Yikes, what is overhanding? I am not familiar with that term, can you explain 
it a little more?  I am trying to imagine cartridge pleating which are 
overlapped to reduce bulk...

Organ pipes and cartridge pleats are definitely not the same thing.  I don't 
have access to the Oxford online dictionary anymore, but my memory is that 
Michaela is correct...it shows up in the 19th century.  Furthermore, I've not 
been able to find any specific word for it in German either.  

>Organ pleats, in my opinion, taper towards the top in the same way as an organ 
>pipe does.<

As often as I have contemplated these things, and made them up, it was only 
when I looked at those military bases in August that the picture became clear 
as to why they were called this.  When people spoke of them tapering, I always 
was focused on the "fact" that they were wider at the hem then where they were 
attached.  I think I might have said this in my write up, but organ pipes are 
often sliced on the diagonal at the top (which is what I think Suzi is 
referring to.).  When they are viewed from the un-sliced side, there is a point 
at the top which tapers down in an oval shape.  This is very much what they 
look like.  

There are some who say they aren't any different then rolled pleats.  While 
rolled pleats look a lot like the organ pipe pleats along their length, they 
are blunted off in the attachment area.  They look squared off or rounded (I am 
not talking about contemporary portraits here, I am talking about garments I've 
made up.)  

Those pictures where the organ pipe pleats have alternating colors are an 
indication that they are made in sectioned tapers.  Otherwise they are cut on a 
circle - you'd have to have a mighty big piece of fabric to do rolled pleats on 
a circle.   I'd say the same for cartridge pleats.  Generally the latter two 
lend themselves towards long lengths of straight fabric.

I wonder if we could date the term to when organ pipes were made like this.  
BTW, anyone know why an organ is called an organ??  I know it is a musical 
instrument with air supplied by a bellows of sorts, but why wasn't a flute 
called an organ...  Anyone know why the ends are tapered?  I figure it has to 
do with the sound mechanics...but aren't there all sorts of pipe instruments 
where the outlet is flat?

Sg

Of course I keep threatening to write a paper on them, but haven't gotten 
around to it for four years.  I know it ain't happening in the next 6 months 
either.



_______________________________________________
h-costume mailing list
[email protected]
http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume

Reply via email to