From: Gretchen Miller Date: Thu, 5 Jan 1995 16:49:10 -0500 (EST) Subject: H-Costume Digest, Volume 206, 1/5/95 The Historic Costume List Digest, Volume 206, January 5, 1995 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: Cartridge pleating without the stitches showing Appropriate velvets for 16th C dress Hakama Smithsonian reproduction fabric collection Infon on "Pictorial history of Embroidery" Question:Attaching skirt to laced bodice Ordering info for Smithsonian fabrics Queen Margot movie opening Question and answers: Herald's costume for masked ball ISO info on burgundian gowns Little Women, the latest incarnation ---------------------------- From: AlisounF@aol.com Date: Tue, 20 Dec 1994 19:07:47 -0500 Subject: Re: Cartridge pleating and ve... Pat (Denpat@aol.com) wrote: >Can anyone tell me any way to sew cartridge pleats to a waist band >without the stitches showing at the top? I guess I stitch my cartridge pleats from the back and they don't show any more than a hem would show. After finishing a complete waistband, including whipstitching the bottom seam closed, and drawing up the pleats on their gathering threads, I place the band and skirt with right sides facing, the skirt outside the band (Equivalent position to flipping one's skirt up over one's head, assuming it were a finished garment that was being worn). I take two or three small stitches into each pleat where it touches the waistband. >also, is there a preferred spacing for the pleats? As tightly packed as you can afford! All kidding aside, sample the gathering on a 12 inch piece of fabric. Depending on the velvet, your stitches might be 1/4" or more in length. I cartridge pleated a very stiff and stubborn satin once and had to use 1/2" stitches, which made for lots of yardage. I've made a few sixteenth century gowns, and I prefer to use top quality cotton velveteen in place of velvet. I haven't found an affordable source for silk velvet and I also mistrust the rayon and poly velvets, both for their look and their durability. I have one velveteen gown that has seen 6 years of use in the SCA and looks as good as new. It is aired, brushed and steamed regularly, and cleaned only when it is desparately necessary. The durability seems to come from the fact that the pile is densely packed and rather long. I wish remembered the brand of velveteen I bought. It was a special order through the prom/bridal department of Osgoods, which is *not* a chain fabric store (but is fabric heaven indeed). I believe the cost was between $18-25 per yard, which is comparable to what I might have paid for synthetic velvet. Email me with your postal address and I'll send you a snippet of it so that you can see if your local store has something comparable. Pat LaPointe in Western Massachusetts Lady Alisoun Fortescue of Maplehurst (in the East Kingdom,SCA) ---------------------------- From: Darla888@aol.com Date: Wed, 21 Dec 1994 17:17:22 -0500 Subject: Fwd: Re: hakama The book Patterns for Theatrical Costumes by Katherine Strand Holkeboer has an excellent hakama pattern in the back of it. I have made this pattern and it worked beautifully. It is the "culottes" version. I hope this helps Darla ---------------------------- From: Darla888@aol.com Date: Wed, 21 Dec 1994 17:16:53 -0500 Subject: Fwd: Re: Cartridge pleating and velvets The way that I was taught to sew cartridge pleats is to come up from the inside of the pleat and make a tiny stitch across the top of the pleat (this stitch does not jump over to the waistband). You make the stitch and go back down inside the pleat. Then you make your stitch to attach the pleat to the waistband. You do this with every pleat. This is the method used to make the pleats stick out at the waistband. When you look at the top of the pleats there should be tiny prick stitches running parallel to the waist band. I have found that if the pleats are spaced as closely together (touching on each side) as possible they look their best and tend to hold their shape better. All velvet shows shiny places when sat on. It is the nature of fabric with a pile. I hope this helps Darla ---------------------------- From: Mrs C S Yeldham Date: 22 Dec 94 08:35:00 GMT Subject: Cartridge Pleating I would