For stage costumes I always line/interface with heavy muslin. It holds the
shape and size well and protects the outer fabric (which is usually more
delicate) from stress. What did you use for lining and interfacing?
And here's what is probably a really stupid question, but you seem to have done
Here's somebody's photo. Google brought up a lot of pages!
http://www.instructables.com/id/Recycle-Soda-Pop-Tabs-Into-Chain-Mail/
-Original Message-
From: Lavolta Press f...@lavoltapress.com
Sent: Apr 24, 2012 11:50 AM
To: Historical Costume h-cost...@indra.com
Subject: Re: [h-cost]
Not a finished piece, but here's a how-to:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Genuine-chainmaille-from-pop-tabs/
-Original Message-
From: R Lloyd Mitchell rmitch...@staff.washjeff.edu
Sent: Apr 24, 2012 11:37 AM
To: h-cost...@indra.com
Subject: [h-cost] Hippy craft projects
Does any one
Very true that the moths that develop from mealworms don't eat fabrics. BUT
also true that once they get into your house they are EVERYWHERE in your house,
and they are particularly fond of making their cocoons in folds of drapery and
other cloth (as well as on the back panels and undersides of
Oh god, I had forgotten those parades of maggots up the walls. An unholy mess.
Yes, we were taken by surprise too. Now we are VIGILANT!
Best wishes--
Ruth Anne
-Original Message-
From: Beteena Paradise bete...@mostlymedieval.com
Sent: Feb 27, 2012 1:23 PM
To: Historical Costume
Talk about costume in literature! (or is this vice versa?)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/mar/07/gown-exhibit-dumaurier-cornwall?CMP=twt_gu
--Ruth Anne Baumgartner
scholar gypsy and amateur costumer
___
h-costume mailing list
If some of the full-time members of the department of the school nearest to me
weren't vindictive snobs I could! Actually our new Writing Program Director is
encouraging those of us who teach in that program to go, and I do own my
regalia so it's no problem, but I'm still thinking about the
You also have to know, as Harriet Vane comments in Dorothy L. Sayers' GAUDY
NIGHT, how to turn the velvet border so the silk lining shows. Yes, the least
they could do as part of the approving of a degree is to instruct the recipient
on how to put on the duds!
--Ruth Anne Baumgartner
What is being described is not the coat but the hat, a tiny version of the
hats of those English soldiers nicknamed 'lobster backs.' Those would be the
redcoats, the English soldiers of the 18th-19th century notorious here during
the American Revolution.
--R.A. Baumgartner
scholar gypsy and
The dress diary is very interesting. I've been flirting with a gown from one of
the Albert books for some time and may now get up the nerve to try it.
BUT the most enjoyable part of your site is the
What-kind-of-romance-novel-heroine-are-you quiz. I took it in the spirit of fun
and discovered
If it weren't completely OT, I'd love to post some of the things my American
college students write in English class. And, as you say, for most of them
English is the only language they've got.
--Ruth Anne Baumgartner
scholar gypsy and amateur costumer
-Original Message-
From: Land of
This is breathtaking, Bjarne. The doll looks VERY pleased with her beautiful
gown.
I'm sure we're all looking forward to the next one!
--Ruth Anne Baumgartner
scholar gypsy and amateur costumer
-Original Message-
From: Leif og Bjarne Drews [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Apr 8, 2008 2:53 PM
To:
The best answer, then, is to costume yourself as the White Queen from Lewis
Carroll's THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS, and celebrate the scattered hairpins and
flying hair as costuming detail at its best!
When the Kinsale cloak FolkWear pattern was bran-new I made one for my sister,
who was a professional musician at the time and traveled in various weathers
when her symphony orchestra did run-outs into the state's hinterlands. I used
black cotton velveteen and lined it with a shiny silver
But you'll have a very hard time getting ANY published material copied at
Kinko's. Ten years or so ago they were the subject of a big copyright-violation
suit because they were helping/encouraging faculty to make their own
textbooks with photocopied materials, and neither the faculty nor
This is true. But I can say for sure: I (female) wear a size 37 in the European
shoes I wear (Berkenstock, but also some closed shoes) and a 6 1/2 or 7 in
American-sized shoes; my consort (male) wears an 8 or 8 1/2 American size.
