The Techniques Manual:

A Companion Guide to
Materials, Fitting, Sewing, and Crafting
for the users of
MargoAndersons
Historic Costume Patterns
by
Margo Anderson
Version 1.0
Copyright 2013 Margo Anderson
www.Margospatterns.com
Historic Costume Patterns
2771 Shinn Court
Woodland, CA
95776
Also from Historic Costume Patterns:
Elizabethan Underpinnings
The Elizabethan Ladys Wardrobe
Elizabethan Accessories
The Elizabethan Gentlemans Wardrobe
Elizabethan Comfort
The Elizabethan Working Womans Pattern
The Tudor Ladys Wardrobe Pattern
The Italian Renaissance Ladys Underpinnings Pattern
Coming Soon:
The Italian Renaissance Ladys Wardrobe
The Italian Renaissance Ladys Outerwear
2
Lovingly dedicated to
my husband, Doug Gordon
A partner in every sense of the word.
3
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-
NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy
of this license, visit
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/.
4
!"#$% '( )'*!%*!+
.............................................................................................................. Introduction 1
........................................................................................................ AbouL Lhls Manual 1
............................................................................................................................. locus 1
......................................................................................................... uslng Lhe Manual 1
............................................................................................... Tools For Costumers 2
..................................................................................................................... Measurlng 2
........................................................................................................................... Cumng 3
......................................................................................................................... Marklng 4
................................................... Sewlng Machlne Accessorles, AuachmenLs and leeL 6
......................................................................................................................... resslng 7
................................................................................................................ Cralng 1ools 8
.................................................................................................................... Fabrics 10
....................................................................................... PlsLorlcally AccuraLe labrlcs 10
.................................................................................................... Modern SubsuLuLes 12
.......................................................................................................... reparlng labrlc 13
.............................................................................................................. Cumng labrlc 17
.......................................................... Embellishment for 16th Century Costume 18
.................................................................................................... labrlc Manlpulauon 18
.................................................................................................................. Lmbroldery 19
............................................................................................................................. 1rlm 20
................................................................................................................... Patterns 24
.............................................................................................. Crganlzlng Lhe auerns 24
............................................................................................. 8elnforclng Lhe pauerns 24
......................................................................................................................... 1raclng 24
....................................................................................................................... Sizing 26
...................................................................................................................... Fitting 28
................................................................................................................ llmng SLrlps 28
...................................................................................... Construction Techniques 30
......................................................................................................................... Seams 30
.................................................................................................... 8las 1ape and lplng 37
.......................................................................................................................... lplng 40
.............................................................................................................. lped 8lndlng 42
............................................................................................... leaung and CaLherlng 43
....................................................................................................................... leaung 43
.................................................................................................................... CaLherlng 43
................................................................................................................. Closures 47
............................................................................................................. Miscellanea 53
.......................................................................................... Worklng WlLh Aruclal lur 33
.......................................................................................................................... SLarch 34
................................................................................................... Carlng lor CosLumes 34
2
Introduction
About this Manual
1hls book ls composed of maLerlals LhaL were orlglnally wrluen as parL of Lhe lnsLrucuon
manuals for pauerns from Margo Anderson's PlsLorlc CosLume auerns. ?ou can see Lhese
pauerns aL www.margospauerns.com.
Aer creaung half a dozen pauerns wlLh book lengLh lnsLrucuon manuals, lL became obvl-
ous Lo me LhaL l was repeaung myself, and Lhe loglcal soluuon was Lo gaLher Lhe maLerlal
lnLo a separaLe book.
l feel LhaL many people mlghL nd Lhls maLerlal helpful, and so l have declded Lo posL Lhe
book on my webslLe for all Lo use and en[oy.
1hls book ls my gl Lo you. ?ou may prlnL lL, copy lL, and glve lL away Lo as many people as
you choose. l ask only LhaL you don'L change lL ln any way, LhaL my name and conLacL lnfor-
mauon noL be removed, and LhaL you noL charge for lL.
Updates
l plan Lo updaLe Lhls manual on an ongolng basls. lf you'd llke Lo be Lold abouL updaLes, you
can [oln my emall llsL aL margospauerns[yahoogroups.com, or Lhe Margo's auerns/
PlsLorlc CosLume auerns group on lacebook.
Focus
1hls book concenLraLes on maklng hlsLorlcal cosLumes uslng modern meLhods. Pand sewlng
ls used where lL wlll be vlslble, buL machlne sewlng and oLher modern convenlences are also
used.
Using the Manual
l use Lhe 3-rlng blnder formaL because lL ls Lhe besL way Lo presenL Lhe large amounL of ma-
Lerlal conLalned ln Lhls package, and makes lL easy Lo cusLomlze Lo your needs.
?ou can use dlvlders Lo mark Lhe secuons so LhaL you can nd Lhem qulckly . ?ou may also
wanL Lo add some blank paper for maklng noLes and skeLchlng ldeas, and a plasuc zlpper
pockeL lnserL Lo sLore swaLches of fabrlc and Lrlm.
1
Tools For Costumers
Lvery sewer needs a baslc Lool klL, conLalnlng, aL mlnlmum, shears, sclssors, a seam rlpper,
measurlng Lape, plns, and needles. 1here are many more Lools LhaL wlll make sewlng easler
and beuer. Pere are some Lhlngs l nd helpful.
?ou don'L need Lo go broke purchaslng all Lhese Lhlngs. Many of Lhem are nlce Lo have, buL
noL essenual, and you can oen nd Lhem second hand. MosL of my exLenslve collecuon of
sewlng Lools came from garage sales, Lhrl sLores and esLaLe sales.
Measuring
!"#$ &$"'()$
A plasuc or cloLh Lape measure ls essenual for Laklng body measuremenLs. lf you're worklng
wlLh a larger body, look ln Lhe qullung nouons deparLmenL for Lape measures up Lo 120"
raLher Lhan Lhe usual 60".
*(+$)'
A LransparenL ruler wlLh a 1/8" grld for sewlng and pauernmaklng. 1he mosL useful slze ls
2"x18". A 1x6" ls a useful addluon. 1hese rulers can be
found on Lhe sewlng nouons racks, buL you may nd Lhem
aL a lower prlce aL an arL or dralng supply sLore.
A qullLer's ruler made of heavler plasuc ls good for marklng sLrlps, and for roLary cumng.
1he 6" x24" slze ls Lhe mosL useful.
An ordlnary yardsuck for drawlng long llnes.
A lrench Curve for correcung curved seams aer alLerauons.
12
11
10
9
8
7
6 5 4
3
2
1
0
2
A large carpenLer's square for correcung Lhe graln of
fabrlc.
A Lrlangle for marklng blas.
Cutting
Shears are large sclssors wlLh one large loop for Lhe ngers and anoLher for Lhe Lhumb.
1hey are used for cumng ouL pauern pleces and durlng consLrucuon. Whlle Lhey should be
good quallLy, you don'L have Lo go broke buylng Lhem. 1here are several good brands for
under $30 a palr.
Shears should only be used for cumng fabrlc. aper wlll desLroy Lhe edges on Lhe blades.
!"#$ 1o keep otbets ftom osloq tbem, l tecommeoJ qoloq to tbe Jollot stote
ooJ boyloq ot leost o Jozeo polts. lot tbem lo evety toom lo tbe boose,
locloJloq tbe kltcbeo, botbtoom, ooJ qotoqe. lf tbot Joesot wotk, boy o
poJlock ooJ pot lt tbtooqb tbe booJles of yoot qooJ sbeots!
lf you are le handed, don'L Lry Lo use rlghL handed shears unless you llke havlng bllsLers.
MosL companles make Lhelr shears ln le handed verslons.
1here are a number of sLyles of shears. l prefer benL Lrlmmers wlLh knlfe blades for general
sewlng. lf you sew a loL of knlLs or sheer fabrlcs you may wanL Lo also own a palr of serraLed
blade shears, whlch grlp Lhe fabrlc beuer. lf you have hand problems, Lhere are comforL grlp
handles, and Lhere are also sprlng handled shears LhaL reduce faugue conslderably.
lnklng shears have blades LhaL cuL ln a zlgzag pauern. 1hey are used Lo Lrlm seam allow-
ances Lo keep fabrlc from ravellng, and Lo reduce bulk.
,-.''/)'
1he dlerence beLween sclssors and shears ls LhaL sclssors have nger loops LhaL are boLh
Lhe same slze. ?ou wlll wanL a palr of polnLed sclssors from 3-7" for general sewlng. A palr
of small embroldery sclssors wlLh long narrow polnLed blades are helpful for removlng
suLches.
*/0")1 2(3$)
3
8oLary cuuers hold razor sharp blades ln a handle, llke a plzza cuuer. ?ou musL use a speclal
roLary maL Lo cuL on. 8uy Lhe blggesL maL you can aord, and buy more Lhan one blade aL a
ume so you don'L geL frusLraLed by a damaged blade aer Lhe fabrlc sLore ls closed.
,$"4 *.##$)' "56 7+"6$'
?ou'll wanL a large seam rlpper, for sLurdy fabrlcs, and a small one for dellcaLe fabrlcs and
ughL suLches. 1hey do geL dull, so replace Lhem every year or Lwo.
1here are also oLher blades sold for rlpplng seams. Some are acLually surgeon's scalpels.
1hese are deslgned Lo cuL Lhe human body, so be careful!
2)"8 95.:$
A cra knlfe wlLh lnLerchangeable blades can also be used for rlpplng seams, as well as cumng buL-
Lonholes.
Marking
All marklng maLerlals should be LesLed on a scrap Lo make sure LhaL Lhe marks can be re-
moved. ?ou should noL lron over marks, as LhaL can seL Lhe color.
2;"+<
1allor's chalk comes ln several colors and Lypes, and ln a aL square shape. lL also comes
made lnLo penclls.
Crdlnary blackboard chalk ln whlLe or colors can also be used, alLhough lL rubs o more eas-
lly Lhan Lallor's chalk.
WaLer or alr soluble marklng pens are easy Lo use, buL lf Lhe marks are noL Lhroughly
washed ouL Lhey can reappear, someumes even years aer use. 1he garmenL should be
Lhroughly laundered aer consLrucuon. lor Lhls reason l do noL recommend Lhem for cloLh-
lng LhaL wlll be dry cleaned raLher Lhan washed. l have also found LhaL ln very dry cllmaLes
Lhe alr soluble marks someumes dlsappear before Lhey are needed.
A llexlble Cauge ls a very useful Lool for marklng even
spaces for pleaLs, buuonholes, or eyeleLs. Slmply sLreLch
lL beLween Lhe sLarung and sLopplng polnLs, and mark
your spaces.
4
Needles
ln addluon Lo ordlnary sewlng needles, l recommend keeplng Lhe followlng needles on
hand:
1apesLry needles are large, blunL polnLed needles wlLh dull polnLs. 1hey are perfecL for use
as bodklns for laclng Lhrough small eyeleLs.
Long dollmaklng needles are greaL for carLrldge pleaung, as you can Lake a number of large
suLches wlLhouL havlng Lo pull Lhe needle Lhrough Lhe fabrlc on every suLch.
Pins
?ou should have a varleLy of plns on hand for dlerenL Lasks.
?ellow head qullLer's plns are very long and sLrong, and are good for plnnlng Lhlck fabrlcs.
Sllk plns are for plnnlng sllk and oLher ne fabrlcs.
8all polnL plns are generally used for knlLs, buL are also good for ne laces and oLher easlly
snagged maLerlals.
Sequln plns are shorL, 1/2" plns. 1hey are handy for plnnlng lnLrlcaLe appllque.
Class head plns have colorful ball heads LhaL can be plnned Lhrough.
8rass plns wlLh plaln meLal heads have more LooLh" Lhan sLeel and wlll grlp Lhe fabrlc beL-
Ler. l recommend Lhem for Lhose hlsLorlcal cosLumes LhaL were fasLened wlLh plns.
!"#$ Ooe of tbe most osefol tools lo my sewloq toom ls o looq booJleJ foot
moqoet. lt looks llke o posb btoom, bot bos o sttooq moqoet lo tbe bose.
5weep lt ovet yoot foot ooJ foJ oll tbe plos yoo JtoppeJ!
Thread
Spend money on good quallLy Lhread. 1hose cheap spools ln Lhe sale blns aL Lhe fabrlc sLore
wlll frusLraLe you and can damage your machlne.
Cone Lhread can be used ln your regular sewlng machlne as long as lL's good quallLy. 1he
klnd made for sergers ls a llghLer welghL Lhan regular sewlng Lhread, and some people say
lL's noL as sLrong. l've been uslng lL for years wlLh no problem, buL your mlleage may vary.
?ou wlll need Lo buy or make a cone Lhread sLand.
l sLrongly recommend Lhe use of 8lce's Sllamlde 1hread for sllpsuLchlng. Sllamlde ls a spe-
clalLy Lhread LhaL was orlglnally developed as a subsuLuLe for sllk Lhread. lL ls exLremely
sLrong. lL ls made of nylon and comes pre-waxed. lL ls so sLrong and sllppery LhaL you can
sew wlLhouL pulllng Lhe Lhread all Lhe way ouL wlLh each suLch. lnsLead, you suLch for a few
5
lnches, pulllng Lhe Lhread ouL only as far as ls needed Lo make your suLches, and Lhen pull
Lhe lengLh of Lhread all aL once. Cnce you geL used Lo Lhls, lL makes hand sewlng very fasL.
nylon does noL hold knoLs well, so sLarL and sLop your suLchlng by Laklng Lhree uny back
suLches.
Sewing Machine Accessories, Attachments and Feet
l sLrongly recommend buylng enough exLra bobblns LhaL you can wlnd a loL of Lhem aL Lhe
beglnnlng of Lhe pro[ecL and noL have Lo keep sLopplng Lo rewlnd.
