I've gotten permission to make my own cap, gown and hood for my
graduation this June. I would like to use the Alcega scholar's robe, or
something similar. Does anyone know of a good source for patterns?
Either look into the Janet Arnold 'Patterns of Fashion' covering the
Renaissance, or
I would say that an experienced seamstress could do that dress easily on
8 yards of fabric, probably a few less if it wasn't matched plaid.
Cut the skirt in one piece and the plaid matches itself. Then cut all
the other pieces that way up on the plaid, so they match too.
I'm not
questioning the design (the basic design looks good though the one in
the photo doesn't seem to fit the model all that well,
I'd say the skirt's too big, but other than that I like it. I'd use
that bodice and sleeves, add a peplum, and call it a jacket.
Part of me wants to leave it without tabs, because it looks fussy to me. But
many of the bodices had these whacky shaped tabs, and the original obviously
did too..sighdecisions, decisions.
What is your vote? Thanks for your opinions!
They're stupid, but leave them on. It looks even
In any case, Spanish OR Portuguese, I am totally unable to find anything
even resembling long poufy pants. Anywhere but on Japanese
representations of European traders.
So if the event is mostly Japanese, I'd go with the Japanese
representations of the namban, and cross-dress if I was a
But did
you notice there are no women? Not even one! Every time I think I've
spotted one, I realize it's just a man in poofy pants. *grumble*...
There must have been *some* kind of woman, at *some* point, who came on
one of those ships! :-P
I think it was against Japanese law of the time for
Though you've already helped some, by writing namban instead of
nanban... Now to do some more Googling...
_
nam ban = southern barbarian
viet nam - southern provence
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h-costume mailing list
My first question, of course, is: what would they wear? I can find tons
of information on Spain for these years (and gorgeous outfits too), but
nothing on Portugal. Well... yes and no. Royalty seems to be
interchangeable between Spain and Portugal at the time -- or is this
just a case of my
I need a little help: I'm looking for pictures and patterns for this kind of
dress: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild:Schaube.PNG
it is called Schaube in German, originally from arabian aljubbeh or something like that. Somewhere I found that it is also called robe, which is probably not very
Not if what she was wearing was obviously knitted. That's a humongous
boo-boo, right there.
The Coptic people did a thing that looked a lot like knitting. Is this
movie example something so far off?
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h-costume mailing list
The Coptic's had a form of needle knitting and to my understanding a form of
macramé' was known in Egypt.
It's called naalbinding, and is almost identical to knitting except that
it's done with a threaded needle. The thread follows almost the same
path as it does in knitting, except that the
Do you think she is pregnant?
Seems a little low for pregnancy.
I'd say she wasn't. Most of the images of these dresses show women in
the same shape as this one, and I don't believe every one of them was
painted during pregnancy. BTW, I made one of these once. In mine I
looked pretty much
Thought some of you might get a kick out of
this.
http://www.bildindex.de/bilder/mi08115a05b.jpghttp://www.bildindex.de/bilder/mi08115a05b.jpg
(I have a vague recollection it might have been posted before, if so, my
apologies.)
It is a fragment from a woodcut print. It is water
Fashion magazines of the period, such as Harper's, would be another good
source, but I haven't followed the chain that far.
I'd say humor and satire magazines, like Punch, would have more coverage of
Aesthetic-style clothing than regular fashion magazines. The Aesthetics
weren't high
And, at least around here, the fit of the jeans. Guys wear them
ridiculously over-sized and baggy, and gals wear them ridiculously tight!
True sometimes, but by no means always. I've seen many young women -- even
slender ones--who wear their jeans with plenty of ease. I haven't
And, at least around here, the fit of the jeans. Guys wear them
ridiculously over-sized and baggy,
And hanging half way down the *rse in London - I swear some of them will
fall down as there is no waist and hips to stop them.
and gals wear them ridiculously tight!
but showing builder's
Shoes seem to be the best giveaway to gender. Can you really tell me
that you haven't seen someone whose gender you couldn't tell by their
clothing?
Not from the front anyway.
So, I still think that a future reenactor, particularly male, could be
reasonably accurate from the 1950's in
Most people don't realize that what they're wearing right now, like as
they're reading this e-mail, will be considered historical 100 years
from
now.
