We have to remember that fabric was expensive so every piece counted. Some tailors were accused and/or convicted of being too generous with themselves with the degree of off-cuts most were entitled to. So we can't just blame a poor homesewer for a mis-matched pattern. Garments were often remodled within the lifespan of the wearer and after if the garment was handed down or stored away and found later. Also if a tailor, dressmaker, or homesewer was short on yardage or remodling an older garment, one couldn't call around from shop to shop or merchant to merchant and expect to find an exact match in fabric and dyelots.
What survives today before 1900 is practically a miracle, given the multiple incarnations of even the most high-end clothing and the fondness of many late 19th century persons cutting up lovely old garments for fancy dress costumes and chair cushions and pillows. And accident, fire, and the elements destroyed many more, no one having the conservation knowledge of today. Cindy Abel _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
