At the Sign of the Golden Scissors

Camblet Cloaks

2012-02-09T07:07:00.000-05:00

On my recent research visit to England I had the great good fortune to study a woman's camblet cloak. This cloak was a light brown in color, the fabric had body and was crisp, not soft like an all woolen fabric. Camblet can be a mixture of fibers, goat hair, silk, worsted or all worsted. This cloak did not appear to be a mixed fiber, it was a plain tabby weave and was unlined. The raw edges were trimmed with that acidic yellow silk ribbon so popular in the 18th century. Only a scant 1/8 inch showed on the face of the fabric with 1/2 inch turned to the inside. A detachable and matching hood completed the cloak.

Having seen that cloak it is now very easy to visualize the camblet cloaks in the Historic Newspapers.

Providence Gazette, November 25, 1769

This cloak is described as a light colored camblet, very long and it is a woman's cloak. The cloak I examined was also very long, the center back length was 55 inches.

There are several other camblet cloaks mentioned in the Newspapers and most of those are lined, unlike the one that I saw. The most common lining fabric was baize, a woolen cloth that would provide an additional insulating layer of warmth. The most common color of the baize was green. You do not normally find cloth cloaks with linings, but like most things we encounter in the 18th century, the "rules" are made up by us, and not them.

"one blue camblet cloak lined with green"
Providence Gazette, October 10, 1772

"a brown camblet cloak lined with green baize"
New York Mercury, February11, 1765

" a long camblet cloak lin'd with red baize"
Boston Gazette and Country Journal, September 21, 1767

Cloak Colors

2012-02-08T08:19:00.003-05:00

So far all of the extant cloaks made of broadcloth have been red, and maybe the deep rich color of the red is the reason they survive. I can readily understand the usefulness of good cloth and the yardage in a cloak is so tempting to remodeling. One can suppose that thanks to moths and/or the American Civil War, cloaks of usable colors would have been repurposed over time or become bounty for the ragman.

The Watercress Girl by Zoffany (c1780) is a wonderful example of the more common sort wearing a red cloth cloak. This painting was part of the Zoffany exhibit at the Yale Center for British Art. Notice the cloak "strings" as closure and also very visible in person, but less so online is the gimp trim on all the edges of the cloak.

Other colors are frequently found in 18th century advertisements, so red was not the only choice available to 18th century women.

Thanks to the Historic Newspapers here are a few examples of other cloth cloak colors than red. An imported cloth cloak would have been a major purchase. It is not unrealistic that a cloak purchased in 1759 would still be serviceable in 1779. One would expect long life and good wear from an expensive purchased broadcloth cloak. My own cloak is 15 years old, still presentable and wearable, although a trip to the scourer would probably be a good idea!

"womens scarlet, purple, black and cloth coloured cloaks"
Pennsylvania Gazette, February 15, 1759

" a blue cloth cloak"
Pennsylvania Gazette, May 3, 1759

"purple, short, cloth cloak"
New Hampshire Gazette, April 21, 1758

"a woman's light brown cloak"
Connecticut Courant, September 7, 1773

"a long brown cloak"
Boston Evening Post, November 28, 1774

"a blue cloak"
Pennsylvania Gazette, November 17, 1768

Cloak Closure

2012-02-07T06:42:00.002-05:00

A cloak needs a way to close, obvious, but how were cloaks closed in the 18th century? not the 17th, or the 19th, but the 18th and in particular 1750-1780!

Back as always to the Historical Newspapers as a starting place, especially for the terminology and as always I learn something new.

This advertisement for a missing cloak does not tell us if it is a man's or a woman's cloak, but I am guessing it was taken by a gentleman with a little too much punch under his belt, like grabbing the wrong raincoat at the Christmas party!

New York Gazette, January 19, 1747

The missing cloak is blue broadcloth, with light blue silk frogs, a double cape and silver hooks and eyes. In this case it is the hooks and eyes and the frogs that are the closure. We all know what frogs look like today.

We do know that banyans often had frog closures, and they actually in fact resemble somewhat this modern version, with decorative loops and a passementerie button. Were frogs a masculine thing? Only found on men's clothing?

Cora Ginsburg Gallery

This green damask banyan has elaborate frogging around the buttons and loops that extend from the inside to close around the button.

Metropolitan Museum of A

The frog closure on this banyan is simple, just a loop and a decorative thread wrapped button.

Pennsylvania Gazette, June 16, 1743

This ad is selling "Cloak Loops", along with hat loops and other string like items, since he is a lace weaver. Is the cloak loop similar to that simple loop and button arrangement on the banyan?

Pennsylvania Ledger, March 14, 1778

This gentleman is a button and lace cleaner, (I would really love to know how they do that), and he also makes and sells "Cords for ladies cloaks". That is not a word I would have associated with cloak ties as seen in the original prints.

In this advertisement a woman's cloak is missing, described as black Paduasoy (silk), lined with taffeta (silk) and the hood lined with sarsnit (silk), the strings are Paduasoy, and it also has a hook and eye. In this case I believe these cloak strings are what we would call ribbon, based on ribbons viewed at London Metropolitan Archives designated with that term. So again a double closure, this time strings and hook and eye, instead of the hook and eye and frogs from above

So far, neither in the prints, extant cloaks or the advertisements have I found the silver/pewter clasps that we associate with cloaks and that are bought and sold and worn by re-enactors. Why not? Those types of clasps go back to the medieval time period. Not a new format. It has been invented already. The saying if "they'd a had it they'd a used it" does apply here, they did have it! Why didn't they use it? I don't know. If anyone reading this can document the use of a metal clasp (aside from a hook and eye) please let me know. Is it possible the hook and eye they refer to is a decorative one? Once again, I don't know, but always looking.

Cloak Cleaners

2012-02-05T19:46:00.000-05:00

After looking at those beautiful bright red cloaks you have to ask yourself, how do you clean them?

Wash your expensive imported wool broadcloth cloak and hang it on the line? You are taking a chance of shrinking it and or ruining the color. This sounds like a job for a professional so....

You take it to the dry cleaner, or in 18th century parlance take it to the scourer.

Pennsylvania Packet, May 5, 1772

This advertisement by a scourer guarantees good results on Ladies cloaks, with the work done in the speediest and most polite manner! Since he is from London, he has to be good.

Scourers were also dyers and advertise those services along with cleaning the garments.

Newport Mercury, October 10, 1774

Mr. Hickey is dieing (notice die is spelt die and not dye) scarlet, dies linen or cotton a holding blue, dies red on bunting, yarn or baize (all wool fibers). He is also guaranteeing to die clothes without ripping them, which I understand to mean not taking them apart. He is a one stop center for cleaning and color correction! He is advertising in Newport, Rhode Island, and yet giving himself the cache of being from Boston, which is not London, but it sounds good.

New Hampshire Gazette, May 14, 1773

Mr. Davis takes his advertisement to the next level, by telling us what stains he can remove, and quite frankly I am amazed at his skill. Pitch, Paint, Lime Juice or Lime burnt are no obstacle to Mr. Davis. He also removes color from silk and redyes a new color (Mr. Davis uses dye not die). He also dyes linen or cotton blue, this is so consistent with the research done so far on solid linen colors available in the 18th century. Would love to know how he cleans gold and silver lace, surely not with silver polish ( I have tried it. Didn't work!).

All in all the 18th century scourer had a number of services to offer customers in order to prolong the life and wearability of clothing. How many of us redye our clothes to get more wear from them? Or bring them in line with current fashion by a trip to the scourer?

All Cloaks Are Not Created Equal

2012-02-04T08:24:00.000-05:00

Warning: Sutler Bashing Ahead

There is a cloak style sold by many sutlers at 18th century events. It is known in costume circles as the Kinsale cloak. To the best of my knowledge the rise of the Kinsale cloak can be attributed to the pattern produced by Folkwear, a long time provider of historically inspired patterns.

The cloak hood on this pattern is gathered and drawn up around the face very fully, with what I can only call a flower petal effect, with your face as the center of the flower and the ruffle as the petals around it.

You can see here the hood is gathered around the face with a ribbon tying at the top, this provides a deep (4-5 inch) ruffle around the face. This in no way resembles wool broadcloth cloaks from the 3rd quarter of the 18th century. It does however resemble cloaks from a later time period.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

This cloak is from the 1830s and has a deep ruffle around the face, not as deep as the Kinsale cloak but the same concept.

The Kinsale cloak is sold by many vendors at many events, and if you have one, it is easy enough to fix and bring to a documented style of cloak for the 18th century. Don't shoot yourself or the person who sold it to you, there is more than enough fabric to make changes to the hood and end up with those glorious fan pleats at center back.

Colonial Williamsburg does have in its collection a red wool cloak that has a drawstring around the face, but the difference is that the string is at the hood face edge and does not create a deep ruffle, and the hood has the fan pleats at center back.

The Kinsale cloak will never disappear, it is part of the landscape of 18th century re-enacting, as always, let the buyer beware.

One more thing, a woolen cloak with a cotton lining in the body of the cloak is not a good thing. Wool will shed water till it can't shed no more, and yet still keep you somewhat comfortable even when it is sopping wet. Cotton when wet will cling and chill you to the bone. It makes me shiver just thinking about a wet, cold, rainy event, when you just can't escape the dampness. Some years we have a lot of those kind of events and a good cloak will save the weekend!

Cloaks: 1770s Style

2012-02-03T07:02:00.001-05:00

This is the last calendar print (unless I unearth some more) and is titled "Winter". There are several versions of this print, this one is dated 1779. Lots going on here and lots of cloaks to look at. Mom's cloak is yellow, and it almost looks like yellow fur or something with a lot of body to it, like velvet. Her cloak is so large it is laying on her shoulders like a cape, and it is closed with a ribbon tie. Arm slits on the cloak are trimmed in the same fur as the body of the cloak, her muff is now quite large and matches her cloak trim.

The seated old woman is wearing a short woolen cloak with a double cape (collar), and the woman with her back to us has a fully lined (in blue) hood. The little girl has her hood pulled up and tied under her chin and it is trimmed out in spotted fur or ermine. Her muff is also matching her cloak trim.

This painted version of the print is my favorite, but there are others.

This is the same print, different edition, and lots of changes in coloration. The yellow of the cloak is more vivid, the hat now matches the petticoat, not the cloak, and the old woman is now wearing a red cloak instead of green, the little girl a brownish cloak instead of white. So this is actually a great illustration of how coloration of prints has to be looked at carefully, and how varied they can be. One thing more noticeable in this brighter version is the man's muff, check out Two Nerdy History Girls take off on Tom Brady and his hand warmer, which is really a muff, but it is more manly to say hand warmer. Tom looks great whatever he is wearing (ok, I am a huge Patriots fan).

Winter: 1760s Style

2012-02-02T07:08:00.004-05:00

This print c1767 is titled "January" the main elements are not that much different from the earlier 1750s print, except instead of a black hood, the woman is wearing a black hat. Her cloak is also short, and black and is trimmed with fur, either ermine, or a lesser fur, like rabbit, that is painted/dyed to look like ermine (an 18th century knock off). There is no caption to this print. Of note to me is the zigzag type of trim on her hat and that the size of the muff has actually increased from the 1750s print. Her apron and ruffles are quite nice and appear to match (a suit?). All of these calendar/seasonal girls look alike (she could be 1750s's sister), it is pretty amazing, actually. Maybe it is just their expressions?

Miss December, 1767 is wearing a much longer cloak with a fur tippet crossed at her neck. Her hat appears to be uncovered straw with a small row of poufs around the outer and inner edges and the bow of the hat worn just off center of her face, what a nice detail that is! Black gloves complete her cold weather accessories, notice the three rows of stitching on the top of her glove, just like a good pair of leather gloves today. No muff, is that because she is wearing gloves? No sign of the red woolen cloak, as found in America, or even a full length cloak in these prints.

Colonial Williamsburg did a great reproduction of this print for their CW Journal, notice all the details captured and duplicated by the Millinery Shop, a superb job!

CW Journal

While doing the research for these posts, I did come across a print that illustrates how these calendar/seasonal prints were part of the 18th century home dec! The title of this print is January and May, the prints on the wall are "Winter" and "Spring", obviously a continuation of the joke. We still use a similar expression today for an off balanced (age wise) romance, but we call it "May and December".

Winter: 1750s Style

2012-02-01T18:29:00.002-05:00

This print is titled "Winter", printed c 1750s and is from the British Museum. The caption reads:

"Winter in all her warmest dress behold, to guard her from the piercing cold, her hood and mantle and her velvet muff, all she can wrap about her's scarce enough"

At long last, a look at an 18th century hood! Hoods are often listed on inventories, and newspaper advertisements, but as far as I know, we have never had a hood pointed out to us as being a hood, specifically. This type of hood is separate and detached from the normal cloak hood that we are all familiar with, and this is a pretty exciting find. (and yes, I know, it does not take much to make me happy!)

Her short little cloak, fur trimmed and lined, is also being pointed out to us as a mantle, another winning connection to a word we find over and over again, but without proof positive of what exactly it looks like. Like the short cloak from 1749, it is also black and looks like velvet. She has the same muff as the the 1749 muff, but it is slightly larger, and also according to the caption made out of velvet.

From the Proceedings of the Old Bailey

"one velvet cloak, value 3 l.", 11 July, 1750
"one velvet cloak, val. 5s", 26 October, 1752

Another tiny muff! Another short, black cloak. Another black hat. Is that fur or plush around the outside of the cloak? The verse itself is rather gloomy.

Robb'd of their verdue now the trees appear, and melancholy winter ends the year, no more the shady grove or sunny hill, soft dimpling brook or hoarsely gurgling rill, delight the fair: to town for joy she flies, love in her heart, and pleasure in her eyes.

Perhaps some lover, happier than the rest may clasp the charmer to his gentle breast, and fraught with honor, void of guile and art, at church possess at once her hand and heart, but least some rake or coxcomb should subdue, oh think Bright Maid! Life has it's winter too.

Winter

2012-01-31T22:18:00.000-05:00

Extant cloaks are only one source of information (although my favorite!), so the next few posts are going to take a look at prints having to do with winter. Many of them are entitled "Winter" as they are part of the popular 18th print culture of seasonal prints; winter, spring, summer, autumn, or calendar prints, named after the months of the year. The source for all of these prints is the British Museum and their online collection.

Starting with early and working forward, many if not all of these prints have other interesting costume details, besides the cloak, such as muffs, hats, and tippets. When working on an overall impression, all of these accessories, may or may not come into play, depending on your own personal portrayals.

This print, circa 1749, is the earliest that I have yet found in the calendar format. This is entitled "January" and she even looks cold, as she hunches her shoulders closely under her cloak for warmth. Of course what hits visually first are the extremely large hoops and the bright red of the gown. When looking at these prints, I always try to point out that they are hand painted after printing, and you can find the same print with different color combinations. So one always has to wonder if the colors are accurate representations or just good eye-catching colors to sell prints!

Fortunately we have another example of a woman in a red gown, c 1742, so this makes the red gown in this print much more dependable as an accurate color choice for a gown.

The woman in the print is wearing a fur tippet tied in place with a ribbon bow. While I have seen a ton of tippets in art work, this is the first time noticing such a tie, very practical to keep the fur around your neck from moving around. All of the bows and ribbons, including cap, tippet and hat are the same yellow, just that touch of color makes a great contrast to the red of the gown.

Her hat appears quite large and at the same time, her muff appears quite small.

We will see a lot of muffs with the trimming of fur all around the edges, this one is the smallest I think of all the muffs in the prints. As time passes, just like hair, the muffs grow in size. The color of her gown is reflected in the color of the muff, tying her whole look together. Details, Details!

Her cloak is black, black cloaks are often listed in newspaper advertisements, and the Old Bailey, usually of silk or velvet. It appears that her cloak is trimmed all around the edges with either a snail trim or lace (I can't tell for sure). Black cloaks are very fashionable, popular and from the standpoint of wear and tear, pretty practical. I really like this look, all the small details and the color combinations. The white of the apron is such a contrast to the black of the cloak and red of the gown and the yellow ribbons set it all off.

New Blogs on the Block

2012-01-31T16:18:00.000-05:00

There are three busy bee bloggers from the Hive community that are doing a terrific job on their blogs, and all three are coming at 18th century costuming from different perspectives.

Sew18thcentury.com covers a variety of topics regarding 18th century clothing, but since she has a little girl, a lot of her research and focus is on baby clothes and now (since the baby is walking!), toddler clothing. A great resource for those with children who need some encouragement and helpful guidance.

Stuck in the18th Century is authored by Kristin, a newcomer to the hobby who is approaching her first anniversary in the 18th century. Kristen, a graphic artist and museum planner, is also a first rate handsewer with a backstitch the envy of many who have been sewing for years. Her journey in costuming is being well documented on her blog and a great place for newcomers to network.

New kid on the block is Emily, who has just launched her blog this January, and is off to a terrific start. An experienced re-enactor and tip top seamstress, her attention to detail and extensive research result in well documented and authentically executed articles of 18th century clothing and now even shoes! Her blog is My Vintage Visions.

I have found that blogging is actually just another way of networking and reaching out to other like minded individuals, whether you know them (and yes, I do know these young women) or you are an ocean apart, but with the same interests. It is so much more fun when we share and work together, in person or on the net!

Cloak Tune Up: Hood

2012-01-31T07:47:00.000-05:00

Cloaks are one of those ready made items that are frequently purchased at Sutler Row or sewn as a starting project by a newcomer to the hobby. Even in such a simple garment there a few places to go wrong (not that many, thank goodness!), and the hood is usually the most common victim of mass production, newcomer skill level and poor patterns.

This is an example of a hood in need of re-pleating. With just a few adjustments, this cloak hood could be quite good, excellent in fact!

This is another example of gathering that is not quite correct, resulting in a less than ideal fan at center back, in fact, there is no fan here at all. The problem with this hood pleat arrangement is that the center back seam of the hood went up too high, leaving not enough fabric to arrange the fan pleats.