like to agree with Alisoun on her good description of cartridge pleating. Cotton velvet is much better than manmade fibres (I can't even consider silk velvet, I have heard #35 a metre quoted in the UK), in its look and resistance to wear. The point about cartridge pleating is that it is a way of coping with vast amounts of fabric, over your farthingale. One way to make the skirts stick out crisply, especially if you are not dealing with such a heavy fabric as velvet, is to face the gathered edge, so you cartridge pleat two layers of the fabric. I did this with dupion silk, which was lined and interlined, and it worked very well. The other thing to remember is that with late 16th century gowns where cartridge pleating is used is that there is (covering my back, almost) always a row of tabs at the waist, covering the join. It does mean some protection for problem areas (eg the join of two pieces of fabric). Caroline Ora pro nobis ---------------------------- From: HerbBarnes@aol.com Date: Thu, 22 Dec 1994 10:12:24 -0500 Subject: Smithsonian Fabric collection Y'all, I've just gotten the scoop on the RJR Fashion Fabrics reprints of the "Rising Sun" quilt in the Smithsonian. (Others would call it Star of Bethleham, Texans would say it's Lone Star.) Then fabrics are dated 1830 and are printed with an engraved roller press. The originals would have been woodblock or copperplate printed. Most of the colors are "wintery" with the exception of the paler green (sort of ripe avocado, not my favorite). The xeroxed handout from RJR/Smithsonian list these as the primary original dyes: madder (rusty red), indigo (blue), saffron and quercitron (eye-aching yellow), logwood (black), butternut and black walnut (brown), royal purple and orchil (purple). Miscellaneous comments: As reported, perhaps by Danine, "when they're gone, they're gone". According to the quilter working the Calico Dept at G Street Fabrics in Centerville VA: this is the first year of the Smithsonian/RJR deal. It's somewhat of an apologia for having sent previous reproductions overseas. When you buy more than 2 yds you get a nifty tag that has the collection logo on it. There's a quilt challenge going sponsored by Quilter's Newsletter Magazine. The price at G St is $7.79/yd (10-20% off if you can prove you're a member of a historical assn). The Wisconsin State Historical Society has a very nice 1830 day dress pattern that will look great in these fabrics. There's a nice article in "The American Quilt", New York, 1993 p.26-33, explaining the dyes. --cin Cynthia@caere.com (cleverly disguised as her father) ---------------------------- Date: Thu, 22 Dec 94 12:25:04 EST From: deirdre@Cybernetics.NET (Charlene S- Noto) Subject: Re: Pictorial History of Embroidery At 04:53 PM 12/16/94 EST, S.Randles@uts.edu.au wrote: >Someone mentioned this in a digest posting a while ago - can anyone give me >bibliographic details? > A Wonderful Book! Inspires me everytime I get it. Title: A Pictorial History of Embroidery Author: Marie Schuette/Sigrid Mueller-Christensen Publisher: Frederick A. Praeger, NY >Sarah (who is really an embroidery masquerading as a costumer until someone >starts the Historic Embroidery List) Sarah, wouldn't that be great! I would love to be on a list like that. =============================================================== Charlene Noto Internet: deirdre@cybernetics.net Compuserve: 75374,3154 --------------------------------------------------------------- SCA: Deirdre of Boolteens Vert, On a Chevron Or, Three Butterflies Sable, In Chief Erminois =============================================================== ---------------------------- From: cpecourt@mhv.net Date: Thu, 22 Dec 1994 17:13:41 -0500 (EST) Subject: Attaching skirts to bodice Hello, I have been reading avidly and finally had a question of my own. I am creating a 16th century German Renaissance dress that is laced cloased in the front. So far the construction has been pretty straight forward but now I am at the attach the skirt to the bodice stage and there are no directions other than "sew the two together". My question is this. Do I attach the skirt to the bodice as if it is laced closed, do I attach it with some leeway so I can wiggle into it? Do