Re: [h-cost] Help! Tear Away Stabilizer
Silk paper, baste your fabric to silk paper or the paper florist use to put around flowers, that should prevent the creep and should be easy to get off again Tania --- On Sat, 5/9/09, Land of Oz lando...@netins.net wrote: From: Land of Oz lando...@netins.net Subject: Re: [h-cost] Help! Tear Away Stabilizer To: 'Historical Costume' h-cost...@indra.com Date: Saturday, May 9, 2009, 12:06 AM BTW, I can't use the iron-on stabilizer because the organza, because the organza has a plastic type glitter on it. The glitter melt when an iron touches it. --- I hope someone can prove me wrong, but I don't think there is a tear-away stabilizer that *isn't* iron on. Can you use wide painter's tape (the blue easy release stuff) and peel it off after? I'd call your local store and tell them what you said above and see what they recommend. Good Luck Denise ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] CC27 historical judge talks about workmanship and historical
Well I have no idea about judging, because we don't have contests here. But period correct fabrics are more than available (easily), like fulled wools, (admittedly I do live near several of the best wool mills in Europe), and flat felled seams are just as easy as french on a sewing machine. Overlocking may be necessary, but only if you're using the wrong finish or technique, and hand overcasting using something like whipstitch is just as easy, if a little more time consuming (not much when you take into account the setting up of the machine) - and I can't think offhand of a period when overcasting wouldn't be correct - it was around during early medieval times and tudor times, and it still was by victorian and mid 20th century. In a message dated 09/05/2009 06:43:21 GMT Standard Time, h-costume-requ...@indra.com writes: One difficulty is that cloth was fulled much better in various historic periods than what's available now. There are some fulled fabrics available, but more expensive. Anyway, as pointed out earlier, sometimes raw edges are appropriate. So what happens when someone uses a non-period appropriate seam finish to accommodate a not-quite-period fabric? Frequently for 18thC, reenactors will make shifts with French seams (an easy finish with machine sewing), but flat-fell is the way they were done at the time. Likewise with sergeing, would that be better than a raw edge? -Carol ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] non iron-on stabilizer
Another easy one to use is adding machine paper.? I use it for doing machine blanket stitch with thick thread on fleece blankets.? I tear off the one edge after sewing and then use the other side. Nancy ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] CC27 historical judge talks about workmanship and historical
On May 9, 2009, at 8:11 AM, debloughcostu...@aol.com wrote: But period correct fabrics are more than available (easily), like fulled wools, (admittedly I do live near several of the best wool mills in Europe), Must be nice! :-) It's all a matter of compromise — the correct fulled wools may be more expensive, or perhaps someone wants a particular color and can't find it in the right weight. I've thrown wool into the dyepot and then had it come out fuzzier than it started. and flat felled seams are just as easy as french on a sewing machine. However there is the idea that machine sewing should not be visible in pre-machine tie periods. Of course there is also the argument that good backstitching looks like machine sewing on the top side. :-) And then there is finding a linen thread smooth enough to run through a machine. Overlocking may be necessary, but only if you're using the wrong finish or technique, and hand overcasting using something like whipstitch is just as easy, if a little more time consuming (not much when you take into account the setting up of the machine) - and I can't think offhand of a period when overcasting wouldn't be correct - it was around during early medieval times and tudor times, and it still was by victorian and mid 20th century. While overcasting can be found, it still depends on which garment and/or which fabric. 18th century shifts and shirts were flat- felled, for example. In reenactment, we have the luxury of concentrating on one time period and can learn the details. I'm a big fan of basic standards for groups. Within that, individuals learn and make their own compromises. There may be a conflict of technique vs. the overall look — the machine French seam with the non-offensive exterior appearance. Judges of competitions have a difficult job of determining which compromise is better than another, not to mention comparing work portraying different time periods! -Carol ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] French Seam question (was Re: CC27 historical judge talks about workmanship and historical)
When did the French Seam as we know it come into use historically? Catherine -Original Message- From: Carol Kocian aqua...@patriot.net To: Historical Costume h-cost...@indra.com Sent: Sat, 9 May 2009 10:43 am Subject: Re: [h-cost] CC27 historical judge talks about workmanship and historical On May 9, 2009, at 8:11 AM, debloughcostu...@aol.com wrote: But period correct fabrics are more than available (easily), like fulled wools, (admittedly I do live near several of the best wool mills in Europe), Must be nice! :-) It's all a matter of compromise — the correct fulled wools may be more expensive, or perhaps someone wants a particular color and can't find it in the right weight. I've thrown wool into the dyepot and then had it come out fuzzier than it started. and flat felled seams are just as easy as french on a sewing machine. However there is the idea that machine sewing should not be visible in pre-machine tie periods. Of course there is also the argument that good backstitching looks like machine sewing on the top side. :-) And then there is finding a linen thread smooth enough to run through a machine. Overlocking may be necessary, but only if you're using the wrong finish or technique, and hand overcasting using something like whipstitch is just as easy, if a little more time consuming (not much when you take into account the setting up of the machine) - and I can't think offhand of a period when overcasting wouldn't be correct - it was around during early medieval times and tudor times, and it still was by victorian and mid 20th century. While overcasting can be found, it still depends on which garment and/or which fabric. 