So I should carefully preserve this old ratty bathrobe for
posterity?? Sorry, I couldn't resist!
Oh yes, you really must. Think how
Of course, what I would like is a replicator that would give me some of
that 1960s velour! I wish I could find some of that stuff.
It's still around. Look in thrift stores that have fabric. These won't be
the clean places like Goodwill, but I'm sure, if you do thrift stores at
all, you
Oh, fun. I have a Centennial Dress from the 1870's that's a really
interesting take on quasi-Colonial. I'm still trying to figure out what
they were doing with the flat-fronted skirt that has some really odd seams
to make quasi-panniers, and the bias-wrapped elbow-triangles are a hoot.
But isn't a fashion historian a modern construct, and
by definition one who looks at the past and not the
present?
You've got your definition about right, but no, fashion historian is not
a modern construct. There have been fashion historians since at least the
mid-1800s, if we include the
When one's in the thick of it, it's hard
to see sometimes.
Remembering to see such things is a mindset. Now every new thing that
comes out, in any field, I remember that it will get old some day.
Anyway, as far as clothes go, who knows what the future will latch onto or
how they will
The girls' dresses look very Kate Greenway to me. I am not sure when this
style was vogue. The Kate Greenway paperdoll book has a lot of
illustrations of those designs.
Kate Greenaway illustrations reflect what the Aesthetics were wearing in
the late-1870s-early-1880s. It's not
That dress seems to me to smack of Little House on the Prairie. In my own
mind, Heidi wears dirndls--maybe my childhood Heidi book dressed Heidi
that way?
You're right. Austrian, German, and Swiss peasants could wear dresses that
look like dirndls. Folkwear (folkwear.com) has a pattern
Hi all! Does anyone know the decade that the Heidi story is supposed to be
set in?
The girl in the wheelchair looks vaguely like mid-1880s. In another one of
those 39 images, it looks like there's an adult woman wearing a mid-1880s
dress and hat. In no other image is the year, or even the
The rude comment part referred to my criticism of corset patterns
developed from a pattern block as seen in Waisted Efforts--unless someone
with a great deal of skill alters the pattern, the result is almost always
all wrong.
If you really didn't like the pattern I can see where you'd want
However, this beautiful S-shape of the edwardian times can only be
achieved by such a corset...
It can be faked to some extent by pooching out the front of the bodice or
shirtwaist, and adding a little fullness to the back of a straight-front
skirt. This enhancement seems to have been done
In this I even must include the Norah Waugh pattern in Corsets
Crinolines; while it may well be based on an extant corset, it is in no
way representative of the straight front corset, and if you're trying to
get that look, you'll be disappointed.
Gee. I have one of those, straight out of
That sounded really, really, rude, so I'd like to apologize now and avoid
the rush. =} I'm passionate about the fit of corsets, and when I see
people wearing ill-fitting corsets and then going on and on about how
uncomfortable and torturous corsets are, it makes my teeth itch.
But my Waugh
Anyway, what are other people making to cope with this seasonably toasty
weather?
Mini-dress-length t-shirt I didn't have to sew. It's good for around the
house and not anywhere else. For going someplace, add jeans and shoes.
CarolynKayta Barrows
dollmaker, fibre artist,
The Hyde Street Pier Living History Players are doing their 1901 bathing
suit event Saturday, August 12th at the San Francisco Maritime National
Historical Park. At least one of us will be wearing a bathing suit, and
the rest of us will be wearing either c.1901 Summer clothes or (non-Navy)
These are the winners in the [in]famous Bulwer-Lytton
Fiction Contest a contest for the worst opening line to a novel ever.
The link was dead, and searching on the SJState web page didn't turn up
anything under Bulwer-Lytton. Now what?
CarolynKayta Barrows
dollmaker, fibre
What do you do when you finally realise you dont want to reenact anymore,
and when your costumes gets bored to look at?
When alll your reenactment friends leaves you, and your family two?
What is left then?
Wait till the feeling passes and do some more re-enactment later? Get
different
(I'm not thrilled about the idea of using tea because of the tannin, and I
suspect tea [and coffee] is not all that fast either.)