There's no way he could fit into my shoes, and his are too large
I like the tabs too. At first I thought I preferred the cabbage tabs, but on
reflection the matching tabs seem better, although a little dark because of the
fabric design. Yes, fussy, but in a really interesting--you could almost say
witty--way!
--Ruth Anne Baumgartner
scholar gypsy and amateur
My sister used to work for a jeweler and did a lot of stringing of beads and
pearls. She says she might be interested but would need more details. She's in
Arizona--you can e-mail her at [EMAIL PROTECTED] if you want to pursue!
--Ruth Anne Baumgartner
scholar gypsy and amateur costumer
Watch? Isn't that a miniature (portrait)?
--Ruth Anne
-Original Message-
From: otsisto [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Dec 13, 2006 12:28 PM
To: Historical Costume [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: RE: [h-cost] construction ?
Thank you, everyone. I had a brain [EMAIL PROTECTED] and said plastron and
If you choose 24-lb instead of 28-lb, the ream price goes down to $29 something.
--Ruth Anne Baumgartner
gypsy scholar and amateur costumer
AND creator of a room-size braided rug made of old blue jeans
-Original Message-
From: Gail Scott Finke [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Dec 11, 2006
Let me find a clear space in my house (evidently NOT a Tardis because although
it's stuffed with stuff it refuses to expand) to lay it out, and I'll take its
picture. In advance I have to confess having added a circuit or two of old
nightgowns, just for color
--Ruth Anne
-Original
I've read all the interesting suggestions posted so far. What occurs to me,
particularly because you want him to be able to wear it on his back, is a
modified quiver. You could even play the jest all the way and put a few dummy
arrows in there along with the recorder--maybe make a rigid
Oh, dear, so much for Robin Hood (and his band of merry men!)!
--Ruth Anne
-Original Message-
From: Deredere Galbraith [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Dec 5, 2006 11:42 AM
To: Historical Costume [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [h-cost] Research on medieval instrument cases?
Mmm I don't think back
I'm intrigued by the reference to Elizabeth's second link--I can't find the
message this clearly refers to, and maybe hair taping would be helpful to me.
In my annual Queen of Yore gig at a Medieval Banquet church fund-raiser, I
fight with my hair (and lose) every year. The King and I (haha)
Dawn--
I loved participating last year and would like to do so this year. Missed the
deadline because I haven't had time to write up a little who I am
paragraphis it really too late?
--Ruth Anne Baumgartner
scholar gypsy and amateur costumer
-Original Message-
From: Dawn [EMAIL
I'll do that as soon as I get home from work today. Thanks! --Ruth Anne
-Original Message-
From: Dawn [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Oct 17, 2006 11:49 AM
To: Historical Costume [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [h-cost] Holiday Gift Exchange
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Dawn--
I loved participating
I haven't seen it--it was at a nearby megaplex but stayed only a week--of
course I WILL, if only to see Johnny Depp in full Restoration rig! As to Wilmot
having wasted his talents, though, I have to object: there's that hugely
obscene play he wrote, and then of course he's part of the original
Bravo, Bjarne. What a fitting recognition for your wonderful skills and
accomplishments!
You sound as if you're very tempted.
These projects sound like something a bit new for you, a chance to stretch...
You COULD tell yourself that garments for exhibition aren't QUITE
costumes...and so you
I was disappointed that, among all these images of the Phrygian or liberty
cap, Google did NOT find the college seal of my alma mater, Dickinson College
(est. 1773, Carlisle, PA). Our seal has three objects: a telescope, a Bible,
and the Phrygian cap, along with the motto that we are the
Hello the list--
My truelove has kindly given me parking space on his website for the photo I
took after our FIRST snowfall of the season and intended as a greeting card for
the h-cost list. Today we're having what MIGHT be the last snowfall of the
season.