18th century shifts and shirts were flat-felled, for example. In reenactment, we have the luxury of concentrating on one time period and can learn the details. I'm a big fan of basic standards for groups. Within that, individuals learn and make their own compromises. There may be a conflict of technique vs. the overall look — the machine French seam with the non-offensive exterior appearance. Judges of competitions have a difficult job of determining which compromise is better than another, not to mention comparing work portraying different time periods! -Carol ___ h-costume mailing list h-cost...@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Help! Tear Away Stabilizer
I am working on my daughter's prom dress. There is an outer layer of organza that is very slippery. Is there a trick to keep it from sliding all over the sewing machine when stitching? On the list, I recall someone mentioning a few years ago, a tear away stabilizer. Can someone point me to a webpage that tells how to use this. All I have found are embroidery webpages. I have to finish the dress tonight. So I have to find a stabilizer at Hancock Fabrics, Joann's, or Michael's. BTW, I can't use the iron-on stabilizer because the organza, because the organza has a plastic type glitter on it. The glitter melt when an iron touches it. In the notions section of JoAnn's or Hancock Fabrics, look in the embroidery stabilizer section. I buy non-iron-on tear-away stabilizer there all the time. It pins into place. At JAF, the brand is Sulky. Dianne ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Help! Tear Away Stabilizer
I am working on my daughter's prom dress. There is an outer layer of organza that is very slippery. Is there a trick to keep it from sliding all over the sewing machine when stitching? On the list, I recall someone mentioning a few years ago, a tear away stabilizer. Can someone point me to a webpage that tells how to use this. All I have found are embroidery webpages. Hey Penny, Lovely meeting you at Costume Con! Tear-away stabilizer is for supporting a fabric during machine embroidery applique. I dont think it's appropriate in your sitch. (To use stabilizer, place it under the area to be embroidered; sew out the design thru fabric + 1-2 layers of stabilizer; tear away or cut, pick, tweeze away delicately so as no to distort the finished work; steam block the result.) You may also be thinking of those temp or perm fabric glues (stitch witch, etc). I'm not a fan as the residue can be stiff, tacky or staining. For pegging 2 organza layers together in prep for a seam, I use Z-basting... the same technique as used to anchor velvets before sewing. Imagine tailor's pad stitching only longer. The across stitches go either side of the seamline; the diagonals maybe 1 apart. An attempt at a picture: |/---|/|/---|/|/---|/ This is also commonly used to baste 3 layers of a quilt together. I have to finish the dress tonight. So I have to find a stabilizer at Hancock Fabrics, Joann's, or Michael's. Nothing like advice that's too late! BTW, I can't use the iron-on stabilizer because the organza, because the organza has a plastic type glitter on it. The glitter melt when an iron touches it. There's also Wash-Away stabilizer if your fabric is washable. Again, it's for embroidery appplique. You dont want iron-on... it will stick to your plastic stuff in a permanent gooey way. Yuk. --cin ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] CC27 historical judge talks about workmanship and historical
individuals learn and make their own compromises. There may be a conflict of technique vs. the overall look — the machine French seam with the non-offensive exterior appearance. Judges of competitions have a difficult job of determining which compromise is better than another, not to mention comparing work portraying different time periods! Don't start thinking one period is compared to another period in Historical masquerades. They aren't. Entrants with simple costumes are often daunted by the big mid-Victorian or high Georgian stuff. But their presentations can be just as compelling as Anne Bolyn's was this year (I still get goosebumps). And just as simple as the 1959 Dior. Certainly compulsive multi-layered mid-Victorian is no better than the simplest Medieval when it comes to docs or construction skill. Given that there are more things to have to sew for an 1870s or 1880s outfit, the simple Medieval entrant could point to raising the period breed of sheep, and to hand spinning, hand weaving, hand dying, hand embroidery, and hand stitched construction, none of which were common practice for rich city women in the Industrial Revolution. And good fit was good fit, whenever it was. The best historical judges are the ones familiar with the look and construction details of a broad range of time periods. It only gets difficult job if a contestant is doing something you know very little about. But hey - that's another reason for having good docs. We judges this year jumped at the chance to learn things we hadn't known before (which is why I did the write-up about documentation first). And we were glad not everything was from the same period (how boring that would have been). But evaluating compromises isn't as difficult as it might seem. As a judge I want to see how skillfully you executed that compromise. Historical masquerades are a costume-maker's competition, not