tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71573156821521192142024-03-14T05:23:51.045-04:00At the Sign of the Golden Scissors18th Century Costume and ResearchHallie Larkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14843442726804488784noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7157315682152119214.post-83951061927489822332017-08-06T05:53:00.000-04:002017-08-06T05:53:08.931-04:00Shifting into High Gear - The Shift Manual is Here!Nine months and fifty plus pages Later - Here it is -- <a href="https://atthesignofthegoldenscissors.com/products/manual-for-18th-century-womens-shifts" target="_blank">Our Manual for the 18th Century Shift Maker</a>!<br />
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<a href="https://atthesignofthegoldenscissors.com/products/manual-for-18th-century-womens-shifts" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWw8bRBvn2GxFmedXk-kVurgwJrBmhIg1V5vPRY4qlZADry2y5ENr0V5iGGppUqZysfdIBU9rSxz3vA4QB0GBX9ylM6V1BeAHns4RUeizI_fWyvj1GdVBdSnTttVH9lXZbjCr2K-xbA8/s320/shiftcover1.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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No doubt you are asking yourself, "With so many free sources available online, why on earth would we bother to create a shift manual?" For the same reason we created the shirt manual -- even with free directions posted on websites -- very few people out there actually have an accurate shift and most people, especially newcomers need step by step directions.<br />
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Like a man's shirt, a woman's shift is generally the first and the worst garment obtained by the new re-enactor in terms of accuracy and quality. And we hang onto that bad shift for years because there are other priorities -- stays, gowns, the list goes on and on.<br />
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So that brings up another question--"Why would I want to spend 20 plus hours hand sewing something that you can't see?" Actually for the part of the century that most of us reenact, you should see your shift sleeves.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwI6cKap1Bdi-LYnwV3Rd9hOFkK4SOYDUZKmSYGgZOaRHCGnYxwqQV-5QTX1UtgHL10yAts51XuQckS5QxZL75NoaqMUVFLvia5gnJ4j1CigKC3Uim5DtROaqQSyczANGC5uhddozwtJl0/s1600/pleated+sleeve+sarah+whiteheas+close+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="407" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwI6cKap1Bdi-LYnwV3Rd9hOFkK4SOYDUZKmSYGgZOaRHCGnYxwqQV-5QTX1UtgHL10yAts51XuQckS5QxZL75NoaqMUVFLvia5gnJ4j1CigKC3Uim5DtROaqQSyczANGC5uhddozwtJl0/s320/pleated+sleeve+sarah+whiteheas+close+up.jpg" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail: Shift Sleeve<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXtNEE-WDHYksj6_lOaSlJcbcHuulbsSYzyRhphERsnXuflLQrcJuIb0X1vEyFNqSk9R9yERTE6KPS34HeJXzOOFzbnld8M031Zaa119Ph6v3vYQx9rxhMEyLb3fMYj0G0JPya3CP3kgx/s1600/1768+John+Durand+%2528fl+1765-1782%2529.+Sarah+Whitehead+Hubbard+encore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="389" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXtNEE-WDHYksj6_lOaSlJcbcHuulbsSYzyRhphERsnXuflLQrcJuIb0X1vEyFNqSk9R9yERTE6KPS34HeJXzOOFzbnld8M031Zaa119Ph6v3vYQx9rxhMEyLb3fMYj0G0JPya3CP3kgx/s320/1768+John+Durand+%2528fl+1765-1782%2529.+Sarah+Whitehead+Hubbard+encore.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
Sarah Whitehead by John Durand 1768</td></tr>
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And what we do see or at least, are supposed to see, are beautiful evenly spaced gathers on the sleeves and a narrow wristband with two rows of stitching.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdr_AhV2w8J0ZhW0-gC6HudcRUrasknGbxcpEBSNcHm5LJzGknijSOCY8386dUSjrt3K00BgawZvxsyQx_7GBM-wAyflkoY8_ZfKLZRhiOMojtfLleg0qZB6zxzrPTya3NsFZ_Gjo3tGsu/s1600/IMG_0171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdr_AhV2w8J0ZhW0-gC6HudcRUrasknGbxcpEBSNcHm5LJzGknijSOCY8386dUSjrt3K00BgawZvxsyQx_7GBM-wAyflkoY8_ZfKLZRhiOMojtfLleg0qZB6zxzrPTya3NsFZ_Gjo3tGsu/s320/IMG_0171.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reproduction Shift: Wristband and Sleeve</td></tr>
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If you are going to create a first class kit, you need to start at the beginning with a hand sewn shift with all the details. And something not often thought of, but very true, a well fitting shift is more comfortable, and that is important too.<br />
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In addition to lots of primary source information on shifts, we have broken down the process of constructing and detailing your shift into a step by step guide with lots of pictures and diagrams.<br />
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We've also included a variety of details that we've observed in the the extant shifts we've examined, including measurements and directions for shifts from the 1750's to 1790's.<br />
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We've even given you directions on how to make sure your shift fits you properly from the neckline to the end of the sleeves. No more shifts that fall off your shoulders!<br />
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So why buy a manual when you can get directions for free? Let me see.......<br />
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1. Step by step directions with pictures and diagrams<br />
2. Pictures of details from original shifts<br />
3. Primary Source research<br />
4. Full size neckline templates (we include 3 different choices)<br />
5. Directions on how to make and attach ruffles<br />
6. Fitting Instructions<br />
7. A variety of construction details from extant shifts<br />
8. Size charts for all the pieces<br />
9. Directions on how to do beautiful gathers and wristband stitching<br />
10. Pleating the sleeves, a detail often depicted in portraits and seldom practiced.<br />
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So if you are going to invest 20 hours or more to hand sew a shift, let our new shift manual be your guide! <br />
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Visit our website to order <a href="http://www.atthesignofthegoldenscissors.com/">www.atthesignofthegoldenscissors.com</a></div>
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<br />Steph Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06614048964661548271noreply@blogger.com1