From: Gretchen Miller Date: Fri, 16 Jun 1995 19:49:48 -0400 (EDT) Subject: H-Costume Digest, Volume 328, 6/16/95 The Historic Costume List Digest, Volume 328, June 16, 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: New Smithsonian fabrics Tauton Press selling Folkwear biz Accuracy of costumes in Braveheart Who sells Folkwear in SF Bay area? Sale at G-Street Fabrics Period behavior Tudor costuming terms "Dress in Italian Painting" book ISO: Period Harlequin pattern New Osprey Archers book ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 15 Jun 95 10:40:04 PDT From: aterry@Teknowledge.COM (Allan Terry) Subject: New Fabrics I just got the swatches for the second Smithsonian collection of printed fabrics, the Little Sisters collection, from Patchworks. The prints are derived from (I suspect not accurate repros of) fabrics of the second half of the 19th century. Most of the patterns are so small you wonder if they were scaled down for quilters (the primary market for the Smithsonian collections). However, there are two prints whose motifs are a decent size (in my opinion) for dresses. Patchworks also sent a flyer but no swatches for a new Colonial period (1775-1825) in their inventory. It includes 20 prints and one solid. Many of the Patchworks fabrics are not available from them in dressmaker quantities. I wrote to ask about the Colonial ones but there hasn't been time for a reply. I think Patchworks is a fairly good company. But, although they are trying to sell more to costume makers, they don't seem to fully understand what such customers need. Such as, knowing whether you get more than 1/2 yard of a fabric before ordering it. But if you wish to contact them their address is: Patchworks 6676 Amsterdam Road Amsterdam, MT 59741 406/282-7218 Fran Grimble ------------------------------ From: close@lunch.engr.sgi.com (Diane Barlow Close) Subject: The Taunton Press is selling Folkwear Biz. Date: Thu, 15 Jun 1995 11:04:21 -0700 (PDT) The Tauton Press has decided to sell their Folkwear pattern business. They say that, for now, they'll continue to sell Folkwear patterns to the public (they're just not going to develop any new ones, or reprint any old that sell out.) Once (or if) the business is sold, they'll announce the new ownership in Threads Magazine. -- Diane Close close@lunch.engr.sgi.com I'm at lunch all day. :-) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jun 1995 13:31:23 -0700 From: jnikkel@BARRNET.NET (Jamie Nikkel) Subject: Re: The Taunton Press is selling Folkwear Biz. I suppose this means it might be a good idea to run out and buy the three or four (or six, or ten, or ...) of their patterns that I've been meaning to get _someday_! Has anyone heard if Folkwear has fixed the problem with the suit pattern they came out with last winter? It was a women's jacket and jumper from the mid or late teens. There was some discussion on the list regarding it being defective. As I recall, the sleeve didn't work and they were going to recall the copies that had been sent out and reissue a corrected version. Jamie Nikkel jnikkel@barrnet.net Western Region Sales Administrator tel. sales: (415) 528-7100 BBN BARRNET tel. direct: (415) 528-7114 BBN Planet Corporation fax: (415) 934-2665 3801 East Bayshore Road http://www.barrnet.net Palo Alto, California 94303 USA PLANET HOTLINE (800) 662-4770 ------------------------------ From: cpecourt@mhv.net Date: Thu, 15 Jun 1995 17:44:28 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Braveheart Hi ALl I don't know if this was covered already..but I just saw Bravehart (awsome) and wondered about the costumes. Aside from the use of crushed velvet ( which I don't think is accurate) How were the costumes for the Scottish men and women?? Chantal ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jun 1995 14:48:24 -0700 From: Linda.McAllister@Eng.Sun.COM (Linda McAllister) Subject: Re: The Taunton Press is selling Folkwear Biz. Who besides New York Fabrics in the Bay Area carries FolkWear? I don't remember seeing any of their patterns at Britex the last time I was up there. Linda ------------------------------ From: close@lunch.engr.sgi.com (Diane Barlow Close) Subject: More on Taunton's selling of Folkwear Division ... Date: Thu, 15 Jun 1995 14:53:07 -0700 (PDT) Lots of list members have been writing me with the same questions, so I figure a public post will help answer the common questions: The women I talked to at the Taunton Press, in the Threads and Folkwear Pattern divisions, said Taunton has NO potential buyers or interested parties at this moment. They didn't mention an asking price and I didn't ask, either, since I'm not interested in buying. :-) They mentioned