Sewing Machine Feet
MosL sewlng machlnes come wlLh a mulupurpose zlgzag fooL, a buuonhole fooL, a zlpper
fooL, and a bllnd hem fooL. lf your machlne dldn'L come wlLh Lhem, you can buy Lhem from
a dealer or onllne.
1here are dozens of oLher feeL avallable, for uullLy and decorauve purposes. Some LhaL l llke
are:
A Cordlng looL has a small hole Lhough whlch souLache brald, yarn, or oLher narrow Lrlms
can be fed. Cen Lhere ls an addluonal gulde LhaL auaches Lo Lhe needle screw. 1hls fooL
makes lL easy Lo do lnLrlcaLe corded deslgns.
1he lplng looL has a groove Lhrough whlch Lhe corded poruon of Lhe plplng can sllde.
Whlle plplng can be applled wlLh Lhe zlpper fooL, some people nd Lhe lplng looL ls easler
Lo conLrol.
A Walklng looL helps feed maLerlal Lhough Lhe sewlng machlne. lL's parucularly useful for
heavy or sllppery maLerlals, and for Lhose LhaL need careful maLchlng, such as sLrlpes and
plalds.
Sewing Machine Attachments
1he ruMer auachmenL makes uny pleaLs, resulung ln a ruMe eecL. lL can be seL for varlous
fullnesses and Lhlcknesses for fabrlcs, buL ls mosL useful for llghLwelghL fabrlcs.
1emplaLe sLyle buuonhole auachmenLs are no longer made, buL lL's worLh keeplng an eye
ouL aL Lhe Lhrl sLores for Lhem. 1hey make much nlcer looklng buuonholes Lhan Lhe ones
mosL modern machlne makes. Some of Lhem make a small round eyeleL, whlch ls very
handy. 1hey can L on mosL modern machlnes.
Mlnl vacuum auachmenLs L onLo Lhe hose of a regular vacuum cleaner and are greaL for
cleanlng llnL ouL of your sewlng machlne and serger, as well as your compuLer.
6
Other Machine Sewing Helps
,$=.5> ?.0; "5 @=+
Sewlng wlLh an awl ln hand ls a Lrlck from lndusLrlal sewlng LhaL vasLly lmproves Lhe level of
conLrol you have over your suLchlng. use lL Lo gulde Lhe fabrlc under Lhe fooL and keep lL
allgned preclsely.
!
A1$ #)/0$-B/5 should be worn when machlne sewlng. no mauer how careful you are Lo
pull your plns ouL as you sew, Lhere's always Lhe chance of sewlng over and breaklng a pln.
l've had broken plns bounce o my glasses several umes, so l sLrongly recommend wearlng
safeLy glasses when sewlng.
Pressing
A good sLeam lron ls essenual for sewlng. MosL lrons Loday are equlpped wlLh auLo shuLo,
whlch can be annoylng whlle sewlng. Look for heavy raLher Lhan llghL, lf posslble.
ress cloLhs are used Lo provlde a proLecuve layer beLween Lhe lron and Lhe fabrlc, or are
molsLened and pressed Lhrough Lo provlde exLra sLeam. Muslln ls usual, buL l also llke Lo
have one made of sllk organza, whlch Lakes a hlgh amounL of heaL and can be seen Lhrough.
l also keep a Lerry Lowel on hand, Lo cover Lhe lronlng board when presslng velveL. a good
slzed scrap of self fabrlc can also work. 1here are commerclal velveL boards made for Lhls
purpose, buL Lhey are very expenslve.
A Lallor's ham or presslng ham ls an ob[ecL made of cloLh and
covered wlLh fabrlc, LhaL ls shaped roughly llke, well, a ham. lL
ls used Lo slmulaLe curved pouons of Lhe body whlle presslng
garmenLs. 1here are a number of pauerns avallable onllne for
maklng your own.
A seam roll ls slmllar Lo a presslng ham, buL ls a cyllnder
shape. use lL Lo press seams open wlLhouL Lhe seam
allowances presslng lnLo Lhe fabrlc and showlng on Lhe
rlghL slde of Lhe garmenL.
7
1
Threads Magazine, issue #52 Sewing with An Awl
A clapper ls a wooden Lool used Lo auen edges when
presslng. 1he edge ls pressed wlLh hlgh sLeam, Lhe
lron removed, and Lhe clapper ls pressed lnLo place,
Lrapplng Lhe sLeam.
A Lallor's board ls a wooden devlce wlLh a
number of surfaces and angles LhaL can be
used as mlnl lronlng boards whlle presslng.
Many Lallor's boards have a clapper bullL lnLo
Lhe base. 1hey can be purchased, or, lf you
have woodworklng ablllLy, Lhere are free paL-
Lerns for maklng Lhem onllne.
A spray boule ls used Lo dampen fabrlc whlle presslng.
A pop-Lop sporLs boule" makes lL easy Lo ll your lron wlLhouL spllllng.
Crafting Tools
MosL cosLumers evenLually nd Lhemselves dolng some form of cralng, from mllllnery Lo
bulldlng accessorles Lo [ewelry maklng. Pere are some useful Lools.
Glues
PoL glue guns are very useful for bulldlng accessorles. PoL glue has good holdlng power,
and seLs ln seconds, so LhaL Lhe pro[ecL doesn'L need Lo be clamped.
PoL glue can lnlcL serlous burns. When you are worklng wlLh hoL glue, always keep a bowl
of lce waLer nearby, so LhaL lf your geL glue on your hands you can cool lL lmmedlaLely.
Low Lemp melL glue ls a safer verslon of hoL glue. lL may noL sLand up Lo very hlgh heaL,
such as lf Lhe pro[ecL ls le ln a closed car ln summer.
Hand Tools
llers are used ln [ewelry maklng and mllllnery. needlenose pllers can be used Lo pull a
needle Lhrough heavy layers of fabrlc. Chaln nose pllers have aL, unserraLed [aws so LhaL
Lhey don'L damage chaln or oLher meLal componenLs.
A palr of heavy wlre cuuers are needed when worklng wlLh mllllnery wlre.
8
A malleL made of wood, plasuc, or rawhlde ls used for sLrlklng when semng grommeLs or
rlveLs. ?ou should never use a meLal hammer Lo sLrlke a meLal Lool. lL could shauer and
cause serlous ln[ury.
Lye proLecuon should be worn whenever sLrlklng.
9
Fabrics
1he fabrlcs avallable Lo 16Lh cenLury Luropeans were prlnclpally llnen, hemp, wool, and sllk.
1hey also made greaL use of leaLher. Whlle Lhelr bers were llmlLed, Lhelr cholce of weaves
and sLyles was noL. 1here was a huge varleLy of fabrlc avallable.
8esearchlng fabrlcs can be very confuslng, as Lhe same fabrlc names Lended Lo be asslgned
Lo dlerenL fabrlcs aL dlerenL umes.
Historically Accurate Fabrics
Linen
Llnen ls a fabrlc made from Lhe ber of Lhe ax planL. lL ls sLrong, absorbenL, and breaLh-
able. More Lhan any oLher naLural ber, lL wlcks molsLure away from Lhe body, maklng lL Lhe
mosL comforLable fabrlc for warm weaLher and for wearlng nexL Lo Lhe skln.
Llnen was wldely used for shlrLs, smocks, and for llnlngs, buL rarely, lf ever, for ouLer gar-
menLs. ln perlod, lL was avallable ln a huge varleLy of weaves and welghLs, ranglng from gos-
samer Lhln lawn Lo heavy sallcloLh. 1oday, Lhe range of Lypes avallable ls much smaller, al-
Lhough ln recenL years lL has become more avallable and less expenslve.
Modern llnen ls su aL rsL, and wrlnkles easlly. 1hls ls due Lo Lhe nlshes and slzlng used ln
Lhe manufacLurlng process, buL Lhe more lL ls washed, Lhe soer and less wrlnkle-prone lL
becomes. lL ls also prone Lo shrlnklng, so l recommend washlng lL ln hoL waLer and machlne
drylng lL on a hlgh semng Lwo Lo Lhree umes before cumng ouL your pauern.
When buylng llnen, be careful Lo check LhaL you are buylng 100 llnen (ax) ber. Many fab-
rlc sLores and Lhelr employees confuse "llnen look" weaves wlLh Lhe real Lhlng, and you may
nd LhaL Lhe "llnen" look conLalns llule or no real llnen ber.
8ecause llnen Lends Lo ravel, all seams musL be nlshed. Aslde from Lhls, Lhough, llnen ls
qulLe easy Lo sew. lL holds a crease so well LhaL folds can be nger-pressed ln place wlLhouL
lronlng.
Types of Linen
Pandkerchlef llnen ls llghLwelghL, ne fabrlc LhaL ls excellenL for maklng smocks. Medlum Lo
heavywelghL llnens are good for llnlng and lnLerllnlng garmenLs. novelLy llnens refer Lo
Lhose wlLh fancy LexLured weaves, or embroldered yardage.
Hemp
Pemp, a varleLy of cannabls, was used Lo make a bre very much llke llnen. (1he word "can-
vas" comes from cannabls, ln facL.) Pemp cloLh ls presenLly becomlng more avallable ln Lhe
unlLed SLaLes.
10
Wool
lor everyLhlng oLher Lhan body llnen (shlrLs and smocks), wool was Lhe mosL common fabrlc
for garmenLs. Wool keeps you warm even when weL, yeL ls breaLhable enough Lo be rela-
uvely cool ln warm weaLher. lL ls also relauvely reproof, an lmporLanL conslderauon ln a
ume when almosL all heaung, cooklng, and lllumlnauon was by open ame.
Wool ls also wonderful Lo sew. lL can be molded by sLeam and heaL, and lL doesn'L show
needle marks. Many people Lhlnk of wool as a Lhlck, heavy fabrlc, buL lL ls acLually avallable
ln a wlde range of welghLs: from Lhe Lhln, hard-nlshed wool from whlch a good quallLy
man's sulL ls made, Lo heavy coaung.
Types of Wool
C+".5 =$"D$ =//+' are Lhose woven wlLh a regular weave, such as:
llannel, a medlum-welghL wool wlLh a brushed LexLure. noL Lhe same as Lhe couon annel
sold for shlrLs and pa[amas.
8roadcloLh, orlglnally a plaln-weave wool woven on a very wlde loom. 1oday, lL usually refers
Lo a llghLwelghL couon fabrlc. Sllk broadcloLh ls also avallable.
Serge, Lhe Lhln, ughLly woven wool of whlch hlgh quallLy men's sulLs are made.
C"3$)5$6 =//+' lnclude:
1wlll, woven wlLh a varleLy of dlagonal pauerns. 1wlll ls very sLrong.
1weed, whlch can be woven ln varlous pauerns, usually Lwllls, oen refers Lo a mlxLure of
colors ln Lhe weave, such as herrlngbone or speckled pauerns. LxcellenL for lower and mld-
dle class cosLumes.
Wool ls also woven lnLo varlous luxury fabrlcs, lncludlng saun and velveL. 1hese are expen-
slve and hard Lo nd, buL would be sulLable for upper-class cosLume use.
Washable wool ls a fabrlc made by comblnlng wool wlLh nylon or polyesLer. l don'L recom-
mend lL. lL's noL as absorbenL and can be uncomforLable Lo wear, lL rapldly pllls and [usL
looks cheap.
Silk
Sllk was Lhe luxury fabrlc of Lhe ume, as lL sull ls, for LhaL mauer. Sllk ls very sLrong and
wears well. lL also Lakes dye well, allowlng for rlch, saLuraLed colors.
MosL people Lhlnk of sllk as Lhln, shlny sLu , buL llke wool lL ls acLually avallable ln many dlf-
ferenL welghLs and LexLures. Cne problem you wlll encounLer ls LhaL mosL modern sllks are
dellberaLely woven wlLh lmperfecuons, called slubs. ln Lhe 16Lh cenLury, hand-weavlng was
noL a selllng polnL, slnce Lhere was no alLernauve. lnsLead, Lhey sLrove for smooLh perfec-
uon, and slubbed sllks would have been re[ecLed as grossly lnferlor.
Appropriate Silks for 16th Century Womens Costume
uuplonl and ShanLung are plaln weave sllks. 1hey are usually Loo slubbed Lo be approprlaLe
for 16Lh cenLury cosLume. Cccaslonally smooLher verslons can be found. 1o glve Lhe proper
drape, Lhey wlll need Lo be aL llned when used for klrLle or gown sklrLs.
11
PaboLal, also called Chlna sllk, ls a crlsp, llghLwelghL, plaln weave sllk LhaL ls excellenL for lln-
lng upper class sleeves and parLleLs.
1aeLa ls a llghL, crlsp fabrlc LhaL ls excellenL for Lhe perlod. lL needs Lo be aL llned Lo glve lL
Lhe proper welghL.
1hal Sllk ls slmllar Lo LaeLa, buL a blL soer. lL ls mosL oen seen ln "shoL," or changeable,
weaves, wlLh Lhe warp and we Lhreads of dlerenL colors Lo glve an lrldescenL eecL.
Sllk noll, or raw sllk, ls a rough LexLured dull fabrlc. lL ls lnapproprlaLe for upper class wear,
buL makes an excellenL "homespun" fabrlc for Lhe mlddllng sorL.1he 1udor Lady's Manual
Saun ls anoLher excellenL cholce for sklrLs, bodlces, and sleeves. Sllk brldal saun ls heavy,
su, and has a subLle sheen very dlerenL from Lhe modern synLheuc sauns.
8rocade refers Lo fabrlc wlLh an elaboraLe deslgn woven, noL prlnLed, lnLo Lhe cloLh. lL may
be elLher slngle-colored (now called !acquard), or Lwo or more colors. lL may have a ralsed,
velveL-llke pauern (chenllle), or even have meLalllc Lhreads woven lnLo lL. Sllk brocades are
avallable, buL are oen sLaggerlngly expenslve. Modern verslons lnclude couon and syn-
Lheuc blends.