If you have a cloak with a less desirable configuration of hood pleats, it is up to you whether or not to fix them. It is a relatively simple upgrade that makes a big difference in your authentically level and overall appearance and won't cost more than a spool of thread and some time.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

This is the hood configuration to shoot for, keep the image in front of you as you are working on your hood pleats. Can you see the difference?

Cloak Trim 201: Red on Red

2012-01-28T19:55:00.000-05:00

After exploring black trim on red cloaks, the ever popular combination of red on red has to be discussed next. There are several extant cloaks sporting this fashionable combination.

Three collections (that I know about) house an example of this color combo in a highly napped fabric, applied to the cloak. It is commonly referred to today as plush or shag. I am not sure that this is the correct nomenclature for this trim ( as used in the 18th century). I question it, without an answer. If I find out I will edit this post and let everyone know!

The best online image of this type of cloak is from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and while Colonial Williamsburg has an almost identical cloak, there are no online images that I have found so far. Both of these cloaks also have a waistcoat of the same fabric integrated into the side fronts of the cloak. A very practical way to keep warm.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

You can clearly see the the one inch (guesstimate) band of plush/shag applied to the collar. The plush runs up the side fronts and around the face of the hood as well. This image is also another example of the fan configuration of pleats that appear on 18th century hoods. So many cloaks sold, made and worn by re-eanctors miss the mark, big time, on hoods.

This front view of the cloak shows that the front trim of plush/shag is proportionally larger than that of the trim place on the collar. Also notice how full and deep the cloak hood actually is, the size of the hood rises as the hair styles changed from close to the head in mid century to the big hair of the late 1760s and 70s. The hoods are large enough that a bonnet or calash could be worn under the hood, keeping the hairstyle from being crushed by the weight of the hood.

There is another cloak with red shag/plush trim in the collection of the Connecticut Historical Society. This cloak, unlike the first two, does not have an integral waistcoat. But the online image of the trim is quite good.

Connecticut Historical Society

You can clearly see that the plush/shag runs up the center front of the cloak and around the hood. The plush is smaller in width around the arm slits of the cloak. This cloak is attributed to Deborah Champion and tradition has it that it was worn during the American Revolution. The cloak hood and arm slits are also lined with red silk. The hood on this cloak is also quite large.

Zoffany Zinged!

2012-01-26T22:23:00.000-05:00

What a fabulous exhibit! The display of Zoffany's work at the Yale Center for British Art was outstanding. The parking was cheap and a great Thai restaurant was across the street, a perfect excursion! By luck the hardcopy of the collection catalog came last night, (thank you to Kristen for directing me to buy.com, where a lower priced copy was available for sale).

I spent my time examining all those little details that are hard to see online, but show up when you can actually see original portraits. Cap details, handkerchiefs, jewelry, gown trimmings, ribbons, hats, bonnets, all there to study for those insights into how our clothing should be worn on the body and how accessories pull it all together just as they do today. Now comes the hard part, bringing all that I saw back home and incorporating it into creating, decision making and teaching.

One of my favorite conversation pieces of the day. The older woman in yellow, is wearing a blue quilted petticoat (we see those in museums all the time), a yellow gown (we see a ton of yellow gowns in museums too) but what was of so much interest to me was seeing that the small bow she is wearing around her neck is blue, matching her quilted petticoat perfectly. It is hard to see in this online image, but when looking at the portrait in person, that little blue bow perfectly balances her entire ensemble. Nothing can take the place of seeing an original piece of art, not the internet, and not a book. They are tools that help me to remember, and relive the experience but what a pleasure and learning experience to see these amazing works of art in person.

Black on Red: A Trend

2012-01-26T08:32:00.000-05:00

Black trim on a red cloak is not a one off, exceptional occurrence. In fact, one could say it was (at least in surviving cloaks) trendy, fashionable, and relatively common.

This cloak from the Connecticut Historical Society also has black silk trim, this time the trim is showing on the face of the cloak for only about 1/2 inch, while on the interior the black silk is showing 2 5/8. The hood is also partially lined in black silk as well as the cut arm slits.

This cloak has the same cut raw edges as the cloak from Lexington and is made from heavily fulled broadcloth. Unfortunately we do not have a back view of the neck edge pleating and the hood standing up.

There are additional cloaks that I have examined with the same black on red configuration:

Pilgrim Hall, "Mercy Bradford Cloak", superfine broadcloth, with black velvet ribbon approximately 1/2 inch wide decorating center front and the hood and collar (if I remember correctly). Miss Kristen has been blogging about this cloak, read more about it here and I hope to work with her soon on reproducing the original.

Yorktown Victory Center: A red cloak with black silk trim, the silk trim has deteriorated somewhat but it is still visible.

Duxbury Rural and Historical Society: A red broadcloth cloak with black silk trim.

Daughters of the American Revolution: A red broadcloth cloak with black silk trim.

Kyoto

Cloak Trim 101: Black on Red

2012-01-24T06:32:00.001-05:00

A recent Facebook discussion with Two Nerdy History Girls regarding ermine trim on a cloak prompted me to look at cloaks and their trims again. A contributing factor is that I am in the middle of making a red cloak and deciding on whether or not to trim it! Past posts have looked at cloaks in the historical newspapers and how they were sold, and variations in style (Cloaks, Capuchins and Cardinals) and color (Cardinals are Red, Right?), now I am going to take a closer look at trimming out a cloak. Should we? Shouldn't we? What were the trims available? What kind of cloaks were trimmed?

As always, my very first starting place is looking at extant garments, and it is here in America that most of the extant woolen cloaks survive. Cloaks are very vulnerable, they are large expanses of usable fabric, and it makes sense that countries such as England who survived two world wars and the shortages that entailed would have had their woolen cloaks sacrificed for necessary items of clothing. We are fortunate to also have a good many cloaks online and visible for study in museum collections, as well as a number of cloaks in small historical society collections, some of which I have been able to examine.

My favorite cloak is from Lexington, Massachusetts and lives at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Museum of Fine Arts

There are several reasons why I like this cloak; first because it is documented to Massachusetts (that is huge for me), second because of the typical construction of a cloak, consisting of hood, neckband, and body of the cloak (pieced), and lastly because of the black silk trim. This black and red combination is very popular, you will see it again!

This close up shows the typical hood back shaped into the beautiful fan folds so typical of a cloak. Achieving those folds can be tricky, but they are worth playing with until you get them right! Notice the gathering on the body of the cloak on either side of center back, the wool is gathered very tightly, probably with multiple rows of gathering stitches. One misconception about cloaks is that cloak wool should be extremely thick and heavy, but as you can see from the gathers that is not always true. Broadcloth could be coarse and dense but a superfine broadcloth much less so, finer and smoother, less bulky. 18th century broadcloth was available in a variety of weights, prices and quality. All cloaks are not exactly alike or made from the exact same weight and quality of fabric.

A long cloak needs piecing of the fabric in order to achieve both economy of yard goods and create the necessary shape of the body of the cloak, even the hoods are often pieced, some times with itty bitty pieces. The seams are generally a scant (and I do mean scant) 1/8 inch wide. This fabric does not ravel, the cut edge stays sharp, which is why you can achieve such small seams, although I have seen seams a little wider as well. The black silk trim is probably woven and not just silk fabric folded over. The black silk appears to be brought to the inside and is acting as a facing on the edges of the cloak as well as decoration on the outside. It is hard to tell exactly, without a measure, but I would guesstimate that the trim is at least 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches wide showing on the face of the cloak, with no idea of how much is turned to the inside, since we have no interior views. In order to achieve this same effect you would need a good size silk satin ribbon, at least 2 inches wide.

Da Dip!

2012-01-23T07:36:00.002-05:00

This post is going to take a look at how the dip in 18th century aprons was achieved through a very simple technique, the smiley face!

Metropolitan Museum of Art

A picture really is worth a thousand words, notice how the sides of the top of the apron are straight, then begin to taper towards center front, with an end differential of about 2 1/2 to 3 inches. This small change is enough so that when the apron is gathered or pleated together the apron ends up with a distinct curve at the waistband. This particular apron is earlier than the 1770s, probably c 1730-40, but the technique is there. Aprons in museum collections seem often to have their waistbands removed, one has to wonder if it was a curator who wanted to store them flat along the way who removed the waistbands? But for us, this time it is a nice example.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

This apron appears to follow da dip technique with a visible curve in the front, and sides that appear longer than center front (notice the self fabric waistband). It is impossible to be absolutely positive without measures but to the eye the dip is there. There are plenty of examples that look like they have the dip, and plenty of examples even from the same time period that do not!

This is an early example with no evidence of a dip, but since the waistband is missing and the embroidery appears chopped at the top, it does raise the question, has this apron been cut away from the waistband? Was there a dip and now it is gone?

Metropolitan Museum of Art

This white worked apron laid flat, shows no sign of a dip, it is perfectly rectangular. So much as one would like to have a "rule" for aprons, there are too many aprons perfectly rectangular and too many aprons that appear to have a dip to come up with an apron one way, all the time, this is how you make it, dogmatic statement.

What I will say about aprons is relatively simple, decorative aprons grew in length as the century progressed, by the 1770s the apron could cover the petticoat completely or be above the petticoat by 4- 6 inches, decorative aprons were made from a variety of materials, with white worked muslin or linen the most popular from 1750s thru 1770s. Functional aprons were mainly linen check, blue check specifically, or white. They also covered the petticoat or were somewhat shorter, since their job was protection and not decoration.

Zoffany at Yale

2012-01-20T09:16:00.000-05:00

For those gentle readers in the greater New England and Mid Atlantic regions, an exhibit of Zoffany's works, "Johan Zoffany RA: Society Observed", will be coming to a close on February 12 at the Yale Center for British Art. Free Admission makes the drive to New Haven, Connecticut a little less painful for all of us.

With art work such as this on display, the two hour drive for me will be well worth it.

Yale Center for British Art

There is also a catalog that accompanies the exhibit, it is pricy at $75.00 but like all art books will only get pricier as time passes. Available thru the museum shop or online at Yale University Press.

Yale University Press

More on Aprons

2012-01-19T07:31:00.000-05:00

This look at aprons has sparked some good questions and I will stick with aprons for a few more posts, since this simple little garment is not as simple as we think.

Images are really the only source we have as to how aprons were actually worn on the body, but it is the underlying stays that are really dictating the way the apron sits on the waist.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

These stays are a good example of what happens when stays are worn, the tabs flare out from the waist over the hips and the front section stays flat over the tummy and relatively straight at an angle (usually) from bust to waist. If someone is flat chested, the angle is much less and the front of the stays are almost completely vertical. It is only over the hips where the stays flare that you have a waist for the apron waist band to sit. In the front, where the larger bust slants down to the smaller waist, there is nothing to keep the apron from sliding down to the narrowest part of the stays.

Lewis Walpole Library

In this image (c 1773) you can see not only the dip at the waist but also a small pin, (thank you, Joyce!) right at the lowest dip of the apron holding it in that position. Without the zoom feature it would be impossible to see this small detail. Please follow the link and zoom in on it! Obviously this is a desired place for the apron to land, or else why pin it there? This is also not a white on white apron, it could possibly be stamped or embroidered with polychrome silks.

Lewis Walpole Library

This print c1773, shows us two aprons, one shorter, and one longer, with the same configuration of tying around the gown and not under it that has been seen frequently. On this image we also see a construction detail.

Unlike our petticoats which have a defined center, with a box or inverted box pleat, these aprons appear to be gathered completely with no central pleat. The gathers appear to be mounted onto linen tape and not a self fabric waistband, similar in construction to the apron at Colonial Williamsburg, so now we have both art and extant garment with matching construction features!

Lewis Walpole Library

This print c1776 is making sport of the newest fashion "The Cork Rump", and it is also giving us a glimpse of a new shorter apron, with patch pockets, worn under the French fly away jacket. The apron evolving to meet the new style, is still fashionable.

Who is Wearing an Apron?

2012-01-18T08:08:00.000-05:00

Lots and lots of upper, middling and lower classes are wearing aprons. For the working classes an apron fulfills its definition by Samuel Johnson as written in his dictionary c1755.

Mr. Johnson has given us a pretty straightforward explanation of an apron, and that certainly applies to the many aprons worn by the working classes, but what of those fanciful aprons, the embroidered polychrome aprons and whiteworked aprons? In those cases an apron moves from protection to decoration.

Dorothy Quincy

Dorothy Quincy was painted by Mr. Copley in 1772, her apron is so sheer the color of her gown shows thru almost perfectly. Small white sprigs are scattered over the ground and a narrow waistband goes over the outside of her gown, once again cutting her in half. You can also see clearly the built in dip in the front of the apron, as well as the tape band the apron is gathered onto. Dorothy Quincy is not using this apron to "keep the other dress clean", this apron is purely for pretty and is now an accessory. If you made a beautiful pink silk dress, would you as a modern interpreter of 18th c costume wear an apron? Be honest! Most re-enactors/costumers would not and do not, probably for the most obvious of reasons, our modern mind connects work = apron, and not apron = fashion. How awful to think of covering up hours of labor and cost of materials to make a gown, with an apron. Horrors! So the apron as accessory is not even an afterthought, it was never conceptualized in the first place by the modern wearer.

Maria Niforos

This fine white work apron is more complex than Dorothy Quincy's in design, but as sheer and fine. Note also the matching half handkerchief as these aprons were often sold in "suits" of matching apron, handkerchief and ruffles. The dimensions on this apron are 40" long by 51 inches wide.

This detail of the Dresden work indicates the time involved in embroidering such a large object, the handkerchief in comparison requires much less embroidery, therefore less expensive than a much larger apron.

Aprons Continued

2012-01-15T19:28:00.001-05:00

As it frequently happens, endeavoring to create a common item of clothing such as an apron is made difficult due to the lack of extant examples in museum collections. Survival of artifacts is subject to numerous influences, including curatorial bias towards the beautiful, a mindset that everyday clothing was not worth saving for future generations, wear and tear on the item itself due to hard wear and reuse, and the longstanding rag trade. Looking at portraits and genre art is the logical step to fill in the gap left by the shortage of common everyday aprons.

Tate

The young girl in the "Ballad Seller" by Henry Walton c1778, is wearing a white apron tied over her gown and petticoat, the apron strings are running around her waist, crossing in the back and tying in the front, covering her petticoat completely. When you wear your apron in this fashion, the strings actually cut across the waist at center back, visually bisecting the lovely line of the pleated back of the English gown. Probably not the most pleasing effect to the modern eye, but one not of concern to the 18th century woman! This apron also appears to have a built in dip at center front, and the sides of the apron are actually longer than the front.

Abusive Fruit Woman

This particular print is one of my all time favorites for items of 18th c clothing and material culture such as the bonnet, the table, the cap, the petticoats, the bedgown, the hat, the muff, the cloaks, the baskets, and the aprons!

The fruit seller (c1773) is wearing a long apron which appears to be within 2 inches of the bottom of the petticoat, tied around her waist (she does not appear to be wearing stays) and over what appears to be a bedgown. The focus of abuse (the well dressed woman) is also wearing an apron, and it is interesting to note her apron is almost floor length as is her petticoat, much longer than the practical petticoat of the fruit seller, and the fabric appears to be much finer and flowered (embroidered). The question always arises when discussing this satire, as to why the fruit seller feels it necessary to abuse the young woman? Is she a prostitute? Is that the reason for the abuse and the point of the satire?

And just when we are thinking there is a rule about the length of an apron, we come across a print like this one, showing just the opposite configuration of apron length than the fruit seller and the lady. This time the shorter apron is on the fashionable woman and the longer apron is on the more conservatively dressed woman.

Heyday! Is this my Daughter Anne? c 1773

Daughter Anne's apron is shorter, has a wide lace edging and is being worn with a very fashionable sacque gown, the apron strings are going under the petticoat and around the waist, under the back of the gown. You can clearly see the waistband on the apron of Mom and it appears to be going around her waist over the gown and not underneath. It is also longer than Anne's who is clearly dressed in the latest and trendiest of styles, since the entire point of this satire is to make fun of extreme hair and extreme fashion.

Enraged Macaroni, c 1773

This is perfect close view of how apron strings are crossing around the back of the gown, returned to the front and are tied in a bow. When wearing an apron I have noticed often that this exact same separation occurs between the waistband of the apron and the crossed and tied strings.

Ball Prep 101

2012-01-13T08:58:00.000-05:00

Getting ready for the ball when you have not done one for several years is a lot more work than it seems! The dress fits, it is about 9-10 years old. This gown was originally made to accommodate wide hoops, but this dance will be a crush (crowded) so small hoops will be the way to go!

Sewing repair kit (just in case),

Breast knot (paper flowers)

Gown

Petticoat

Stays

Shift

Hoops (two sizes, just in case)

Shoes

White Stockings

Lace for tucker

Lace choker

Paste necklace and earrings

False hair, hair spray, bobby pins, hair pins, ribbons, pearls

Underpetticoat

Kid gloves (and mitts just in case)

Silk Short Cloak

Long pins

Lacing tape

Ruffles (sleeve)

Before packing all this stuff up some small repairs and changes had to be made to spif up for the ball. The ribbons on the stomacher and elbows have been taken off, they were getting tired and droopy. Small repairs to the waistband and hem of the petticoat were needed, a stitch in time etc. Then the lacing holes on the gown fronts also needed some attention, since the last time I wore this gown I was 30 pounds heavier than I am now, and placed some undue strain on them! Added some lacing cord to the pile of stuff! I took the lace off my gown shift, as that was getting ratty looking from wear as well. I took off the old lace sleeve ruffles and replaced them with new ones, sewing those into the gown sleeves. So while this gown is still serviceable just like a car, preventative maintenance needed to be done, prior to the event. Everything was tried on and examined, the last thing you want to do is try and make repairs and changes while getting dressed. A silk gown is an investment (also like a car) take care of it and you will have it a long time, longer than you actually want probably, but it will then still be in saleable condition.