that the decision to sell was just made very recently, and they expect it to take at least six months to line up a suitable buyer, so don't give up hope yet. I just hope that all the recent changes at Taunton -- the selling of Folkwear and the changing of the format and content of Threads magazine -- isn't signalling the end of the era of this great specialty corporation! If you are interested in buying Folkwear patterns, you can call Taunton's 800 order line at 1-800-888-8286. Or write to them at: The Taunton Press 63 South Main St, Box 5506 Newtown, CT 06470-5506 Their patterns are also available from Raiments, Amazon Dry Goods, and *some* local sewing stores (the Mountain View, CA, New York Fabrics still carry them.) Addresses for Raiments and Amazon are in the textiles.faq (available through the archives, as detailed in an earlier post by me.) That's the extent of my info on this matter! -- Diane Close close@lunch.engr.sgi.com I'm at lunch all day. :-) ------------------------------ From: Razmus the Innocent Subject: G Street Fabric Sale... Date: Thu, 15 Jun 1995 18:26:16 -0400 (EDT) My apologies to folks out of range of the the Washington, DC metro area, but the store has been mentioned a few times in the last couple months: I have in front of me a postcard which says: "G Street Fabrics Summer Fabric Sale 25% off Most fabrics, notions & trims Thursday June 15 - Wednesday July 5" And at the top: "G Street Fabrics 11854 Rockville Pike 5077 Westfields Blvd Rockville, MD 20852 Centreville, VA 22020 (301)231-8998 (703)818-8090 Mail Order Service (800)333-9191" I don't have any connection with the store, just thought this might be of some use to some folks - and I don't think I saw anyone else mention it. :-) -- Razmus the [Innocent | Pure] of Norwode AKA: Rich Weissler [azrael@access.digex.com] "Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot- proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning." - Rich Cook ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jun 95 15:57:10 PDT From: "SNORTON.US.ORACLE.COM" Subject: Folkwear Patterns in the SF Bay Area In the San Francisco Bay Area, you'll find Folkwear Patterns at LACIS in Berkeley and at the New York Fabrics store in Fremont (take the Mowry East exit off 880). The NY Fabrics in Fremont must sell a lot of the Folkwear patterns because they are prominently displayed and the supply is kept well stocked. They always have the latest patterns. Sally Norton snorton@US.oracle.com ------------------------------ From: Mrs C S Yeldham Date: 16 Jun 95 12:12:00 BST Subject: Behaviour 'Dangerous Liaisons' certainly causes waves! And brings to light a lot of interesting information - although Saint Simon is definately relaying scandal, its more like the tabloids telling stories of the Marquis of Blandford than anything else! I suppose one shouldn't be surprised, given the state of Versaille at the time! I would love to see a film trying to show that sort of behaviour - it would probably be rapidly condemned as scatalogical pornography. Of course, part of the reason for developing a complicated etiquette is to set a sort of hurdle for a rising middle-class to get over in order to belong to the 'in-group'. Etiquette books etc become much more popular when you have a rising middle-class who want to learn how the aristocracy behave - so of course the aristocracy mock the unsuccessful ones, and the nouveau riche who have been accepted will laugh the loudest of all! My original thought was that John Malkovich and Michelle Pfieffer are representing French aristocrats of the ancien regime - the people set up to be imitated by the writers of the etiquette books. Now, whether they behave 'well' according to our lights or even by the lights of their society was not what I was thinking of. I was saying I expected them to show the signs of the skills of their roles as well as the effects of the clothes - which are pretty fundamental. The skill I am primarily thinking of is dancing. I know there is no dancing scene in the film, but I am arguing they would have danced since childhood, so it would affect their usual movements - I know my experience in 16th century dance has affected my movement, and I've only been doing it for 8 years! Until the 1950's it was a basic social skill for anyone of any pretensions to be able to do the dances of their period - and those of the late 18th century were complex and demanding (and yes, we do have a fair idea of how they were done). These people would have been brought up dancing - learning how to move gracefully in the clothes, so it would have become second nature to them. To have actors who not only break all the rules on how to