I extend the lacings into the skirt so that I can close the gap that would occur if I did this? And so on. Has anyone made something of this nature before? Anyone have any suggestions? Thank you so much. If you don't wish to clutter the list, please feel free to email me directly Chantal cpecourt@mhv.net ---------------------------- From: DENNPAT@aol.com Date: Thu, 22 Dec 1994 22:29:37 -0500 Subject: attach skirt Please, anyone who has the answer to Chantel's question about how to attach the cartridge pleated skirt to the bodice and still get in and out of it; send it via the list or C.C. to me as I would also like to know. I want to thank those who answered my question about pleating and velvets. The information has been very helpful. Pat dennpat@aol.com ---------------------------- Date: Thu, 22 Dec 94 22:07:18 PST From: aterry@Teknowledge.COM (Allan Terry) Subject: Smithsonian fabrics All the Smithsonian quilt fabrics are available by mail from: Patchworks 6676 Amsterdam Road Amsterdam, MT 59741-8315 (406) 282-7218 A set of swatches is $5; the fabrics are $7.25/yd. for prints, $5/yd. for solids. The catalog says this is the first of a series of Smithsonian collections and that this one was released in Oct./Nov. 1994. So these fabrics are probably not "out of print" yet. Patchworks also has a series of 1840 fabrics from a Welsh Tiger Lily quilt and a set of Civil War designs called the Mason-Dixon line. Plus sets of historic swatches from the periods 1825-1864, 1865-1900, 1900-1929, and 1930-1940. Do these overlap the Smithsonian, Tiger Lily, and Mason-Dixon swatch sets? Good question! The catalog doesn't say. Last time I ordered swatches (the historic sets, but when Patchworks was less precise about their dates) the fabrics were all thinnish cottons with tiny-tiny patterns. The colors were great, but tiny patterns aren't appropriate for all periods. I wondered whether the manufacturers had reduced the scale of some patterns for quilters. Over the past year Patchworks has been trying to address historic costume makers more (judging from their catalog). So maybe they have some fabrics with larger patterns. Fran Grimble ---------------------------- From: annalea@its.com (Annalea Sommerville) Date: Fri, 23 Dec 94 11:17:33 -0600 Subject: Queen Margot - the movie Just wanted to let everyone know that Queen Margot starts today in Chicago so you might want to keep an eye out for it wherever you are. This is a film by MIRAMAX. The costumes should be interesting. Annalea ---------------------------- From: Zach Subject: Masked Ball Date: Fri, 23 Dec 1994 13:16:19 -0500 (EST) The local SCA group is putting on a masked ball in Feb and I got talked into heralding it. As such does anyone have any sugestions for costume. Something with a Mythological theme would fit well. But I would need to be easy to identify and be able to herald. Thanks In advance Zachary Kessin (SCA: Guiliam Wodehouse) http://www.cs.brandeis.edu/USER/UGRAD/zkessin/east.html zkessin@id.wing.net ---------------------------- Date: Fri, 23 Dec 1994 23:48:12 -0800 (PST) From: "Sarah E. Goodman" Subject: Re: Masked Ball Wouldn't Mercury be the appropriate deity for a herald to emulate at a mythogically oriented masque? (Or maybe you could could come up with a truely dreadful set of canting arms! There's nothing more heraldy than a bad pun that only other heralds understand!) Sarah, relict of the First Herald who would have much better ideas for this if only he were here! ****************************************************************** Free the Bound Periodicals! ****************************************************************** Sarah E. Goodman goodston@well.sf.ca.us Senior Designer and Chief Cat Herder goodston@netcom.com Wee Cottage Daly City, California, USA ****************************************************************** On Fri, 23 Dec 1994, Zach wrote: > The local SCA group is putting on a masked ball in Feb and I got talked > into heralding it. As such does anyone have any sugestions for costume. > Something with a Mythological theme would fit well. But I would need > to be easy to identify and be able to herald. > > > > Thanks In advance > Zachary Kessin > (SCA: Guiliam