From: Gretchen Miller Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1993 20:45:19 -0500 (EST) Subject: H-Costume Digest, Volume 5, 11/19/93 The Historic Costume List Digest, Issue 2, November 17, 1993 Send items for the list to h-costume@andrew.cmu.edu (or reply to this message). Send subscription/deletion requests and inquiries to h-costume-request@andrew.cmu.edu Enjoy! ------------------------------------------- Topics Folkwear, Continued Lace, and Lace making equipment Newsgroup info Biographies, Continued Elizabethan Actors Period Shoe Soles Medieval Miscellania Patterna Request for Costuming Groups in the NY or Boston area Brocade Source in Oakland CA Dress Forms ------------------------------------------ From: rain@netcom.com (Leslie Blitman) Subject: Folkwear, lace Date: Thu, 18 Nov 93 17:06:48 PST I just bought the Poiret coat pattern and haven't had the nerve to open it - sometimes things like that need to ripen for a while before they are ready to be approached. Are there any lacemakers out there? (Or am I asking in the wrong list?) There don't seem to be any on the crafts list. Leslie rain@netcom.com (PS to Linda McAllister: Hi from a former Pensfan!) ----------------------------------- From: close@lunch.asd.sgi.com (Diane Barlow Close) Subject: Re: queries Date: Thu, 18 Nov 1993 17:44:43 -0800 (PST) > When will this be changed to a newsgroup? (It is making me nervous to > get this much mail) I think I can answer this last one. To become a newsgroup you have to demonstrate sustainable, large interest and readership in a topic. A mailing list is a way of doing that. If this traffic keeps up and we stay above the 100 members needed for votes, then I don't think it will take too long before we decide to go take it for a vote and see what happens. However, that said, you must realize that this mailing list is only three days old and that a lot of the traffic is introductions. Let's wait and see how much traffic there is in, say, a couple of weeks or a month from now. I don't think it will be this much (she says, in a doubtful tone :-). -- Diane Barlow Close close@lunch.asd.sgi.com I'm at lunch today. :-) --------------------------------------- From: gary.spechko@t8000.cuc.ab.ca Date: Thu, 18 Nov 93 16:28:40 Subject: BIO Greetings, one and all. I'm a newbie to this mailing list, and since I see that everyone has been posting bio's, I'll follow suit. I'm afraid that my interest in costuming lies 100% in wearing them as opposed to making them. I was recently sucked into the Current Middle Ages (courtest of the SCA); hence my presence. I am not the costumer in the house; my fiance does that. So any future messages I post here shall most likely be from her. I'm 22, have never sewn more than a button to a shirt (the back as well as the front, I might add), and am a student at the U of Calgary (Alberta, Canada). My majors are English and History; I'm specializing in Medieval Studies within each major. My greatest fear is that this mailing list might inspire me to wield a needle. Yours in service, - Jag ----------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 18 Nov 1993 21:52:17 -0800 From: knowles@netcom.com (Sheryl Knowles) Subject: Re: queries I've never posted to a group before ... and I'll echo those others who've said "Yay to this group's existance" as well as "can my mailer handle all this" :-) Let's hope we can sustain and evolve to net-group status. I am over 40 and relatively un-skilled at sewing; I got into costuming via the skill I do have - drawing. I do paperdolls ... both for fun and commercially. I do enjoy handsewing and embroidery, tho (I started learning the latter when I was 6 years old), when I can make the time. But all attempts by my mother and grandmother to teach me knitting and crocheting proved I am basically all thumbs ... and sewing machines _hate_ me. Nevertheless, having 'discovered' and joined the SCA a couple of years ago, I am very interested in the research aspect of (and maybe someday will have enough practical knowledge to make something pretty in) costuming. My favourite costume eras are Renn. Italy/Germany/England/Spain, Am. Revolution & Civil War, Eng. Regency, and Heian Japan. Luckily my teenager has a flair for pattern making and machine use - and hates handwork. So ... as long as my pocket book holds out :-) ... we have a good time planning and sewing. Eventually we'll work our way thru our mistakes and create something we _really_ want to wear. Hats and shoes are of particular interest as I rarely find such items commercially that are 'my size'. In 'real life' I am a computer artist and sometime-art director/manager. ---Sheryl Knowles (SCA Teleri Tawel) --------------------------------------- From: J.A.Bray@bnr.co.uk Date: Fri, 19 Nov 93 09:05:20 GMT Subject: Elizabethan actors Carol asked about Elizabethan boy actors. You could try contacting the Royal shakespeare Company in Stratford, England They put on productions