I'm told that caffeine-free coffee, or tea, can be used as a dye if you're
worried about tannin. I don't know if it's true or not.
CarolynKayta Barrows
I don't think the caffeine has anything to do with the tannin.
I heard that caffeine was the acidic part of coffee or tea, as tannin is
with walnut husks. So the suggestion was to use caffeine-free, which would
be acid-free, and the better thing archivally. But I only know that I
heard
How do you construct the neck ruff so that the hem,
etc is hidden?
If you don't want a visible hem at the outside edge, don't make a hem
there. Use doubled material, folded over any stiffening you think you
need, with the fold at the outside edge. That way there's no hem to have
to hide.
Are there any costume sites or books about this movie? I tried a Google
search but my computer is slow and shadow brings up a whole lot of other
movies and things.
First go to IMdB.com (Internet Movie dataBase). Search there for The
Shadow, and, because there are multiple results, go to the
O.K. folks, I will be in Washington in just over two weeks (please excuse
a small squee!) and visiting Alden O'Brien at the DAR Museum on the Friday
morning 23rd.
We would like to meet anyone who can make it for dinner/supper/evening
meal at the hotel Harrington that evening, around
Does anyone know a good book on drafting patterns for historical
costumes? I mean drafting custom patterns, like tailors do. I've been
searching for some such books on amazon.com, but I haven't found anything
promising. Since I can't look inside the book, I never know whether it's
a tailor
Hearing all your sad tales of your local fabric stores closing
Interesting that you should say U.S.-based fabric stores in your subject
line. About half of the fabric stores I patronize these days, while they
are located in the US, are run by recent immigrants to the U.S. who still
have
Washougal, Washington is just across the I 205 bridge and a bit east from
Portland/Vancouver. It has the BIG Pendleton outlet store. What you see is
what you get. I picked up 15 yards of light as a feather light, dark teal,
100% Pendleton wool on the remnant table for $1.50 a yard. It is in
Wal mart is really the kudzu of retail. They're cheep, put they never
really have what you want or need. And they kill off all the
competition, and don't have real wool or other natural fibres
I just bought some 100% cotton in a WalMart in VA on my recent vacation
there. It was on a
I want to try naalbinding, too (am even spinning yarn for it), but suspect
it won't be easyAll of the books and online stuff I've seen assume
you're right handed, and I'm not.
So read the directions, then look at the illustrations in a mirror. When I
teach crochet or embroidery or
I just wasn't interested in it (crochet) until I thought of it as a means
to an end (the Mrs. Weasley cardigan). It still seems...limited.
I agree. I've never been interested in it because (1) most of the things
I've
seen made in that technique look ugly to me, and (2) it's primarily a
Mine's name is Patience. Right now she's wearing several hats that don't
have hat boxes, and several neckties waiting to be sewn together into a skirt.
A polo shirt (too small, but it's embroidered with the image of my fav.
horse), a broomstick skirt (needs to be mended where the hem caught
Does anyone know when the busks with clasps came into use? From the
reading I have been doing, it seems as if the busk referred to in 16c
costuming was a solid piece of wood or whalebone, rather then two seperate
pieces that clasped together.
Those soft pre-1830s corsets still have
If the Eagle one is too late, how 'bout using the workmans breeches in
Costume Close-Up, the Williamsburg book?
It's something about not owning that book...
Today I took a look at the Simplicity Caribbean Adventure (#4923) pattern
guide sheet, and even tho that pattern is way cheaper on
I happen to own 2 copies. When I was there I bought an extra just in
case someone might want it. Do you want it? It's brand new. No
eye-prints on it or anything. Pay cover price it's yours.
If anyone else on h-cost wants it, same deal. If you live in or around
Silicon Valley, no postage!
Kayta Barrows [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: Historical Costume [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2006 1:11 AM
Subject: Re: [h-cost] fall front trousers, etc.
Carolyn, I have a pair of trousers from the first quarter 19th C and they
are constructed pretty much the same as the LongFall
The 1840s is kind of late for what I'm doing. I need that baggy seat, to
cover my anatomy and to 'read' early, and I need the resultant trousers
to stay up without suspenders.