A is for Apron

2012-01-12T07:01:00.004-05:00

Shopping for everyday and dress apron fabrics in the 18th century was pretty straightforward, yard goods were sold already designated for the purpose and even woven to the proper width.

Newport Mercury, January 2, 1764

The width of the linen check apron in the collection of Colonial Williamsburg is 55 inches and made up of two pieces of fabric. The above ad for 3-4 of a yard fits the bill almost perfectly with a doubled with of 54 inches. The fabrics would be butted together and joined, not seamed, the selvedges in these fabrics are usable portions of the goods and not the nasty machine selvedges that we now have.

For the lower sorts and in the merchant advertisements "check", is the undoubted winner when searching for aprons in the Historical Newspaper series. Differentiated from "furniture" checks, often offered as an "assortment" of apron checks. What they do not describe are the colors of the checks, and from my experience with the fabrics at the Foundling Hospital, I am coming down with the opinion (based on that research) that blue and white was the most frequent combination, with probably red and white as the next most common.

Holland, white, linsey, check linsey, blue are some of the other adjectives added to apron descriptions for the lower sorts, with silk, gauze, lawn, cambric, worked, tamboured, flowered added to the advertisements for the fashionable type of aprons.

Newport Mercury, July 7, 1764

Also frequently advertised is that necessary item, tape, on which to mount and or tie your apron. Also known as apron strings.

Apron strings can be brought around the back and tied off in front, as in this print (the older woman).

Or not visible as in this closeup from a print c 1773. From the experience of wearing an apron, I do believe the ties are still brought to the front but tied under the apron. I always cut my apron strings long enough to be brought to the front, it is more secure.

Lewis Walpole Library

Apron Approximations

2012-01-11T07:50:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I was tapped/volunteered to teach a small workshop this weekend on aprons. I can make an apron with one eye closed and a dull needle, but have to stop and take some time to be able to explain and document the how and why of making an apron and review in my own head what I do automatically in order to teach it well to someone who is just beginning to sew. The entire purpose of teaching how to make an apron is to demonstrate simple hand sewing stitches on a small easy to finish project, that can be immediately put to use. But of course I have to document all of this!

One of the simplest accessories worn, one of the most frequent accessories worn and one snubbed by fine ladies (modern costumers and re-enactors) everywhere! Aprons are not just for bending over the camp fire. So for the next couple of posts, I am going to explore aprons (selfishly killing two birds).

Since most of the women will be portraying working class/campfollowers lets look at some of those aprons first. Unfortunately survivors of everyday aprons are rare, so off to genre art to look at some aprons on working women of the 1770s.

Lewis Walpole Library

This print from 1774 reflects Mom's dismay at the her fashionista daughter, Nan. We see two aprons in this print, for my purposes I am looking at size (it does matter). Both working Mom and fashionable Nan are wearing aprons, both approximately 5-6 inches above the bottom of their petticoats and extending about 1/3 around their waists. We can even see the apron ties on Mom visible in the front. Nan's apron has some sort of border while Mom's is plain.

Another print of a ladies maid, shows us a similar configuration of apron length relative to the petticoat.

Lewis Walpole Library

Her apron appears to be 4-5 inches above the bottom of her petticoat and covers about 1/3 of her waist. It appears to be a plain white linen or cotton.

Lewis Walpole Library

This is a nice view of a linen check apron worn by a working class woman, wearing a full range of accessories, mitts, handkerchief, cap and apron. We can't tell how long it is, but it is not short!

One of the most famous aprons of all is that of the woman depicted in "Plucking the Turkey". This image has sparked many a discussion, but let's look at the apron and stay away from the political symbolism.

Tate

Because she is in a seated position, we can see that the apron is long enough to hit the floor and even curl up on itself slightly. There are narrow apron strings going around the outside of her bedgown (probably), and the fabric is a blue and white linen check in about a two-three inch windowpane pattern. In this example, the apron appears to extend about half way around her waist. Plucking a turkey has to be a dirty business, ugh.

I was happy to see this morning (perfect timing) a nice post on Two Nerdy History Girls of apprentice Sarah from the Williamsburg millinery shop and like a good apprentice Sarah is wearing her apron, click here for views of Sarah and her apron!

Colonial Williamsburg has a checked apron in their collection, unfortunately the image is poor, but we do have the dimensions.

The apron is described as 40 inches long by 55 inches wide, the width is made up of two pieces of fabric joined in the middle. I am 5'6 inches tall, I wear my petticoats at 39" long finished, and this apron would be long on me. The apron is also featured in "What Clothes Reveal", where a close up image of the check can be seen, it is a very small simple open blue and white check, I am guesstimating about 1/8" open white space between the blue lines.

Threads of Feeling

The check of the CW apron is very similar to that of this swatch from the Threads of Feeling exhibit and one that I saw over and over again in the Foundling Hospital Billet Books.

I do not have the dimensions of the petticoat gathered to the waistband, if anyone does, I would appreciate the head's up!

Synthetic Fabrics? Yay or Nay

2012-01-10T07:29:00.002-05:00

A long time ago at an 18th c textile seminar with the well known and much admired Sally Queen, the question (as it always does) arose about the use of synthetic fabrics. After much discussion, it finally boiled down to the question, is it more important that the fabric look like an 18th century fabric or have the fiber content of an 18th century fabric?

My personal choice is always to recommend natural fibers, primarily because I work with re-enactors who are around open flames, constantly. Within the last three years there have been two incidents with fire at events, (that I know of) one a woman in a linen petticoat, one a man. Having worked in a burn unit many years ago, the week after Halloween, I have seen what happens when a synthetic fabric meets an open flame and turns a person into a human torch. Enough said.

From a dressmaking standpoint many synthetics don't behave like natural fibers, the drape is terrible, it bounces, slips and slides, and won't take a pleat. A bad fabric can make what should be an easy task into a nightmare and after all your hard work the gown looks god awful. Time vs money, easy vs hard, all have to influence your decisions. Just to add one more nut to the cookie even 100% silks can be a nightmare to work with, a bargain bullet proof silk at $5.99 can bring a grown woman to tears if it does not have a good hand and won't take a pleat or even lie flat! I have found many of the twilled 100% worsteds are terrible to work with, we just had two gowns in a class using those fabrics and they were atrocious, bouncing and literally spitting out pins. A difficult fabric can add hours to a task that should take minutes.

Another reason I don't recommend synthetics is the inability of a novice seamstress or newcomer to make choices. They have a difficult time enough choosing natural fiber fabrics, opening up the world of synthetics to newcomers would be a train wreck. They don't understand about design, color, hand, drape etc.

BUT (there is always a but!)

If you are going to the ball or dressing up for a fashion show, flammability is not an issue. So the issue becomes does that fabric look like, feel like, handle like, an 18th century fabric? Not from 30 feet or 10 feet but up close and personal. If I cannot tell by look, drape or touch, it is not an issue for me at those type of venues. I will always advise natural fabrics, but recognize that for costumers and other non-reenactors cost and availability are an issue and will not throw them under the bus for making that choice, provided no one can tell that the fabric is a synthetic or a blend.

In my own personal stash I have one perfect reproduction of an 18th century fabric that is totally synthetic, not a natural fiber in it. It is this candy striped fabric shown in the picture above. I will eventually make the gown, I already have the calash! It is currently on the long list of things to do. The perfection of the fabric, outweighs the fiber content in this case for me.

Damn Those Quilters!

2012-01-08T06:17:00.000-05:00

Quilters get all the cool stuff. Let's face it, garment sewing has taken a backseat to quilting. If it were not for the quilt and home dec departments, most fabric stores would not even be in existence. Sewing machines, fabrics and notions are now geared toward that segment of the sewing population. So slide on over to the quilter's aisle and you will find lots of cool notions to help you out with your 18th century projects. This post is going to be a resource for students to read for our Hive workshops!

Never pay full price for this stuff. Wait for a coupon or a sale. Sign up for the mailing list at Jo-Anns to get the fliers and sign up online for the emails. If you have a smart phone, get the app for Jo-Anns, they will send you coupons on that as well.

Tailors chalk is waxy, on some fabrics it won't come off. This quilters chalk can be sharpened to a fine point and is really chalk, without wax, it has a much better chance of being removed. Try some on scraps to make sure before marking, and always make as few marks as possible. Use the white, save the neon colors for something else!

A flexible curve is nice to have especially for measuring and altering those armscye curves. While you won't use it every day, when you need it, you need it.

This little mini iron has a ton of uses, from setting in ruffles on caps to freshening up gown ruching and trims. You can get one plain like this or one with interchangeable heads that are different shapes.

Glass head pins can be ironed over, and these pins are especially sharp and work well in silk.

A small set of craft pliers are great to have on hand for cutting reed, working with leather and boning materials etc. Save your hands, use a tool. None of us need carpal tunnel syndrome!

See thru quilters rulers are a must have, once you work with one, you will understand why. Easy to cut against, they come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. My go to is the 3 inch wide 18 inch long version, and a small 6 inch one as well for hand work. Perfect for cutting out strips of trim and a zillion other things as well.

One inch gridded interfacing sold by the yard comes in very handy for making patterns. Unlike graph paper sold in art stores, this can be as long as you need it to be for gown making etc.

Keep an eye out at quilt stores for sewing needles as well. The best hand sewing needles are English, John James and S. Thomas are really high quality needles. The needles sold by Dritz are dreadful. A good needle will make hand sewing a pleasure, a bad needle will slow you down and influence (in a bad way) the quality of your work.

Rotary mats and cutters are really the best thing to have come out of quilt world. I use them constantly for just about every project, gowns, cloaks, even small things like caps and mitts. Saving my hands is important to me, since I sew constantly, whenever I can find a way to avoid stress on my hands, I do it.

I recommend the OLFA brand, and have my cutting table set up with mats. The blades are expensive, so stock up when they are on sale. Don't roll over pins and the blades will last a lot longer! (for some reason that brand new blade always finds a pin somewhere)

Make Your Own Ruffles!

2012-01-06T06:52:00.001-05:00

Ruffles are to me one of those necessary completing details for a gown, and they are easy to make. The trick is finding nice fine cotton, fine cotton organdy or silk gauze fabric. My source for fine fabrics is Delectable Mountain Cloth, she always has something suitable. Best in person ( it is in Brattleboro, Vermont, ) but mail order service is outstanding, call don't bother with ordering on the website.

Next a quick trip to Jo-Anns for graphed interfacing, this stuff is cheap and sold by the yard, it goes on sale frequently for 50% off so wait for the sale or use a coupon. (I never pay full price if I can avoid it)

Making a pattern for ruffles is not too difficult, first draw out the length which should be between 41-44 inches long. The short ends are approximately 4 inches long, narrowing to about 3 inches then expanding into the deep curve at 6-8 inches. Add a scant 1/4 inch for seam allowance to all of the above measures. Use a ruffle like this example that is flat as a guide. Making the curves is best done with a set of dressmaker/french curves, but simple household shapes work well too. My kitchen cupboard is a great resource for circles and shapes, bowls and dinner plates work very well. Don't laugh, they do!

Embellish, embroider as you wish, or just narrow hem the bottom edge, the narrower the hem the better! Then join the two short sides together. Fell the seam so it looks nice.

The next step is to gather the top edge using whip gathers. Yes, there are whip gathers in the 18th century. All of the sleeve ruffles that I have examined are done this way. Not debatable, fact not fiction.

The gathers are then sewn to a linen tape, since the ruffles are to be sewn to your gown sleeve, make sure you measure the interior of your gown sleeve and make your linen tape the same size. Join the tape together (short cut ends) and then attach the ruffles to the bottom of the tape. You must use linen tape, cotton tape is too flexible and wobbly to work well. The tape must be white, so that means you have to bleach it, since white linen tape is rare nowadays.

Make sure doing all of this that you have a right and left ruffle. Tack to the inside of your gown sleeve and you are done. All in all it takes me about 6 hours to make a pair of ruffles. Do it all by hand, no cheating with the machine, please!

Making Choices

2012-01-04T07:54:00.000-05:00

As usual another historical costumer has sparked a blog post. American Duchess is having a happy problem, deciding what to make/wear to an event in Williamsburg next fall, because she is flying she is limited in her ability to pack and has to be judicious in her choices. Read more about her costume planning on her blog, she is leaning toward easy to pack jackets and multiple petticoats to ring changes in her wardrobe. Another consideration is that she will be there during "Prelude to Victory" a well attended event by the reenacting community.

Her problem is one faced my many of us who travel, generally when I am at an event there is a trailer that I can pack full of clothes but over the years my packing habits and choices of attire have changed, rather radically. I used to carry everything and I mean everything, and would change clothes morning, noon and night. A gown in the morning, riding habit after lunch, then changing into a sacque for the evening, then do the same the next day with all different outfits. I was out of control. Now when traveling, I come prepared in a different way.

First because I am more well known by other re-enactors now in the community around Boston, being authentic and totally put together has become more important than constantly changing clothes. One perfect ensemble, be it lower class or gentry style is my goal per day, so I only travel with two changes of gowns. Caps, aprons, handkerchiefs are all geared toward those gowns.

When traveling now (and depending on the time of year, which is generally summer) I will bring one middling cotton gown of really good reproduction fabric, that can be dressed down with mismatched handkerchiefs and linen check aprons or dressed up with nice crisp white accessories and a nice cap. I will bring a bedgown and old petticoats for mornings and evenings and when it rains! Mud, mud mud. Be prepared for mud, don't ruin your good shoes, I travel with mud shoes just in case. And generally but not always, I will bring a silk gown for Sunday. No hoops, no bum roll, just a quilted under petticoat will give a great silhouette, accessories such as hat, handkerchief, mitts, apron (yes, an apron with a silk gown) make all the difference

My advice to American Duchess was one jacket and one gown, a petticoat to match each, that can be swapped to each other and authenticity over quantity, accessories to change the looks. Because re-enactors are going to be there, she will be under scrutiny and since re-enactors (especially) in groups can be critical, cruel and downright unkind, she should wrap herself in documentation and authenticity, becoming totally re-enactor proof. When first starting out, people would actually accost me (come right over and stop me in the road) and demand to know my documentation for what I was wearing. It only took a couple of times for me to realize that "be prepared" is not just a motto for the Boy Scouts. In my pockets I keep postcards with documentation of any unusual item I am wearing, and happily offer it to those souls who believe because they are re-enactors they have the right to be rude. It stops them in their tracks, and if I can offer only one hint about dealing with East Coast Re-enactors that would be it.

I look forward to reading about her adventures in costuming and travels to Williamsburg!

More Ruffles!

2012-01-02T07:25:00.003-05:00

Last post I spent some time on Dresden work, this post will look at other types of 18th century white worked sleeve ruffles.

This first pair is a pair of triple ruffles, one stacked on the other. The swirls are white on white embroidery.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

These swirls are very abstract in design and to my eye extremely modern (21st century). There are generally left and right to a pair of ruffles as they are meant to flare out over the elbow, and our elbows come in left and right orientations. It is important when you are making your own ruffles, to remember that, so you don't end up with two ruffles going in the same direction!

Metropolitan Museum of Art

These are double ruffles, again stacked on one another with an all over design of white work, these are worked on a cotton ground.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

These are a set of single ruffles, with the whitework just along the edge instead of an all over design. This type of white work is more in line with what the modern embroider can accomplish.

The measurements on these ruffles are all in the same range of 40-43 inches long. Longer than you would think, but keep in mind making a circle takes a lot of fabric. Generally most embroidered ruffles also have scalloped edges as these do, usually worked in a small buttonhole stitch. The shape of ruffles are almost always asymmetrical, almost egg shaped. It goes without saying but I will say it anyway that the narrow end of the circle is placed inside the arm with the longer edge flaring out over the elbow.

Ruffles survive, probably because they were not easily adapted or necessary to the Victorians, there were a ton of them in the first place, they are small, easily stored and not worth much to the rag man, and they are beautiful, which always helps an artifact to stay on the island.

Many museums have them to view on line, Karen Larsdatter has accumulated a pile of links to online resources, so it would be redundant to post them here. Follow this link to her page. Many of the museums (except some of the English) do use the modern costume history term "engageantes", but we know to use the 18th century English term, "ruffles"!

Dresden Day!

2011-12-30T06:28:00.001-05:00

After a holiday break, it is time to get back on track and the last track was looking at sleeve ruffles!

A quick review of the advertisements in 18th century newspapers revealed a plethora of the ruffle choices available to the 18th century shopper including: Dresden, plain, gauze, lawn, flowered lawn, muslin, single, treble, Quebec (no idea, what those look like!), sarsnet, stamped sarsnet, needle worked, double, tambour (begin to appear 1772), laced.

Let's take a closer look first at Dresden ruffles, a popular choice in the 18th century.

Dresden work is obviously named for the area of Dresden, Germany. That part of Saxony developed a proficiency in white on white embroidery, originally as a substitute for expensive lace, but eventually becoming desired and sought after on its own merits. Dresden work is not confined to Germany, as its popularity spread, it became widely imitated in Europe and England. The biggest advantage Dresden work has over lace, is that it can be done on the accessory itself, such as a large apron or handkerchief and not just be a narrow lace band, this provides much more creative flexibility in design and execution.

Known especially for its filling stitches, Dresden work was done on the finest of linen and cotton fabrics, in a variety of complex pulled and drawn thread designs as well as solid and outline stitches. Truly one of the most stunning examples of the needle arts, accomplished without the modern benefits of artificial light and complex magnifiers and eyeglasses. As an embroiderer myself, I admire this technique the most of all 18th century embroideries as the degree of difficulty is enormous.

Dresden work was often very stylized with geometric motifs very common, this example shows a more naturalistic approach!

Cora Ginsburg

Coral, seaweed and shells are not the norm in Dresden work, but as you can see from this example, creative and fantastical designs do exist.

Dresden embroidery was not only purchased but was also taught to and worked here in the colonies by the young ladies of the gentry class.