Modern Substitutes
Many of Lhe perlod fabrlcs are gemng harder and harder Lo nd. Some are compleLely un-
avallable or so expenslve as Lo exclude Lhelr use by all buL a few people. Cen, modern sub-
suLuLes musL be used.
2/3/5 ls oen used for re-enacLmenL cosLumes. uependlng on Lhe weave and Lhe way lL's
used, Lhls can be very successful or dlsasLrous. Couon has Lhe advanLage of belng absorbenL
and comforLable ln hoL weaLher, alLhough noL nearly so much as llnen. Powever, many peo-
ple make Lhe mlsLake of uslng lL ln welghLs LhaL are Loo llghL for Lhe garmenL. lf you wlll be
uslng couon, Lry Lo check lL agalnsL Lhe real Lhlng. lf lL doesn'L have Lhe same welghL and
he, conslder aL llnlng lL (page 68) wlLh anoLher layer of fabrlc Lo glve lL Lhe proper look.
Some couon fabrlcs useful for cosLumlng:
7)/"6-+/0;E &('+.5E "56 7"B'0$
LlghLwelghL fabrlcs sulLable for llnlngs, and as a subsuLuLe for llnen shlrung.
Cotton Velvet
Whlle boLh sllk and wool velveL are sull avallable, Lhey can be very expenslve, Loo llghL-
welghL for Lhe purpose, or boLh. l prefer Lo use hlgh quallLy couon velveL.
Velveteen
Slmllar Lo couon velveL, buL ls made by a dlerenL process. 1he plle ls lower and Lhe fabrlc
lLself ls llghLer, whlch can be an advanLage for warm weaLher cosLumlng. lL's usually less ex-
penslve Lhan couon velveL.
12
8oLh couon velveL and velveLeen shrlnk a loL. lf you ever plan Lo wash Lhe cosLume, pre-
wash Lhe fabrlc ln warm waLer and dry lL on hoL. 8emoved lL from Lhe dryer lmmedlaLely Lo
prevenL permanenL marklng.
Cotton Twill
A reasonable subsuLuLe for wool Lwlll.
Canvas
ln perlod, a fabrlc made of hemp. ?ou can nd hemp canvas aL some speclalLy suppllers.
Modern couon canvas, also called duck or drlll, ls ldeal for aL llnlng garmenLs such as bod-
lces, foreparLs, and foresleeves. Canvas may also be used as a fashlon fabrlc for lower Lo
mlddle class garmenLs.
Brocade
?ou can oen nd very good couon brocades sold as home decoraung fabrlcs. Some of
Lhem are a blend of couon and rayon, whlch glves a nlce sllky eecL whlle sull havlng Lhe
advanLages of naLural bers.
lL can be dlmculL Lo nd Lhe correcL deslgns of
brocade for Lhe perlod. Look for sLyllzed acanLhus
leaves, pomegranaLes, and owers, ln large paL-
Lerns. CeomeLrlc pauerns can also be used. Avold
naLurallsuc roses and oLher owers, owlng
scrolls, rlbbons, palsley, and uny all over deslgns.
MosL of Lhe brocades sold as parLy or brldal fab-
rlcs are Loo llghLwelghL for our purposes, and wlll
need Lo be aL llned for Lhe rlghL look, buL are besL avolded. ?ou'll nd a beuer selecuon ln
Lhe home decoraung deparLmenL, lncludlng some heavy fabrlcs ln perlod-sLyle pauerns and
colors.
Cotton/Synthetic Blends
Many fabrlcs LhaL appear Lo be couon are acLually blends of couon and some synLheuc ma-
Lerlal, usually polyesLer. l recommend LhaL you avold Lhese fabrlcs for comforL's sake. Also,
Lhe hlgher Lhe polyesLer conLenL, Lhe less naLural Lhe fabrlc looks.
Synthetic Fabrics
1he 20Lh cenLury broughL abouL Lhe greaLesL changes ln Lexules LhaL hlsLory has seen, ln Lhe
form of synLheuc fabrlcs. Whlle synLheucs have been a boon Lo many, Lhey're oen seen as
a bllghL Lo cosLumlng. 1hls may noL be enurely Lrue, buL Lhere are dlsadvanLages.
Cne drawback of synLheuc bers ls LhaL, ln general, Lhey do noL breaLhe well. 1hls leaves
Lhem unsulLable for maklng perlod cosLumes whlch are ughLly ued and oen worn ln Lem-
peraLures far hlgher Lhan Lhose for whlch Lhe garmenLs were deslgned.
Yes
No
13
AnoLher problem ls LhaL mosL synLheuc fabrlcs have an aruclal look Lo Lhem. 1hls ls mosL
obvlous ln dlrecL sunllghL, when even a aL, dull LexLured synLheuc wlll have a dlsuncLly
sparkly look. Lspeclally lf you are golng Lo be wearlng Lhe cosLume ouLdoors, always look aL
Lhe fabrlc ln dlrecL sunllghL before uslng lL! MosL fabrlc sLores wlll have someone walk you
ouLslde wlLh Lhe fabrlc Lo look aL lL lf you explaln Lhe problem.
Some synLheuc fabrlcs sulLable for cosLumlng may lnclude:
Velvet
SynLheuc velveL ls oen chosen for cosLumes whlch are lnLended Lo have a rlch appearance.
ldon'L feel LhaL Lhe cholce ls a good one, ln mosL cases. SynLheuc velveL ls far Loo shlny for
Lhe purpose, and has a llghLwelghL sllnky drape LhaL lsn'L sulLable. lL doesn'L wear well, and
Lhe plle auens when saL on, leavlng shlny paLches. SynLheuc velveL ls also much more dlm-
culL Lo sew Lhan couon velveL.
Crushed Velvet
ls a novelLy fabrlc LhaL rsL became popular ln Lhe 1960s. lL was aruclally "dlsLressed" Lo
look old and worn ouL. 1hls would noL have been deslrable Lo Lhe 1udor eye, and ls unsulL-
able for 16Lh cenLury cosLume.
Brocades
Slnce auLhenuc sllk brocades are so expenslve, synLheucs are oen used. 1hey are avallable
ln a wlde range of sLyles and welghLs.
Satin
unul recenLly synLheuc sauns were usually Loo llghL and Loo shlny for hlsLorlcal cosLumlng.
LaLely more maue sauns have become fashlonable, and some of Lhese look falrly good for
Lhe perlod. 8e warned, Lhough, LhaL synLheuc sauns are noL only very warm, buL Lhey don'L
wear well. Sllk ls preferable.
LlghLer saun ls sulLable for llnlngs.
Taffeta
ls sulLable for decorauve llnlngs, and for some garmenLs. lf used as a fashlon fabrlc lL needs
Lo be aL-llned for Lhe correcL look.
Changeable or lrldescenL LaeLa looks wonderful, buL doesn'L Lake sLress well, especlally aL
Lhe seams of ued garmenLs such as bodlces. lrecommend lL only for low sLress uses.
14
Preparing Fabric
Samples
Maklng a sample leLs you LesL your fabrlcs, Lrlm, and consLrucuon Lechnlques before sLarung
your garmenL. lL's worLh dolng for any sewlng pro[ecL, especlally one as large scale and ex-
penslve as a perlod cosLume.
1o make a sample, cuL recLangles of your fashlon fabrlc, lnLerllngs, and llnlng. 1he pleces
should be aL leasL 6" on each slze.
1o LesL bonlng, sew a caslng and lnserL plece of bonlng 1/2" shorLer Lhan caslng. SuLch ends
of caslng shuL.
SLack Lhe layers LogeLher ln Lhe order you'll be sewlng Lhem, for example, llnlng, aLllnlng,
lnLerllnlng, fashlon fabrlc.
lf you're experlmenung wlLh seam nlshes, make muluple
sLacks and seam palrs of Lhem LogeLher.
Apply Lrlms.
llnlsh Lhe edges by serglng or zlgzagglng.
Wash or dryclean.
Pretreating Fabric
unless you plan Lo never wash or clean your garmenL, l do nC1 recommend cumng sLralghL
o Lhe bolL. AlmosL all fabrlcs requlre some pre Lreaung.
Pre-washing
lf you are plannlng Lo wash your compleLed garmenL, you musL pre-wash all Lhe fabrlc, lln-
lng, and lnLerfaclng. Always prewash aL Lhe hlghesL LemperaLure aL whlch you mlghL wash
your compleLed garmenL.
Some fabrlcs, especlally llnen and couon velveLs, are exLremely prone Lo shrlnklng. ?ou may
wlsh Lo pre-wash and machlne dry Lhem Lwo or Lhree umes before cumng.
15
8efore pre-washlng, serge or zlgzag Lhe cuL ends of Lhe fabrlc. ln addluon Lo keeplng Lhe
fabrlc from unravellng, lL's handy when sLorlng fabrlc: lf you always do Lhls, you'll know LhaL
any fabrlc wlLh nlshed ends has been pre-washed.
1o prevenL long lengLhs of fabrlc from Langllng ln Lhe washlng machlne, sew Lhe ends Lo-
geLher, formlng a loop of fabrlc.
Prewashing Fusible Interfacing
luslble lnLerfaclng should be pre-shrunk, or lL wlll shrlnk when washed, causlng Lhe fashlon
fabrlc Lo pucker. 1o pre-shrlnk lL, soak lL ln Lhe houesL Lap waLer for Len mlnuLes. uo oot
squeeze or wrlng Lhe waLer ouL, LhaL wlll make permanenL wrlnkles. Shake o excess waLer
and hang Lo dry.
Pre-Shrinking Unwashable Fabrics
labrlcs LhaL requlre dry cleanlng should be pre-shrunk by sLeam presslng Lhem. ?ou can do
Lhls aL home wlLh a sLeam lron, or have your fabrlc pressed by a dry cleaner.
Straightening the Grain
Craln ls Lhe dlrecuon ln whlch Lhe Lhreads of Lhe fabrlc run. 1he lengLh of Lhe fabrlc, parallel
Lo Lhe selvedge, ls called Lhe lengLhwlse graln, and Lhe dlrecuon runnlng across Lhe fabrlc
selvedge-Lo-selvedge ls Lhe crosswlse graln. 1he dlrecuon runnlng aL a 43 angle Lo Lhe
lengLhwlse or crosswlse graln ls called Lhe blas.
labrlc can easlly be Lhrown o graln, espe-
clally lf lL has been Lorn raLher Lhan cuL. 1o
check Lhe graln, rsL make sure LhaL Lhe ends
are cuL evenly. Some fabrlc sellers are noL
very careful abouL cumng Lhe ends on graln.
1he resulung uneven cuL may have Lo be
Lrlmmed by several lnches Lo make lL even
agaln-an excellenL reason Lo buy aL leasL a
quarLer yard more Lhan Lhe yardage requlre-
menL.
1o even Lhe ends, cuL carefully across Lhe
ends, followlng a Lhread ln Lhe fabrlc. WlLh
some fabrlcs you can pull a crosswlse Lhread
unul lL puckers sllghLly, maklng lL easler Lo fol-
low.
Aer Lhe ends are evened, check Lhe graln by
laylng lL on a Lable. Check one large corner by
allgnlng lL wlLh your cumng Lable or board.
lf Lhe fabrlc ls o graln, pull lL genLly on Lhe dlagonal unul lL sLralghLens.
16
Cutting Fabric
Nap
napped fabrlcs are Lhose such as velveL or velveLeen, whlch have a plle surface, and oLher
fabrlcs such as saun and brocades, whlch have LexLures LhaL reecL llghL dlerenLly. napped
surfaces look dlerenL ln color and LexLure dependlng on Lhe allgnmenL of Lhe graln as Lhe
pleces are cuL, so lL ls lmporLanL LhaL all pleces are cuL ln Lhe same dlrecuon.
"

Thick Fabrics
very Lhlck fabrlcs such as heavy velveL or upholsLery maLerlals
may need Lo be cuL ouL aL, raLher Lhan on a fold, because Lhe
Lhlckness of Lhe fabrlc wlll add exLra wldLh Lo Lhe folded area.
1o avold Lhls problem, pln and cuL Lhe plece ouL on one slde,
Lhen carefully lp Lhe pauern over along Lhe fold llne, re-pln
and cuL Lhe second half. C8 1race Lhe pauern plece Lo creaLe a
second half, lp over, and Lape LogeLher.
Laying Out Your Fabrics
Lay Lhe pre-washed and pressed fabrlc ouL on your cumng surface, folded as lndlcaLed ln Lhe
pauern manual.
Some layouLs requlre LhaL you make several dlerenL folds Lo accommodaLe Lhe pauern
pleces, and lL's easy Lo geL a lengLh of fabrlc Lurned around.
lf you're uslng a napped or dlrecuonal fabrlc LhaL musL be cuL wlLh all Lhe pauern pleces fac-
lng Lhe same way, lL's a good ldea Lo mark Lhe fabrlc along lLs lengLh Lo lndlcaLe Lhe proper
dlrecuon, uslng Lallor's chalk arrows on Lhe wrong slde.
Many layouL dlagrams have Lhe fabrlc lald ouL ln double layers. When cumng napped fab-
rlcs, do noL fold crosswlse. lnsLead, cuL Lhe lengLh of fabrlc ln half and reverse one layer so
LhaL Lhe nap ls runnlng ln Lhe same dlrecuon on boLh pleces.
17
2
This is not necessarily a period practice, as there are extant garments which have nap running in different di-
rections, but to modern eyes the garment will look wrong if the nap doesnt match.
Embellishment for 16th Century Costume
Fabric Manipulation
labrlc manlpulauon can be any klnd of work ln whlch Lhe fabrlc lLself forms Lhe decorauon.
lL ls a good way Lo add surface LexLure Lo a cosLume when you don'L wanL Lhe rlchness of a
loL of Lrlm. lL ls also economlcal, [usL as lL was 400 years ago.