Wodehouse) > http://www.cs.brandeis.edu/USER/UGRAD/zkessin/east.html > zkessin@id.wing.net > > ---------------------------- Date: Sat, 24 Dec 1994 11:04:32 -0800 (PST) From: samhainsghost Subject: Re: Masked Ball _ /\ /\ /\/\ /\ /\ /\ | | /\ /\ /\ /\ / \ / \ / \ \ \_____/ / / \ | | / \ / / |/ / \ / /\ \ / /\ \ / /\/\ \ \ ___ / / /\ \ | | / /\ \/ / / / /\ \ \ \ \/ / /[]\ \ / / \ \ \ \ / / / /[]\ \ | | / / \ / \ \ \/ \ \ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ |_| \/ \/ \ \ \ \ ________ ________ \ \ /\ \ \ \_______ samhainsghost@olympic.pacificrim.net _______/ /\ \ \ / \ \ \ ___________ / \ \ \ / /\/ / / /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ \___ ____/ / /\/ / / \ \ / / \ \_____/ / / \ \ \ / / / \ / / / / \ \ / / \ \/ / \ ___ / / /\ \ \ \ / / / /\ \/ / / / \ \/ / \ / \ \ / / / /[]\ \ \ \_/ / / / \ / / / \ / \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \___/ \/ \/ \/ \/ On Fri, 23 Dec 1994, Zach wrote: > The local SCA group is putting on a masked ball in Feb and I got talked > into heralding it. As such does anyone have any sugestions for costume. > Something with a Mythological theme would fit well. But I would need > to be easy to identify and be able to herald. > > > > Thanks In advance > Zachary Kessin > (SCA: Guiliam Wodehouse) > http://www.cs.brandeis.edu/USER/UGRAD/zkessin/east.html > zkessin@id.wing.net > > Bacchus is one of the easier wearing costumes and doesc't require a mask or serious headgear. Samhain's Ghost ---------------------------- Date: Sun, 25 Dec 1994 00:03:07 -0800 (PST) From: "erin k. gault" Subject: burgundian gowns To: historical costuming mailing list If anybody has made or knows a lot about the v-necked Burgundian gowns (normally worn with hennins and/or butterfly headdresses) please email me. I have made quite a few but am trying to improve my design. I have a few questions about the sleeves and the bodice. Thanks! Also, does anyone know of any good primary sources I could look at for reference to these dresses? ***************************************************************** * Erin K. Gault Evergreen State College * * Eglentyne de Gaulle College of Witt's Haven * * Barony of Glymm Mere, Kingdom of An Tir * * e-mail: gaulte@elwha.evergreen.edu * ***************************************************************** ---------------------------- Date: Tue, 27 Dec 1994 08:16:17 -0500 (CDT) From: Cynthia Abel Subject: "Little Women" film Just saw the new film "Little Women" yesterday. Loved it and the costumes--they seemed more in tune with what people wore at that time (photographic evidence)rather than fashion plates. Costume mavens keep your eyes peeled--unless I'm wrong, Amy wears a dress later in the film that Meg wore earlier--perfectly in tune with the March family economics and the practices of the day. Cindy Abel brujne@bluejay.creighton.edu Interlibrary Loan Health Sciences Library Creighton University 2500 California St Phone 402-280-5144 Omaha NE 68178-0400 Fax 402-280-5134 ---------------------------- Date: Tue, 27 Dec 1994 12:57:32 -0800 (PST) From: "Sarah E. Goodman" Subject: Re: "Little Women" film On Tue, 27 Dec 1994, Cynthia Abel wrote: > Just saw the new film "Little Women" yesterday. Loved it and the > costumes--they seemed more in tune with what people wore at that time > (photographic evidence)rather than fashion plates. Costume mavens keep > your eyes peeled--unless I'm wrong, Amy wears a dress later in the film > that Meg wore earlier--perfectly in tune with the March family economics > and the practices of the day. It's been about 8 years since I read this last, but it seems to me that this is straight out of the book. I also remember the bit about wearing a clean glove and carrying the dirty one--does that stay in for the film? What a hard film this must be to do ok, since you have to deal with everyone's (well, the vast majority of American women, anyway) childhood memories of what the felt the book looked like. I've only seen the trailers, but I'm already having trouble coping with the Professor. I don't remember thinking he was that cute! ****************************************************************** Free the Bound Periodicals! ****************************************************************** Sarah E. Goodman