MFA

This half handkerchief in the collection of the MFA in Boston, was worked in 1752 by Rachel Leonard, of Norton, Massachusetts, descended from the very earliest settlers of Massachusetts. The ground of the handkerchief is cotton muslin, the stitching is linen thread embroidery. Luckily for all of us, Rachel embroidered the date and her initials into the handkerchief. Born in 1727, Rachel was 25 when she embroidered this handkerchief. Just to make life interesting, her mother was also Rachel Leonard! Mom would have been 51years old in 1752, and I am going with the younger Rachel as the embroideress, young eyes for white on white!

Embroidered with White is the go to reference for white work, while the main focus of the book is Dresden embroidery, she does hit on other 18th century techniques, including one that gets little attention, appliqué! Unfortunately now out of print, this is one of those books that you buy right away when it comes out, Amazon has a used copy available for $1, 999.00, so interlibrary is the way to go. If it is ever republished, then buy it right away! My own copy is well worn, it is a great addition to the costume reference library.

Resolutions 2012

2011-12-28T08:14:00.001-05:00

This is the time of year when all good folks start making sincere resolutions for the New Year. Often resolutions are about the bad things you are already doing, like smoking, overeating etc, and we all know how those types of resolutions work out! This year, I am going to make positive resolutions instead of negative ones, and see if that makes a difference in a successful outcome.

First, I need to stop buying fabric, my stash is overflowing. I have made a habit out of buying good fabric when I see it, since really good 18th c style fabrics are hard to find. It is not a bad habit, but I have too much. I am going to resolve that in in 2012, if a fabric comes in the door, one has to go out the door! I have to use it to make something or sell it.

Duran Textiles

I really, really want this fabric!

Second, I am going to put some serious hours into cataloging my extensive research photos and consolidating research notes into legible documents and not the handwritten scribble that they are right now. I resolve to organize past research into a more searchable, usable format. My patterns are organized, but often the notes are in one file and the patterns in another, one is at my house, the other at the shop!

Third, I am going to spend more time working on research projects that interest me, and less time on things for other people. I have some extensive research notes and patterns for riding habits that I want to spend time with and resolve that this is the year of the riding habit.

John Singleton Copley

Fourth, I resolve to get going on developing a workshop for fitting mannequins, something I have been wanting to do for a year, and that has been pushed into the background over and over. Since I have now lost 33 pounds, I need a new one myself!

Fifth and last, I resolve to continue blogging and researching 18th century clothing, this blog has been a real stimulus for me to notice details, organize thoughts and images, and hopefully has been of use to others.

Those are mine, what are yours? Is there something in particular you want to learn more about? Projects to start or finish? Improvements to existing clothing (finally getting rid of that drawstring waistband)? Weeding out your stash? Taking a class?

Good Things 2011

2011-12-26T11:18:00.002-05:00

I am going to take a quick look back at 2011 as this holiday season draws to a close! A few very good things came out to the marketplace this year for 18th century re-enactors.

Good Things 2011

1. Colonial Williamsburg continues to do good things with fabric and their new series of handkerchiefs is a really good thing!

Colonial Williamsburg

Sold at a reasonable price, mind the dates on each, some are a little later (early 19th century), but a great step forward for reproduction handkerchiefs.

2. Lauren over at Time Travel Textiles is constantly looking and finding great fabrics for us, her newest offerings are really lovely handkerchiefs, block printed in a wide variety of color choices, lots of colorful good things. I bought two!

Time Travel Textiles

3. American Duchess hit the nail on the head, or the buckle on shoe! Fantastic paste reproduction shoe buckles are now available and at competitive pricing. Two styles to choose from, perfect for that dress up occasion. Two very good things.

American Duchess

4. Ward Oles over At the Eastern Door, has created the most amazing copies of 18th century pins that I have ever seen, whitened or tinned, these are by far the best in the marketplace. A very good packet of good things!

At the Eastern Door

5. Kochan Phillips continues to expand its line of woolens and worsteds for uniforms, cloaks, coats, greatcoats, etc. Documented colors are available in a ever widening assortment, including bays, shalloons, broadcloth, and superfine.

Historical Textiles

6. The V and A continues to lead the way with textile research and published this year a compilation sort of book, "British Textiles, 1700 to the Present", some of the content is a repeat of earlier books, but if you do not have those, this is a nice addition to your bookshelf.

Amazon

If anyone can think of other really good things, let me know and I will add them to the list!

A Dreaded Bodice

2011-12-22T08:45:00.001-05:00

Once again, a gentle reader has steered me towards my next blog post, thank you Elizabeth! Also found on the National Trust site is another example that could stand some discussion. The dreaded, mythical bodice, which is not mythical at all, in Europe!

Found in prints, and surviving examples, the dreaded bodice causes nothing but trouble, because much as one decries it, the thing did exist, but as regional European clothing and not English/American clothing.

Still found in the taverns of Williamsburg, Sally Queen cleaned it off the streets of Williamsburg many years ago and many re-enactors, myself included, have tried to clean it out of the hobby, since there is little evidence of it being worn here in the colonies. Some would like to deny it ever existed, but that is just wishful thinking, because it did, in Europe.

National Trust

This rather funky example with silk front and wool backs (if I read the rather poorly written description properly) is a child's garment, obviously meant to be worn with a petticoat over it. Lacing in the back and buttoning in the front, which would suggest a boy's garment. I have seen a childs robe in the collection of the Concord Historical Society which also buttoned in the front and laced in the back. This also seems like it was worn under another top as well, maybe a child's robe that ties with a sash, but that is speculation.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

This bodice from the Metropolitan is almost identical to the one above, it is listed as French, and also laces in the back and buttons in the front and also is worn with a petticoat, very obvious with the linen lining extending past the waist, the same as above. Some of these surviving bodices have sleeves. No dimensions are available for this piece, but it is so similar to the child's example above, it could be the same.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

This Italian example has not only tie on sleeves but also a matching stomacher as well, the dimensions suggest a woman's garment.

This stomacher is clearly designed for an adult, with the curved accommodation for the breasts.

So while a great deal of time and effort has gone into removing this style from the re-enactors wardrobe, every once in a while one will surface and this needs to be addressed, again. To pretend there is no such thing as a bodice is not productive, but it needs to be worn properly, as in wear it in the region it was actually worn, Europe.

Kicking the "Caraco"

2011-12-21T07:18:00.001-05:00

One of the really excellent outcomes of the new National Trust database is providing me the opportunity to take a swat, kick, swipe and give a downright bashing to the "caraco". Please note this only applies to American 18th c re-enactors, this is a totally suitable garment for European re-enactors, especially the French and Dutch.

There is no such word found in the Historical Newspapers, or the Old Bailey, it is not in the lexicon of usage, just not there. It is a French word, found in the Gallerie des Modes 18th c French fashion prints. To my knowledge there is not a single example in any museum with American provenance, or one in any English collection with English provenance. So why is this garment at every single 18th century reenacting event in every single colony of America? And why do many (most) museum curators call any 3/4 length 18th century garment a "caraco"?

Two reasons: Janet Arnold + JP Ryan

First and foremost was Janet Arnold and her book, Patterns of Fashion Vol 1, in this book she has a line drawing and graphed pattern for this garment from the Snowshill Collection and she correctly labeled it a "caraco". (Her books are excellent resources, if you do not have this volume, it is still readily available and less expensive on used book sites such as Alibris. ) I do not believe Janet Arnold ever envisioned this garment duplicated and worn across the pond at 18th century Revolutionary War events!

National Trust

The caraco is a 3/4 length garment, without a waist seam, there are numerous survivors in museums around the world and share many of the same elements of design. This particular one has two experts with differing opinions on the origin of the fabric in this Snowshill example; Natalie Rothstein says French, the curator of the Nederlands Kostuum Museum says Dutch! But both are in agreement that this is not an English garment, even though it resides in an English collection. Just like many big museums in our country such as the Met and Los Angeles County Museum of Art have collected costume that is not American, English museums have European costume as well.

Another real difficulty with this style of garment is how it is meant to be worn. The bodice is meant to ride low on the body. How low? Below the nipple low. The large expanse of chest is filled in with a handkerchief.

This garment has been commercially patterned and is sold under the JP Ryan brand of 18th century patterns. The first problem I have is that there is no documentation for this style of garment here in the colonies. The second problem is that the pattern was redrawn for our sensibilities and the bodice is not below the nipple where it should be and the the entire pattern is then thrown off and generally does not fit or sit well on anyone's shoulders.

But that is unimportant, what is important is documenting the garment itself to anywhere in the 13 colonies. Unless you can do that, you are wearing and making this article of clothing for one, some or all of the following reasons.

The pattern is available. Probably reason number 1

The pattern looks easy to sew. Probably reason number 2

It does not take a lot of fabric, so it is cheaper to make. Probably reason number 3

Sutlers sell it.

My friend has one.

See them everywhere.

No special skills required.

Can be made with a sewing machine.

So why am I kicking the "caraco" and being a buzzkill?

None of those above reasons has one single thing to do with portraying an accurate impression of an 18th century woman in the thirteen colonies.

Unless someone can document its use here in America, can anyone recommend or condone the wearing of the "caraco"? Maybe one will appear in a small historical society collection, (never say never) and I will then revise my opinion, but until that happens, unless you are speaking French and portraying the French, speaking Dutch and portraying the Dutch, is it suitable? My opinion ( its my blog, so I get to write it) is no.

So what should a newcomer do who wants a cheap, easy to sew garment? Make a bedgown!

Underwhelmed....

2011-12-19T22:03:00.001-05:00

If you are on Facebook, or a costume list server, twitter, costume blog follower etc, by now you are aware that the National Trust has put their Collections online. Follow the link to the search page here, National Trust Collection, if you have not yet come across this information. The good news is that the search engine is friendly, searchable by date, collection type, and category. The software design of the site is excellent, getting 4 stars from this web surfer!

But I am now probably going to be the only blogger on the planet who is going to talk about the Bad News, and who is not overly pleased with the content from an 18th century costume research perspective!

The photographic images are poorly done, the zoom feature is weak (being kind) and the descriptions seem to have been written by unpaid interns, with errors in grammar and spelling, and sometimes content as well; either missing, vague or just wrong.

OMG! Yes, I am criticizing the National Trust, a little nervy on my part, but as the end user of this product, that is my prerogative.

National Trust

This garment is listed as a "dress", but when reading the description this is described as a "sack backed gown", of interest to me is that it is also a painted silk gown, (I am always on the look out for those). The assigned material labels for this gown are "linen, silk", with linen first and silk second. Confusing at first glance for someone who does not really understand 18th century clothing and does not realize the linen is the lining of the bodice.

National Trust

This garment is listed as a "sack back robe", how is it different from the garment listed above as a dress?
The materials are listed as "Cotton, Damask, Silk, Thread", a rather poor explanation of a silk brocade on a damask ground. I also tend to doubt that this is lined with cotton and the date range is rather broad, 1701-1800, really? Errors in grammar, "compere small fan cuffs", how about a comma between compere and small? Am I nitpicking? Yes, I am, totally admit it, but these small errors shake my confidence in the professionalism of the people who compiled this data.

National Trust

This garment is listed as a "Gown bodice", materials as "linen, taffeta". It is actually a sack back gown, with a brocaded silk fabric, lined with linen. It is a lovely gown, but not listed properly.

Why am I being so critical of all this cool stuff? I know what I am looking at, but the casual surfer or newcomer to the 18th century is going to get confused, and it makes searching the collections by keyword a hit or miss affair. Since this site is an amalgam of many historic properties, it is not hard to assume that the mandate from headquarters came out to "go forth, photograph and write descriptions", and each museum did their own photographic work, and wrote their own descriptions, hence the inconsistencies.

Please do not get me wrong, there is much to learn from this new site, but we could have learned so much more with better photography and garment summaries. The more we get online the better, but I am a little disappointed in the quality of the presentation of the really wonderful collections of the National Trust.

Buying Ruffles

2011-12-17T06:39:00.001-05:00

Since starting on the sleeve ruffles series of posts, I have consistently used the term ruffles, told you to do the same, and here is the why.

When searching for information about 18th century clothing there are several places to look, but you first have to know what you are looking for. This first item from the Historical Newspapers, is making fun of women's clothing, as men often do, but also gives us some words we can follow up on.

This snippet from the Boston Evening Post, February 4, 1754, is a short rhyme making sport of every element of a woman's dress, exaggerating everything! But, we can garner some information and as usual also end up with a slew of questions that need further research.

"Let your gown be a Sack"

This is a term we see all the time in period documents, not "robe ala' Francaise", but Sack or Sacque.

"Frizzle your elbows with ruffles sixteen"

The term used by museums and many costumers is "engageantes", but in period documents, they used the word ruffles. Why aren't we'?

"Fringes of Knotting"

Is this what we call fly fringe?

"Puff and Pucker up Knots on your arms"

Knots in this case would be what we call bows, so why should we not use knot?

Ok, so how do I know that the ruffle is the white ruffle hanging from the gown sleeve? Back we go to the advertisements.

This ad placed by Jane Eustis in the Boston Gazette, September 18, 1758, tells us she has beautiful "treble" ruffles, we would say triple, they say treble.

This advertisement from Mr. Hyslop, also from the Boston Gazette, July 16, 1754, is advertising men and women's "fine ruffles". Notice that they don't add the word "sleeve" to the term ruffle. They expect their readers to know what these ruffles are for and don't bother adding another quantifier to the advertisement.

There are virtually hundreds and hundreds of merchant ads selling ruffles, some with descriptors, such as Dresden, plain, gauze, lawn, flowered lawn, muslin, single, treble, Quebec (no idea, what those look like!), sarsnet, stamped sarsnet, needle worked, double, tambour (begin to appear 1772), laced. Dresden and flowered lawn are the clear winners in the frequency of advertisements.

Along with ready made ruffles, laces and worked borders were also sold especially designated for ruffles and a wide assortment of those were available for sale.

Pretty in Pink!

2011-12-15T20:22:00.003-05:00

Saint Louis Art Museum

Another little known Copley has surfaced and in this lovely portrait we have a lot of details to examine. This is Mrs. Eunice Burr, and according to the museum this portrait was painted c 1760, but I think there is a little leeway in that date. More information on Mrs. Burr can be found on her DAR page, they place a date of 1763 on the portrait, which seems more in keeping. At first glance, I thought to self, why is she wearing a satiny looking petticoat instead of a matching damask or quilted petticoat? It looked odd. That is until I realized that what I am looking at is an apron and not her petticoat at all. You can see at her waist the small narrow band of the top of the apron and also see at the sides of the apron an applied lace trim. The rosy color of her silk damask gown is really brought out by the sheen of the apron, nice job Mr. Copley! Unfortunately this site does not have a zoom feature, so this is as big as this portrait is going to get for us.

Her sleeve ruffles appear to be double and not triple layers and once again, lace applied to a linen or muslin foundation. Very rich lace, very wide 2-2 1/2 inches and the ruffles extend down past her elbow to about midway on her lower arm. Notice also that the flounces of her gown are attached about 1-1/2 inches above the crook of her elbow. From experience having the flounce at that level allows you to flex your arm without crunching up the sleeve treatment or wrinkling your ruffles. A simple detail that actually means a great deal when wearing your gown.

The lace at her neck appear too be woven to shape, can we call it a tippet? I would not call it a handkerchief. It is not tucked in to her gown, so I would not call it a tucker. At this point, I do not have a name for this accessory that I can with 100% certainty apply as a label.

One thing I can say with certainty is that these were store-bought accessories. Possibly purchased from a milliner but also widely available from general merchants. Because her stomacher does not match her gown, that could also have been purchased and not made by the dressmaker who sewed her gown. Not a color combination that I would have picked as 18th century: silver + pink? A very 21st century look.

Still popular! Silver and pink is a common pairing in our modern world. Think Juicy Couture!

The stomacher has an array of ribbons running down the front, all the same size and all made from what appears to be a metallic ribbon. Just as metallics could be woven into fabrics, they could also be incorporated into ribbons, either with silk or by themselves creating a totally metallic ribbon. This particular circular decoration is easy to make, just attach both short ends of the ribbon, gather one long end, pull tightly and secure. Ta Da.. you now have a rosette. Make 4 and you have this design for a stomacher. Size does matter, always experiment with scraps or cheap poly ribbons first.

Back to Brown!

2011-12-13T14:49:00.001-05:00

Nelson Atkins Museu

Another Copley and another Brown Gown prompted this post, which will really start focusing on white accessories. Up till now, this portrait was unknown to me, it does not routinely pop up online when searching for Copley portraits and has not been in any of the Copley reference books that I have on hand. There are two reasons that I am drawn to Copley's portraits for visual documentation, the first is of course his exquisite attention to detail, especially in those items near and dear to a costumer's heart, like accessories. The second is because many of his subjects, lived in the Boston area, which is the part of the country that I live in and do most of my re-enacting at historic sites in and around the city.

This is a portrait of Mrs. Sarah Barrett, born Sarah Gerrish in 1713, which makes her 45 years old at the time that Copley painted this portrait in 1758, in Boston. Her damask gown is beautifully painted, the detail of the design is exquisite. She once again reenforces the older woman=brown gown theory, although to me, 45 is not old at all!

This is also an excellent example of how an older woman was wearing a handkerchief in the late 1750s, it envelops her shoulders and chest, secured with a blue bow. The same blue ribbon ties her cap under her chin. It is very common to see older women completely covered at the neck, let's face it, the neck and bosom are the first areas on a woman to show the ravages of time and aging, so it makes sense to cover it up, reflecting both modesty and dignity of position. But the handkerchief and sleeves shown here are also a symbol of her husband's place in Boston society, he was both a wealthy merchant and a deacon of the New North Church.

The lace on her sleeve ruffles and handkerchief appears to be at least 2 or 2 1/2 inches wide, and also appears to be Mechlin lace (I am not a lace expert, but Mechlin is my favorite, probably some wishful thinking here).

Lace for Study

This example of Mechlin lace is circa 3rd quarter 18th century, notice the scalloped edging and swirling motifs.