move, but don't even appear aware of the rules, ruined the film for me. By contrast, you could imagine Glenn Close dancing. PS - I don't think there is any evidence in the book to suggest that these are 'exceptional' people - I have always taken them to be representatives of their society, which has much more impact if you set it in the 1780s as Laclos did - but then its a long time since I read the book. I found it interesting that the play gave me the impression that these were (vicious) games these people were playing, and they probably had other lives, whereas the film gave me the impression this was their main focus in life - which carried the implication that they were wasting their lives. Which led in turn to reflections on the role of the Court in French life of the period, contrasted to the role of the English Court in the 18th century. - onto sociology again. Tudor Clothes The terminology I have been taught (which Janet Arnold uses) is Spanish farthingale - original farthingale, a gentle cone shape, it came in in c 1530s or 40s and gradually expanded through century. By the 1580's it was worn with a bum roll (C shaped to just in front of the hips) and biscuit pad to expand the hip line. French or Wheel farthingale , gives the 'coffee table' look of a flat expanse at the hips with a round drum of fabric dropping not quite to the ground. A large bum roll (without biscuit pad) could be used to imitate this look, in which case the ends of the C nearly meet in front, but it gives a softer outline. The fabric of the skirt was often 'frilled' at the edge of the farthingale. Italian farthingale - never heard this term Trunk Hose - padded upper hose covering the upper part of the mans leg and lower part of his body, often paned, the panes can be slashed (ie three upper fabrics used). Survive longer in England than the rest of Europe - still being worn at Court in 1603 whereas everyone else seems to go over to Venetians in about the 1590s or earlier. Can be worn with canions. Canions - extensions to the trunk hose worn very tight, reach the lower thigh or knee, usually cut on the bias. Netherhose - knitted hose come in at the end of the century for general populace (Elizabeth has knitted silk hose in 1563 - accession Caroline ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 95 08:46:34 PST From: Loren_Dearborn@casmail.calacademy.org (Loren Dearborn) Subject: Re[2]: The Taunton Press is selling Folkwear Biz. Who besides New York Fabrics in the Bay Area carries FolkWear? I don't remember seeing any of their patterns at Britex the last time I was up there. Actually Britex does have them, they are in a binder catalog, you have to ask them to get the patterns for you. The NY fabrics in Serramonte center has Folkwear patterns too. Loren Dearborn ldearborn@calacademy.org ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jun 1995 20:30:33 -0400 (EDT) From: Jolene Graves Subject: Re: H-Costume Digest, Volume 294, 5/4/95 > Date: Mon, 1 May 95 13:15:36 PST > From: Kat@grendal.rain.com (June Russell) > Subject: Re: Italian Ren. > > > :Recently, after a conversation with a fellow costuming friend of > :mine, I learned of a book on Italian Renaissance costuming by a woman > :whose last name is Beer-barri(sp?) I very much want to track down > :this book as well as any other that deals specifically with Italian > :Ren. costuming. Any suggestions out there? > : > Elizabeth Birbari, _Dress in Italian Painting 1460-1500_, John Murray > Publishing, 1975. > > Kat > > Kateryne of Hindscroft ( June Russell ) > pacifier.rain.com!grendal!kat kat@grendal.rain.com > Heu! Tintinnuntius meus Sonat! > > ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 95 17:42:52 UT From: Tony Poll Subject: harlequin costumes My mother is having difficulty researching the type of under garments worn by the harlequin actors of the Commedia Dell' Arte of the 1600's. She is doing an associate degree programme in England and has to make an autenically dressed doll for it . Whilst surfing the Microsoft Network I found you internet address and wondered if you might have any leads to help her or suggestions for research texts to try As MSN does not as yet have full internet access please send any replies via email Many Thanks Karen Poll TonyPoll_ms or TonyPoll@microsoft.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 1995 19:21:13 -0400 (EDT) From: Gretchen Miller Subject: Re: Archer's Clothing Osprey has a new book out called something like "The English Bowman-1300 - 1500". It covers the clothing, equipment, and feeding of a typical bowman through that period. toodles, gretchen ------------------------------ End of Volume 328 -----------------------