[h-cost] Iron Age Tunic

I agree with Danielle. The armhole is very interesting and I can't find any pictures that show it better. The bottom part of the sleeve looks like it's not attached to the armhole - as if a gusset were missing or it's left open to allow movement. I hope detailed pictures show up and that an

[h-cost] Old thread

Pull on it. If it snaps easily, pitch it out. Deterioration often has to do with the dye and how the thread was stored. Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume

[h-cost] Starch recipe

From the Argo web site: Q: Can I make laundry starch from Argo and Kingsford's corn starch? A: Yes you can starch clothing with regular corn starch. In a large bowl or pot, stir 1/2 cup of corn starch into 1 cup of cold water. Stir in boiling water (2 quarts for a heavy solution; 4 quarts for

[h-cost] Garments at the Reed Homestead

Dede, is there anywhere you can post some pictures of the garments you're looking at? Maybe a Facebook page or Flickr? Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume

[h-cost] Heavy underwear

My first thought was early 1850's, just before the hoop, as others have said. But I wonder if, pound for pound, the 1770's and thereabout might win. Stays that were solidly boned and several layers thick were heavier than corsets, linen shifts were heavier than chemises, petticoats were worn

Re: [h-cost] family photos

Wow! I TOTALLY agree with everybody who's told you to scan the photos before you give them away or sell them. (I'd keep them, but that's my personal interest.) Scan the front and the back of each photo if there's information on the reverse side - like the photographic studio's ad, often with the

[h-cost] Victorian Tailoring

Oh, Ann Wass, I LOVE that old, old Simplicity booklet, Sewing for Men and Boys. (Shall we pretend we bought it used or admit that we were old enough to sew when it came out in 1973?) The classic tailoring techniques are well explained and well illustrated. My go-to book for hard core tailoring

[h-cost] Costume, clothes, regalia, garb, etc

We just spent the weekend with outdoorsy friends who refer to all their parkas and waterproof pants and windbreakers and hiking boots and such as gear. Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com

Re: [h-cost] Tom Tierney

I smiled at Tom Tierney. If I had seen Janet Arnold, I would have fallen on the floor and kissed her toes! ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume

[h-cost] Tom Tierney

Once upon a time I was in the special collections room at FIT doing some research and there was an elderly gentleman nearby similarly involved. We left together when the library closed and we fell into conversation. I asked what he was working on. Oh, he said, I do paper dolls. You mean like

[h-cost] Beautiful exhibit and catalogue

There's a very interesting show of 19th century garments at the Shippensburg University Fashion Archives. Though the museum is a little difficult to get to, it's great to look at clothes there because they're not in glass cases and you can get a close view from several angles. Curator Dr. Karin

[h-cost] Speaking of Christmas gifts...

The Shippensburg Fashion Archives and Museum has a really nifty tote bag (uh, if I do say so myself since I designed it) for sale on their web site. http://webspace.ship.edu/fasharch/. The bag's graphics are a pattern in the Janet Arnold manner for a dress in the SUFAM collection. The hang tag

[h-cost] Shippensburg tote bag

The pattern on the tote bag is just for decorative purposes, so I used the pieces that fit in artfully. The pattern for the dress is real, however and one of a series of patterns Shippensburg Fashion Archives and I (my alter ego Martha McCain) will be making available next year. The patterns

[h-cost] Butterick B5405

I agree with De. I think it's late 1930's. I've just written Customer Service at Butterick to ask. Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume

[h-cost] What costume things did you learn in the 60s?

I learned to embroider because boyfriends liked their sign of the zodiac embroidered on a chambray shirt. I went through several boyfriends and a lot of astrological signs between '69 and '72! Martha ___ h-costume mailing list

[h-cost] Virginia Women's Colleges in the 1960's - definitely pre-hippie

Hi Kate (Sweetbriar) and Catherine (Radford) I was at Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg, Virginia from 1964-1966. Then I went to Northwestern. Because I was there such a brief time and because new clothes were bought for college, I have all sorts of snapshots of my friends and myself

[h-cost] Dotty Paper

For Penny If you don't find the dotted pattern paper easily, it's available at Greenberg and Hammer http://www.greenberg-hammer.com/ and at Steinlauf and Stoller http://www.steinlaufandstoller.com/Workroom%20Tools.htm Martha ___ h-costume mailing

[h-cost] Down sleeve supports

Several years ago the Costume Institute mounted a wonderful little show of odds and ends from their collection. I distinctly remember a little glass case with five or six versions of sleeve supports. I know some were down-filled 1830's. I've looked in their swell new data base and can't find

[h-cost] Re. wrinkles out of silk

A hot iron with steam - absolutely, but did anybody mention a damp press cloth? Damp, not wet. I iron the whole shebang with steam and then go back and catch resistant wrinkles with the damp cloth. Martha ___ h-costume mailing list

[h-cost] Thank you for Louis!