Lace for Study

Another example of 3rd quarter 18th century Mechlin lace, again with a scalloped edging and rounded motifs. For me lace is one of those areas, that I need to really come up to speed and be able to more readily identify the types of 18th lace used in costume. (Lots of posts there!)

It is hard to tell what is happening with her cap until you zoom in and see that there is lace, although it is difficult to discern if it is the same pattern as the sleeve ruffles and handkerchief. (My guess is not, what do my sharp eyed readers see?)

The wonderful details in this closeup of her face show us not only the lace of the cap, but also a set of what appears to be triple stranded pearls and the picot edging to the blue ribbon, which are impossible to see without the zoom feature of the museum's website. Many reenactors will shy away from using a ribbon with a decorative edge, not so! Vintage ribbons are a wonderful way to find unusual and often very correct ribbons, ebay and antique shows are good places to hunt for them. But as always when shopping you have to know what you are looking for!

Many thanks to Steph for sending me the link to this image!

Changes in Cuffs

2011-12-06T07:22:00.001-05:00

Up until now, the sleeve treatments under discussion have generally been pleated rectangles, or pleated and turned up sleeves or just turned up sleeves. A rather dramatic change occurs that introduces a totally new look, the sleeve flounce, also referred to as a pagoda sleeve, because it looks like the stacked roof of a pagoda. ( I do believe this is a costume history term and not a period one, and am trying to confirm either way, but you might run across it)

Brooklyn Museum

This American portrait by Joseph Blackburn is dated 1762. Notice she is wearing the typical style we expect to see in the 1760s. Sleeve flounces, with white sleeve ruffles, stomacher front gown, swirling decorations.

This closeup view of the sleeve treatment shows us the treble flounce and treble white sleeve ruffles. Please note the term "engeantes" is not used by the English or the gentle folk of the American colonies. Engeantes is a French word used by the French! If you are describing your clothing to the public, the English terminology should be used, unless you are speaking French at the time! (My pitiful attempt to stomp this word from the reenacting community)

So how did this happen? When did the jump take place from pleated, winged cuff to this totally new approach to finishing off a sleeve?

For that I think we have to turn to the fashion trend setters, the elite, and for our purposes, the English elite.

This gown was worn by Lady Fanshawe to a formal occasion in 1752 , and it is a mantua. An old fashioned style, still worn by the upper classes to the most formal of occasions, this particular mantua is sporting the new sleeve treatment, the flounce.

A spectacular gown, with spectacular fabric and spectacular hips! But here we have one of the earliest sightings of the new sleeve treatment.

Museum of London

Currently on display at the Museum of London, this gown is also discussed in depth at the Spitalfield's Life blog.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

This mantua in the collection of the Met, is similar in style and date, the museum has placed a date of 1750 on this gown. It has all the same design elements of the Fanshawe gown, metallic silk fabric, metallic trims, mantua style, and sleeve flounces.

How long did it take for this new sleeve style to spread? Not long at all!

By 1756, Joshua Reynolds was painting women in the latest sleeve style. (If anyone can find an earlier portrait, please let me know!) The flounce provides a very pleasing elegance to these gowns, and once established the sleeve flounce was there to stay, and stay and stay, fashionable for the next 25 years! The pleated cuff never disappears, but formal gowns are now decked out with the new style.

Exploding Cuffs

2011-12-06T06:50:00.001-05:00

Through the 1740s not only do the skirts explode sideways but the cuffs do as well. The wings of the cuffs extend beyond the actual sleeve itself, in a veritable cuff explosion.

This American portrait c 1749 by John Wollaston shows just such an example, with the cuff widening and expanding behind the sleeve. And the sleeve itself has changed, it is now longer. Notice the white ruffle extending past her elbow, has the ruffle become a separate entity from the shift? Do you think it is is still attached? We will revisit this portrait again when talking about sleeve ruffles.

Art Institute of Chicago

Tate Gallery

This English portrait by Devis, c 1750 shows us the necessity to make a change to the sleeve in order to balance out the flattened and widened skirt so the sleeve lengthens and the cuff does as well. Visually it works.

Victoria and Albert Museum

From the Victoria and Albert Museum, this is a perfect example of a winged cuff. Circa 1749, from a bodice (probably a child's), made in the always popular 18th century yellow silk. This cuff is a rectangle of fabric that receives its shaping from horizontal pleats. Simple but effective. The pleats are stitched down to the sleeve and then released, these sleeve cuffs are applied and are not integral to the gown.

Cuffs Continued

2011-12-05T05:15:00.001-05:00

As it often happens my gentle readers guide the next post in the series with thoughtful insights and good questions! So to continue cuffing ourselves, we are going to take a brief look at contrasting cuffs and robings.

This link provided by Mimic of Modes is an excellent example. Circa 1727, this woman is wearing the mantua, again wearing the belt, and also notice the rather militaristic tassels crossing over her stomacher. We will see those again.

Victoria and Albert Museum

These non matching cuffs could be the lining (facing) to the cuffs, turned to the right side and then rather loosely pleated at the elbow. She is all of a piece with a similar color ribbon on her cap and a matching silk apron. This is also a wonderful place setting of a tea service, notice also that each person in the image is holding the tea cup in a different way!

Yale Center for British Art

Another early example (1725) show a yellow/gold gown with red/orange cuffs and once again a matching ribbon on her cap. Notice also her market basket. A wonderful view of an empty basket, where we can actually see the shape and size of it.

Finding actual exact examples is rather difficult, but here is a doll, c 1710-20 with green silk cuffs on a cream silk bodice.

Victoria and Albert Museum

Another extant example is also at the V and A and is an early silk jacket, with contrasting green silk robings and deep simple turned back cuffs.

Victoria and Albert Museum

Tate

This painting of the Duchess of Bolton by Hogarth is loosely dated, c 1740-50, but notice the militaristic bands crossing at center front and the contrasting robings and cuffs.

With thanks to Mimic of Modes, there are printed references as well to gowns with contrasting robings and cuffs. Printed in 1740, Samuel Richardson's "Pamela" provides this source of documentation. I have seen a print from Pamela that shows her in the contrasting cuffs, but so far cannot find an online image.

In both instances the fabric used is printed calico. The use of contrasting cuffs and sleeves is one that seems to disappear in women's clothing and yet continued into the 1750s as shown in the infants clothing preserved from the Foundling Hospital in the Metropolitan Archives. Continually the sleeves and cuffs of the infants clothing were two different fabrics, it was rare to find a sleeve that had both cuff and sleeve the same.

Threads of Feeling Facebook

In this example the sleeve itself is blue and white striped cotton and the cuff is printed purple linen.

More early documentation comes from the Old Bailey

Reference Number: t17331205-57
1733

"Thomas Smith . Anne Castle , and George Gallimore , were brought Prisoners to me in Wood-Street-Compter, and next Morning I saw the Prisoner in a green Gown and flower'd Robings."

Reference Number: t17330221-7
1733

"The Prisoner came to my Shop for a Quarter of a Yard of printed Linen, for Robings"

Cuff Me!

2011-12-02T05:57:00.001-05:00

This post was originally going to be on whitework. But in those first moments between being asleep and awake it occurred to me that putting the ruffles under the sleeve, was like putting the cart before the horse, without paying any attention to the horse at all. So I am backing up in my original intention and will take some time looking at the cuffs on gowns and jackets and the changes to them over time while also looking at the white frills and flounces poking out from underneath those cuffs. Whenever possible, I will be trying to stick to English and American examples, since most of my research is directly related to those areas.

Newark Museum

This portrait of Catherine Ogden was painted in the 1730s, (I would estimate the gown might be even earlier than 1730) and she is wearing a mantua. Notice the turned back cuffs on the gown sleeves and the belt around her waist. The turn backs at center front are the precursor to later robings. Her shift sleeves are protruding from the simple cuffs and there are no frills or lace attached.

Yale Center for British Art

In this cropped image from the painting "Tea Party at Lord Harrington's House", dated 1730, we also see women wearing the mantua, but in a bit more fashionable manner than Catherine Ogden above. The women have the same belted waist, long torso, and now what looks to us more like the familiar robings at side fronts that will continue for many more years in fashion. The cuffs are simple rectangles that may now be applied and not just a turn up of the sleeve. More sophisticated styling, wealthier people and on these ladies we can see a ruffle of lace attached to the shift cuff and handkerchiefs and neckwear.

Yale Center for British Art

In this 1735 painting by Hogarth, "Portrait of a Family"we see more evolution of style in cuffs and the gown as well.

Zooming in on the woman at the far left, there is a great deal going on here. Not least of which is the embroidery/needlework frame at which she is sitting!

Getting in even closer, we can now see that the robings and cuffs are sporting matching decorations, we can also see how short the shift sleeves are and that the white ruffles at the end of the shift are attached directly to it, but are not terribly long, just coming past the elbow. The sleeves are full and rise well above the elbow, the cuffs appear to be pleated rectangles, probably applied and not integral to the gown sleeve. There are ruffles around her neckline, probably also attached to the shift neckline.

There is so much to study, this might take a while!

Speaking of Remodels

2011-12-01T07:18:00.001-05:00

The Two Nerdy History Girls have a great post on their blog about an 18th century silk gown, remade into a 19th century ball gown. I can't help but be reminded of Jo and Meg in "Little Women" going to the dance in their remade gowns, a book I reread every Christmas season, time to dig it out!

I found one more remodel of interest that I will take a look at, because the silk is so old fashioned to the remake which was done in the 1780s.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

This is a very early silk, probably c 1730s-1740s, and yet this gown has been remade into a true "polonaise" style gown, where the side skirts of the gown are shorter, rounded and swept back and drawn up, very 1780s. The sleeves are long, with ruched cuffs, this closely resembles some of the fashion plates. And yet, the fabric is so wrong for this style. I have handled silks of this date, and they are quite heavy. Perfect for the sack gown or the mantua, long lengths showing off the gorgeous brocaded fabric, but this new style demands light and airy fabrics and yet the wearer of this gown went to some trouble to once again use what they had on hand.

You can see the perfect matching that the early silks allow with the configuration of the motifs, it also appears that the center back seam was let out at some point.

The center back skirts are released into large pleats, covered buttons to loop up the skirts in a new innovative style with a really, really outdated fabric.

This fashion plate shows a similar configuration of the skirts and sleeves (unfortunately no back view) and is dated 1781.

This example of a silk mantua from the V and A has a similar appearance to the silk of this gown and the date is 1732.

Victoria and Albert Museum

Remodel Take Two

2011-11-30T06:43:00.001-05:00

In a previous post, I was fortunate to find a gown that had been remodeled with its former pieces accompanying the gown, and extra fabric used for the style changes. This remodel is an example of using what you have. We will clearly see the folds, patches, piecing and economical reuse of fabric. Plus this gown has provenance to the Americas, so this is special too.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

A lovely yellow floral silk, but the silk is much earlier than the style of this gown. In fact I would date the silk at least 25-30 years older than the style. Widely space natural floral silks were very popular during the 1740s and early 50s. This example of a Anna Garthwaite design shows us a similar aesthetic dated 1747.

Victoria and Albert Museum

The provenance of this gown is that it belonged to Mary Stodden and was part of her wedding trousseau near Taunton. There is a Taunton in England, and only one to the best of my knowledge in the colonies and that was here, in Massachusetts, actually about 15 miles from me! At that time, Taunton was a huge town in land area which today has divided into multiple towns and a city. Many farms, easy access to the river and established in the 17th century, so not a new kid on the block, prosperous, not wealthy.

The date of Mary's wedding was 1776. What did the gown look like in 1776? When did the remodel take place? The style of this gown is late 1770s early 80s. What was happening fashion wise in 1776? What was happening in Massachusetts in 1776? Was the open front gown still being worn in 1776?

First let's take a look at the actual remodel from the open front to the closed front.

Clearly seen are the old robings, now uses to help close the center fronts, you can see the stitch lines running down the side fronts and the piecing at the top of the gown to fill in, little triangles, right up front, no hiding those. And longer sleeves, also pieced.

An even closer look shows us the piecing and the new shoulder straps which are also pieced on the proper left. No scrap of fabric went unused. So now we have a closed front gown, using scraps from the old robings to create all the necessities for the update, a front that meets in the center, longer sleeves, and shoulder straps. Didn't cost a dime, except for a possible fee for the mantua maker.

The back is gorgeous, if one didn't know the silk was wrong for this style of gown at first glance you would never know it was redone. Because it was redone quite nicely! But when we zoom in, we can see the changes.

This image is of the piecing at the back of the skirts adding length. Notice that the gown has a slight train, but without examination of the stitching, it would be hard to tell if this was part of the remodel or part of the original construction.

The back of this gown has the distinctive shaping of the the English gown, odds are the back was redone, there are some hints of the old pleats but not many. The skirts were re-pleated into the narrower up to date style. The back neck facing is pieced and you can clearly see the piecing at the cuffs, adding length.

So back to the puzzle. Did she wear this as an open gown as part of her trousseau and restyled the gown after the war? My personal opinion is yes, the closed front gown was just starting to appear to take hold in London, what are the odds a young woman in Taunton, Massachusetts, during the beginning of the conflict in the Revolutionary War, had access to and also knowledge of how to restyle her gown, if the style is just showing up as the dress of the year in 1775?

Opinions always appreciated!

More Thoughts Upon Dress

2011-11-29T06:00:00.001-05:00

"People should always consider their situation and fortune. Persons of rank may take liberties in dress, that others would be highly condemned for: they are above the reach of insults from the vulgar"

"Even those who are allowed to be proper objects for dress, should be particularly careful in the choice of their ornaments; never to wear anything in imitation of things of value, such as shining ornaments, which are daily purchased by the vulgar, as false stones, bugles, &c. and also too great a variety of colors; leave these to strolling players, and to women whose trade it is to catch the eye; they are the allurements and trappings of an harlot"

"So you find in this matter of ornamenting our persons, how many points there are to be considered before we leave our toilet to make our appearance before the censorious, unforgiving world, who delight in every opportunity of cruelly lashing the foibles of their neighbors."

Ladies Magazine, 1775

Once again, the author of this article "Thoughts Upon Dress", hits the mark dead on, and the words have total relevance today. In 2011 our persons of rank are celebrities (tv and movie stars) and to say they take liberties in dress is a total understatement, and yet they get away with it because of who they are and their own personal beauty. Even now wearing too much "bling" looks cheap and tacky (bling replacing shining ornaments and false stones! ), and too many colors worn at once does look awful in any century. And yes, it is still an unforgiving world, where tongues wag and hurtful, unkind words lash the unwary.

So as we go about ornamenting our "persons", let's stop and figure out what we want to do, before we do it. Costly mistakes in time and money are the bane of this hobby. Seek advice PRIOR to purchasing not after, seek out a mentor, one who is both knowledgeable and kind. Stop those tongues before they have a chance to wag. Don't stand by and let someone new be thrown to the wolves, a common occurance unfortunately. We were all new once, we all make mistakes, if you have the experience step up and offer to be that mentor.

The joy of being a reenactor is that you can be anyone you would like to be, and you can change at the drop of a hat, one weekend poor and trailing after the army at war, the next weekend a well to do matron attending a garden party at a stately home. The event and your place in that event drives your persona and the choices you should make in your clothing.

Being poor and dirty takes as much effort, thought and preparation as being well to do and elegant.

Thoughts Upon Dress

2011-11-28T07:46:00.001-05:00

"In matters of dress, never be the first in fashion, and when you do conform to it, let it be in the most moderate degree; and even in this, much depends; first, on the situation a person is placed it; secondly, their fortune; and thirdly, their own persons are to be considered: for a beautiful woman will not be so much condemned for entering into the extravagancy of fashion, as a plain or deformed woman would be. But the essential point in dress is to consider what is really and truly becoming.

It is folly to be taken with any particular mode of dress, from seeing it look well upon another woman, typically if she is handsome; for what suits one complexion, would disfigure another: that which becomes the oval face, would look ridiculous about the round full face. There is no end to the enormities that are daily commuted in this respect for want of judgement, and from being blind to our own imperfections."

Ladies Magazine, July 1775

Well said by this 18th century author. Let's take their good advice and be judicious in our choices of fashionable dress.

Older women make your choices on the somewhat old fashioned side. You are the chaperone, not the maiden. Sorry, girls. ( I am in that age group).

For the overweight, a good pair of stays will help, but no stays ever sewn will turn flab into thin. Make your choices in simple styles, good colors for you and skip the flourishes, it calls attention to your size, the last thing you want.

Short of money? Don't try to portray a woman of wealth, if you cannot afford quality fabric and accessories, not to mention shoes and jewelry, you will not be able to carry it off. A good impression of the lower or middling class is much more appropriate.

Follow the above advice from the Ladies Magazine and make sure the clothing you choose looks good on YOU and don't be tempted to copy another's look, just because she looks smashing, does not mean that style will look smashing on you!

Tough words, for a tough subject. Style is so individual and we as women are so unused to anything but flattery when it comes to our appearance. We take personal affront at criticism of our 18th century clothes, because people in the real world do not criticize the way we look (aside from our Moms and children). It is only when we try to portray a particular time period that women start to personally critique others, and sometimes not in a kindly way.

Right now in our hobby of Revolutionary War re-enactors (costumers ignore this, you can do as you please!), there is a trend to focus on fashion to the exclusion of documentation, and also totally loosing track of what was happening in the colonies, like maybe a war? Did we have the latest fashions from Paris walking the streets of Boston or Williamsburg or New York? And exactly what is that fashion? Or did we have what was in our closets for the duration? How much thought is given to documenting that new style for the Americas? Any? Are we making it because we have fabric in our stash, or because we just bought a new pattern or took a workshop? Are we just copying what is in the French fashion plates with the assumption that it must be the same here? Is it acceptable for a camp follower to be cooking over a fire in a gown style that was newly introduced in the late 1770s and found only in high end fabrics?