a fashion show, not Antiques Road Show, and not Halloween*. That you solved an un-solvable problem, and did it cleverly, is a credit to your skill. Persistence, and not settling for a bad compromise in something like fabric, is a credit to your skill. Learning a new technique because it's period, then taking the time to perfect it, is a credit to your skill. *Decades ago, at a small regional Con, we SF judges spent almost a day and a half working on it before we convinced our techies it was the contestant's show, not theirs, and got them to stop calling our entrants the talent and otherwise making unreasonable demands of them. They were great after that, and it was a good show. -- Carolyn Kayta Barrows -- Blank paper is God's way of saying it ain't so easy being God. -- ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] French Seam question (was Re: CC27 historical judge talks about workmanship and historical)
When did the French Seam as we know it come into use historically? Catherine Guessing blindly, I'll bet the technique was in use in different places and at different times before it picked up that particular name. Look in the new Janet Arnold book about Renaissance undershirts for what was done on her examples. ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] CC27 historical judge talks about workmanship and historical interpretation
One difficulty is that cloth was fulled much better in various historic periods than what's available now. There are some fulled fabrics available, but more expensive. Anyway, as pointed out earlier, sometimes raw edges are appropriate. For a recreation in competition, I personally would give extra points for documenting what they had, what the costumer could get, and how the costumer coped, adapted, and otherwise showed off costuming skill to recreate what was unavailable. Unavailable here could mean nobody makes it anymore, or the costumer can't afford it (think real cloth-of-gold). Historical masquerades are a test of the entrants' skill as a costumer (or at least I think they should be). So what happens when someone uses a non-period appropriate seam finish to accommodate a not-quite-period fabric? In a recreation, the closer the finished costume is to the real thing, the better. Therefore, the more closely your non-appropriate seam finish recreates the real thing on the most appropriate fabric you could get, the more it exhibits your recreation skill as a costumer. Frequently for 18thC, reenactors will make shifts with French seams (an easy finish with machine sewing), but flat-fell is the way they were done at the time. For my own re-enactment garments, I use my sewing machine a lot where it isn't otherwise appropriate. For competition, for bragging rights, or as a personal challenge, I use period-appropriate methods for my garments. I learn a lot by trying out period-appropriate methods, even if I never do things that way again. It's not fair to fault someone else's work at a re-enactment unless they're in a costume competition *and* you're the judge. (I try to remember this when I see things I don't like at places like Ren. Faire.) Likewise with sergeing, would that be better than a raw edge? See above. Better for a recreation in competition means as close as possible to the original, inside and out. Better for a theater costume has different criteria, like budget, can the actor get in and out of it by himself/herself, or can the details be seen from the last row of the balcony, any of which may necessitate the use of non-period techniques. ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] CC27 historical judge talks about workmanship and historical
Judges of competitions have a difficult job of determining which compromise is better than another, not to mention comparing work portraying different time periods! On May 9, 2009, at 12:22 PM, Käthe Barrows wrote: Don't start thinking one period is compared to another period in Historical masquerades. They aren't. Entrants with simple costumes are often daunted by the big mid-Victorian or high Georgian stuff. But their presentations can be just as compelling as Anne Bolyn's was this year (I still get goosebumps). And just as simple as the 1959 Dior. I didn't say the time periods were compared in that sense. I said the work. I suppose some of it is a documentation issue. Since we were talking about seam finishes, for example, information on that is not available for all time periods. For some periods there are extant garments and sewing manuals. For others, all we have are illustrations. Given that there are more things to have to sew for an 1870s or 1880s outfit, the simple Medieval entrant could point to raising the period breed of sheep, and to hand spinning, hand weaving, hand dying, hand embroidery, and hand stitched construction, none of which were common practice for rich city women in the Industrial Revolution. And good fit was good fit, whenever it was. So you're saying that judging these very different skills against each other is not difficult? -Carol ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] CC27 historical judge talks about workmanship and historical
