furnishings department and they've got all sorts of leather. It's funky and you're bound to have fun here. If you have time left over, go to 39th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues and just pop in every single store. That's what I do... Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] The spelling gods got me!
I DO think I meant "sharing"! That's teach me to hit SEND before SPELL-CHECK. Especially since I was asking about CAP versus CAPE. Martha Thank you so much for shating this. Isn't the top item a cap, rather than a cape? Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] embroidered stomacher
Thank you so much for shating this. Isn't the top item a cap, rather than a cape? Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Library lover
Here's another reason I read h-costume and find it invaluable. Often times other members mention books that sound delicious. If the book is hard to find or really expensive, I go to the on-line catalogue of the public library to see if it's there. After I've actually looked at the book in person sometimes I feel I have to own it. Then I steal it from the library. NO! Just kidding of course! Then I go to the usual book-buying sources. Right now I've just reserved Toile de Jouy because it was mentioned in the last h-costume digest. And here's a plea for public libraries - they're always short of funds. A yearly donation is tax-deductible. With your contribution they can go out and buy more books - and keep the lights on. Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Re. leather and stays
The leather that I've seen binding the edges of 18th century stays is smooth on the outside and rough on the reverse - like a pair of dressy gloves. (as mentioned -kid gloves) This looks to be the same leather that was also used on 19th century corsets I've seen. Though I can't swear to their animal origins, I suspect kid. That was definitely called "wash leather" in the 19th century. If you want to see the crescent pad under the arm go to the Kent State site. Two of the ones there have this feature, though it's easier to see on one than the other. http://dept.kent.edu/museum/costume/bonc/4subjectsearch/lingerie/lingerie18t h/lingerie18.html on the first stays - "colonial brown quilted" - you can see it best in the profile view. It's quite small and looks to be twisted. on the sixth stays you can see it best (the ones right after the busk.) The Museum of the City of New York has a set of stays with this underarm shield made up of several layers of linen rather than leather. My question - does anyone know the proper name for this underarm piece? Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] 18th century sleeve ruffles
Hi, When adding 2 frills to an 18th century outfit, would you not gather each frill up separately, and then attach them on top of eachother? If i gather both on the same time, they make the same folds, wich i dont think is right? Bjarne Bjarne I've been studying some spectacular 18th century gowns at the Costume Institute this past year. I've not seen any that had multiple sleeve ruffles gathered as one. Sometimes they're mounted right on top of each other and sometimes there's space between them. Often they start above the hem of the sleeve, but I've also seen the bottom (longest) ruffle whipped to the sleeve edge. A very nice treatment is to have a header on the top ruffle that's stitched down along its upper edge as well, forming a band of trim. The shape of the two or three ruffles on a sleeve are not the same. I'm sure you've looked at Janet Arnold's examples. What's amazing to me is the really wham-bam construction on the inside of the garments. Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Listing books
Could someone please explain the point of listing one's books? I'm afraid I don't see the point. Mine are all on shelves in my workroom. I know what they are, and where they are. Why would I need to list them? (More time I haven't got anyway!) suzi Two reasons for listing books: 1. So when people ask you where you got your info, you don't have to type it all out each time. 2. So you can keep track of books you've loaned out. I still want to know who borrowed to my little pink book on making tutus. Are you out there Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] How Simplicity chooses patterns
Subject: Re: [h-cost] Re:patterns What I'm interested in knowing, is how Simplicity chooses patterns--aside from market surveys, don't they do those?--and the people who design them. Is it all freelance? I know someone via the net--or used to, she's not posting any more--who had a small line of reenactment patterns. She approached Simplicity with an idea for a pattern she thought would work well in their historic line. Simplicity told her to work it out and submit it to them on a freelance basis. I don't know what happened with her idea. But is that how all Simplicity's historic patterns are designed, by freelancers? I can answer this in any depth you like. Not only do I design for Simplicity, last summer Andrea Schewe and I gave a slide talk at Costume College on the inner workings at Simplicity. We interviewed everybody from the sketch artists to the man in the mailroom and took photographs of them at work. The fashion designs for Simplicity are done in house. There are drapers and seamstresses right there. The craft, home dec, and costume designs are done by freelancers (read No Benefits.) We get royalties only. Some of us are in New York and schlep sketches and muslin mocks-ups over to the design office to pitch an idea. Some people are elsewhere in the country and mail things in. They choose designs (and decide whether to keep them in the catalogue) based on sales. Your design has to sell enough copies to "hold its place in the drawer" at JoAnn's or Wall Mart. They tend to work with people they know because it's very exacting - even for the Halloween costumes with the zipper up the back. If you want to know more, just ask. I might have an answer. Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Taking up a collection
I believe Martha prefers to work from as many original garments as she can get her hands on. Alas, there are precious few extant 16th century garments available for study and are there any at all in the U.S.? - Ann Wass So send me to England - to Europe - to Kyoto!!! Have tape measure, will travel. Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Martha to Mia - I needed that!
I can't wait for the 18cent patterns that Martha McCain/Simplicity that are rumored to be coming out sometime in the future. Martha McCain, I know you are out there...You go girl. 18c Mia in Charlotte, NC. Thanks for the words of encouragement. I've been working on the 18th century patterns for a almost two years. (The people at Simplicity assume I'm dead.) These are much harder to make mass-marketable than the Civil War ones. By the mid nineteenth century, paper patterns, much as we know them today, were available. So the sewing style that went with that is almost modern in its mind set. But the 18th century gowns were "built on the body." It's tricky to reach a compromise of what's really accurate and what's possible for most people to be willing to attempt. I'm hoping to publish a companion piece separately to show how to "really" make the garments and to share the research I've done. Too few hours in the day! Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Sheer fabrics are very old
"Gauze, a thin transparent material of silk, linen or cotton, is first mentioned in 1279 under the name gazzatum; it was among the fabrics considered too luxurious for monks to wear. The name may come from the town of Gaza, and the cloth may be of the same type as the famous "veils of Cos" with which Caesar bade Cleopatra cover herself, for decency's sake, when she visited Rome in 43 B.C." http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198703/fabrics.from.the.middle.east.ht m I remembered reading about this in "The Fabric Catalogue" by Martin Hardingham. Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Pink, pinkers, pinking
(What I really want though, is a choice of shapes beyond the standard rather shallow zigzag. Has anyone found a modern or historic tool that really works well for that? Fran) I recently bought a lovely reproduction 18th century pinking tool from Dan Brown of Green Man Forge. It was $40. He will resharpen for $10. He can make any shape pinker you want. Here's his web site: http://www.greenmanforge.com/. I wanted to use some pinked edges on my new 18th century patterns for Simplicity. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a cheap alternative that would be readily available. Can't you just imagine people looking at the back of the pattern envelope and seeing that a special-order $40 tool was required! As to the old table-mounted rotary pinking machines, does anybody have one that actually works? Many years ago I was at a huge costume company (now defunct) called Brooks Van Horne. They had several pinking machines and they were a PAIN. They were always dull and full of lint and chewed your seam allowances to heck. Maybe that's because everybody used them and nobody cleaned or sharpened them? Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Bodleian Corset Images, Trade Cards
David? Sheridan? I would LOVE to see the images you're talking about, but I can't figure out how to use the system. Could you be a little more specific? Thank you! Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