1here are a wlde varleLy of fabrlc manlpulauon Lechnlques.
Slashes, Cuttes, And Pinkes
Slashes, Cuues, And lnkes are all names for varlous Lypes of
holes ln fabrlc. lL ls belleved LhaL Lhe sLyle orlglnaLed wlLh mer-
cenary soldlers whose cloLhlng became slashed on Lhe baule-
eld. AL any raLe, Lhe sLyle caughL on and ls one of Lhe charac-
Lerlsuc deslgn elemenLs of LllzabeLhan cosLume.
lor our purposes, lwlll conslder slashes Lo be sLralghL or shaped
cuLs over 2" long. Cuues are small sLralghL cuLs, and plnkes are
holes, elLher round or a decorauve shape, usually under 1/4" .
Slashes were elLher faced, bound wlLh brald, or le unbound.
lor Lhe lauer Lo be an opuon, Lhey should be cuL ouL of a rmly
woven fabrlc, and Lhe slashes should be cuL on Lhe blas. lelLed
wools or leaLher can be used wlLh no worry abouL fraylng, and some oLher fabrlcs wlll work.
Someumes some fraylng can add lnLeresung LexLure.
1he edges of slashes were someumes sealed wlLh wax or oLher subsLances. lray check,
glue, or oLher subsLances can be used, buL care should be Laken LhaL Lhey do noL show on
Lhe rlghL slde.
ln some cases, Lhe enure plece of fabrlc was palnLed wlLh a soluuon of Cum Arablc, Lo
suen Lhe fabrlc and prevenL fraylng.
lf speed and durablllLy raLher Lhan hlsLorlcally correcL meLhods are deslrable, some fabrlcs
can be backed wlLh fuslble lnLerfaclng before cumng, whlch wlll seal Lhe edges. lf a fuslble
LrlcoL lnLerfaclng such as Lasy knlL ls used, lL can be dyed Lo maLch Lhe fabrlc uslng cold wa-
Ler dyes. 1hls prevenLs conLrasL from showlng on Lhe edges of Lhe cuLs.
Slashes can be cuL wlLh sclssors, roLary cuuers, or cra knlves.
Cuues can be cuL wlLh Lhe above, or, as Lhey were ln Lhe 16Lh cenLury, wlLh a malleL and
chlsel. A sharp wood chlsel wlll work for sLralghL cuLs. 1here are a few arusans maklng rep-
llcas of chlsels wlLh scalloped or zlgzagged blades for maklng fancy cuues.
18
Mans jerkin with
pinkes and cuttes
lor plnks, leaLher drlve punches work well. 1hey are avallable ln sLandard round shapes.
Cccaslonally you can nd harness punches ln fancy shapes.
CloLh wlll dull a punch much fasLer Lhan leaLher wlll, so lf you are dolng a large plnklng pro-
[ecL, elLher learn how Lo sharpen your punches or have an exLra on hand.
Cuues were someumes worked ln muluple rows, wlLh Lhe edges of Lhe cuLs caughL LogeLher
and suLched on Lhe back of Lhe fabrlc.
1he underlayer of slashes, cuues, and plnks can be of Lwo Lypes. Cne Lype ls poued ouL
Lhrough Lhe slashes. 1hese pus can elLher be Lhe acLual smock or shlrL, or false pus of
fabrlc sewn lnLo Lhe garmenL Lo glve Lhe look of pus whlle sLaylng ln place beuer Lhan Lhe
smock would. 1hese pus should be whlLe fabrlc lmlLaung Lhe smock, noL fancy colors or
fabrlcs.
1he oLher Lype of underlayer ls aL, and could be a second garmenL showlng Lhrough Lhe
slashes, buL ls more llkely a layer of fabrlc bullL lnLo Lhe slashed garmenL. llaL underlayers
can be of any conLrasL fabrlc.
@##+.F(G, Lhe cumng of shapes of fabrlc and applylng Lhem Lo oLher fabrlcs, was rare. Cc-
caslonally, embroldered moufs called sllps were cuL ouL and appllqued Lo anoLher fabrlc.
Pleating and Shirring
,4/-<.5> was called pleaLwork, and was used aL Lhe necks of some shlrLs and smocks.
1here were some oLher meLhods of gaLherlng and pleaung fabrlc for surface LexLure. lor
example, some parLleLs show whaL seems Lo be crlsscrossed rows of shlrrlng creaung a dla-
mond pauern, or whaL ls modernly called pauern smocklng".
See Lhe 8lbllography for suggesuons on fabrlc manlpulauon.
Embroidery
Lmbroldery was exLremely popular ln Lhe 16Lh cenLury.
Lngland had been a cenLer for eccleslasucal embroldery for hundreds or years. lL has been
Lheorlzed LhaL wlLh closlng of Lhe monasLerles (aer Penry vlll Look Lngland ouL of Lhe
CaLhollc Church), many skllled embrolders Lurned Lo decoraung cloLhlng lnsLead, causlng Lhe
fashlon for embroldered cloLhlng.
ln CaLhollc counLrles, a large amounL of embroldery was done ln convenLs.
Lmbroldery was done boLh by professlonals and amaLeurs. All women wlLh any lelsure ume
embroldered, even Lhose ln very hlgh posluons. Mary, Cueen of ScoLs, was a superb needle
woman and spenL much of her lmprlsonmenL embrolderlng.
7+"-<=/)< $4H)/.6$)1 was one of Lhe mosL popular sLyles of Lhe 16Lh cenLury. lL conslsLed
of monochrome embroldery, usually black buL someumes oLher dark colors or even scarleL,
19
worked on whlLe llnen. 1he suLches were counLed pauerns ln geomeLrlc forms, worked el-
Lher as bands for edglngs or as lllng suLches on larger, naLurallsuc moufs. 1he suLches were
someumes augmenLed wlLh gold Lhreads and spangles, or owes, slmllar Lo sequlns. 8lack-
work sleeves were very sLyllsh, as were smocks, shlrLs, colfs, and caps. 8lackwork does noL
seem Lo have been used on sklrLs or bodlces, wlLh Lhe excepuon of embroldered llnen [ack-
eLs, whlch came lnLo fashlon qulLe laLe ln Lhe cenLury.
C/+1-;)/4$ $4H)/.6$)1 was worked ln sllks, oen augmenLed wlLh gold and sllver Lhreads.
naLurallsuc pauerns of planLs and anlmals were popular, as were symbollc deslgns. lL ls
seen on all Lypes of garmenLs.
&$0"+ $4H)/.6$)1 was worked wlLh bulllon Lhreads. 8ulllon ls gold wlre LhaL has been
colled ughLly, formlng a sprlng-llke Lube. lL was cuL Lo lengLh and couched onLo Lhe surface
of Lhe fabrlc wlLh sllk Lhread, or shorL blLs of lL could be sewn on llke beads.
MeLal Lhreads were also made by poundlng Lhe meLal lnLo Lhln foll, cumng lL lnLo sLrlps, and
colllng lL around a sllk Lhread core. MeLalllcs were oen comblned wlLh pearls or oLher
[ewels on cloLhlng.
MeLal Lhreads were made of gold, sllver, and sllver gllL, a Lhln layer of gold over sllver. 1here
are also references Lo acLors wearlng copper lace. 1hls copper lace may have been a less
expenslve subsuLuLe for gold, or lL may have been Lhe base meLal ln a process slmllar Lo LhaL
of maklng sllver gllL.
?;.0$=/)< $4H)/.6$)1 was oen used for rus, vells, and undergarmenLs, buL rarely for
ouLerwear.
2"5D"' $4H)/.6$)1E /) 5$$6+$#/.50, was also popular, buL was used for home furnlshlngs
such as plllow or curLalns raLher Lhan Lhan for cloLhlng.
Lmbroldery Lhread for garmenLs would have been sllk or llnen. l have noL found any docu-
menLauon for wool embroldery on cloLhlng ln Lhe 16Lh cenLury.
Trim
1rlm ls one of Lhe Lhlngs LhaL can make or break a cosLume. 1oo much or Loo llule, Lhe
wrong klnd or Lhe wrong color, can be dlsasLrous.
C+"-.5> !).4
1rlm wlLh one scalloped or shaped edge should be placed wlLh Lhe
scallop faclng lnLo Lhe garmenL, noL wlLh Lhe scallop on Lhe ouLer
edge.
20
I"1$).5> !).4'
Cpenwork Lrlms such as meLalllc lace or brald look good lald over a conLrasL color rlbbon or
Lape, e.g., a black doubleL wlLh gold lace brald over red rlbbon.
narrow Lrlms work well placed over a wlder rlbbon or band, elLher down Lhe mlddle, ln
muluple rows, or on each edge.
Sewing Trims
lf you are golng Lo use machlne suLchlng, sLralghL-edged Lrlms such as rlbbon or bandlng wlll
look far beuer lf you auach Lhem wlLh a sLralghL suLch, very close Lo Lhe edge, raLher Lhan
zlgzagglng.
1rlms on corners should be mlLered, noL buued or overlapped.
Bands
1he mosL avallable Lype of Lrlm was plaln bands of fabrlc, conLrasung ln color or LexLure or
boLh. 8ands of fabrlc one Lo Lhree lnches wlde were oen used along Lhe edges of cloLhlng,
where Lhey were called guards. Cuards could also be embroldered, or oLherwlse embel-
llshed. 1hey were also Lrlmmed along Lhe edges wlLh applled Lrlms or embroldery. 8ands
can be cuL on Lhe sLralghL graln for appllcauon on sLralghL edges, or on Lhe blas Lo curve
around edges.
Ribbon
8lbbon looks besL sewn on lnvlslbly by hand or wlLh a small sLralghL machlne suLch, as close
Lo Lhe edge as posslble. 8emember LhaL mosL rlbbon cannoL be sewn smooLhly on a curved
llne.
8rocaded rlbbons have deslgns woven lnLo Lhem. MosL of Lhe commerclally avallable de-
slgns are elLher Loo vlcLorlan or Loo eLhnlc Luropean ln sLyle, buL occaslonally approprlaLe
pauerns can be found. Look for sLyllzed oral pauerns or for geomeLrlc lnLerlaced llnes.
A good subsuLuLe for solld colored rlbbon ls blas Lape, elLher purchased or made. lL ls easler
Lo apply Lhan rlbbon, as lL can be sLreLched and eased around curves. lL ls very economlcal,
especlally lf you make lL yourself. Cne yard of 43" fabrlc can be made lnLo 22 yards of 1"
blas Lape.
AnoLher subsuLuLe ls couon Lwlll Lape, whlch ls
dyable, has a pleasanL LexLure, and doesn'L sllp
when ued as mosL modern rlbbon does.
21
Lace
Lace as we know lL was a new lnvenuon, Ledlous and dlmculL Lo make, and was very expen-
slve.
1he maxlmum wldLh was approxlmaLely Lhree lnches. Wlder laces were made by sewlng
sLrlps of lace LogeLher. Lace as a fabrlc was exLremely rare and expenslve..
?;.0$ +"-$ made ln ne llnen Lhread was only used on collars, cus, rus, and some head
wear. When you see references Lo "lace" on cloLhlng such as gowns, doubleLs and sleeves, lL
was heavler, whaL we would Lhlnk of as brald.
lf you use lace as on garmenLs LhaL are noL body llnens, lL should be Lhe heavler sorL,
worked ln gold or sllver or colors, noL Lhe dellcaLe Lype assoclaLed wlLh rus and smocks.
7)".6
WhaL ls modernly call brald could be a heavler verslon of lace, buL was also made ln oLher
ways, lncludlng braldlng, weavlng, and passemenLerle, or Lhe comblnlng of varlous Lhreads
and cords.
Many upholsLery bralds look greaL for Lhls perlod. 8ralds are avallable ln all fabrlcs from coL-
Lon Lo wool Lo meLalllcs.
A commonly used Lype of brald ls Lhe uphols-
Lery bralds known as "gulmpe." 1hese are
reasonably close Lo Lhe real Lhlng. 1he aL
serpenune pauerned gulmpe ls preferable Lo
Lhe Lype LhaL has small loops along Lhe edge,
whlch wlll come unraveled unless you hand
sew each uny loop ln place.
MeLalllc laces and bralds should be used for noble and, sparlngly, for upper mlddle class.
1hey are avallable ln many dlerenL quallues. 1ry Lo avold Lhe "plasuc" looklng ones wlLh
Lhe very shlny nlshes. 1he "anuqued" Lrlms Lend Lo look beuer ln broad dayllghL Lhan Lhe
brlghL yellow gold ones.
lf a meLalllc Lrlm ls oLherwlse sulLable buL Loo brlghL, lL may be posslble Lo Lone lL down by
dyelng lL darker, or Lo maLch Lhe fabrlc you wlll be sewlng lL Lo. ldeally, Lhe Lhreads LhaL hold
Lhe Lrlm LogeLher wlll Lake Lhe dye and Lhe meLalllc won'L. ?Cu MuS1 uC A 1LS1 before you
do Lhls, because some meLalllcs wlll absorb Lhe dye and you can be le wlLh 30 yards of
shlny black brald.
?ou can also Lone down a Loo shlny meLalllc by spraylng lL wlLh a maue nlsh coaung pur-
chased from a hobby and model sLore.
Fur
lur was wldely used as a llnlng, especlally for gowns. 1he famlllar whlLe fur wlLh black spoLs
ls ermlne, and was worn only by royalLy and Lhe hlghesL nobles (dukes and earls) on Lhe
22
mosL ceremonlal occaslons. 8lch furs such as sable and lynx were worn by Lhose who could
aord Lhem. 1he 1udors were also fond of leopard, preferrlng Lhe so belly fur over Lhe
spoued upper coaL. Less cosLly furs, such as squlrrel and rabblL, may have been worn by
Lhose of more modesL clrcumsLances.