I hope this stimulates some discussion among reenactors. For historical costumers the sky is the limit, their creativity should have no boundaries, for we who try to portray real people in real places, we do have limits and need to address them, somehow.

Two Degrees of Separation

2011-11-26T07:54:00.001-05:00

What a find! Sometimes you just get lucky. I was hoping to find more relevant gowns to discuss that had been updated during the 18th century and stumbled upon this rather plain, but oh so interesting gown, restyled in the very late 1770s or 1780s.


Metropolitan Museum of Art

At first glance this appeared to be a well made circa late 1770s-1780s gown. Typical drawing up of the skirts at the back of the gown etc. BUT looking at the detailed images that accompany this gown tells the rest of the story. In a most unusual occurrence the altered pieces actually remain with this gown, how cool is that!

The front robings section of the original bodice have been preserved. We can see that this plain silk open front gown was updated by removing the old fashioned robings and replacing them with the new closed front stylish bodice, bringing this gown to new life. It is still not anything like the fashion plates, but it has enough new elements to bring it line and up to date.

This gown is meant for a much larger woman than the size of the mannequin. When you zoom in with the close up feature at the Met, you can see the lap over is waaaaay off to the side, this was not a small girl. The sleeves are rather roomy as well with the stylish feature of the "puckered cuff". I have seen museums refer to this as a "sabot" cuff, but in the Lady's Magazine, I have documented the word "puckered" in reference to this cuff so am using the contemporary term (18th c). Typical changes, shoulder straps in place of robings, closed front, snazzy cuffs, drawn up back skirts, narrow skirt pleats = updated gown. But notice no trimming aside from the cuffs, and there is no reason not to trim as you will see there is left over fabric.

A question that I had immediately was where did the fabric come from to make these changes? Often the old robing section is just re-pieced and that fabric is used for the new front closing gown, but this one did not do that or the gown petticoat is hacked up and that fabric used, but that did not happen. There is another section of fabric that also accompanies this gown, so one has to assume that the petticoat was narrowed by a few panels, or the front panel of the gown skirt was removed or there was extra fabric. Or some of each!

This was really exciting to see the changes and the surviving pieces of the old gown, love it, love it!

Updating An Early Gown

2011-11-23T07:49:00.001-05:00

The first gown that I am going to look more closely at is at the Metropolitan Museum, it is a green damask gown, that had an earlier life and was brought up to date for the late 1770s, early 1780s.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

How do I know this is a remodel? First and most importantly is the fabric, this is a very large scale damask, immensely popular during 1740-60s, the color is dark, not in the new lighter choices of colors for the 70s and 80s and there are left over clues in the fabric as well. But it is really the style that I am going to zero in on, notice the longer narrower sleeves, wide neckline, shoulder straps replacing front robings, center front closure of the gown, very much a very late 70s early 80s style. But there are no frills, trimmings or even cuffs on this gown. Were they removed? Doubtful. The dress catches many of the changes in fashion, really only the essential ones, but not all of them.

This center back shot shows us some other updates in style, the entire back has been reworked. No longer the wide pleats of an English gown, the back pleats have been undone and the entire back resewn in the new manner, the gown is no longer enfourreau, but cut into the latest design, now with three pieces to the back: center back, and two side backs. The bodice and skirts are now separate. No back neck facing either, another sign of a later gown.

In this even closer shot of the back, you can actually see the old fold lines from the original gown, and the new stitching of the now much narrower back.

I would guesstimate that this updated styling was done by a professional mantua maker, the end result does not look like it was done at home.

Now let's look at some art from this time period of 1778-1782, starting with the French fashion prints.

Here they are.. wait.. NONE of the French fashion prints from the Magazine de Mode look even remotely like this gown.

Gallerie des Mode, 1779

This was the simplest print that I could find that even came close but it is not even close is it?

Ok.. so let's go to the mezzotints, I can always find something there. Well.. no I didn't..ok..on to portraits.. and we have a winnah!.. (as we say in Boston)

This portrait dated 1785 is French, not American, but does show a gown style similar to our original green damask gown.

Metropolitan Museum

Taking a closer look at the brown, we see lovely silk sleeve ruffles, and a gorgeous handkerchief, but the gown itself is plain, no ruffles and flourishes on the sleeves or the bodice.

This looks immensely fashionable because of those accessories, not the trimming of the gown itself.

A similar style is seen on the blue gown, except there is a ribbon drawing up the cuff of the gown, other than the ribbons, it is the lace and quality of the fabric that is creating the overall fashion statement.

There are many examples of plain untrimmed gowns, from the late 1770s/early 80s. So where is the disconnect between fashion prints and gowns that were actually worn here in America and in England?

Compare and Contrast

2011-11-22T17:38:00.001-05:00

A recent comment on this post from a gentle reader, got me started thinking and I came up with an idea for a series of posts comparing extant garments to garments in art and fashion prints. After looking over the years at multiple extant garments in American and English collections, the difference between reality and fashion is really quite striking. But is that because of removal of elaborate trims by evildoers in the 19th century, or because of interpretation of style, the process of simplification that still takes place today? What is in Vogue Magazine? What ends up on the rack in Macy's? Fashion is such a fickle and fluid thing, pinning it down is not easy. In particular, the gowns of the 1770s and 80s really seem to begin the move toward simplicity and the classical much earlier than one would think.

I always turn for answers to extant garments first. While they are vulnerable to alterations, it is often very easy to see what was changed (but not always) and often relatively simple to undo those changes (but not always), unless the Victorians really went at it tooth and nail. As in this poor, pathetic example. Really, what were they thinking.

Kerry Taylor Auctions

This is especially awful, but actually this gown could be saved, the nasty trim taken off, the odd bows thrown away, and the bad laces sent to the dumpster. (Unless you are a museum and want to preserve this as an example of someone playing dress up with an 18th century gown!)

The back of this gown is in really good condition, the back pleats look untouched and the back skirt pleats still look perfect. The fabric itself also looks quite nice, so this would be worth restoring, but to pay for a conservator for the restoration would be in the $$$$ price range. The value of this gown is much less than a perfectly intact gown would be and the expected estimate is between 400-600 GPB. This is a pretty good (bad) example of a 19th or 20th century remake of an 18th c gown.

Next, I am going to take a look at some gowns that I am almost one hundred percent certain were renovated, but they were contemporary renovations (18th c), which make the gowns and their changes over time even more interesting and then look at some art work and fashion prints that coincide with the dates of these gowns. This is going to be fun. Please participate and comment, I really appreciate all the input.

Still Zooming Around

2011-11-21T06:33:00.001-05:00

This post will zoom in on a rather wonderful yellow striped sacque, c 1770s. The design of the fabric is actually quite familiar, instead of the large S curves and natural flowers of the earlier decades we are in the 70s and and styles have changed to a linear design, this particular stripe does include small flowers between each stripe. Frankly, it looks like sofa or drapery fabric. Could we find something similar in the home dec dept? Probably. Do we have a bias against looking like a sofa? Yes. But we have to keep in mind that going back years and years, furniture fabric designers have used in error as their "inspiration" 18th century dress silks.

Christies

Typical construction of a third quarter 18th century sacque, two double box pleats, stitched down at the top and falling free to the floor. The gown appears to be in wonderful condition, it would be really nice to be able to see the front!

This close up detail view of the back shows the stitched down pleats, the robings run up and over the shoulder and the sleeve pleats are confined beneath. A small trim of box pleats is running along the neck edge as simple decoration.

The cuff on this gown is a dead on clue to the date of the gown, in addition to the style of the fabric. The pleated, and applied cuff appears on gowns in the 1770s.

LACMA

To date, this is the earliest in the 1770s that I can document this new style of cuff. This watercolor was drawn by Ann Frankland Lewis as the "Dress of the Year, 1770".

1774, Lewis Walpole Library

This zoomed in image of a sleeve cuff shows us the movement away from sleeve flounces and more ordinary shaped cuffs, to a new look, the pleated cuff. This is from a mezzotint c 1774, on a middling class woman. Follow the link to see the entire image.

1777, Lewis Walpole Library

The look of this sleeve treatment is even closer to our sacque cuff and is from a mezzotint c 1777. The woman is from the lower classes, a servant, who is rather fashionably dressed. Her mistress is wearing a similar cuff treatment, but it appears to be gauze, as does the image above. Follow the link to see the entire image.

Back to the sofa, uh, I mean the fabric.

It really is a charming fabric, little sprigs of flowers on white, yellow satin stripes, rows of little dots. Very pretty. But as you can tell, I am having a hard time with it.

A similar fabric is found in a lovely jacket at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. For some reason this style of fabric, made up in the smaller jacket, does not look anything like a furnishing fabric. I think it is the large expanse of the yellow fabric that is pushing me in that direction.

Metropolitan Museum

While not identical the aesthetic is similar to the yellow fabric, I actually have been able to find something very similar, unfortunately in cotton, not in silk.

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom

2011-11-20T07:26:00.001-05:00

It is that time of year again when Christies Auction House has their yearly "Fashion" auction. This year there are a few items of note, some of which I will be zooming in on with the marvelous zoom feature provided by Christies. The down side is that they only provide a single view of the item, so we must speculate about what we cannot and will not be able to see. This first gown is just darn pretty. The color is lovely and the fabric is actually something we might have a chance to obtain!

Christies

The apricot color of this gown is what first caught my attention. This closed apron front gown is simple and yet so elegant. Once again proving that simplicity trumps overly decorated. Someone today replicating this gown, would be tempted to add fancy ruching at the neckline, sleeve flounces etc. Not necessary.

Because of the small stripes of this fabric, the camera strobes somewhat (it is very reassuring to know that happens to professionals too). But you can clearly make out lots of details in the bodice front. What I see is a closed front bodice, but the front is set in as in a "zone gown". You can see clearly that the stripes are at an angle under the arm, and then are straight up and down at center front. You can also clearly see the shoulder strap, and the two piece coat sleeve of the gown. Coat sleeves are frequently found on women's jackets and riding habits and begin to be seen on later 70s and 80s gowns. But notice the sleeves are not that long, they extend just beyond the elbow, telling us the date on this gown is not late 1780s but earlier.

This is an even better image of that front bodice line, the diagonal lapped seam at the side front is very noticeable and the change of direction of the stripes at center front is clearly seen. There is piecing at center front as well. You and I would choose somewhere less obvious place to piece in fabric, but for some reason bodices and sleeves are often pieced and multiple times at that, while the large expanse of the skirts are left intact! The eye would be drawn to the lovely handkerchief which would probably cover the piecing, so there is a methodology to it!

A good view of the set in shoulder strap, notice that it is wide and set over the sleeve head, with what appears to be minimal pleating. Sleeves are fitting tighter over the arm in late 70s and 80s and the excess fabric of the sleeve is being eliminated, you can make a nice tight sleeve more easily with the coat sleeve than the one piece sleeve we are accustomed to on 18th century gowns. There is what appears to be two rows of narrow stitching at the bodice neck, it could be a channel for a drawstring or a piece of tape holding the curve of the neck edge.

This closeup of the gown skirts shows that the same convention of a center front box pleat holds true for apron front gowns as well as in earlier petticoats. The stripes are very fine and in home dec departments, much easier to locate than an elaborate brocaded fabric.

Lewis Walpole Library-1776

In this mezzotint, c 1776, you can see that the concept of the "zone gown" has already taken hold in fashion. This style appears much earlier than the 1780s, so in fact that apricot stripe gown could be a later 1770s gown, but another clue is the apron front which makes a reappearance around 1780, so those two elements help to zero in on the date and the length of the sleeves is the third hint, they are relatively short for late 1780s. The topic of changing and emerging styles from the Lady's Magazine is addressed in this post, on Dress and Undress.

A Thread About Thread: Cotton

2011-11-18T19:15:00.001-05:00

Cotton thread has it's place in our 18th century costume world, even though it is not historically accurate for that time period. Sometimes a product with an inappropriate fiber content can have qualities that are needed and cannot be found elsewhere. I have seen many linen threads used in 18th century clothing that actually resembles more closely certain hand quilting cotton threads than it does our modern linen thread. It is very difficult to work with extremely fine linen threads without breakage issues and so having a light and yet stronger cotton thread to work with can be more practical.

Heirloom Cotton Thread

There is really only one fine cotton thread that I use and that is the YLI Heirloom sewing thread. It is actually made but not available from a thread company that is only 15 minutes from where I live. Right now the only way I can get this thread is thru the internet and mail-order, none of the sewing stores have it available locally for me. It is very useful for sewing on extremely fine, sheer fabrics. It is actually manufactured for bookbinding and some is siphoned off and sold as Heirloom sewing thread.

YLI Heirloom Cotton Thread

Hand Quilting Thread

The other cotton thread that I use consistently is also from YLI, it is their Hand Quilting Thread. This is the thread that most closely resembles some 18th century linen threads that I have seen, which look glazed in some manner. This is a highly twisted, very strong thread, used when strength is required and where a linen thread would have issues with breakage.

YLI Quilting Thread

There are other good cotton threads available as well, Coats and Clark make a good hand quilting thread and has the advantage of being available in Jo-Anns and frequently on sale. It is a good stand in for the YLI Hand Quilting thread.

Thankful

2011-11-17T07:39:00.001-05:00

As today I start preparing for our upcoming holiday, it seems appropriate to give thanks for so many of the great experiences that have happened this year in my 18th c costume world. So here goes!

I am thankful for Apple, Adobe, Google and all their products, that make blogging so easy and so much fun.

I am thankful for all my gentle readers who take time out their day to read what I write and my fellow bloggers who keep us all engaged and interested in our 18th century costume world.

I am thankful for all of my 18th century friends who make going to events a pleasure each and every time.

I am thankful to all my Hive friends and all the attendees who attend the Hive and the Minuteman National Park and their support our Hive programs.

I am thankful to Colonial Williamsburg for selecting our program for their spring Visible Past Symposium, it was an amazing experience to present at the Symposium and to receive such positive feedback.

I am thankful to have the opportunity to teach so many students about 18th century stays and dressmaking, it is a privilege that I take very seriously.

I am thankful for the opportunity to travel and do research here and abroad, it keeps me totally engaged in the 18th century and I never tire of the topic.

I am thankful for all of the museums who are putting their collections online and making information so much more accessible.

I am thankful for good thread, good fabric and color. I love color.

I am thankful for the Costume Society of America for giving me the opportunity to serve as the Regional President, it has been a great experience to work with like minded, professional individuals.

I am thankful for all my mentors past and present, who have guided me down the path to historical accuracy.

I am thankful for the people around me in my daily life, family and friends, who put up with me, my rather messy sewing habits, and total absorption in what I am doing to the detriment of other things, like housework and meal preparation.

I am thankful for Facebook, which makes keeping in touch and reaching out to so many people at one time so simple and fast.

I am thankful for online shopping.

A Thread About Thread: Silk

2011-11-16T05:36:00.001-05:00

Up until 2010 it was one stop shopping for me for silk thread, I bought everything I needed at Utica Thread, waxed silk skeins, silk twist in a variety of weights and a huge array of colors. Like so many things that were once dependable and are now gone, Utica has discontinued their line of silk threads, due to supplier issues. They still have a few odds and ends left, but not much.

So now I have to go after other products, some of which I have already tried and some that I have not yet acquired. I have divided them into three categories; silk sewing thread, silk buttonhole twist, and waxed silk skeins.

Silk Sewing Thread

Guterman's Silk Thread can be found locally at Jo-Anns, regularly priced at 3.95, it always goes on sale, so wait for the 50% off sale and stock up. It is dull in finish, and only good for light projects. Useful for applying trim on a gown, but not for setting in a sleeve. It comes in quite a few colors, but not a great assortment.

YLI Thread #100 is much finer, shinier and silkier than the Guterman's silk thread. It is more expensive (around 5.75 a spool), but is also only useful for light applications.

YLI Thread #100 is available online from Red Rock Threads and if you Google it, from a number of suppliers. YLI also sells a # 50 wt silk thread which I have not yet tried, so that might be a possiblity for a heavier version.

Things Japaneses used to be the retail outlet for Tire silk thread, now that has changed to Superior Threads being the distributor. Tire silk thread is available in a range of colors and weights. I believe Wm Booth Draper is also selling this silk thread in a range of weights, but probably not all of the colors, and it is cheaper than the Superior Thread!

Medium Weight Sewing Thread

It is really important to use a heavier weight when sewing thru wool or sewing a seam that will be taking more stress, like an armysce or center back seam on a man's coat.

So those are some choices for silk thread, if anyone knows of any others please let me know, as I am not yet satisfied with the selection that is available. I know in the UK, Coats and Clark have silk threads that are not available here in the USA and if anyone knows where those can be purchased here, I would appreciate the heads up.

Silk Twist for Buttonholes

This is another type of thread that is needed in our basket. The previous silk threads are not even close to being acceptable for buttonholes. Sewing hand made 18th century buttonholes is difficult enough, using the right thread makes the difference between success and frustration.

Gutterman's makes a thread call R 753. I have not yet tried it, but have seen it recommended for hand sewn buttonholes. Oshman Brothers in New York City seems to be an online distributor as well as a store front, but have minimum order requirements. On my next trip to the Big Apple, I will check out the store front, which is not in the garment district (a trek across the city!) .

Tire Silk Quilter's Thread, which also used to be from Things Japanese is now available from Superior Threads or Wm Booth Draper. It is available on 22 yard spools, not a lot of thread so buy enough for your project, you do not want to get all way to buttonhole number 19 and not have enough to finish! I have used this thread, it is quite nice and makes a really good buttonhole.

YLI also has a silk buttonhole twist, you can find this online at a number of retail outlets like Piecemakers, Create for Less, and Burnley and Trowbridge.

The YLI twist comes on 22 yard wrapped cards. I have used it and to be honest did not care for it, it would bunch up when trying to sew a buttonhole. You can use it to make thread buttons (deaths head), but you will need a LOT of it.

