Actually, I'm not an authenticity police person, as my books should tell you, if you've read them. For example, although I have entirely hand-sewn a few undergarments and accessories, and enjoyed it, I sew most repros by machine.
The reality is that I do not have all day long to sew. I need to work on producing and marketing books, and making an income thereby. I don't have as much time as I'd like to sew, and with the time I have, I'd rather be sewing than doing hand embroidery. Besides, I love techno-toys and modern equipment. I adore buying a new computer. Buying an embroidery machine and software to go with it, and learning the software, is the kind of thing that I really enjoy. I don't think everyone has to conform to my personal standards of costume authenticity, and I have absolutely zero obligation to conform to yours or anyone else's. Fran Lavolta Press http://www.lavoltapress.com Shirley Hobbs wrote: > For someone so gungho on authenticity, I am surprised that you would do period (whatever that may be) embroidery by machine rather than by hand. > > Cactus > > > --- On Sun, 4/27/08, Lavolta Press <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> From: Lavolta Press <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Subject: Re: [h-cost] How Many Costume Books/Magazines/Photos Do You Own >> To: "Historical Costume" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Date: Sunday, April 27, 2008, 4:27 PM >> " to buy costume related books? >>> What may be misleading is that a large proportion of >> the people on this list >>> work in the medieval and Renaissance periods, so most >> of the people answering >>> have been mentioning books from those periods. >> Perhaps a large proportion but not necessarily a majority. >> In a >> multi-era e-list, SCA members are usually the most vocal, >> therefore they >> often seem like a higher proportion of a group than they >> really are. >> >> Many of those people are in the >>> SCA, which is understandable given the size of the >> organization compared with >>> other "groups." So the impression may be >> more a question of the proportional >>> representation on this list than anything intrinsic to >> a specific group or >>> study of a particular period. >> I belong to almost 100 Yahoo lists for historic costume and >> reenactment, >> and have for some years. Though, admittedly, I do not >> receive direct >> email from the vast majority of them, and these days, >> don't have time to >> drop into their website archives more often than once every >> few months. >> >> However, my impression is that SCA members are the group >> most inclined >> to research and with the highest understanding of what >> research actually >> consists of. That is, they are the least likely to do >> things like assume >> that original sources are always 100% accurate and >> unbiased, that >> secondary sources are always useless, and so on. They are >> the most >> likely to assume that a multi-era e-group is "for >> them," often throwing >> out references to things like "Is X in period?" >> under the assumption >> that everyone on the e-list is always talking about some >> SCA period. >> However, they tend to be more interested in a variety of >> time periods >> and types of clothing within the SCA time frame. They tend >> to spend the >> most money on books, and buying the most expensive ones is >> a status >> symbol, as is buying other expensive things (such as >> fabric) that help >> in some way with an SCA "impression." >> >> Although I've had less contact with them, 18th-century >> reenactors strike >> me as the group next most interested in research and in >> books. >> >> Early 19th-century reenactors come third, with an interest >> in "original >> sources," but tending to confine them to sources >> approved by some group, >> and especially reprints of diaries and other personal >> accounts. >> >> The Civil War reenactors are a very large group but with >> few exceptions, >> tend not to be very interested in books or research. They >> seem to regard >> it as somehow virtuous to be conspicuously disinterested in >> everything >> beyond their immediate and very narrow time frame and >> geographic area, >> thus tend to lack a sense of context. They are conformist >> in ideas, and >> rely heavily on the system of one group >> "authority" reading a book and >> giving them a set of approved ideas to worth with. All >> reenactment >> communities do this to some extent, but the CW reenactors >> are the most >> likely to come onto an e-group and say, "What is OK >> for me to wear? I >> want to 'fit in,'" rather than doing any >> research or original thinking >> themselves. They also seem to have less formal education >> than the other >> groups, judging by how they write, spell, etc. >> >>> I am not in the SCA or any other group, but I work >> only on medieval clothing, >>> so my answers reflected that. I have lots and lots of >> books. It's the nature >>> of my work. It's also the nature of Penny's >> work (she having started this >>> thread, and she also specializes in periods later than >> medieval -- which is >>> why she has lots of photos and magazines, and I >> don't!). >> >> I'm not in the SCA or any other reenactment group, but >> it's also the >> nature of my work to have lots of books and magazines, and >> I also >> collect vintage clothing. I don't have nearly as many >> photos as perhaps >> I should. They are mostly ones my parents bought at estate >> auctions, I >> haven't gone in for buying them myself. >> >> >>>> The nature of someone else's work might be >> served by a very narrow set of >>> references, depending on type of the costuming they do >> and the availability of >>> sources. >> And very often it is. But because my lifelong profession >> has always been >> various aspects of writing, editing, and publishing, >> naturally I like >> people to want to read lots of books. Everyone working in >> publishing >> wants people to read lots of books. Not only for marketing >> reasons, but >> people who read a lot usually believe that reading is >> enjoyable, >> educational, and generally a good thing. >> >>> And a lot of people have to choose between books and >> fabric. You can't get >>> fabric (or sewing machines!) from the library, so that >> often is where the >>> money has to go. It doesn't mean these people >> aren't using books. >> >> I admit, I not only think books are where the money should >> go, I would >> always rather own the book, if at all possible, than go to >> a library. I >> like things right at hand where I can reach them instantly. >> >> I have a lot of fabric and lace too, but only one sewing >> machine. I've >> always sold the old one when I bought a new one. I hate the >> idea of a >> serger. I understand that many people find them very >> useful, but I don't >> want one myself. >> >> I'm going to buy an embroidery machine, though, when we >> move to a bigger >> house and have room for one. I want one that will do big >> motifs and >> where I am not using canned patterns, but where I can >> create my own with >> an embroidery graphics program, one that interfaces with my >> PC. I'd like >> to scan in antique patterns from magazines and apply >> stitches to them >> with a graphics program. I understand that the ordinary >> graphics >> programs I use, which these days are mostly Corel >> PhotoPaint and Corel >> Draw, don't apply stitches to embroidery patterns. >> Corel has a special >> program for that which I have not really looked into, but >> I'm biased in >> its favor anyway because it's Corel's. I have not >> looked into the >> hardware all that much yet because buying a sewing or >> embroidery machine >> these days is partly buying a computer; and with a computer >> both the >> features and the prices change so rapidly, that it >> doesn't pay to >> research too far in advance. I'm open to suggestions >> though. I could >> either get an embroidery sewing machine--if it does big >> motifs and >> allows me to create patterns--and sell my current >> Husqvarna, or get a >> dedicated embroidery machine. >> >> I admit it, I want a low-tech knitting machine too, since I >> love knitted >> garments but have never cared for knitting. I used to >> crochet and I >> enjoyed it a lot, but there is something about hand >> knitting that has >> never appealed to me. Maybe it's just that I need to >> sit down and work >> on it some more, but having a knitting machine also >> appeals. It seems >> rather like weaving and though I quit weaving when we moved >> here and had >> to put the loom in the garage, since there wasn't >> enough room for it in >> my sewing room, I really loved the process. >> >> Fran >> Lavolta Press >> http://www.lavoltapress.com >> _______________________________________________ >> h-costume mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ > Be a better friend, newshound, and > know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. > http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ > _______________________________________________ > h-costume mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume > > _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