8ecause many people have moral ob[ecuons Lo uslng fur, as well as nanclal lssues, lmlLa-
uon furs are oen used ln cosLumlng. 1here ls a huge range of quallLy ln lmlLauon fur. lf you
are orderlng lL by mall, l sLrongly suggesL you requesL a sample rsL, and look aL lL ln sunllghL
before maklng your declslon. SynLheuc fur cannoL be washed, lroned, or sLeamed, so
LhoughL should be glven before uslng lL ln comblnauon wlLh fabrlc LhaL wlll need such
LreaLmenL.
Pearls and Gems
earls and Cems should be worn only by Lhe wealLhy. lor [ewels, AusLrlan crysLals are good,
as are unfaceLed cabochon cuLs. Sew-on semngs are preferable Lo Lhe pronged ones, whlch
are deslgned for very Lhln fabrlcs only. !ewels were usually mounLed ln meLal semngs raLher
Lhan sewn on by Lhemselves. 8ead sLores sell llgree pleces Lo whlch [ewels can be glued for
Lhls eecL. earls and meLalllc beads can also be sewn on around Lhe [ewel Lo glve Lhe lm-
presslon of a [eweled elemenL.
earls, boLh real and lmlLauon, were wldely used, sewn on ln sLrands, lndlvldually, ln clusLers
or pauerns, or mounLed as [ewelry.
Class beads such as bugle and rocallle beads were a very new and expenslve lnvenuon. 1hey
can be used sparlngly as hlghllghLs on brocades and Lrlms, buL should noL be worked lnLo
pauerns on Lhelr own.
Cold or sllver meLal beads were also popular.
Many [ewels and beads, especlally plasuc ones, can noL be dry cleaned. lf you plan Lo dry
clean Lhe garmenL, make LesL plece and have lL dry cleaned before you sLarL Lhe pro[ecL.
23
Patterns
Organizing the Patterns
Cur pauern packages usually conslsL of many pleces, and Lhey can be overwhelmlng aL rsL.
lf you Lake Lhe ume Lo organlze Lhe pauerns, Lhey wlll be much easler Lo handle.
lrecommend LhaL you unfold all Lhe ussue sheeLs and cuL Lhe pleces aparL, sorung Lhem lnLo
lndlvldual groups such as Lhe smock, parLleL, klrLle, gown, eLc. 1hen sLore each garmenL's
pauern pleces ln lLs own manlla envelope or plasuc food sLorage bag. 1o keep Lhem Lo-
geLher, you can punch a hole ln Lhe upper corner of each envelope or bag and Lhread Lhem
onLo a shower curLaln rlng or blnder rlng, or sLore Lhem ln a llng cablneL.
Reinforcing the patterns
1he pauern pleces can be relnforced by lronlng Lhe ussue onLo freezer paper or lnexpenslve
fuslble lnLerfaclng. lor freezer paper, use a warm lron. lor fuslble lnLerfaclng, follow Lhe
manufacLurer's lnsLrucuons for lron LemperaLure, buL do noL use sLeam.
Storing Reinforced Patterns
1he fused pauern pleces wlll be Loo bulky Lo fold for sLorage. 1hey can
be sLored elLher by rolllng Lhem lnLo Lubes, or by hanglng. 1o hang, cllp
Lhem Lo a sklrL hanger, or use commerclal pauern hooks.
1o use commerclal hooks, punch a 1" hole near one edge of Lhe pauern
plece. ?ou can buy a commerclal pauern punch, known as a bunny
punch" from lL's shape, buL lf you are only punchlng holes occaslonally a
clrcle punch from Lhe scrapbook secuon wlll do. Sllp Lhe pauern hook
Lhough Lhe hole Lo hang.
Tracing
1o preserve Lhe mulu-slzlng of your pauerns, ldo noL recommend cumng Lhe ussues Lhem-
selves. lnsLead, Lrace Lhe deslred slze onLo anoLher maLerlal.
lor Lraclng, choose a llghLwelghL, LransparenL maLerlal such as Lraclng paper or dressmakers
Lraclng fabrlc. 8oLh maLerlals can be purchased ln rolls. A less expenslve alLernauve ls medl-
cal exam Lable paper. 1hese maLerlals come ln relauvely narrow wldLhs, and wlll need Lo be
Laped LogeLher Lo Lrace Lhe large pleces.
An even less expenslve, and far more durable, soluuon ls LransparenL plasuc sheeung, whlch
can be purchased aL home bulldlng supply sLores ln rolls as wlde as LwenLy feeL. lrecom-
mend Lhe .6 mll Lhlckness. lL's Loo bulky Lo fold, buL can be rolled up ln a Lube or hung from
pauern hooks.
lLs only drawback ls LhaL you musL use a permanenL marker Lo Lrace onLo plasuc, and Lhe lnk
can smear and rub o ln Lhe few mlnuLes lL Lakes Lo dry.
24
All Lraclng should be done wlLh a ne up pencll or pen. A wlde marker llne can Lhrow o Lhe
pauern slze. ?ou may wlsh Lo use a ruler Lo Lrue up sLralghL llnes and lrench Curve Lo gulde
you on curved llnes.
25
Sizing
ln order Lo make a properly ued garmenL, you &'() Lake your measuremenLs and alLer Lhe
pauern accordlngly. 1here ls no subsuLuLe for Lhls process, and fallure Lo do so can resulL ln
a garmenL LhaL ls unauracuve and uncomforLable.
1here ls no mandaLed sLandard slzlng ln Lhe uS. Slzlng ln Lhe uS can vary from one pauern,
or cloLhlng, manufacLurer Lo Lhe nexL. Lach company seLs lLs own slzlng. lmake no guaranLee
LhaL our slzes wlll maLch Lhose of any oLher pauerns or garmenLs Lo whlch you are accus-
Lomed.
nor do lguaranLee LhaL our pauerns wlll L you wlLhouL alLerauons. 1he human body slmply
has Loo many varlauons ln shape Lo do so, even wlLhln Lhe guldellnes of pauern slze meas-
uremenLs. lhave, however, done our uLmosL Lo make Lhe process of alLerlng Lhe pauern for
L as slmple as posslble.
Multisizing
Cur pauerns were developed uslng sLandard measuremenL charLs.
#
1hls means LhaL Lhe slz-
lng and cuL ls conslsLenL. Powever, because body shapes change wlLh slze, Lhe pauern
pleces for dlerenL slzes may look qulLe dlerenL.
MosL of our pauerns lnclude Lhe enure slze range ln each pauern plece. Powever, Lhe
above dlerence ln pauern plece shape can prove very confuslng ln some complex pauern
pleces. 1herefore some pleces are separaLed lnLo dlerenL slze groups. 8e sure you have Lhe
correcL slze group by checklng Lhe slze range on Lhe pauern plece.
lare now uslng a mulu group number/leuer sysLem for Lhese pleces: for example, lece 1A
for slzes 2-10, 1AA for 12-20, and 1AAA for 22-30.
1o avold confuslon, you may wlsh Lo mark Lhe correcL slze llnes uslng a hlghllghLer pen or
colored penclls.
Taking Measurements
Careful measuremenLs are essenual Lo correcL L. lor Lhe besL resulLs, do noL Lry Lo measure
yourself.
1ake Lhe measuremenLs over Lhe usual modern undergarmenLs, lncludlng a bra lf Lhe sub-
[ecL usually wears one.
26
3
"#$% &'()*'+,-'+./ 0-*1)*.2 3'-4' +5 (6) "1)*78+' #-87)(2 0-* $)5,'9 +': %+()*7+.5; %)'<5/ =-1)'<5/ +': >.?5 #7@)
=-1)';
Wear shoes wlLh Lhe same heel helghL you wlll wear wlLh Lhe nlshed cosLume. llaL shoes
or heels of less Lhan 1" are correcL for Lhe perlod, unless you are plannlng Lo wear Lall
choplnes.
The Waistline
1he perlod walsLllne was aL Lhe Lrue walsLllne, whlch ls llkely Lo be hlgher on Lhe body Lhan
you Lhlnk. lL ls nC1 wear a modern man wears hls Lrousers! 1he locauon of Lhe walsLllne
can be dlmculL Lo deLermlne. lrecommend LhaL you safeLy pln a lengLh of 1/2" wlde elasuc
around your walsL, and Lhen bend from slde Lo slde and fronL Lo back. 1he elasuc wlll seule
aL your Lrue walsLllne.
Lach of our pauerns requlres a separaLe seL of measuremenLs, so follow Lhe dlrecuons on
Lhe respecuve manuals for measurlng.
27
Fitting
!"# %&'()* ')+,-./01)+2 +#/01) 13 ,"'+ 45).56 '+ +066 .)7#- /1)+,-./01)8 9 :65) ,1 577 7#,5'6#7
*#)#-56 ;()* ')+,-./01)+ 5, 5 65,#- 75,#8 <#5)="'6#> :6#5+# -#3#- ,1 ,"# ')7'?'7.56 :5@#-)
45).56+ 31- ;()* ')+,-./01)8
Making a Mockup
As wlLh any closely mng garmenL, you musL make a mockup of Lhe garmenL and L lL Lo
your body. lallure Lo do so almosL guaranLees a garmenL wlLh whlch you wlll noL be happy.
A mockup, also called a muslln or a Lolle, ls a LesL verslon of Lhe garmenL. lL need noL be
nely nlshed: slmply cuL Lhe pauern shapes, addlng bonlng or oLher shaplng as needed,
and LesL L. 1he lndlvldual pauerns provlde lnsLrucuons on dolng so.
Fitting Strips
llmng sLrlps allow you Lo lace a garmenL on for mng before Lhe laclng eyeleLs are worked.
1hls ls very useful lf you Lhlnk Lhe back lengLh may need Lo be alLered. Also, you can Lhen
walL Lo make Lhe eyeleLs unul all Lhe edges of Lhe garmenL are nlshed, and avold havlng
Lhe raw edges ravel from handllng.
llmng sLrlps are easy Lo make, and can be reused for many years. 1hey are a very useful ad-
dluon Lo your sewlng supplles. 1hey can also be purchased from some cosLume suppllers.
Making Fitting Strips
l prefer Lo make mng sLrlps 18" long, whlch ls abouL Lhe maxlmum you'll ever need.
1o make mng sLrlps, cuL Lwo pleces of
canvas, denlm, or oLher sLurdy fabrlc, 4"
wlde x 18" long.
ress all edges under 1/2".
28
ress ln half lengLhwlse and edgesuLch Lhe
sldes LogeLher. Leave ends open.
Apply grommeLs or make eyeleLs, spaced 1-
1 1/2" aparL.

lor mng garmenLs LhaL wlll have
boned openlng edges, sllp a plece of
bonlng lnLo Lhe space beLween Lhe
grommeLs and Lhe suLchlng.
1o use mng sLrlps, machlne basLe Lo edge of garmenL, havlng edge of sLrlp
even wlLh edge of garmenL. Leave excess lengLh of sLrlp loose.

29
Construction Techniques
Many of Lhe consLrucuon Lechnlques l recommend are based on hlsLorlcal, LheaLrlcal, or ln-
dusLrlal raLher Lhan home sewlng meLhods, and may be unfamlllar. l have chosen Lhe Lech-
nlques l belleve wlll glve Lhe very besL resulLs, and l urge you Lo Lry Lhem. ?ou wlll probably
nd some of Lhem Lo be valuable conLrlbuuons Lo your llbrary of skllls.
Seams
Seam Allowance
unless oLherwlse sLaLed, Lhe seam allowance on our pauerns ls 3/8" (1.3 cm).
Hand Sewing
Pand sewlng ls very lmporLanL Lo maklng a successful hlsLorlcal garmenL. Whlle lprovlde ef-
clenL machlne sewlng meLhods where posslble, Lhere are some sewlng operauons LhaL
slmply cannoL be done by machlne, whlle oLhers are acLually more Lrouble Lo do by machlne
Lhan by hand.
Pere are a few of Lhe mosL common, and mosL useful, hand suLches.
!,- +./01234,
1he sllpsuLch ls a nearly lnvlslble suLch whlch se-
cures a folded edge Lo Lhe fabrlc. 1o sllp suLch,
Lake a uny suLch ln Lhe garmenL, as small as possl-
ble. ass Lhe needle Lhrough Lhe folded edge for
abouL !$%" and come up agaln, Lake anoLher uny
suLch ln Lhe garmenL.
1he sllpsuLch ls used for hems, auachlng bands
and Lrlms, nlshlng collars and cus, and for
suLchlng Lhe seam allowances of blas and plped
blndlng.
lsLrongly recommend Lhe use of 8lce's Sllamlde
1hread for sllpsuLchlng. Sllamlde ls a speclalLy
Lhread LhaL was orlglnally developed as a subsu-
LuLe for sllk Lhread, and ls exLremely sLrong. lL ls
made of nylon and comes pre-waxed.
lL ls so sLrong and sllppery LhaL you can sew wlLhouL pulllng Lhe Lhread all Lhe way ouL wlLh
each suLch. lnsLead, you suLch for a few lnches, pulllng Lhe Lhread ouL only as far as ls
needed Lo make your suLches, and Lhen pull Lhe lengLh of Lhread all aL once. Cnce you geL
used Lo Lhls, lL makes hand sewlng very fasL.
30
5,/01234, 6'7-84912:; <
WhlpsuLch ls used Lo nlsh edges, Lo sew a nar-
row, sLrong seam, and for make laclng eyeleLs.
1o whlpsuLch or overcasL a sLralghL edge, brlng
Lhe fabrlc up on one slde of Lhe fabrlc and carry lL
over Lhe edge, comlng back up from Lhe wrong
slde Lo Lhe rlghL slde.