I didn't say the time periods were compared in that sense. I said the work. Good. I guess I misunderstood. Some people do make that mistake, and avoid entering if they think their entire period isn't good enough. In periods where there is either little costume book information, often there are surviving archaeological examples. It's like deciding to sew with a bone needle in periods where it is known there weren't steel ones, based on the one bone needle found in a grave along with mere scraps of the actual fabric. And there's always the educated guess, based on what we do know about the period and the ones just before and just after it in the same geographic and cultural area. Overcoming difficulties that big, and the determination to not stop till the documentation is found and the fabric matched, not to mention knowing to look in the archeology section and not the costuming section, are all exhibitions of costuming skill. There are folks who like doing those obscure periods, and their documentation tends to be voluminous, and often illustrated with photographs from digs I never heard of before. (I have one SCA Laurel in mind - you know who you are.) So you're saying that judging these very different skills against each other is not difficult? Not for me, because I'm not judging these against each other so much as against theoretical perfection for what they are as individuals. I'm not so much judging the skills against each other, I'm judging them against themselves. Peruvian mummy costumes offer as many opportunities to exhibit costuming skill as your grandmother's wedding dress does, even if you have the dress in front of you, and even if hers took more fabric and required more sewing. If I had to choose between them, I'd give the prize to the one which was the better example of costuming skill. (I'm a big fan of ties - if they're both equally good, it wouldn't be fair to award one and not the other.) In the Olympics, a perfect 10 will get you a gold medal. But ice skating judges only judge ice skating against ice skating, and gymnastic judges only judge gymnastics against gymnastics. If you could get one judge proficient in both, that judge would be in my position. There would be medals for Best in Division for the Novice, Journeyman, and Master/Open skaters, there would be Best Men's, Best Woman's, Best Couple and Best (all those other ice skating events), and the highest scoring skater would get Best in Class, Ice Skating. (This would be repeated for all the gymnastic events.) If there was only one 10, that would be Best in Show, beating out all the 9.5s in everything else. This completely ignores the question of whether ice skating is better than gymnastics, it recognizes good athletics, and it is likely to produce a Best in Show. ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] CC27
1) It was great! 2) What the H stands for is obvious to me! ;P Henry W. Osier Chairman, Costume-Con 28 May 7 to May 10, 2010 www.CC28.org ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] fashion and costume in Berlin
Hello fellow h-costumers, I have a student who asked me this question today: I am going to Berlin in a couple of weeks. Do you have any recommendations on fashion related activities (Museums, Neighborhoods, etc)? so - as I have never been to Berlin and have no clue I am passing the question on to you guys. Any good ideas? Agnes ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] CC27 historical judge talks about workmanship and historical interpretation
At 01:58 PM 5/8/2009, you wrote: One difficulty is that cloth was fulled much better in various historic periods than what's available now. There are some fulled fabrics available, but more expensive. Anyway, as pointed out earlier, sometimes raw edges are appropriate. So what happens when someone uses a non-period appropriate seam finish to accommodate a not-quite-period fabric? Frequently for 18thC, reenactors will make shifts with French seams (an easy finish with machine sewing), but flat-fell is the way they were done at the time. Speaking for myself, as a past historic judge, if your documentation notes the correct type of seam finish and properties of the fabric and you have to deviate because of the properties of the available fabric, then you are good. You are demonstrating to us that you know what is correct, while explaining that the available materials cannot achieve that effect and what you are doing to compensate. And note, there is no right way to achieve your compensation. In your example, I could also see binding all the seam edges and then flat-felling the seams. You could also zig-zag stitch or even serge the edges as well. None of these techniques would be any better than the others. The important thing is you make it clear you know what was correct, why you can't do that, and how you are achieving a similar look. Pierre Likewise with sergeing, would that be better than a raw edge? -Carol Those Who Fail to Learn History Are Doomed to Repeat It; Those Who Fail To Learn History Correctly - Why They Are Simply Doomed. Achemdro'hm The Illusion of Historical Fact -- C. Y. 4971 Andromeda ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] CC27 historical judge talks about workmanship and historical interpretation
And note, there is no right way to achieve your compensation. In your example, I could also see binding all the seam edges and then flat-felling the seams. You could also zig-zag stitch or even serge the edges as well. None of these techniques would be any better than the others. The important thing is you make it clear you know what was correct, why you can't do that, and how you are achieving a similar look. Pierre's right, if neatness of finish is the object, that there is no absolute best way as long as neatness is achieved. Certainly the best recreation is the one most closely approximating the original method. But in the case where, for example, the original fabric was woven narrower than the modern equivalent, and the other selvedge had to be recreated along a cut edge, neat should be just as good as neat. In the case of an interpretation, where period construction methods aren't usually an issue, neat is always as good as neat. ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Book review requested - Nineteenth Century Fashion in detail
Nancy Bradfield's _Costume in Detail 1730-1930_ - but she doesn't show photographs, it's all line drawings. The first edition hardback has photos in color. I own the second edition hardback, which has no photos but more costume drawings. Haven't looked in the paperback edition. -- Carolyn Kayta Barrows -- Blank paper is God's way of saying it ain't so easy being God. -- ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