Simplicity 4923 is fall-front with a baggy seat and does not use
suspenders. It is taken from 'Cut of Men's
What you're looking for can easily be found in the following two or
three patterns, all by Kannik's Korner, historically accurate with excellent
engineering, historical and sewing notes, all of which we carry, and can be
viewed, and purchased, at:
I'm looking for a pattern for fall front trousers suitable for 1812
American Naval wear. A shell jacket pattern would be good too, but I think
I can fake it.
CarolynKayta Barrows
dollmaker, fibre artist, textillian
www.FunStuft.com
///\
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Of course, there would still be art interpretation issues,
much as there are for miniatures (e.g., was this color chosen for its
symbolism? or because it was an easily available paint pigment? or because
people actually wore it?)
There's always a difference between dyestuff, for fabric, and
I found the link in a friend's blog - fabric made from corn. Really!
There are knitting yarns made of this already, and yarns made of milk. In,
I believe, the 1880s, the new fiber was one made of wood (Rayon).
CarolynKayta Barrows
dollmaker, fibre artist, textillian
look at the photo called PDRM0061in the Chartres collection. Look at
the belt knot, then look just above the belt knot. There you will see
a repeating decorative pattern, that resembles trim, either woven or
embroidered. Now... notice that the trim appears to lie flat and
follow the curve of
In the Chartres it seems to stops under the bust
Some of the pleating on this one goes across the line which delineates the
lower edge of the bust. Look closely to find the exact pleats which do this.
CarolynKayta Barrows
dollmaker, fibre artist, textillian
Sculptors likely did not have live models posing for them as they chipped
away at the stone; even when they are being realistic, there was always
the challenge of representing what the fabric does in stone, a very
different medium.
At least they were closer to the real thing than we are.
So my question, just for my knowledge, is there docs on the horizontal lines
on the bliaut ever being a separate piece from the garment?
SCA people sometimes make this as a separate garment, but that's partly
because of bad reproductions of the original image. The carving shows this
as
The one I
need to make should replicate the ruff in the portrait
of Martin Frobisher found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Frobisher
Where's the portrait? I couldn't find it on the wiki page.
CarolynKayta Barrows
dollmaker, fibre artist, textillian
Should be right on that page on the righthand side.
He's wearing a buttery tan outfit. If for some reason
it still doesn't come up you could try the Google
image search. It is the only full length portrait of
him.
With a gun in his hand, right? I've seen the portrait, but couldn't get to
What do you say, a 15 inch waist:
http://www.aftonbladet.se/atv/player.html?catID=10clipID=7149
I dont like it, its two bizarre.
Can somebody send me this image? There's no way my computer can retrieve it.
CarolynKayta Barrows
dollmaker, fibre artist, textillian
Sailors of the Elizabethan period, based on period art wear loose
venetians or what willlater be called slops. Some are shown closed at
the bottom some are not. The upper body garments tend to be either
close fitting doublets, or a loose smock sort of jacket referred to in
the period as
You have said it! I use their edition of Braun and Schneider for lots of
picture references so I can leave the 19th C edition on the shelf.
Braun and Schneider is online, colorized, as is Tilke's ethnic costume
book. Google for either one.
CarolynKayta Barrows
dollmaker, fibre
I have a fashion print showing historical outfits for a fancy dress
(costume) ball in the 1880s. It's hilarious from a costumer's
viewpoint. Imagine Mary Queen of Scots with an 1880s shape. :-D Very funny.
I love that stuff. I have several of these cross-period historical prints,
plus a
By the way, please excuse this question if it has been discussed. When
did crocheting come along? I was told long ago that it started after 1650
- Is this true? I've been trying to convince a few of my needlework
students that it is out of period for our group.