#=>?:,?.- +234,
Also known as blankeL suLch, Lhls suLch can be
worked over an edge Lo form a buuonhole or as a
decorauve suLch. lL ls also useful for sewlng on
hooks and eyes and for maklng Lhread bars (p. 78)
for fasLenlng.
@-AA/:; +234,
1hls suLch ls used for hemmlng and securlng blas
blndlng. 1ake a small suLch Lhrough Lhe fabrlc,
worklng from Lop Lo bouom. Come up Lhrough
Lhe fold. 1ake anoLher small suLch !$%" away, and
repeaL.
)934, +234,
ln embroldery, Lhls ls called Lhe Perrlngbone
suLch. lL ls a loose suLch used for securlng seam
allowances Lo Lhe aL llnlng.
31
+./01234,
1he sllpsuLch ls slmllar Lo Lhe hemmlng suLch, buL
Lhe long oaL" suLch ls Laken lnslde Lhe folded
edge of Lhe fabrlc, so LhaL only a small suLch
shows.
Seams
2()D$6 ,$"4'
Cllp and noLch all curved seams.
Cllp lnner Curves noLch CuLer Curves noLch CuLer Curves
J)"6.5> ,$"4 @++/="5-$'
Cradlng ls Lrlmmlng seam allowances Lo dlerenL wldLhs, Lo
allow Lhe seam Lo Lurn easlly and form a clean edge wlLh-
ouL bulk.
1o grade seams, Lrlm each layer of seam allowance lndl-
vldually, havlng Lhe seam allowance LhaL wlll fall nearesL Lo
Lhe garmenL slde cuL Lhe wldesL.
J)"6.5> ,$"4 @++/="5-$'
Cradlng ls Lrlmmlng seam allowances Lo dlerenL wldLhs, Lo
allow Lhe seam Lo Lurn easlly and form a clean edge wlLh-
ouL bulk.
1o grade seams, Lrlm each layer of seam allowance lndl-
vldually, havlng Lhe seam allowance LhaL wlll fall nearesL Lo
Lhe garmenL slde cuL Lhe wldesL.
32
Finishing Seams
AK#/'$6 '$"4'
All exposed seams should be pressed open and clean nlshed by one of Lhe followlng meLh-
ods.
A5-+/'$6 ,$"4'
French seam
1he lrench seam makes a fully enclosed, nlshed seam. lL can
be made by hand or by machlne.
lace fabrlc pleces W8CnC sldes LogeLher. SuLch !$%" away from
edge.
1. 1rlm close Lo suLchlng.
1. lold fabrlc along seam llne, 8lCP1 sldes LogeLher. SuLch
!$%" from folded edge, encloslng prevlous seam.
B=: 9:C (-.. 1-9A
1he 8un and lell seam was wldely used on body llnens such as
smocks and parLleLsD
1. SuLch seam, rlghL sldes LogeLher. (&$'" seam allowance)
1he 8un and lell seam was wldely used on body llnens such as
smocks and parLleLsD
1. SuLch seam, rlghL sldes LogeLher. (&$'" seam allowance)
Stitched and Pinked Zigzagged Serged
33
1. 1rlm one seam allowance Lo !$'". 1. 1rlm one seam allowance Lo !$'".
1. lold Lhe oLher seam allowance ln half. 1. lold Lhe oLher seam allowance ln half.
1. ress folded seam allowance over seam llne, coverlng
boLh raw seam edges.
1. ress folded seam allowance over seam llne, coverlng
boLh raw seam edges.
1. SllpsuLch folded edge Lo fabrlc. 1. SllpsuLch folded edge Lo fabrlc.
1. When nlshed, Lhe rlghL slde looks llke Lhls.
1hls ls a very pracucal seam nlsh, buL ls ume consumlng. lL can be "cheaLed" by sewlng Lhe
rsL seam by machlne, Lhen hand sewlng Lhe hemmed edge. ?ou can also do Lhe seams en-
urely by machlne, suLchlng close Lo Lhe edge of Lhe fold on Lhe second pass of suLchlng. 1hls
wlll, of course, resulL ln vlslble machlne suLchlng on Lhe ouLslde of Lhe garmenL. Such a seam
ls called a aL fell seam or a [eans seam.
Narrow Hemming
narrow hemmlng can be done by hand or by machlne. 1he
Lurnup should be as small as posslble. 1/4" ls abouL as large
as lL should go, buL on some fabrlcs, llke very ne crlsp llnen, lL
can be as llule as 1/16".
1urn edge up deslred amounL and press. 1urn up Lhe same amounL agaln and press. Machlne or
hand suLch close Lo fold. lf machlne suLchlng, use a very shorL suLch Lo make lL as lnconsplcuous as
posslble.
Flatlining and Interlining
llaLllnlng, also known as lnLerllnlng or underllnlng, ls Lhe Lechnlque of cumng a pauern
plece ln Lwo layers: one of Lhe ouLer, or fashlon, fabrlc and one of Lhe lnner, or aLllnlng. ?ou
suLch Lhem LogeLher and LreaL Lhe resulL as a slngle layer of fabrlc.
34
llaLllnlng adds body Lo fabrlcs, and glves Lhem a beuer drape. lL can also ease consLrucuon
by provldlng a layer LhaL can be marked, wlLh no worry LhaL Lhe marklngs wlll show Lhrough
on Lhe rlghL slde. luslble lnLerfaclngs and caslngs for bonlng can also be applled Lo aLllnlng
before lL ls applled Lo Lhe fashlon fabrlc.
llaLllnlng can be done ln all sorLs of fabrlcs, from heavy canvas Lo sllk organza, dependlng on
Lhe need for sLablllLy and drape. lrecommend uslng prewashed couon drlll or duck for bod-
lces LhaL wlll be under sLress, or for llghLwelghL fabrlcs LhaL need help Lo glve Lhem a heavy,
su drape for lLems such as Lhe klrLle sklrL fronL or Lhe foresleeves. CarmenLs LhaL slmply
need more drape, such as sklrLs and sleeves, can be aLllned wlLh sheeung or good quallLy
muslln.
lf bonlng or oLher sueners are Lo be applled Lo Lhe aLllnlng, you may wlsh Lo use anoLher
layer of lnLerllnlng beLween Lhe fashlon fabrlc and Lhe aLllnlng, Lo prevenL Lhem from
shadowlng" on Lhe ouLslde lf your fashlon fabrlc ls Lhln.
lor a garmenL LhaL wlll be machlne washed, use one or Lwo layers of prewashed couon
annel for lnLerllnlng. lor a dry-clean garmenL, wool ls excellenL, as lL breaLhes well and
glves a very Lhlck, lush look. 8ecause lL wlll never be seen, you can use any color or pauern
of fabrlc for lnLerllnlng LhaL sulLs your needs and your budgeL for lnLerllnlng.
How to Flatline
1. CuL Lhe pauern plece ouL of boLh Lhe fashlon fabrlc and
aLllnlng fabrlc.
2. Sew caslngs for bonlng, lf needed, Lo aLllnlng. Leave open-
lngs aL seam ends of bone caslngs so LhaL bonlng may be
lnserLed laLer.
1. CuL Lhe pauern plece ouL of boLh Lhe fashlon fabrlc and
aLllnlng fabrlc.
2. Sew caslngs for bonlng, lf needed, Lo aLllnlng. Leave open-
lngs aL seam ends of bone caslngs so LhaL bonlng may be
lnserLed laLer.
35
1. Lay Lhe fashlon fabrlc plece rlghL slde down.
2. ln Lhe aLllnlng Lo lL. Any bonlng channels, eLc, musL be
faclng up (Lowards Lhe lnslde of Lhe nlshed garmenL).
1. Lay Lhe fashlon fabrlc plece rlghL slde down.
2. ln Lhe aLllnlng Lo lL. Any bonlng channels, eLc, musL be
faclng up (Lowards Lhe lnslde of Lhe nlshed garmenL).
Someumes aLllnlng a small plece LhaL wlll go around
a curved poruon of Lhe body, such as a bodlce panel,
can resulL ln Lhe fashlon fabrlc's bubbllng when worn.
1o avold Lhls:
1. Sandwlch Lhe pleces LogeLher and lay Lhem
over your Lhlgh, fashlon fabrlc slde up.
2. ln pleces LogeLher ln Lhe cenLer.
3. SmooLh Lhe fabrlc Lo Lhe ouLer edges, plnnlng
as you work. 1hls wlll allgn Lhe edges ln Lhe
proper curves.
1. SuLch along Lhe seam llne, (3/8" from Lhe edge) uslng bob-
bln Lhread LhaL maLches Lhe fashlon fabrlc. 1he Lop Lhread
may be a color LhaL conLrasLs wlLh Lhe aLllnlng, Lo serve as
a useful gulde for nal suLchlng.
1. SuLch along Lhe seam llne, (3/8" from Lhe edge) uslng bob-
bln Lhread LhaL maLches Lhe fashlon fabrlc. 1he Lop Lhread
may be a color LhaL conLrasLs wlLh Lhe aLllnlng, Lo serve as
a useful gulde for nal suLchlng.
36
Boning
SlxLeenLh cenLury corseLs, bodlces, and oLher garmenLs were oen suened wlLh sLrlps of
whalebone, someLhlng here abouL bonlng belng very laLe perlod whlch ls why Lhe maLerlals
used for suenlng are called bones". Whalebone ls noL acLually made from Lhe bones of
whales, buL raLher from baleen, a su yeL exlble maLerlal whlch comes from Lhe [aws of
some Lypes of whales. CLher sueners lncluded sLeel, reeds or broom sLraw, rope, and glue-
suened fabrlc.
lL ls common pracuce Lo use sprlng sLeel sLays for bonlng reproducuon garmenLs. Sprlng
sLeel rsL came lnLo common use ln Lhe 19Lh cenLury.
Some of my prevlous pauerns have used sprlng sLeel for bonlng. 8ecenLly, l have moved Lo
Lhe use of a maLerlal LhaL ls noL manufacLured for Lhls use, buL has noneLheless proved Lo be
an excellenL cholce: plasuc ducL ues. 1hese are slmllar Lo zlp ues" or cable ues" buL Lhlcker
and longer. 1hey can be purchased ln Lhe heaung and alr condluonlng secuon aL large home
bulldlng sLores.
1he advanLage of ducL ues ls LhaL Lhey requlre no speclal Lools Lo cuL, grlnd, and up Lhe ends
of Lhe bones. Slmply cuL Lhem Lo Lhe requlred lengLh wlLh heavy duLy sclssors. 1o round and
smooLh Lhe ends, hold Lhem very close Lo buL noL dlrecLly ln a candle ame for a few sec-
onds. uo Lhls ln a well-venulaLed room. l sLrongly suggesL LhaL you keep a bowl of lce waLer
nearby, ln case of drlps. MelLed plasuc can cause serlous burns.
Other Methods
l wlll be coverlng oLher suenlng meLhods ln a fuLure edluon of Lhls manual.
Bias Tape and Piping
My pauerns make exLenslve use of blas blndlng and plplng as edge nlshes.
uurlng Lhe 16Lh cenLury, plplng and blndlng was mosL oen done wlLh sLrlps cuL on Lhe
sLralghL graln of Lhe fabrlc. Powever, l have found a few examples of blas blndlng. l nd LhaL
uslng blas ls far easler, and Lhe resulLs are far more auracuve, so l have chosen Lo use blas ln
Lhese lnsLrucuons. lf you do declde, for Lhe sake of auLhenuclLy, Lo use sLralghL graln sLrlps,
be prepared for some wrlnkllng and puckerlng.
lplng adds denluon and shaplng Lo edges. lL can also be used Lo lmprove L, such as when
drawn up Lo L a neckllne and suLched ln place Lo ellmlnaLe gaps.
llaL blas Lape can be purchased qulLe lnexpenslvely, and can be a greaL ume saver, use Lhe
1/2" slngle fold Lype for blndlng edges, or for very bulky edges use Lhe 1".
Maklng your own blas Lape ls worLhwhlle, especlally Lo geL a color maLch or for decorauve
eecLs. 8las sLrlps can be used decorauvely, as Lrlm, far less expenslvely Lhan purchased aL
Lrlm or rlbbon, and blas can be applled Lo curves much more easlly Lhan rlbbon. Cne yard of
43" fabrlc wlll make 22 yards of 1" blas Lape, or 44 yards of raw edged 1 1/2" Lape.
37
Cutting Bias
1o make elLher blas Lape or plplng, sLarL by cumng blas sLrlps of fabrlc. ?ou could do Lhls by
marklng and cumng slngle blas sLrlps and seamlng Lhem LogeLher, buL for Lhe amounL of blas
needed Lo blnd a garmenL, l recommend uslng Lhe bulk meLhod shown here.
?ou may wlsh Lo make up baLches of blas ln baslc colors such as black and whlLe, and keep
Lhem on hand. 1hls can be a greaL ume saver.
l wlll assume for Lhe purposes of lllusLrauon LhaL you are maklng 2" wlde blas sLrlps, whlch ls
whaL you need Lo make Lhe plplng slze l recommend for nlshlng garmenLs. lnsLrucuons
glven here wlll produce approxlmaLely 11 yards of 2" blas. lf you wanL a narrower wldLh, ad-
[usL Lhe spaclng, addlng 1/2" fold allowances Lo your deslred nlshed wldLh.
SLarL wlLh aL leasL !$" yard of 43" fabrlc. Any shorLer lengLh wlll resulL ln loLs of seams across your
plplng. Make sure lL's sLralghL on graln: cumng blas o graln wlll produce rlpples and wrlnkles.
CuL o one corner aL a 90 angle Lo Lhe selvedge,
as shown.
ln Lhe cuL away corner Lo oLher end, as
shown, and suLch wlLh scanL !$%" seam
allowances, uslng a very shorL suLch.
ress open.
Mark cumng llnes spaced 2" aparL (or
however wlde you wlsh you blas Lo be)
as shown. Make sure each llne ls on Lhe
Lrue blas.