Who would expect in a modest little
I just ran down to the basement to copy the label for this product--
I've had good luck with it but have used it on only two pieces, so I can't say
I've done exhaustive testing!
It's called RESTORATION,
and it claims Revives color and freshness to antique linens...removes most
stains.
Try Lacis: http://www.lacis.com/catalog/search.php.
--Ruth Anne Baumgartner
scholar gypsy and amateur costumer
-Original Message-
From: Suzi Clarke [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Feb 24, 2006 11:32 AM
To: Historical Costume [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [h-cost] Tambour hook/ was A book for
Dear Bjarne,
If you're going to be among the most excellent crafters of costume making in
Europe, you should be perfectly at home. Have a wonderful time. It would be
wonderful for us to see pictures if you're permitted to post them.
By the way, did your stockings from Jas. Townsend finally
THANK YOU! Subject of idle speculation on my part from time to time for years!
I'm accustomed to being mildly disconcerted by some British terminology, but
this one finally makes sense!
--Ruth Anne Baumgartner
scholar gypsy and amateur costumer
-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Referring to those red fox-hunting jackets as pinks raises the additional
question of just what the British historically meant when they called something
pink.
--Ruth Anne Baumgartner
scholar gypsy and amateur costumer
-Original Message-
From: Suzi Clarke [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Feb 21,
It might be useful to Bjarne to know that in 1775 in England, at least,
hand-kissing was not necessarily literal. Witness this dialogue from Richard
Brinsley Sheridan's The Rivals. Bob Acres, a country squire eager to appear
sophisticated during a visit to Bath, is meeting with his acquaintance
Not period maybe, but with deep purple-blue as accent color I'd go silver for
the white-ish color. And I agree with Dawn about touches of an intermediate
blue or blues, or, to my taste, violet.
Just two cents' worth...
Ruth Anne Baumgartner
scholar gypsy and amateur costumer
-Original
Hi, Bjarne. I'm not in Europe, but I've ordered from Jas Townsend in the past,
particularly stockings and hat blanks. I ordered by telephone and found the
company very helpful and accommodating. I also had a short deadline for the
stockings etc., and they made my deadline easily. You'd probably
It looks to me like an add-on, too--an applied exaggerated collar (fur?), most
likely, considering how well it fits the neck edge of the gown. (Those points
would have been the envy of Carnaby Street back in the 'Sixties!) It doesn't
look like a turn-back of the gown's natural edge.
I initially
This seems like a very period solution, Bjarne!
Have a wonderful time. We'll be looking forward to photos.
--Ruth Anne Baumgartner
scholar gypsy and amateur costumer
-Original Message-
From: Bjarne og Leif Drews [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Feb 4, 2006 7:57 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject:
REALLY interesting article!
Two little nits--when you mention parare, to shield in the etymology of
parasol, you should also mention sol, sun.
And please, in possessive form of it, NO apostrophe.
--Ruth Anne Baumgartner
scholar gypsy (English) and amateur costumer
-Original Message-
She looks beautiful--so simple and elegant. What are the fabrics, do you know?
Thanks!
--Ruth Anne Baumgartner
scholar gypsy and amateur costumer
-Original Message-
From: Bjarne og Leif Drews [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Feb 1, 2006 11:11 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [h-cost] wedding
I agree with Ann. I used Safari on a Mac OS X and it was fine--pages loaded
very quickly. The colors were quite nice for me, and the design of the pages
was clear and consistent. I liked the stitch listings (is there really a stitch
called bukkion, though? I'd have thought bullion, but I'm not
Bjarne, I agree with Fran. This is beautifully conceived and beautifully
executed work on a piece of usable art. While as a shopper I might wish for a
lower price, as a serious purchaser I would expect to pay well over $100 for
such an item. You don't want to underprice your artistry OR your
Costume-related: one of my sisters gave me half a yard of deep claret cotton
velvet for costumes--she said it was an odd present, but I can already think
of three ways I could use it for this summer's production!