clothed in the costume of various eras, but often do Elizabethan. If anyone would know what actors of the time wore it would be them I should think. Jennifer ------------------------------------------------ From: J.A.Bray@bnr.co.uk Date: Fri, 19 Nov 93 09:06:30 GMT Subject: Shoe soles 500-1200 All the shoe soles I have seen from this period have been leather. Vegetable tanned seems to have been the most popular, I believe a few were made from rawhide, but I'm not sure without goiung and checking some references (have you seen Margrethe Hald's book "primitive shoes?" It's great) the best thing I've found for repros. is heavy veg. tanned leather. it's sold as saddle skirting. Jennifer ----------------------------------------- From: J.A.Bray@bnr.co.uk Date: Fri, 19 Nov 93 09:18:17 GMT Subject: Re: Folkwear, lace I've dabbled in lacemaking, but never got beyond simple patterns. I saw a wonderful light recently which apparently was used by lacemakers before gas and electricity, it was such a lovely thing it nearly inspired me to take up lacemaking again. basically it's a turned wooden stand with a globular glass bowl on top and an attachment for a candle at the side. the candle can be moved away from the stand or up and down. the globe is filled with water and then used as a crude lense to focus the light of the candle onto the work. O.K. so that's getting a little far off the topic of costuming, but it is a tool that costume makers used in history, do I get away with the tenuous connection? Has anyone seen the metal lacework that was dug up with the viking graves at Birka? I fancy making some of that to sew on a costume some time. There are some animal figures that might be a crude forerunner of Honiton patterns. Jennifer ------------------------------------------------ From: WALTER@tandem.physics.upenn.edu Date: Fri, 19 Nov 93 09:54 EDT Subject: Folkwear, Medieval Misc., and bio Hello there, a few words on the subject of Folkwear and then I will introduce myself. I have seen the museum "algerian suit" pattern, and I was pretty disappointed. Not with the construction techniques per se, but with the supplementary information. The great thing about the original Folkwear patterns, at least the early ones, was the tremendous amount of literature about historical background and additional decorative techniques that was included with the pattern. As time went on, this stuff migrated from being printed on additional pages to being printed on the pattern itself - harder to lose, perhaps, but also harder to _use_. The Algerian pattern (which I had hoped would contain lots of great stuff, provided by the supposedly knowledgable staff at the Met) had about a page of info. Yuck. Someone had asked about the Medieval Miscellanea patterns. The ones I have seen have been pretty well documented, but the drafting of the actual patterns was poorly done -- they just don't fit. So-- good for general ideas (how was this piece shaped? etc.) but expect to have to re-draft for proper fit. On to the bio. Hello there, very pleased to meet you all. My name is Karen Walter, I live in the area of Reading, PA, and am a full-time paper-pusher and part-time grad student (historic preservation) at the University of PA. Learned to sew as a child but did not enjoy it (probably because I didn't like the stuff my mom made me -- all that polyester double knit!). Joined the SCA 14 years ago and found that sewing was OK after all, and have been at it ever since. Mostly I have done 15th, 16th, and some 17th c. garments. Lately I've been handsewing them all. I would like to do some 19th c. stuff, but have no use for it at the moment. My next non-SCA project will probably be some type of lower- or lower-middle-class garment to wear while demonstrating with my handspinner's guild -- the local National Historic site focusses on 1830's. Oh - I also spin, weave, knit, embroider, and quilt. Anyone with advice on good patterns (and pattern companies) for the early 19th c., please post it! This is a great mailing list so far, but I can't read newsgroups, so please don't do that! Sincerely, Karen Walter walter@tandem.physics.upenn.edu --------------------------------------------------- From: LSCRIBNE@charlie.usd.edu Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1993 9:29:06 -0600 (CST) Subject: Bio, etc. Joining the bandwagon, I am a theatrical costume designer with a little over 20 years experience in academic and prof. theatre. I am fascinated with historical costuming, to say the least. My particular fav periods include the 1640's, the reign of Henry II in England and just about any thing in the 19th century. As a theatrical designer I am equally interested about what historical century. As a theatrical designer I am equally interested about what historic alcostume says individually about people and the time in which they lived. Special research for me is on the manner in which dress reflects society. But mostly I just like the