38
ln long edges LogeLher, osemng by 2", maLchlng
cumng llnes as shown. SuLch wlLh !$%" seam allow-
ances, uslng shorL suLches. ress open.
CuL along cumng llnes, ln one conunuous plece.
1ll: lf you have a serger, unLhread lL and
suLch along Lhe cumng llnes, lemng Lhe
serger's knlfe cuL Lhe sLrlp for you.
&"<.5> 7."' !"#$
1o shape your aL blas sLrlps lnLo folded blas Lape, l recommend Lhe use of a
blas Lape maker. 1hese handy devlces come ln slzes for maklng blas from 1/
4" Lo 2", and can be purchased aL fabrlc and qullung sLores. lollow Lhe ln-
sLrucuons LhaL come wlLh Lhem.
lf you can'L locaLe a blas Lape maker, you can do Lhls:
llnd a long needle. (lor wlde blas you may need Lo use a
long doll maker's needle.)
lasLen Lhe needle Lo your lronlng board as shown. 1he mld-
dle space should be Lhe wldLh of your deslred nlshed Lape.
1hread Lhe end of a blas sLrlp under Lhe gap, foldlng seam
allowances lnLo place.
ull genLly on Lhe end of Lhe Lape, and lron Lhe fold allow-
ances lnLo place as Lhe Lape pulls ouL of Lhe needle. (1hls ls
much easler lf Lwo people do lL, one pulllng, and Lhe oLher
presslng.)
39
Bias Tape Binding
8las 1ape 8lndlng ls a way Lo nlsh edges. lL's parucularly useful on very bulky edges wlLh
loLs of layers. 8lndlng a garmenL ls done on Lhe aL, so you don'L have Lo sLruggle Lo Lurn a
boned garmenL lnslde ouL as you would wlLh a bagged llnlng.
lL ls dlmculL Lo ascerLaln how many garmenLs were acLually nlshed Lhls way. Some porLralLs
show whaL appear Lo be plped edges. l have only found one example of cord lled plplng on
an exLanL garmenL.
%
l recommend plplng because lL sLrengLhens and relnforces garmenL edges and prevenLs
Lhem from sLreLchlng. lL also keeps Lhe lnslde edges from showlng.
1o blnd a garmenL, open ouL one folded edge of
blas Lape. lace Lhe crease made by Lhe fold on
Lhe 8lCP1 slde of garmenL seam llne. SuLch on
crease, sLreLchlng blas sllghLly on curves.
Crade garmenL seam allowances, leavlng blndlng
seam allowance unLrlmmed. 1urn blndlng Lo
wrong slde. Pem or sllpsuLch Lo garmenL.
Piping
lplng ls blas Lape, folded around a cord and suLched Lo form a Lube wlLh seam allowances
on one slde. lplng can be lnserLed ln a seam Lo glve lL denluon and sLrengLh, or lL can be
used Lo blnd edges.
1he mosL commonly used cord for plplng ls couon cable cord. CLher maLerlals can also be
used for cordlng. l llke regular acryllc knlmng yarn for very small plplng.
lor mosL garmenLs, you wlll wanL Lo keep your cord small, under 1/4". AnyLhlng larger rlsks
looklng home dec".
40
4

1o make plplng, sLarL wlLh conunous blas. lold blas sLrlp around cord,
wrong sldes LogeLher, and suLch close Lo cord, uslng a cordlng or zlpper
fooL and a medlum lengLh sLralghL suLch. 8e careful noL Lo sLreLch Lhe fab-
rlc as you suLch.
Inserting Piping in a Seam
When plplng a seam, do noL Lry Lo lnserL Lhe plplng lnLo Lhe seam as you
sew lL. SuLch lL Lo one slde of Lhe seam rsL, Lhen add Lhe second plece of
fabrlc and suLch Lhe seam.
1o auach plplng, place lL so LhaL Lhe corded poruon ls [usL Lo Lhe lnslde edge
of Lhe garmenL suLchlng llne, ouLslde of Lhe seam allowance. SuLch close Lo
cord.
Lay Lhe second plece over Lhe rsL and suLch Lhe seam, uslng a zlpper fooL or
cordlng fooL Lo suLch plplng, so LhaL Lhe suLches are rlghL up agalnsL Lhe
cord.
41
Cpen ouL and press seam allowances open.
Piped Binding
lped 8lndlng ls an excellenL edge nlsh. lL ls wldely used ln LheaLrlcal garmenLs because lL
glves a crlsp, dened edge, and adds sLrengLh Lo Lhe garmenL. lf applled Lo a aLllned gar-
menL, Lhe resulL ls an unllned garmenL LhaL can easlly be Laken aparL for alLerauon.
lL ls dlmculL Lo ascerLaln how many garmenLs were acLually nlshed Lhls way. Some porLralLs
show whaL appear Lo be plped edges. l have only found one example of cord lled plplng on
an exLanL garmenL.
1o make a plped blndlng, you make plplng wlLh seam allowances aL leasL 1" wlde. Aer ap-
plylng Lhe blndlng, Lhe seam allowances are Lurned under and
hemmed Lo Lhe aLllnlng.
Applying Piped Binding
lace plplng so LhaL Lhe corded poruon ls [usL Lo Lhe lnslde edge
of Lhe garmenL suLchlng llne, ouLslde of Lhe seam allowance.
SuLch close Lo cord, uslng a zlpper or cordlng fooL.
42
Crade garmenL seam allowances. uo noL Lrlm plplng seam allowance.
1urn plplng seam allowances under. Pem ln place.
Pleating and Gathering
Pleating
1here are many klnds of pleaLs. Pere are Lhe Lypes mosL common ln 16Lh cenLury cosLume.
(decorauve pleaung ls dlscussed ln Lhe LmbelllshmenL secuon).
Knife Pleats
knlfe pleaLs all face ln one dlrecuon. When auached Lo a walsL-
band, Lhey hang sLralghL wlLh no sprlng" ouL from Lhe walsL.
Box Pleats
8ox pleaLs are baslcally Lhe same as knlfe pleaLs,
buL made ln palrs Lurned away from each oLher.
Rolled Pleats
SLarLs wlLh a knlfe pleaL, buL Lhe fabrlc ls Lhen Lurned a second ume so
LhaL lL rolls around Lhe rsL pleaL. 1he pleaLs hang ln Lubular folds.
43
Cartridge Pleats
CarLrldge pleaung, also called bulleL pleaung
or gauglng, ls a Lradluonal meLhod of gaLher-
lng large amounLs of fabrlc lnLo a small space
such as a walsLllne or sleeve head. lL looks
complex, buL ls really qulLe slmple once you
learn how.
How to Cartridge Pleat
lot tbe soke of clotlty, l om qlvloq losttocuoos fot pleouoq o skltt.
Clean nlsh upper edge of Lhe sklrL.
ress upper 2" Lo lnslde along fold llne.
The Pleating Stitches
1he nexL sLep ls Lo make Lhe suLches LhaL wlll form Lhe pleaLs. lor mosL fabrlcs, 1" long
suLches work well. lf you are uslng a very heavy wool or velveL ln small slze, you may nd
LhaL you need Lo make Lhe suLches larger, up Lo 2" deep.
uon'L Lry Lo make shorLer suLches when uslng a Lhln fabrlc, lL doesn'L work. lf you feel LhaL
your fabrlc needs more subsLance, lnserL a sLrlp of heavy fabrlc such as wool or velveL, or
sLrlps of cra eece, ln Lhe fold before pumng ln
Lhe gaLherlng suLches.
uslng sLrong Lhread such as buuon
and carpeL Lhread, make Lhree rows of
1" long suLches spaced 1/2" aparL,
havlng Lhe rsL row 1/4" from fold.
?ou wlll have less Langllng of your
Lhread and be able Lo conLrol Lhe long
lengLh needed lf you do noL cuL Lhe
Lhread o Lhe spool unul you are done suLchlng Lhe
row.
44
1he Lhree rows of suLches musL be llned up very evenly. lf you have a good eye for [udglng
spaclng, you may be able Lo eyeball" Lhe spaclng of Lhe suLches, buL mosL people prefer Lo
mark Lhem rsL.
Pulling up the Pleats
Poldlng all Lhree Lhreads aL once, pull up Lhe
pleaLs unul Lhey form folds, as shown.
ull Lhe Lhreads unul Lhe lengLh of Lhe plece
maLches LhaL of Lhe walsLband (or oLher
plece) Lo whlch you wlll be auachlng lL.
uslng heavy Lhread, overcasL suLch Lhe pleaLs Lo Lhe
oLher edge, Laklng 2-3 suLches aL Lhe very Lop of each
pleaL.

8rlng pleaung Lhreads Lo W8CnC slde of garmenL.
Make very secure knoLs ln Lhreads, leavlng abouL 1"
slack aL each end.
Gathering
Machine Gathering
Machlne gaLherlng works besL on llghLwelghL fabrlcs. 1o make gaLhers pull up more smooLhly, Lry
uslng monolamenL Lhread ln bobbln.
SeL machlne for longesL suLch. Loosen upper Lenslon
sllghLly.
SuLch along suLchlng llne, leavlng 6" Lhread Lalls. SuLch
agaln 1/4" Lo seam allowance slde of rsL llne.
45
ull gaLhers up Lo deslred slze.
Zigzag Gathering
lor bulkler Lhreads, zlgzag suLch over a
heavy Lhread (waxed denLal oss works
well for Lhls), belng careful noL Lo caLch
Lhread ln suLchlng.
ull Lhread up, llke a drawsLrlng.
46
Closures
Lacing
Laclng was wldely used as a closure. CarmenLs laced Lhrough eyeleLs, whlch were holes wlLh Lhe
edges covered wlLh suLchlng. Laclng rlngs made of meLal could be sewn Lo Lhe garmenLs and Lhe
lace was passed Lhrough Lhem. MeLal grommeLs were noL lnvenLed unul Lhe 19Lh cenLury.
Lacing Patterns
A number of dlerenL laclng pauerns were used. Cross laclng, Lhe x" pauern used modernly Lo lace
shoes, was rare. 1he mosL common laclng pauern was splral laclng. Ladder laclng was also used,
especlally Lo lace Lhe fronLs of open bodlces llke Lhose worn ln lLaly and Cermany.
Eyelet Spacing and Marking
ln general, Lhe closer Lhe eyelLs are Lo one anoLher Lhe smooLher your garmenL wlll lle. AbouL 1" - 1
34" ls good.
Spiral Lacing
Splral laclng ls a perlod Lechnlque LhaL dlers from Lhe famlllar cross
lace" sLyle ln LhaL one end of Lhe lace ls anchored and Lhe oLher ls
Lhreaded conunuously Lhrough all Lhe holes ln Lurn, raLher Lhan
Lwo ends alLernaung. 1he resulung laclng pauern forms a zlg-zag
around Lhe openlng, as shown, lnsLead of a serles of xs.
1hls sLyle of laclng Lends Lo cause Lhe Lwo sldes Lo shl so LhaL
Lhey don'L maLch up. 1he soluuon Lo Lhls ls Lo oseL Lhe holes
sllghLly on each slde.
Marking for Spiral Lacing
1o mark Lhe placemenL for Lhe laclng holes:
1. uraw a llne wlLh chalk or dlsappearlng marker x
" Lo Lhe lnslde edge of bonlng on Lhe slde open-
lngs.
47
1. Mark polnLs along Lhls llne, " from upper and
lower edges.
1. Measure dlsLance beLween polnLs. ulvlde by de-
slred number of eyeleLs. 1hls measuremenL wlll
be Lhe dlsLance beLween Lhe polnLs, and wlll
now be referred Lo as MeasuremenL A.
2. Mark polnLs beLween Lhe rsL Lwo, spaclng ac-
cordlng Lo MeasuremenL A.
1. 1o mark eyeleLs for second slde, place pleces
slde by slde.
48
1. Mark polnLs maLchlng Lhe upper and lower
polnLs on fronL.
2. ulvlde measuremenL A by 2. 1hls wlll now Meas-
uremenL 8. Measure Lhls dlsLance from upper-
mosL polnL. Mark.
3. uslng MeasuremenL A, mark more polnLs.
1. 1he second from Lhe Lop and bouom eyeleLs on Lhe back wlll be half a space
from Lhe rsL. 1hls allows Lhe garmenL Lo be securely fasLened and sull allows Lhe
cord Lo form Lhe splral laclng pauern.
1. 1he second from Lhe Lop and bouom eyeleLs on Lhe back wlll be half a space
from Lhe rsL. 1hls allows Lhe garmenL Lo be securely fasLened and sull allows Lhe
cord Lo form Lhe splral laclng pauern.
Eyelets
Mark eyeleL placemenL before beglnnlng.
lor each eyeleL:
1. use a Lapered awl or large darnlng needle Lo make a hole
Lhrough Lhe fabrlc layers, so LhaL Lhe Lhreads are pushed aslde
buL noL broken. use Lhe awl, a knlmng needle, or a dowel
sharpened ln a pencll sharpener Lo enlarge Lhe hole as much as
posslble. lL's a good ldea Lo Lry lL on a scrap rsL so LhaL you can
have an ldea of how much pressure you can use wlLhouL rlpplng
Lhe fabrlc.
1. uslng sLurdy Lhread such as buuon and carpeL Lhread, overcasL
Lhe edges of Lhe hole, maklng abouL elghL suLches. ull ughLly
and Lhe fabrlc wlll compress, rolllng back from Lhe hole and
formlng a narrow llp.
1. use your awl, eLc., Lo sLreLch Lhe hole agaln.
2. SuLch agaln, maklng your suLches radlaLe abouL 1/8" from Lhe
hole.
?ou do noL need Lo solldly saun suLch Lhe hole, LhaL would acLually
weaken lL by pumng Loo much sLress on Lhe fabrlc.