Textile: my other sister gave me a throw, Lord Ganesha batiked on hand-woven
Hello the list.
My attention was first drawn to this headline in a local (Stratford, CT) paper
because of the faulty possessive noun and the interesting choice of singular
verb.
BUT my attention was then rewarded by realizing that this sports headline
manages to use two words (out of a total
This is an Unemployed Philosophers Guild product. They have a Beanie-Baby-style
van Gogh doll with a detachable ear, a Global Warming mug that shows the
predicted new coastlines when you fill it with hot coffee, a Scream pillow that
does scream (and a Mona Lisa pillow that giggles), and
In fact, the lederhosen is THE gift for my brother-in-law, who's usually quite
difficult to shop for!
Thanks for this site--I've dropped a few bucks but it was a lot of fun. I do
wish Wilde had been more accessorized, but I'm not sure what I would have
added. Perhaps a lace handkerchief.
I
Uh-oh. Where does that leave such items as Eisenhower jackets, Peter Pan
collars, Eton jackets, Mae Wests (life preservers), and other eponymous
garments? ;.}
--Ruth Anne Baumgartner
scholar gypsy and amateur costumer
-Original Message-
From: A J Garden [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Dec
Can't you turn the seam allowance under for the elastic casing, and then leave
that bit of the seam open when you sew the side seam? It could be hand-finished
once the elastic was properly sized and stitched, no? I'm trying to think
three-dimensionally here, and I THINK I have done this once or
I usually put tissue paper between the layers. That discourages creep and also
seems to enable the pile to move out of the way of the needle rather than
getting squished under the thread, so the seam doesn't really show after
sewing. But I haven't got a trick to deal with thickness, other than
Bjarne, I'm with you on this basically. It seems to me that the music, or the
words (in the case of a play), should be seen as part of a whole world being
created, and that world also includes what the eye sees--costumes, set, even
the actor's gestures. Once in a while a production comes along
Bjarne, my reply about the lace frills is from a costumer and considers
practicality rather than necessarily being authentic, but for what it's worth:
I always edge the chemise in lace rather than sewing the lace to the dress,
because the chemise is much easier to launder. With the actresses in
These colors are wonderful together, Bjarne--and using the taffeta is very
resourceful. Can't wait to see the finished suit!
How is your wrist healing, by the way?
--Ruth Anne Baumgartner
scholar gypsy and amateur costumer
-Original Message-
From: Bjarne og Leif Drews [EMAIL PROTECTED]
I think we in the U.S. may also have an actual TRADITION of Ren faires, whereas
reenactments of our own country's history are a more recent phenomenon.
According to James D. Hart's THE POPULAR BOOK: A HISTORY OF AMERICA'S LITERARY
TASTE (University of California Press, 1950), the novels of Sir
May I echo Chris and Lalah, and further suggest (in the great American
tradition of free speech) that anyone who has shared hundreds of pieces of
useful costume information and dozens of beautiful and inspiring pictures of
finished costumes and works-in-progress can be considered to have earned
Take a look at Kurosawa's RAN or THRONE OF BLOOD. Yards and yards!
--Ruth Anne Baumgartner
scholar gypsy and amateur costumer
-Original Message-
From: Carolyn Kayta Barrows [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Aug 29, 2005 4:58 PM
To: Historical Costume [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [h-cost]
The Folkwear choli pattern (which compares, by the way, quite favorably with
cholis I have had made in India) includes step-by-step illustrated directions
for wrapping two different styles of sari.
If you really want to have some fun, you can get Chantal Boulanger's book
Saris: An Illustrated
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