Something like 1830, last
real period socks and stocking can be a challenge for those of us in
the reecacting world.Which is why I went to not-so-authentic, but
faster to produce cut from whole cloth stockings. The have that clock,
which is missing from so many commerically availble socks. I'm still
I have now seen two photographs of dresses from, I'd say, the early- to
mid- 1890s, each decorated with photographs. The first photo I saw was
published in _American Album_ (SBN-01892-3-395), a paperback 1968
compilation of photographs by American Heritage. This photo is at the
bottom of
I didn't really get any costume-related holiday gifts. I got a lovely
little 1906 how-to book on book binding, including how to make all those
period-pattern marbleized papers. I'm also getting new glasses, which I'm
having put into frames that are much more period-looking than the ones I
I didn't really get any costume-related holiday gifts. I got a lovely
little 1906 how-to book on book binding, including how to make all those
period-pattern marbleized papers. I'm also getting new glasses, which I'm
having put into frames that are much more period-looking than the ones I
My grandmother was a weaver, and said one mustn't make a pin cushion out
of fabric that includes sparkley silver threads.
But the fabric wasn't the problem! These had gotten driven so deep into
the cushion that you'd never know they were there! =-O
Her problem was that pinheads hid in the
The toe is the flax that is thrown away from sheathing. Go to a period
farm for it.
Look for it called tow, as in tow-headed for a flaxen-haired blonde.
CarolynKayta Barrows
dollmaker, fibre artist, textillian
www.FunStuft.com
\\\
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I took one of my pin cushions apart lately and found no less than 31
needles stuck insideI thought I had a needle eating monster (I know I
have a sock eating monster!), now I know where to look next time!
My grandmother was a weaver, and said one mustn't make a pin cushion out of
fabric
It's that time of year: holiday parties, winter balls, company
dinners, New Years Eve, cocktail parties,12th Night, You might even be
planning a sojourn to a balmy tropical locale. Whatever the reason,
costumers are probably making something. So, what's your dressmaker's
dummy wearing today?
It's that time of year: holiday parties, winter balls, company
dinners, New Years Eve, cocktail parties,12th Night, You might even be
planning a sojourn to a balmy tropical locale. Whatever the reason,
costumers are probably making something. So, what's your dressmaker's
dummy wearing today?
were crochetted with a small bone needle.
Crochet cannot be done with any kind of needle. Sorry, but your source
must have been written by someone who doesn't know knit from crochet.
CarolynKayta Barrows
dollmaker, fibre artist, textillian
www.FunStuft.com
I've seen the term crochet needle in English-language 19th-century
crochet instructions, as a synonym for crochet hook.
were crochetted with a small bone needle.
Crochet cannot be done with any kind of needle. Sorry, but your source
must have been written by someone who doesn't know knit
Sorry i misspelled your name, i ment off cause Carolyn.
No problem. I probably didn't even notice it was supposed to be me. I
usually go by Kayta, or Käthe.
CarolynKayta Barrows
dollmaker, fibre artist, textillian
www.FunStuft.com
\\\
Sorry, the source makes it obvious that they know knit from crochet.. and
that they make it clear that they are talking about two different
techniques. This is the NESAT (Northern European Society of Archaeological
Textiles). This is a peer reviewed scholarly journal... they are extremely
Yes, but crochet needles usually are very, very fine and pointy.
Please say hooks.
That's what they use for tambour work, because they need to pierece
through fabric. Not at all like like the ones we use for crocheting.
Yes, actually, the two tools are pretty much interchangeable. And
I'm trying to help a friend with his Japanese persona's costume. We
are needing to find patterns for these items: hakama, manchira, and
hitatare. If anyone could point us in the right direction it would be
greatly appreciated. Thanks!
If my memory is correct, Folkwear has some
Is there any interest among listmembers for a holiday gift exchange? I
envision it working something like this: folks sign up with their name,
address, and a 'favorite' (color, period, animal, technique). Each
participant receives the name of another participant and is then charged
with
I like the idea, too, but it might be better off if it were left
themeless. Not all of us celebrate the holidays in the same way (or for
the same reasons), or even do the same kind of sewing.
Certainly there are many religious holidays in December, and different ways
of celebrating them.
Would people choose names of recipients from the list or get randomly
drawn ones?
It would be randomly drawn.
Would we get some other info about the person so that it can kinda be a
get to know you thing also?
That's an option.
I'm open to suggestions. I'd like it to be fun for everyone
I would like to participate in this also, but wouldnt there be problems?