goodston@well.sf.ca.us Senior Designer and Chief Cat Herder goodston@netcom.com Wee Cottage Daly City, California, USA ****************************************************************** ---------------------------- From: "Heather L. Garvey" Subject: Re: "Little Women" film Date: Tue, 27 Dec 1994 16:37:33 -0600 (CST) * On Tue, 27 Dec 1994, Cynthia Abel wrote: * * I've only seen the trailers, but I'm already having trouble coping with * the Professor. I don't remember thinking he was that cute! It can't be true to the book regarding Prof. Bhaer and Jo. Not by the trailers and the 'making of' shows I've been seeing. Prof. Bhaer is NOT played significantly older than her and they showed some scenes of them backstage at an opera that just didn't seem remotely like the book. When Winona Ryder used the word 'sensual', I almost chucked my lunch. Prof. Bhaer did NOT help Jo 'explore her sensualness' or whatever the phrase was. *I* thought it was much better in the book, as I've had the experience of not knowing someone had affected me so deeply until one blinding moment of epiphany. :) I have a feeling I'll be wincing throughout that part. :( -- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Heather Garvey Phone: (708) 632-3790 Motorola Cellular, ITS, Rm 2231 E-mail: garvey@cig.mot.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- Date: Wed, 28 Dec 1994 08:03:05 -0500 (CDT) From: Cynthia Abel Subject: Re: "Little Women" film Yeah, the whole of Jo's romance in the film certainly isn't in the book but this is Hollywood after all. The Dec 12th issue of the New York Times has a good article from a reviewer that said growing up she didn t want to be Jo, she wanted to be able to be golden-haired Amy, who had the looks, got Laurie and plenty of money. L.M. Alcott didn't want to marry Jo off anyway but created the Professor just to be contrary. There is a lot of Alcott family views and beliefs put in the movie, presumably to replace the religion that was pretty prominent in the book that would put a lot of viewers off today. Back to the costumes. Just like the book, Meg goes to the Moffat party and is dressed up--the only scenes where you get to see costumes that appear right out of the fashion plates and corsets and cage crinolines as well. In at least one scene, Jo wears a dress that appears to be adapted from Rossetti's drawings of Elizabeth Siddal. Amy wears a lovely white on white early bustle-back dress in one scene during her European stay--beautiful braid trim. The fashionable clothing in the film seems to have been taken right from fashion plates or existing examples. The styles look more authentic than the 1933 or 1949 film versions, but I'm going to see the movie again this weekend and dig out some books to check actual styles, especially in hair and makeup since that always gives the date the movie was made. Cindy Abel brujne@bluejay.creighton.edu Interlibrary Loan Health Sciences Library Creighton University 2500 California St Phone 402-280-5144 Omaha NE 68178-0400 Fax 402-280-5134 On Tue, 27 Dec 1994, Heather L. Garvey wrote: > * On Tue, 27 Dec 1994, Cynthia Abel wrote: > * > * I've only seen the trailers, but I'm already having trouble coping with > * the Professor. I don't remember thinking he was that cute! > > It can't be true to the book regarding Prof. Bhaer and Jo. > Not by the trailers and the 'making of' shows I've been seeing. Prof. Bhaer > is NOT played significantly older than her and they showed some scenes of > them backstage at an opera that just didn't seem remotely like the book. When > Winona Ryder used the word 'sensual', I almost chucked my lunch. Prof. > Bhaer did NOT help Jo 'explore her sensualness' or whatever the phrase > was. *I* thought it was much better in the book, as I've had the experience > of not knowing someone had affected me so deeply until one blinding > moment of epiphany. :) I have a feeling I'll be wincing throughout that > part. :( > > > -- > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Heather Garvey Phone: (708) 632-3790 > Motorola Cellular, ITS, Rm 2231 E-mail: garvey@cig.mot.com > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---------------------------- End of Volume 206 -----------------------