Thank you Fran for telling this bit!? When I first began trying to reproduce
costume of historical periods over 40 years ago, none of this theory was
available. I studied the extant pics and mated them with contemporary patterns
that tended the similar pattern shapes to achieve the style and lines of the
Historical.? What a process for learning!?Your improved method of of
deciphering the complicated multi shape early patterns has improved the craft
expectations exceedingly!? But?I have also experienced the difficulties of
trying to fit the historical pattern to the modern body. One of the problems of
making a dress from 'McCanns wonderful researched designs is that the bodice is
too long for the proportion of top and bottom of the garment.? This is an aesthe
tic problem and not based on measure.
Your approach of using the measuring techniques for the original patterns help
to keep the recreated garments more in line with both fit and fashionable shape.
was avaialableFrom: "Lavolta Press" <[email protected]>
Sent 8/8/2011 4:34:40 PM
To: "Historical Costume" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [h-cost] Scaled drawings of original garments
On 8/8/2011 1:19 PM, Joan Jurancich wrote:
> At 11:02 AM 8/8/2011, you wrote:
> Two other sources of scaled drawings:
>
> The Workwoman's Guide (reprint of 1838 edition)
> Alcega's "Tailor's Pattern Book" (reprint of 1589 edition)
>
The drawings in those are not to true mathematical scale, therefore not
suitable for the original poster's stated purpose of teaching people to
scale up a graphed/gridded pattern. You can photocopy transparent graph
paper onto a pattern that is at true scale, but where the publisher did
not supply a graph/grid on the page itself. But if the scale is not
mathematically true, then scaling up does not produce an accurate
pattern for the human body. Likewise, the patterns printed in Godey's
and Peterson's are not drawn to any true mathematical scale. (That is,
not until they started issuing full-size tissue patterns with the
magazines, which of course were not scaled but human size.)
I believe the patterns in The Workwoman's Guide were designed to be used
by drafting with a combination of body measurements (or for household
linens, the size of the table, pillow, or whatever) and the width of the
cloth itself. They are mostly for body and household linens. Alcega's
book was designed primarily to teach tailors to do layouts of pattern
pieces on the cloth in the most economical way. I believe the early,
printed-in-the-magazine Godey's and Peterson's patterns (which are
pretty rough) were used primarily as style guidelines. Someone who had
the skill could use them to draw the desired style directly on the cloth
using the wearer's measurements. However, I suspect most dressmakers,
even many professionals, used as basic bodice patterns either a bodice
that already fitted the wearer well, or one of the many Victorian
"charts"/slopers that could be traced off in a variety of sizes,
whatever was needed at the time. The bodice was the hardest part to fit,
but once someone had a well-fitting bodice they could copy variations in
the neckline, trimmings, or whatever from Godey's or Peterson's.
Fran
Lavolta Press
Books of historic clothing patterns
www.lavoltapress.com
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