49
I"-.5> *.5>'
1he besL rlngs lhave found are 1/2" dlameLer meLal 8oman drapery
rlngs. uo noL use unsoldered [ewelry [ump rlngs or oLher rlngs wlLh a
break, Lhey wlll come aparL.
Laclng rlngs can be suLched by hand or by machlne: ln elLher case Lhe
suLch should be wlde enough Lo allow Lhe rlng Lo move. lprefer Lo use a
wlde machlne saun suLch, suLched back and forLh over one slde of Lhe
rlng approxlmaLely 20 umes.
Hooks and Eyes
Pooks and eyes ln Lhe 16Lh cenLury were almosL ldenucal Lo Lhe
ones lhave Loday. 1hey are useful for any garmenL fasLenlng LhaL
wlll be under Lenslon.
lor sLrengLh, auach hooks and eyes wlLh a blankeL suLch.
Buttons, Buttonholes, and Loops
Buttons
8uuons were used as fasLeners on doubleLs, sleeves, shlrLs, and smocks, and also as non-
fasLenlng decorauons. 1hey were made of bone, horn, or wood for Lhe lower classes.
Wooden buuons are noL recommended for washable garmenLs.
8uuons should be shank sLyle, noL Lhe aL Lype wlLh holes drllled Lhrough Lhem. Also avold
meLal buuons wlLh coaLs of arms or cresLs on Lhem.
lor Lhe upper classes, gold, sllver, and pewLer were popular, oen enameled and seL wlLh
gems.
AnoLher buuon sLyle was wooden molds wrapped wlLh Lhread ln varlous pauerns. 1hls sLyle
was so popular LhaL casL meLal buuons were made LhaL lmlLaLed Lhe look.
50
Frogs
lrogs are ornamenLal looped brald or
cord wlLh a buuon or knoL for fasLen-
lng Lhe fronL of a garmenL. Whlle Lhey
are usually assoclaLed wlLh Chlnese
cosLume, Lhey have been ln used ln
many culLures and umes, and were qulLe popular ln LllzabeLhan umes.
1hey can be slmple loops of cordlng, or Lhe cord can be worked lnLo elaboraLe knoued con-
sLrucuons. 1he buuon poruon can elLher be a knoL of Lhe same maLerlal as Lhe cord, or lL
can be a separaLe buuon sLrung onLo or sewn Lo Lhe cord.
lrogs can be made of a wlde varleLy of cordlng and oLher maLerlals, lncludlng fabrlc Lubes.
1here ls even one example of frogs made of sLrlngs of pearls.
lrogs also can be purchased ready made. 1hey are oen made of a shlny rayon cordlng
whlch Lakes dye very well.
Brandenbergs
8randenbergs are a varlauon on frogs, made of sLrlps of Lrlm, rlb-
bon, Lape, or auened fabrlc Lubes sewn ln double horlzonLal
llnes across Lhe body of Lhe garmenL, wlLh a buuon on one slde
and a loop aL Lhe oLher.
Points
olnLs were Lhe sLrlngs or rlbbons used Lo fasLen cloLhlng or Lo ue pleces of cloLh-
lng Lo one anoLher, such as wlLh breeches ued Lo a doubleL.
olnLs can be made of rlbbon ln wldLhs of 1/4" Lo 1", buL mosL rlbbon avallable
Loday ls made of synLheuc bers LhaL don'L sLay ued well. An excellenL subsuLuLe
ls couon Lwlll Lape, whlch comes ln black and dyable whlLe.
AnoLher Lype of polnL was made of bralded or LwlsLed cordlng, usually around 1/
4" Lo 3/8" dlameLer. 1hls cordlng could be a slngle color or a comblnauon of col-
ors, oen ln complexpauerns. 1hese may have been made ln Lhe same way as Lhe
!apanese cords called kumlhlmo are sull belng made Loday.
51
Aiglets
AlgleLs (modern: agleLs) were Lhe Lag ends on Lhe ends of polnLs. 1hey were also used, usu-
ally ln palrs, as Lrlms, sprlnkled over a haL or sleeve, for example.
AlgleLs were mosL oen made of meLal, ranglng from base meLal Lags Lo elaboraLely chased,
llgreed, enameled, and [eweled algleLs. Some of Lhem were hollow and plerced, and lled
wlLh fragranL subsLances.
AlgleLs may also have been made of wood or bone. 1here ls even a survlvlng palr made of
glass. noL surprlslngly, one ls broken.
Some modern subsuLuLes for algleLs are bolo ue ends, [ewelry llgree pleces, and some
beads.
Tying Points
8ows ln Lhe LllzabeLhan perlod were usually ued as half bows. SLarL Lo ue a
regular bow, buL leL Lhe end of Lhe lasL loop pull all Lhe way Lhrough (llke lL
dld by mlsLake when you were learnlng Lo ue your shoes) so LhaL you have
one loop and Lwo hanglng ends. 1o have ends even, you wlll need Lo make
one end of Lhe polnL Lwlce as long as Lhe oLher.
Clasps
Some garmenLs were fasLened wlLh elaboraLe meLal and [eweled clasps. 1hese can be lml-
LaLed by purchaslng meLal lllgree pleces and "sewlng" beads Lo Lhem wlLh ne brass wlre.
SuLch Lhe [ewelry elemenLs on Lo Lhe garmenL, wlLh hooks and eyes concealed underneaLh.
52
Miscellanea
Working With Artificial Fur
use chalk Lo Lrace Lhe pauern onLo Lhe back slde of Lhe fur fabrlc, one layer aL a ume. 8e-
member Lo lp Lhe pauern plece over for Lhe oLher slde.
CuL Lhe fabrlc by Laklng small snlps wlLh sharp polnLed sclssors, worklng close Lo Lhe backlng
of Lhe fur so LhaL you cuL as few of Lhe halrs as posslble.
- ot -
use a sharp cra or razor knlfe Lo cuL Lhrough Lhe backlng only, leavlng as much lf Lhe fur
lnLacL as posslble.
no mauer how careful you are, you wlll sull have fur u everywhere. ?ou may wlsh Lo wear
a dusL mask whlle cumng, Lo avold breaLhlng lL.
Clve each cuL plece a brlsk shake Lo free Lhe cuL fur. lf you wanL Lo ellmlnaLe as much of lL as
posslble, you can puL lL ln Lhe dryer on Al8 CnL? or vacuum Lhe edges of remalnlng fur.
never lron, sLeam, or heaL dry aruclal fur. PeaL wlll cause lL Lo frlzz and mau.
Slnce Lhe backlng ls a sLable knlL, seam nlshlng ls unnecessary.
L() ,$"4'
1o sew fur Lo fabrlc, smooLh or comb halrs away from edge. ln, uslng long qullung" plns.
SuLch wlLh a long sLralghL suLch. Crade seams buL do noL auempL Lo press or sLeam seam
open. lf halrs are Lrapped ln suLchlng, use a large needle Lo pull Lhem free.
@/:;-C +-9A
1o seam fur Lo fur:
1. SllghLly loosen Lhe Lenslon on your sewlng machlne and
seL for a very wlde, long zlgzag suLch.
2. 1rlm seam allowances Lo !$%".
3. SmooLh fur away from edges.
4. SuLch, keeplng Lhe rlghL-hand slde of Lhe zlgzag suLch
barely o Lhe edge of Lhe fabrlc.
1. ull genLly on boLh sldes of seam unul fabrlc lles aL.
2. 1o conceal seam, use a large needle Lo pull Lrapped halrs
Lo rlghL slde.
53
Starch
SLarch was a brand new lnvenuon ln Lhe 16Lh cenLury, and was an exLremely valuable sLaLus
symbol. SLarch was used on body llnens, caps, aprons, and household llnens, buL lLs abso-
luLe plnnacle was ln Lhe way lL was used Lo sLarch rus.
A Period Starch Recipe
Slnce old fashloned bolled sLarch ls hard Lo nd, here ls a perlod sLarch reclpe.
1hls reclpe uses wheaL sLarch, whlch can be purchased aL healLh food sLores and Aslan gro-
cery sLores. lf you can'L nd wheaL sLarch, corn sLarch may be subsuLuLed.
ln a medlum slzed saucepan, brlng 4 cups waLer Lo a rolllng boll.
Mlx 3 Lablespoons sLarch lnLo 1/2 cup cool waLer. Sur unul creamy.
When waLer bolls, remove from heaL and sur creamed sLarch lnLo lL wlLh a wlre whlsk.
SLarch ls besL used very hoL.
uunk Lhe lLem Lo be sLarched lnLo Lhe mlxLure. lf you are sLarchlng only Lhe collar and cus,
dlp Lhem lnLo Lhe poL and leave Lhe resL of Lhe garmenL alone.
Ll Lhe garmenL ouL of Lhe hoL sLarch soluuon wlLh a spoon or suck, and hang Lo dry. 1hls ls
a messy procedure, so proLecL Lhe oor lf you are worklng lndoors.
As soon as Lhe sLarch ls cool enough Lo handle, squeeze Lhe excess ouL and bloL wlLh a Lerry
Lowel. use your ngers Lo smooLh wrlnkles ouL as much as posslble.
Allow Lhe lLem Lo dry compleLely, Lhen lron. ?ou may wanL Lo dampen Lhe garmenL ever so
llghLly, buL go llghLly. WeL sLarchlng ls exLremely dlmculL Lo do well. 8uMes may be gauf-
fered lnLo Lhe proper shape by uslng a narrow barreled halr curllng lron, reverslng Lhe dlrec-
uon of Lhe lron wlLh each plnch.
1hls reclpe glves a very su sLarch, sulLable for rus and such. lor a llghL sLarch for glvlng
fabrlc body, eLc., use one Lablespoon of sLarch. lor medlum use Lwo, and for a heavy sLarch
for pemcoaLs, eLc., use Lhree. lor a large garmenL llke a pemcoaL, double or Lrlple Lhe rec-
lpe.
Caring For Costumes
Cleaning
Pow Lo geL your cosLume clean Washlng ls eecuve, buL requlres foreLhoughL and acuon ln
Lhe cholces of fabrlc, Lrlms, and consLrucuon Lechnlque. ury cleanlng ls expenslve. l urge
you Lo Lry Lhe auLhenuc meLhods, whlch are easler and surprlslngly eecuve.
ln Lhe perlod, dry cleanlng dldn'L exlsL. eople wore shlrLs and smocks made of llnen nexL Lo
Lhelr skln. 1he body llnens absorbed sweaL, body oll, and dlrL and kepL lL from solllng Lhe
woolen and sllk ouLer cloLhlng. 1he body llnens were washed frequenLly, and Lhe ouLer
cloLhlng was malnly cleaned by alrlng, brushlng, and sponglng as needed.
54
Airing
Aer wearlng a garmenL, hang lL somewhere where lL can alr ouL wlLhouL Louchlng oLher
cloLhlng. 1hls ls especlally lmporLanL lf you've persplred heavlly. uon'L puL lL ln Lhe closeL ull
lL's hung for 24 hours. 1hls wlll keep lL from gemng musLy smelllng, and wlll prevenL bacLe-
rla from damaglng Lhe garmenL.
lf, aer alrlng Lhe garmenL, lL sull has an odor, you can Lry sprlLzlng lL wlLh fabrlc deodorlzlng
spray. Some people don'L care for Lhese sprays because Lhey have a perfume smell. An al-
Lernauve ls a spray boule full of (unavored) vodka. 1he alcohol evaporaLes and Lakes Lhe
odor wlLh lL.
never puL perfume dlrecLly on your cloLhlng. lL can leave sLalns.
Machine Washing
8ody llnens can be machlne washed. Avold clorlne bleach, as lL's hard on llnen. CLher
cosLume pleces can also be machlne washed, dependlng on Lhe maLerlals sued, buL be
careful. 8onlng has been known Lo [am ln Lhe machlne and break Lhe bonlng or Lhe
machlne or boLh. Pooks and eyes and oLher such lLems can caLch on Lhe machlne.
Hand Washing
Some people prefer Lo hand wash cosLumes, ln a basln or, for large lLems, Lhe baLhLub. 1hls
can work, buL Lhe hard parL ls gemng Lhe exscess waLer ouL of Lhe garmenL. Panglng a
soaklng weL garmenL Lo dry Lakes forever, and Lhe welghL of a very heavy weL garmenL such
as a wool gown can sLreLch or sLress Lhe fabrlc. l someumes hand wash Lhlngs and puL
Lhem ln Lhe washlng machlne for Lhe spln cycle only.
Dry Cleaning
8e sure Lo LesL clean any gems, pearls, [ewels, and Lrlms before
havlng your garmenL clean. Make a LesL swaLch as descrlbed ln
Lhe labrlcs secuon. MosL dry cleaners wlll LesL Lhe swaLch for free
lf you explaln whaL you're dolng.
Storing Costumes
SLore your cosLumes ln a clean, dry place. lf you have moLhs ln your area, use moLhballs or
look lnLo Lhe varlous herbal remedles.
lf your cosLumes sLay sLored for long perlods, Lake Lhem ouL of Lhelr conLalners aL leasL once
or Lwlce a year and hang Lhem Lo alr ouL for a day or Lwo. 1hen re-fold Lhem on dlerenL
llnes Lhan you used before, Lo prevenL creaslng.
55
Hangers
Peavy cosLumes need sLrong hangers. 1he besL l've found are wooden sulL coaL hangers.
Powever, garmenLs wlLh wlde necks, such as bodlces, Lend Lo fall o of hangers wlLhouL
sLrap noLches.
My soluuon Lo Lhls ls Lo drlll holes ln Lhe Lop of Lhe hangers, and Lhen Lhread a
wood screw Lhough a large wooden bead and screw lL Lo Lhe hangers.
1he beads wlll provlde a sLop Lo keep Lhe sLraps from sllpplng o.
56