If i get someone who has interrest in medieval, i would not be much
helpfull, have never done any medieval and what then?
I rarely wear anything like the costumes you make. But I'd love to get
anything you did,
Could someone explain what ric-rac is? It doesn't seem to be what I
understand. I have several cards of ric-rac braid I got in a sale, and
would use it to sew on to a garment for decoration. It was a very popular
trim in the mid 50's if I remember right - that's the 1950's! But ric-rac
I don't remember it in either my facsimile of Mrs. Beeton, or Therese de
Dillmont.
Wave braid crocheted together is really big in the 1880s, after Mrs.
Beeton's and M. Dillmont's time. Start looking for it then.
CarolynKayta Barrows
dollmaker, fibre artist, textillian
Does anyone know where I can get patterns or pattern booklets for rickrack
work that does not involve knitting or crochet, just sewing the rickwork
together in patterns? I've seen a few Victorian and Edwardian garments
that used it (the Victorians tended to call it wavy braid) but not
All of what I've seen involves crochet. But I do own one printed sheet
from the Wright trim company, showing one how to make an early 1950s
dress entirely out of the stuff. You might ask them if they have a copy
in their archives (because I can't find mine).
I'll look into it, although
I'm doing some research on the german Cranach dress style. I would love
to hear thoughts, ideas, websites etc. for a. Bodice: attached or not,
There's one Cranach painting where the front edges of the dress don't quite
line up, as tho the front corners weren't attached to the skirt. But
As to straps across the back, I haven't seen a reason to do them, and I've
managed some pretty low-backed styles. The trick is to get the edge of the
shoulder piece to sit right in the av joint (that little hollow you can feel
on shoulder), and then the shoulders stay put.
The dresses in
No, ME!
Not that I need 14 yards of green wool.
Fight! Fight! Me too! I was going to say: oh, Dawn, it's just not you!
However, it is exactly me! G
I have such visions of a fabric scramble. lol
I haven't used up the wool I have from Pendleton yet, so I'm just watching
everyone else
Personally, I have never tried to collect byssal threads from mussels,
though here's an article showing how to work with
them. http://www.designboom.com/eng/education/byssus_howto.html
I don't necessarily believe all the stuff in that article, nor in the links
from it. For example, one
Does anyone know the name of some software that will take a photo and grid
it for cross-stitch? I know there are people who will do this if you mail
them the photo. But I wonder if they are doing this in some computer
software or by hand.
Yes. I found several, and I liked the HobbyWare
It has to do with the resolution--the high the thread count the finer the
detail. Traditional Xstitch designs are rather 'crude' and blocky...the
modern patterns of angels etc are on a high count cloth and are rather
large...Think pixels and screen resolution--more is better! And yes it all
Yes, seal the box! :-) While Laura Ashley dresses look old-timey or
traditional, they are from the late 1970s/early 80s. You could equate
them with other styles of that era. Also point out what makes the dress
Laura Ashley and not 1901.
Seal the box, and mark it something like Do not
Also from a personal viewpoint, I enjoy some people who do first
person and interacting with them to some extent. But I have
experienced the sort who are overbearing, set on acting and treat
other interpretors as extras. (insulting, etc.) If that was going on
in the program, I would lose
Always remember that this is a volunteer outfit!
Oh, you thought I was getting paid for this job? Only the park rangers get
paid at this site. The rest of us are doing it because we want to.
## Great idea! Cull out the rotten apples first! Perhaps there is another
historic site near you
I hesitate to tell a real newbie what she or he mustn't do, for fear
they'll do it. But I guess I can take a picture of the worst of the
don't go there garments, for an example of what to avoid.
They will do it why - because they have been advised not to, or
because they see it and
We do 1901. There is a posture shown in many contemporary illustrations
where the bust is pushed forward and the butt is pushed backward, such
that a standing woman is bent into an S-shaped curve (think Gibson
Girl). I can hardly present this un-natural, but historically correct,
posture
There has been a change in the leadership of a living history program I am
in. The new person in charge wants revive the program, which has almost
become depopulated, and to make us look and act like a real living history
program. I am assuming that a higher standard of authenticity in
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