Waxed Silk Skeins

My first sighting of waxed silk skeins was many years ago in the millinery shop at Colonial Williamsburg and Mark Hutter had a braided skein hanging on the wall and was drawing it out thread by thread. (which I thought was so cool) And guess where it came from? Yes, Utica Thread, which has had to discontinue it! This sewing thread is ideal for sewing on wool, setting in a sleeve or other application which needs strength.

I have found an online source with a limited range of colors, Ely Yawitz Co, There is also a substitute used by modern tailors, called Silamide, it is a waxed handsewing twist, but it is not silk. It comes in skeins and in 40 colors. It is available from a number of online sources including the New York Oshman Brothers, so now I have two things to check out in NYC!

It is really important to use the correct thread, it sounds incredibly picky to have to have so many threads on hand, but if you are going to hand sew a garment, the proper weight has to be used or it just won't hold if it is too fine, or will look lumpy and bumpy if it is too heavy!

Give these threads a try, you will find your own favorite. Make sure you buy enough, shipping costs will add up quickly and it is better to spend more the first time and get more product than spend more the second time on shipping fees. My opinions on all of these threads, are just that, opinions, you need to feel and sew with them and form your own personal favorites! And once again, if anyone has more sources, please let me know!

A Thread About Thread: Linen

2011-11-15T06:17:00.001-05:00

During my gown class this past weekend, the topic of the right thread was brought up by my students over and over again, so it seemed like a good topic for a blog post.

The right thread is like using the right tool for the right job. Thread comes in an amazing assortment of colors, weights and fibers.

Linen Threads

When making a garment from linen or cotton, I will invariably use a linen thread. One of my go to all purpose threads is a wet spun linen thread from Webs. I use the half bleach-40/2 much of the time. The larger the number the finer the thread (20, 40, 100), the 2 indicates the number of strands twisted together, which is this case is 2. The threads from Webs are actually meant for weaving, but I find the half bleach and natural to be ideal for many sewing projects. Sign up for their mailing list as they have sales twice a year. One spool will last you a lifetime, no kidding.


40/2 Wet Spun Linen Thread-Webs

For finer work such as caps and handkerchiefs, use a finer thread with a higher number. Right now Wm Booth Draper has a really lovely fine linen thread-90/2.

90/2 Linen Thread-Wm Booth Draper

I use this 90/2 thread all the time for fine work, it is not suitable for heavy fabrics as it will break if you pull too hard, work in short lengths to avoid breakage as well.

Hedgehog Handworks carries Londonderry thread, which comes in a variety of colors. I use the brown and blue when needed.

50/3 Linen Thread-Hedgehog Handworks

As you can tell from the numbers, instead of two strands twisted together, there are three in this thread, making it thicker and not suitable for very fine work.

Lacis, a lace making supplier, has the finest of linen threads that I have found. Available in weights as fine as 120/2, this is suitable for the finest of linen fabrics.

Wax On!

When working with any linen thread, it is vital to wax it thoroughly with beeswax to strengthen the thread and avoid breakage. One additional step, I use is to wax several strands, then bring them to the ironing board (protect your cover with a dishtowel or scrap of fabric) and iron the wax even deeper into the thread. This only takes a few minutes but really helps to smooth out the bumps.

Beeswax-Hedgehog Handworks

Beeswax comes in a variety of cutsie shapes such as this hedgehog, or you can even use a beeswax candle if that is all you can find. Do not use the beeswax from the notions dept in Jo-Anns, it is really not nice, I don't recommend it.

Needles

Let your thread be your guide to the size needle that you use. I prefer always the imported English needles such as John James or Richard Hemming & Son needles, they do not bend as quickly as the more commonly available Dritz needles and they are sharper.

Needles-Hedgehog Handworks

The eye is of the needle is directly related to the size of the thread you are using and the larger the number of the needle the finer it is. I often use a crewel #10 when working with the thicker threads, crewel needles have larger eyes than sharps or betweens. Having an assortment of eyes and needle sizes available can make choosing and threading a needle with a linen thread a LOT easier.

How the Heck?

2011-11-13T19:10:00.001-05:00

Caveat: Speculation from here on down!

Having just completed a weekend workshop of teaching 18th century dressmaking to a group, on the way home (a 2.5 hour drive), as always I review in my head the teaching techniques I used and analyzed the success/progress of the students. In this class two students had taken a dressmaking class prior to this one, one with me and one with someone else, and three had no experience at all, and yet all did a really good job on their gowns, they fit well and were entirely sewn by hand. Am I a really good teacher or are the techniques of gown making specifically kept simple by 18th century dressmakers to be easily replicated by relatively untrained hands?

My techniques of making an 18th century gown are based entirely on my examination, patterning and duplication of extant garments. Having been very fortunate in the past of having opportunities to examine original gowns, the ability to study each and every detail of the construction techniques has been hugely beneficial. What is amazing is how consistent from gown to gown the actual construction methods actually are! So, question to self. How is a gown which was made in Nowhere, New Hampshire, be made in an almost identical manner to one made in Worthing, England or Paris, France?

English (origin)

Obviously a tradition of mistress and apprentices was in play in England and France. But we are here! How did we, in America, learn to do this and do it almost identically in every colony, in every city and town and exactly the same way it was being done in Mother England?

The basic design of the 18th century English gown (the fitted back) changed ever so slowly over a 50-60 year time period. The back pleats were wider in the earlier part of the century and narrower towards the end, but the basic pleating and stitching technique itself varied very little. Was the slowness to change due to the difficulty of transmitting the techniques of a new style to all the dressmakers in all the corners of the world? Was it so slow to change because the style was so adaptable to so many body types? Did the style stay the same because of the efficient use of fabric of the English gown? Why did styles finally start to change in the mid 1770s?


Connecticut Provenance

Looking at the inside of gowns, consistently the exact same elements and stitches are seen, the lining tells the story, which pieces were sewn first, what was lapped over what, and the order it was sewn. Consistent, gown to gown. Small differences of course, quality of stitching, neatness etc, but the same overall.

English (origin)

The inside of gowns to me are always the most interesting, I hope they are to my readers as well,

Printed Fabrics-Future

2011-11-11T06:07:00.001-05:00

In the not so distant past, printing fabric, any type of fabric was much more an industrial process than it is today. With digital technology and wide format printers and most recently more fabrics available to print on, the future of "our" print needs might very well come from our own 21st century entrepreneurs, similar in ambition to those long ago English cotton stampers in the early 18th century.

Digitally Printed Fabrics

The first example is the fabric created and sold at the Foundling Hospital Museum. Sold in fat quarters for 10GPB (tres expensive), but a nice souvenir.

Threads of Feeling Facebook

This is the reproduction fabric from one of the tokens in the billet books. A simple two color design on a white ground.

Threads of Feeling Facebook

This is the bedgown that the museum displayed made with the reproduction fabric. The price of their fabric puts the use of it for costume out of reach. They were using this as a fundraiser for the museum, they are not in the fabric business.

As already mentioned in Printed Fabrics-Current, Duran Textiles is using the same digital technology for its cotton prints.

This is a simple one color print, not a complex design and with the use of photoshop, the pattern repeat can be digitized.

We have one individual entrepreneur already in 18th century digital world. American Duchess has utilized her skills as a graphic artist to create on Spoonflower, a number of printed designs.

This simple black and white cotton is my favorite of those she has done. Make sure you read her documentation for each fabric as some are interpreted from silk fabrics. The same is true for the Duran Textiles, you must read the documentation for each fabric.

Digital printing is a part of our world, we do it every day at home on our computers. Now the technology has advanced to the point that printing can be done on a variety of fabrics and on demand. That means that you don't have to carry a huge inventory and print what you need when you need it.

What is Spoonflower?   Spoonflower is an online digital fabric printing service, with no minimal orders. That means if you only want two yards, that is what you order.

First2print is a more commercially oriented digital textile service, there are set up fees and this is a more professional and production focused option than a small on demand service such as Spoonflower.

So, will more entrepreneurs step up to the digital printing world for our 18th century fabrics? I hope so.   The demand is there. Duran textiles is getting a lot of money for their fabrics. In this recession, it is amazing that a small historical fabric business is flourishing.

In the meantime, I will continue to support the efforts of Colonial Willamsburg and their fabric reproductions, as well as those independent entrepreneurs current and future who delve into the historic textile printing business, hoping they will print more and varied fabrics in the future. I will also be printing some fabrics for my personal use. I am not going into the fabric business, but I do want some particular fabrics, and don't want to wait.

Printed Fabrics- Current

2011-11-10T07:47:00.000-05:00

If you are following and reading my posts on this or any other topic, please keep in mind, that recreating the past is an art, and not yet a science. The information that I THINK is really good right now, 5 years or 5 days from right now might be proved outdated or -gasp- wrong and need to be totally revamped.

That is the challenge, being willing to incorporate new data, and more importantly happy to do it because new and more accurate information has supplanted the information that you were previously using. Everything is subject to change, including any and all opinions, based on documentation of primary source materials! Hopefully soon the Billet books will be digitized, making all of those fabrics accessible to everyone.

That said, let's look at some options for the current and then the future possibilities of printed fabrics.

The Dutch chintz fabrics from Den Haan and Wagenmaker. Gorgeous fabrics, in the 26.00 a yard range, not cheap but well worth the money. Best not washed if you wish to keep the glaze and the colors from fading. Fabrics are available in the USA from Wm Booth Draper. I have many of these fabrics in my stash and take great pleasure in just looking at them, they are so beautiful.

This fabric is new and from Duran Textiles. The most expensive of the cotton prints, 37.00 a yard, these fabrics of Swedish manufacture are printed on a rather coarse cotton fabric, not at all similar to the Dutch chintz. Some of the prints would lend themselves (this pattern in particular) to middlin and lower class impressions. This is almost a dead ringer to many of the prints in the Billet books. This is the one I would buy. Some, but not all of the fabrics are available in the USA from Wm Booth Draper.

Lauren of Time Travel Textiles has a constantly changing inventory of imported Indian cotton prints, many of the fabrics are in the 12.00 a yard range.

This print is from the Mary Dickenson shop in Colonial Williamsburg. Over the past few years, CW has been printing and selling fabrics from this shop at the reasonable price of 12.00 a yard, with no shipping charge. The fabrics are light and of good quality.

This cotton spotted fabric, is a good choice from Burnley and Trowbridge, colorful with a good pattern, spotted fabrics are currently underrepresented. Red on white is also underrepresented! You could dress this up with crisp white accessories or dress it down as a lower class camp follower. Angela often features great prints, keep checking the website.

We Don't Know, What We Don't Know!

2011-11-09T07:45:00.000-05:00

From the perspective of a reenactor of many years, and one who has had a burning interest in clothing textiles, the fabrics found in the Billet books are exciting. This is primary source material that cannot be ignored. They are also posing a huge problem. Up until now all of us older, experienced types when asked for advice by newcomers on choosing printed fabrics would turn to our books and extant garments. That is the information we had to work with, and it still is a good foundation for guidance on upper and upper middlin' printed textile choices. The beautiful chintz fabrics and printed cottons that survive for study, show us lovely open designs, often with a natural influence, and often rather large in scale.

V and A

This is one of my favorite pieces, please follow the link and look closely at the fabric, it is a cotton fabric and exquisitely done, with both resist and mordant techniques. This type of extant garment is what we have to use as references and as the influence for our choices.

But now after seeing what the lower class prints and textiles actually look like, and now knowing what those mentioned in the run-aways also must look like, between a rock and a hard place begins to describe my situation. I now know how much we don't know, what we don't know.

Threads of Feeling Facebook

Look at this little print, sweet, with little dots and circles and a flower. In our world this would be closer in scale to something available in a quilt shop! In reality this was printed on English cotton (linen and cotton mix) and on a relatively coarse fabric, not found in a quilt shop and not the light 100% cotton fabric of the V and A example!

So here we go!

Which is more important? The actual fiber content of the fabric? Or, the overall appearance of the fabric? Is a good print on a less authentic ground acceptable? Or do all the elements have to be perfect? Which is the most important? Print? Fiber content of the print ground?

Are we actually representing the lower classes if we are almost all in solid colored linens, when we know stripes, printed callicoes, and colorful block prints on linen and fustian were the rule and not the exception? We know how many terrible prints are in the marketplace, how do we urge people to prints and avoid disastrous choices?

What is a reenactor to do!

Fabrics in the Archives

2011-11-08T11:42:00.000-05:00

After a few background posts and some side trips down the purple path, we are now at the point where I have to begin discussing the fabrics studied at the London Metropolitan Archives in the Foundling Hospital Billet books. If you are starting to read this blog, please go back and read this post to get the history and background of the fabrics.

This study trip was not my first exposure to the Billet books, last year I had the opportunity to visit the Threads of Feeling exhibit and see many of the Billet books, but they were behind glass, only one page of each book was open and the London Metropolitan Archives was closed for inventory during our visit. So this was the first year that I was able to touch the fabrics. My expectations were so far off base, and so far from reality! This was a huge learning experience, probably the best one I have ever had in my 18th century life. And that is why I am excited about it and trying to share my research. Information hoarded is mental masturbation, sharing is what my 18th c role models have taught me to do, and that is the reason behind all of these posts.

Thinking to find lots of white linens, diapers and dimities, (on babies), instead I found a range of color and pattern that truly blew all my previous thoughts on 18th century prints out the window and the way that I read runaway ads and merchant ads is now totally different! Not to mention what was put on babies for clothing! (at least worth two blog posts)

The first surprise was the predominance of the blue check throughout the books, it seemed at times to be on almost every other page.

Threads of Feeling Facebook

This image is from the Threads of Feeling Facebook page, none of my own personal images will be posted due to copyright restrictions. Please "like" their page, they frequently post images from the Billet books.

This is just one example of the myriad of blue lined checks, with many variations in pattern and scale of the check throughout the books. Blue checks are commonly found in aprons, were these baby gowns remakes from apron fabrics? This is 1758 or 1759, how old is the fabric? Were these second hand baby clothes? Were they new? Remade from other garments? Purpose bought fabrics? Is this a lower class baby tradition? Peculiar to London? No answers, I can just pose the questions we all need to keep in mind when looking at these fabrics.

Because each of the pages was an intake document, the fabric token was often (but not always) listed next to the garment that it came from and the color of the textile and often the fabric itself was designated. With this example the words "blue and white check" would be noted next to the garment it was from, thereby making it easy to figure out what this fabric was used for, blanket, gown, sleeve etc. Once in a while the fabric did not match up to a garment worn by the child, then and only then could you question if it was from something of the mother, but that was rare.

Some pages had no tokens, some pages had one, some pages had two tokens, fabrics from a cuff and sleeve, or gown and cuff, or a fabric and a ribbon. So on any one page you could have two or three different fabrics and ribbons.

Threads of Feeling Facebook

This image clearly shows how the cuff and sleeve could be two different fabrics (separate from the gown, a different piece of clothing). This particular sleeve has a fabric that would cause most re-enactors to question its appropriate use in clothing. Little white daisies? On a red ground? Really? ( I am throwing myself under the bus too, I would have said no, don't use it)

However, the single biggest surprise after the blue checks was the predominance of purple prints. Yes, back to purple.

In context, in one single book, with 155 fabrics, 32 were single color purple prints on white, which equals 20%.

Threads of Feeling Facebook

This is an example of a single color purple print on white. Notice the scale, it is small. This is not a large print with a lot of white space. Some of the purples had faded to a rusty brownish purplish color, some were vivid and PURPLE, some were faded to a soft lavender. Right now the fabrics are not protected from the paper pages with acid free tissue, it is a miracle that so many are still crisp, colorful and fresh.

The next largest percentage was a mixture of purple with other colors, 30 out of the 155, which is also roughly 20%. Of those 30, 16 were the combination of just purple and red. The color purple was found in prints on over 40% of the fabrics in this one book. This trend holds true over the other books as well.

The number of prints, the number of purple prints and the scale of the prints were stunning information to me. Many of the prints were smaller than I had ever anticipated, the designs were often geometric, or sometimes even Art Deco in appearance, and yes, I said Art Deco!

Threads of Feeling Facebook

Look at the scale of this little geometric print. Small diamonds on a white ground. Look at the printed words, and you can get an idea of just how small this print is and how non 18th century it looks! No scrolls, no swirls, no natural flowers, just diamonds in a linear pattern.

Threads of Feeling Facebook

This last image is a blue shell design on a white ground, again look at the scale next to the words. The shell design was a favorite, repeated over and over again, in colors of blue, purple and red. Plain like this one or with little dots inside the shell, or little flowers inside the shell, and lots of variations in scale, from 3/8" to 1 1/4 inch in the width of each shell. Not an expected design, to say the least.

Ok, cool stuff, but what does it all mean to the everyday reenactor?

Purple Run-Aways

2011-11-07T20:21:00.002-05:00

In response to the comment of a reader, I went through the book "Wenches, Wives and Servant Girls" searching for the color purple and the fabrics associated with that color. Please do not confuse the topic of these posts. The question relates solely to solid purple 100% linen fabrics, were they available, and were they worn? There is no question regarding purple prints on linen and purple cottons, wools or silks.

When going through the book, I found what I expected, lots of purple, but not solid purple linen! For those who have the book I am going to include page numbers.

"two calico gowns, one dark, the other purple in diamonds", p 25: A purple print on cotton.
"a purple and white calicoe gown", p 48: A purple print on cotton.
"a purple cloth coat", p50: Purple wool
"a coarse purple and white chintz gown", p55: A purple print on cotton
"a callicoe gown, striped with a little purple flower", p 72: A purple print on cotton
"a purple and white short gown", p 98: Purple stamped, printed or striped
"purple sprigged callico gown", p 101: Purple printed on cotton
"dark purple and white cotton long gown", p119. Purple printed on cotton
" a purple and white India", p 120. Purple printed on cotton
"one callico long gown, purple and white", p 129. Purple printed on cotton
"a long purple callico gown", p 133. Purple printed on cotton
"a large flowered purple and white short gown", p 136. Purple printed or stamped on linen or cotton.
"new purple and yellow checked stuff jacket", p 141. Wool
"purple silk bonnet", p 143. Silk
"a dark purple and white calico long gown", p 154: Purple printed on cotton
"a narrow purple striped callimanco gown", p 157. Worsted (wool)
"purple silk bonnet", p 169. Silk
"purple and white gown", p 181. Purple stamped, printed or striped.
"calico (bedgown), one side purple and white" p 189. Purple printed on cotton.
"long gown of striped purple calico", p 194. Purple printed on cotton.
"seven yards of new stamped linen, a purple and flower stripe", p 222. Purple stamped on linen.
"dark purple callicoe gown", p 233. Purple stamped on cotton.