way it looks! Asia - I have an Amazon Dry Goods catelogue in the Costume Shop. Linda Wigley Scribner ------------------------------------------- From: ejp@watson.ibm.com (Elizabeth J. Poole) Subject: Any NYC area (USA:) costumer's group members here? Date: Fri, 19 Nov 93 10:51:42 -0500 It looks like there are two costumer's groups within a couple of hours driving distance from me: NY/NY Costumer's Guild (aka The Sick Pups) c/o Mami 85 West McClellan Ave Livingston, NJ 07039 and The Lunatic Phrynge Costumer's Guild c/o Vicki Warren 1139 Woodmere Road Pottstown, PA 19464 Who knows, maybe a Boston group would be just as close as Pottstown. :) Is anyone here a member of those, or any other costuming group within a similar distance? I'm curious about what's involved, and would love to hear about it either here or offline. Of course I plan to send for information, but interactive response can be SO much more informative than batch! :) thanks, ejp -------- Elizabeth Poole Yorktown Heights, NY ejp@watson.ibm.com ----------------------------------------- From: vjohnson@mipos3.intel.com (Valeri Johnson) Date: Fri, 19 Nov 93 08:15:43 PST To: h-costume@andrew.cmu.edu Subject: basically a "lurker" Wellllll......ok. Here's a bio..... I was taught to sew, knit, darn, crochet... on and on.... by both my mother and grandmother. What I have found to be quite interesting is that other women my age (~40) were not taught to do these things by their parents. My main interest in historical costuming is for the Ren. Faire. I have given some thought to the SCA, but I don't have the latitude for more outside activities at this time. My costuming attempts at this point are numerous peasant class outfits for both adults and children, and two middle class ladies garments. I was not able to wear the second outfit this year, as I got hung up trying to make the corset. Oh, and one first season Star Trek:The Next Generation officer's uniform. Here are my three wishes I want a dress form where the stomach will simulate pregnant form. I want a source for sewing assistance. I want to hear all about other people's experiences. I am looking forward to hearing about the rest of you... Come on Lurkers, let us hear from *you*. ****************************************************************************** * * * * Old Chinese Saying: * Valeri Johnson * * Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time * vjohnson@mipos3.intel.com * * * * ****************************************************************************** ---------------------------------- Date: Fri, 19 Nov 93 08:31:31 PST From: aterry@Teknowledge.COM (Allan Terry) Subject: fabric source Somebody mentioned there is supposed to be a great source of brocades and such in Oakland CA near the airport. Please post the details? I couldn't find anything that matched in the phone book. Sounds wonderful. Fran ----------------------------------- Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1993 10:32:00 -0600 (CST) From: "Lee Forgue" Subject: Brocades, etc. Due to a large number of requests: The place that has cheap brocades out near the Oakland (CA) airport is: K. Chesterfield Manufacturing Company 6365 Coliseum Way Oakland, CA 94621 (510) 533-5565 They are across the road from the North parking lot for the Coliseum. They are primarily, it is my understanding, a upholstery shop. They sell off what's left on the bolts. Have a ball!!! --- Lee Forgue ---------------------------------------- From: ejp@watson.ibm.com (Elizabeth J. Poole) Subject: Re: basically a "lurker" Date: Fri, 19 Nov 93 13:08:48 -0500 vjohnson@mipos3.intel.com (Valeri Johnson) writes: > I want a dress form where the stomach will simulate pregnant form. Valeri wants a _Uniquely You_. :) I love this form. We treasured and fought over ours in the UofA costume shop. It's a huge squishy-foam human body shape, and you zipper a fitted canvas casing over it to create, darn near exactly, the shape (and give!) of your actors. AND you can stick pins into them for draping, which actors get so cranky about. :) AND you can fit a period corset over one, to get the right lines for your outerwear. AND they go on sale for $99.99 at the local Jo-Anne's (Hancock? New York Fabrics?) starting November 26th! This is a DEAL, folks. It's a lifetime dress form, too, for most cases. The XS form looked like Elizabeth Taylor out of the box, but it shrinks down to Kate Moss size with the zippered casing. If my shape changes drastically, I unzip, refit, restitch, and resew the casing. For pregnancy, fit a casing to the pregnant body (wearing the right brassiere!), and then stick wads or bags of shredded foam or polyester padding in the stomach and breast cups before rezipping. Now, for the "how DO you fit the canvas casing", well, if your victim can breathe, then you haven't done it right. :) cheers, ejp Elizabeth Poole Yorktown Heights, NY ejp@watson.ibm.com -----------------end of volume 5 --------------------------