Years ago I fell in love with a charming watercolor by Louis de Carmontelle (also known as Louis Carrogis) in MIRROR MIRROR by Michael and Ariane Batterberry. It's three ladies having tea in the garden. I've been looking for more of his work ever since. This it IT! Both Suzi's and Bjarne's

[h-cost] I want to see the Louis Carrogis watercolors

I'd love to see these watercolors, but the link doesn't work for me and when I get to the web site all the error messages are in French. Can someone help me? Martha Louis Carrogis made these water colours pictures of the french nobility:

[h-cost] Thank you, Bjarne

Thank goodness I just got another external hard drive! Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume

[h-cost] Danish Museum Patternmaker

I was interested in finding out more about the patternmaker, Karen Jacobi, who did (most of, if not all) the patterns on the museum web site. She seems to have been working in the 1970's -'90's in Denmark. I've found one book, but for all the Danish I can read, it might be a book about carving

[h-cost] Thank you, Bjarne for the Danish museum site

Wow! Just lovely! When you say, Also pdf files of the pattern cuts and also zoom in. do you mean sewing patterns laid out as in Janet Arnold? If so, how do I find them? Thanks again for this treat. Martha ___ h-costume mailing list

[h-cost] New York Garment Center is in trouble

I read with interest last week a discussion about dwindling fabric shopping in New York. No kidding! I’ve been a costume designer in New York since 1972. Way back then there were several fabric districts – 57th Street, the 30’s (the Garment District), 14th Street (cheap fabrics for

[h-cost] Simplicity and ease

Simplicity has an article on their web site explaining their version of ease. http://www.simplicity.com/index.cfm?page=section/classroom/sewingLessons/sew ing101part2.cfm If that link doesn't work, try Simplicity.com (http://www.simplicity.com/) and go to Sewing 101 - Part 2. Martha

[h-cost] Something like Accessible Archives?

I swear by Accessible Archives for the entire run of Godey's Lady's Book, scanned at high resolution and word-searchable. A subscription is affordable to an individual, not just a library or university. Does anyone know of a comparable site for Peterson's or Harper's Bazaar - the sort of thing

[h-cost] New York fabric stores

I'm going to stick my neck out here and recommend TWO Fabric stores. I live in New York and I've been a costume designer since 1968. I'm one of those people who doesn't think the shopping is over until I've hit every store in the city. But here goes: BJ at 525 Seventh Avenue on the 2nd floor.

[h-cost] embroidered stomacher

Thank you so much for shating this. Isn't the top item a cap, rather than a cape? Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume

[h-cost] The spelling gods got me!

I DO think I meant sharing! That's teach me to hit SEND before SPELL-CHECK. Especially since I was asking about CAP versus CAPE. Martha Thank you so much for shating this. Isn't the top item a cap, rather than a cape? Martha ___ h-costume

[h-cost] Library lover

Here's another reason I read h-costume and find it invaluable. Often times other members mention books that sound delicious. If the book is hard to find or really expensive, I go to the on-line catalogue of the public library to see if it's there. After I've actually looked at the book in

[h-cost] 18th century sleeve ruffles

Hi, When adding 2 frills to an 18th century outfit, would you not gather each frill up separately, and then attach them on top of eachother? If i gather both on the same time, they make the same folds, wich i dont think is right? Bjarne Bjarne I've been studying some spectacular 18th century

[h-cost] Listing books

Could someone please explain the point of listing one's books? I'm afraid I don't see the point. Mine are all on shelves in my workroom. I know what they are, and where they are. Why would I need to list them? (More time I haven't got anyway!) suzi Two reasons for listing books: 1. So when

[h-cost] How Simplicity chooses patterns

Subject: Re: [h-cost] Re:patterns What I'm interested in knowing, is how Simplicity chooses patterns--aside from market surveys, don't they do those?--and the people who design them. Is it all freelance? I know someone via the net--or used to, she's not posting any more--who had a small line

[h-cost] Martha to Mia - I needed that!

I can't wait for the 18cent patterns that Martha McCain/Simplicity that are rumored to be coming out sometime in the future. Martha McCain, I know you are out there...You go girl. 18c Mia in Charlotte, NC. Thanks for the words of encouragement. I've been working on the 18th century

[h-cost] Taking up a collection

I believe Martha prefers to work from as many original garments as she can get her hands on. Alas, there are precious few extant 16th century garments available for study and are there any at all in the U.S.? - Ann Wass So send me to England - to Europe - to Kyoto!!! Have tape measure, will

[h-cost] Bodleian Corset Images, Trade Cards

David? Sheridan? I would LOVE to see the images you're talking about, but I can't figure out how to use the system. Could you be a little more specific? Thank you! Martha ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com