The winner is printed callico. Stamped linen, silk and wool are there. But no solid purple linen.

When Gina tells me she can dye linen purple, I believe her. When Neal tells me he finds purple linen hunting shirts, I believe him! But there is no evidence to date that solid purple linen was used for clothing, the printed fabrics dominate.

It was actually a good exercise to go thru all those ads, it really re-enforced what was found in the Archives, purple printed linen and purple printed callico. Next post will be the Archives, no more side trips down the purple path.

Purple Linen

2011-11-07T06:59:00.000-05:00

People are reading, that is good. People are commenting, that is even better. A recent comment brings up an interesting question which is directly related to my recent and future posts on the Metropolitan Archives and the billet books that I was able to examine, c1758 and 59.

This advertisement sent by the commenter is on point since it is also almost exactly the same time period as those fabrics seen in the billet books.

1756The Pennsylvania Gazette

"NOTICE is hereby given, That JOHN HICKEY continues to carry on the business of dying and linen stamping as usual, in Second street, and purposes to give the publick encouragement by doing any thing that he undertakes, as well as done in Europe, and at as reasonable prices; he takes all manner of stains or spots out of silk of cloth, dyes linen or woollen blue, green, red, yellow, purple, or any other colour; dyes and dresses tammies, camblets, poplins or any such like stuff, in the English manner, dyes leather any sort of cloth colour, and has a glaizing engine for chints or calicoes, scowers and renews the colour of scarlet in a particular manner."

Many people would read this and think this man is dyeing linen in any color of the rainbow, so we have the documentation needed to go out and buy, make and wear garments from solid purple, solid green linen or any other color linen. But I read this ad a little differently. Right up front he says "the business of dying and linen stamping". He is stamping the linen. The paint/stain stays on top the fabric, not penetrating, because as we all know, linen does not take dyestuffs well. Multiple pieces of fabric were designated as "purple linen" in the billet books, the actual fabric was a linen stamped and patterned with purple.

If you add a comma after "dyes linen, or woolen blue, green, red, yellow purple or any other color", this add reads entirely differently. Is it more likely that he was dying the woolens in a variety of colors and not linen? Yes.

Is he dying linen a solid purple? Was he the guy to figure out how to keep linen colorfast and lightfast?

Pennsylvania Gazette, May 1, 1755

This advertisement also from John Hickey, clearly designates himself as a dyer, scourerer and linen stamper. He includes the fact that he stamps linen blue and white and boasts that his colors are as good any any imported. Was he stamping linen? Yes. Was he dyeing and glazing linen? Yes (as noted for hat linings). Was it a solid purple?

I know that I am stepping on toes with these posts. People sell solid purple linens, people have solid purple linens in their stash, or are wearing garments that are solid purple linen. I am not taking on solid purple linen to be a meanie or to trash people or their clothing or their products. Please notice that I am always putting the word "SOLID" in front of purple linen.

And what about the references to purple in the run away ads? The next post will also be about purple linen, but from a totally different slant!

Cotton: The Rest of the Story

2011-11-06T07:55:00.000-05:00

As mentioned in Cotton: The Big Three, there are volumes written on these topics, I am collapsing those volumes into a blog post! So please refer to the reference books provided for more detailed information.

When the cotton and chintz fabrics from INDIA made their debut to the 17th century English world, the marvels that were its colors, the lightness of the cloth and its wash-ability made the fabrics extremely popular. And why not? Silk had colors that also were awesome, the patterns gorgeous, but wash it? No way, plus it was expensive. Linen was washable but not dye-able to any extent, boring brown, boring blue, stripes and checks, also boring, pretty much covers the range of linen products available at that time. Worsted and woolens, although available in a range of colors and prices, add heavy and scratchy to the non washable equation and you can see the appeal of these new cotton fabrics to the people, both rich and poor, of the late 17th and early 18th century.

Victoria and Albert Museum, c1700

The wool industry took exception to seeing their profit margins dip, and since their lobby was immensely powerful pressured Parliament to put a stop to the imports of INDIAN printed cotton and chintz fabrics. The first Act, in 1701, banned printed cottons, but allowed plain, white unprinted cotton and fibers to still be imported into ENGLAND. The entrepreneurial enterprises of a burgeoning ENGLISH textile printing trade were not to be discouraged, but rather encouraged since they now had a clear field to develop their own products and by 1711, ENGLISH textile printers were turning out over 1 million yards a year of printed callico (on INDIAN fabric, remember plain white callico is still ok!)

The wool lobby was still not happy, cotton is still cutting into their bottom line, and it was not just the merchants affected by cottons popularity. Wool production was a huge part of the economy at that time, and many laborers were involved in all the varied and complex trades that went into its production. So back to Parliament they go, and finally another Act is passed in 1721, banning almost all cotton fabrics, but not the fiber itself. An important distinction, plus the ban did not apply to the ENGLISH industry, and the ENGLISH textile printers ramped it up as now, they are the only game in town, the beauty of the INDIAN textiles is no longer a factor in their pursuit of market share. ENGLISH printers perfected their techniques of printing on a fabric of mixed cotton and linen (getting around the no all cotton fabric rule) known to us as fustian and often referred to by them as "cotton". So when coming across a printed "cotton" advertisement in England or a printed "cotton" in the Billet Books, it not only looks like, and feels like a mixed fiber, it actually is one. Linen warp, cotton weft.

English "cotton"=mixed fabric, cotton and linen
Indian cotton=all cotton

Threads of Feeling

This example from the Threads of Feeling is an ENGLISH cotton (linen and cotton mix), a heavier, and more coarse fabric than the fine INDIAN callicos.

Now for the kicker, all these Acts, bans and prohibitions did not apply to the COLONIES. Here in America we could have INDIAN cottons, chintzes and callicos, and the newspaper advertisements leave no doubt that they were big sellers. It is almost impossible to find a merchant's advertisement that does not include at least one all cotton fabric, even close in time to the period of the Acts in 1721.

"red and yellow callico", New England Journal, October 13, 1729

"dark flowered calicos" , Boston Newsletter, December 3, 1730

Very clearly in this advertisement from the New York Mercury, January 7, 1754, India Goods are featured. Indian cottons could be brought to England for export, and here in the COLONIES, we were virtually unaffected by the ban on cotton.

In this next advertisement, the goods are imported from London and they are advertising printed cotton. In this context, I would read this ad as having English cotton (mixed linen and cotton) as the fabric printed and not an all cotton textile. They are not making claim to printed calico, just using the word "cotton".

Whew. I hope this is clear as water and not as clear as mud.

Cotton: The Big Three

2011-11-05T17:38:00.000-04:00

When first beginning to reenact about 15 years ago, the fabric of choice was linen for women, wool for men. There were a lot of urban legends when I startled out surrounding cotton and there still are plenty on the lips, in the hearts and on the backs of many re-enactors today. I still hear and see all of these all the time.

Cotton was expensive.

Cotton was rare, after all the cotton gin had not yet been invented.

Cotton was not used by the poor, it was uncommon.

Cotton makes nice and cheap shifts.

Cotton muslin looks like the muslin at Jo-Anns.

Cotton muslin from Jo-Anns makes a great cap.

Cotton was forbidden by LAW!

Cotton from the upholstery department is good for dressmaking.

That is a lot of myths to dispel, and there is no way they will be erased or replaced by the re-enacting community with my simple blog posts, that is for sure. But I feel obligated to try. I also feel obligated to set the stage historically for the upcoming posts on 18th century prints.

First and foremost, cotton can be made into a variety of fabrics with a range of quality and prices. It is not a one and done. Like all natural and even unnatural fibers, it can be woven and spun to produce a range of fabrics. Most of the cotton products used in the 18th century originated from India, either the fabric itself or the fibers. There was cotton grown here in the colonies, but not on the scale of the 19th century when cotton was crowned "king".

So for a brief review here are the Big Three of the 18th century cotton world.

Callico, callicoe, calico: No wonder there is confusion, there isn't even a consistent spelling of the word! The word itself is a derivative of the fabric's place of origin in India, Calicut. It can be plain, glazed, printed, dyed, stamped, etc. Upon actual examination of a fabric designated specifically as callicoe in the Founding Hospital billet books, it was white, thin, fine and similar to a modern fine cotton batiste. Because of its thinness it often shows up as women's accessories and childrens clothing.

Boston Evening Post, December 19, 1763

This interesting newspaper notice is warning of the fire hazards of dressing children in calico.

Muslin: Made from very finely spun thread, woven into a light and airy fabric, sometimes even with a gauzy effect. Muslin could be sprigged or patterned, and lent itself to fine embroidery such as whitework and tambour work. "Book muslin" is found frequently in newspaper advertisements and trade cards, the term "book" refers to the packaging aspect, as it was folded to look like a book and sold that way to the merchants. The closest modern comparison is a really fine, not densely woven Indian cotton, which I have seen sold as curtain sheers, sorry I cannot find a better comparison.

These muslin sleeve ruffles give an idea of just how fine muslin could be, you can see the sheerness of the fabric of the bottom ruffle. Again, varieties differed, thinner, thicker, heavier, lighter, this was also not a single fabric. I have seen muslin aprons that look like gauze and ruffles that are less sheer and more regularly woven. If you have seen one piece of 18th century muslin, you have not seen all the varieties available.

Chintz: To the best of my knowledge chintz is always a design, never a plain fabric. Quality varied, designs varied, prices varied, once again, not a one size fits all fabric. Both resist and mordant techniques were utilized, as well as paint, all in the same piece of fabric. A complex and time consuming process, the colors achieved were and are a marvel. The Deerfield banyan is one such that has all three elements. This is the reproduction of that fabric.

This is a clear example of just how complex a design could be, this is the original colorway of the fabric used in the banyan. A little brighter and the colors more colorful, but in the ball park as far as a reproduction goes, all the design elements are there.

That is a quick wrap up of the basic and commonly found cotton fabrics. There have been stacks of books written on these fabrics, if you are interested in pursuing more, these are the ones on my bookshelf that I find the most useful.

Fashions Favorite Printed Textiles Woven Cargoes
Textiles in America Chintz: Indian Textiles for the West

Textile Thoughts

2011-11-03T08:11:00.000-04:00

After spending two and one half days at the Metropolitan Archives this past month, I feel like I am starting at square one once again when studying 18th century textiles. This was the singularly most helpful and yet most troublesome research that I have ever done for 18th century clothing and textiles.

On the plus side, I was able to feel "callico" and can now describe it, plain, white, thin, fine, similar to our finest cotton batistes. "Flowered callico", the same but a printed version. I was also able to see and feel the difference between "holland" fine, smooth, light linen, and "Irish" not as fine, but still better than just about anything we can find. I now have felt "cambric" even finer still.

Linsey was rough and coarse, and woven in unexpected colorways and patterns (often unbalanced stripes), "stuff" was also on the coarse side and less densely woven than I would have expected. "Dimity" and "Diaper" and "Damask" were abundant as one would expect, and were available in a variety of patterns and as well as a variety of the scale of the patterns. "Dowlas" was harsh and coarse, "Sleezey" felt exactly the same to me, but were differentiated by the intake secretary, (same person). Printed and not woven stripes were nowhere nearly as common as the woven but were not that rare either.

That is the good news.

Now for the troublesome news, part one.

One cause of painful reflection is the sheer number of linen and linen/cotton checks and stripes that were in the billet books. By far blue lined check outnumbered all other fabrics in the books, and numerous variations in scale, pattern and shades of blue were found throughout. Blue was the rule. An occasional red woolen, or linsey check, a rare cotton version or two, an occasional brown, but by far BLUE was dominant. And guess what? We can't find very many good blue checks in our marketplace and hence make substitutes which are often wrong, wrong wrong.

Foundling Hospital Facebook

The scale on this check is a scant 1/4 inch between the blue lines, this type of plain check was common, as were many variations including what we would call plaid, they would call cross-barred. Huge variations in shades of blue, woven pattern, some were coarse, some were fine, some linen, or linen/cotton but almost all were lined checks, very few solid checks.

Few (and I do mean few) solid colored linens (aside from white), and guess what color? Blue or brown.

So what conclusions have I drawn so far from this?

First, and foremost, we need to have more blue checks in our re-enacting world. A call to the vendors of our re-enacting fabrics to get it done. Order it somehow, someway, share the order among all of you if you have to, but get us some choices and some variety of documented check fabrics.

Second, we need to cease and desist with the worst offenders of solid colored linens. By those I mean; lavender, pink, purple, red, and green. Let's stick to the documented; shades of blue, shades of brown, and shades of orange and yellow (I can document a nice plain, golden linen).

Next post will be to face the even worse dilemma of the prints. Oh my goodness, that was the real eyeopener!

On the Way Home

2011-10-31T07:47:00.001-04:00

On the flight back from London to Boston, I started writing this post to distract myself (fearful flyer) and avoid the gentleman next to me who had a cold and was coughing his brains out.

So I spent my time reviewing the photos from the museums and the archives that had been downloaded onto my IPad (great for viewing pictures, it is so easy to scroll through them).

Kudos to my new Canon camera IS3300, some fantastic macro shots, and overall really good shots in low light and for those items behind glass it worked better than any camera I have ever used before.
Highly recommended.

This photo was taken in Manchester in the public gallery, the dress is in a glass case, yet the image is good. A note on photos, the ones I took in the storage and behind the scenes cannot be published on the internet, only those images of items on public display will be shared. But I can incorporate them into lectures, so that is good!

When taking photos this trip (this is my second research trip to the UK) we tried to incorporate some lessons learned from last year. First was to try to take pictures of the entire garment. It sounds simple, but it required standing on office furniture (rolling chairs), stools and a ladder (when we got lucky). But it was worth it to get the images we did get full length.

Another lesson was to save the images in multiple locations, IPad, Macbook, and flash drive. Last year due to the kindness of a friend, Mrs. D. (my travel companion) had all of her pictures from our trip last year deleted.

This year's lesson is to bring a piece of blue cotton on which to photograph the white items. Aprons, handkerchiefs, caps and sleeve ruffles really needed a contrast to show all the details. White items are hard to photograph on a good day, in fluorescent light, on a muslin ground, it is very difficult.

Now the hard part begins, sorting through the images, marrying them up with the patterns, notes and the measurements that were taken of each item. Almost every important item has its own item sheet, rarely did I combine more than one item on a page, so it will be relatively easy to sort through, just time consuming.

Last Appointment

2011-10-27T04:25:00.003-04:00

Today we are headed for our last textile appointment, we are in Leeds getting ready to start for Temple Newsam. Not only a textile storage facility, this is a very famous house museum as well. Since we have really not done any historic houses or touristy things at all this will be a real treat.

Yesterday, also in Leeds we spent the day exploring their costume collection. Fortunately for all of us, Leeds has an extensive number of their pieces online.

Leeds

This was the gown that drew me to the costume collection in Leeds in the first place, unfortunately it was on display and we could not examine it in detail as I would have liked, but a few of the bows remained in storage and I was able to see those up closely and will try to duplicate some of the passementerie that I found with the bows of this gown. The assistant curator asked me about the loose bows and where I thought they should go on the gown, they kept them in a small box and did not know where to place them on the gown when it was mounted. This is an just amazing garment and hopefully when and if we return next year we will be able to spend some time with it.

Postscript:

Just came back from the Leeds City Museum where this gown was on display. It was just gorgeous, and I am so pleased to have seen it. The amount of trim and the balancing of the design elements was just lovely. This museum did not allow photographs at all, so I will have to write down my impressions of the gown right away. A modern reproduction will never be possible, the sheer volume of fly fringe is just out of the question to try and duplicate. BUT the design elements and arrangement of trims can be duplicated. The bows totally belong at the elbows and at least one or possible two on the stomacher as well.

The Archives

2011-10-22T12:14:00.002-04:00

Having spent the last two days in the London Metropolitan Archives, I can say with certainty, that blue checks of all sizes and patterns were wildly available for the London indigent. Blue check was the most popular of any of the fabrics in the Foundling Hospital Billet Books that we had the opportunity to study. Starting from the back (1759) we worked our way through multiple books spanning 1759 and late 1758.

For those not familiar with the billet books, they are a compilation of admissions to the Foundling Hospital during the mid 18th century. When the baby was taken into the hospital a small token from usually of the baby's clothing was kept with the admissions document. Other notations such as marks on the body were also noted. Since the exhibition Threads of Feeling held at the Foundling Hospital Museum last year, great interest has developed around these billet books and the information contained within. The publication of the exhibit catalog and a facebook page has really increased public awareness of this unique collection of 18th century textiles.

This example from the Foundling Hospital Facebook page shows the amazing assortment of artifacts held inside the billet books as well as tons and tons of information from a social history standpoint.

Please follow the links provided to learn more about the Hospital and the billet books. Many of the stories found within their pages are heart wrenching as women who were desperate to place their babies in a safe environment often left notes detailing their circumstances. One such we read yesterday was of a woman married to a soldier who had shipped out on a man of war to the East Indies, she could not support the child and was hoping to reclaim the baby on the father's return.

From a textile point of view, the ability to see and touch these surviving examples is an amazing experience, since so many of the surviving textiles available to study are the beautiful examples of the well to do. These billet books provide insight into the mundane, everyday clothing of the lower classes, I am very grateful to the London Metropolitan Archives for providing us the opportunity to study and examine these books.