Quality Standards
Recently, I was contacted by someone who bought children’s clothing items from a maker who publicizes themselves as “historically accurate” and holds forth as an authority. Normally, I’d be celebrating both things, because that’s just what we need: makers who have authoritative knowledge and apply it with historical techniques, to the benefit of their customers!
However, the reality was… very frustrating.
Non-period fabric print, poor techniques done very ill indeed, bad cutting that led to impossible fit, poor construction in any era… it was a mess, and there’s little avenue for rectifying or remodeling, unfortunately–there is no additional fabric, and the maker will not remake it or give a refund.j
All that is very negative.
But I prefer to be positive!
So, let’s talk a little about historical qualities in dressmaking, as seen in extant garments and recommended by period primary sources! These are things you can strive for in your own work, and ought to demand from anyone purporting to be a professional.
Choose a Good Fabric.
It’s a basic thing. Period clothing should use period fabric. Not sorta-kinda. Not “if you squint.” Not low-standards almost. Actual period prints are available. There’s no excuse for fobbing off non-period fabric on anyone, ever. It can be a simple plaid, a lovely print cotton, a solid fine wool, a gorgeous smooth silk… there are so many options, at all price points, there’s just no reason to settle for less than good.
Stitching Should Be Tidy and Not Puckered.
Take your time, whether by hand or by machine, and make sure the stitching is not so tight that it puckers the work. This won’t press out, so don’t equivocate: just unstitch as needed, and make the stitching even and smooth.
If you work by machine, make sure you use quality thread, a fresh needle every project or every 4-8 hours of stitching time, and adjust your machine tension properly.
If you work by hand, it can be helpful to pin the dominant-hand side of your work to provide a bit of tension, securing it to the arm of a couch or chair, or clamping it to the edge of your work table. This lets you work more efficiently, and get a more even, regular stitch as well. Check back for a project tutorial for making your own sewing brick!
Secure Threads in a Period Manner.
Period sewing guides suggest a small backstitch knot by hand for securing threads, as well as leaving a tail long enough to form a knot by hand, close to the work. You can do the same.
Period machines cannot reverse stitch. So, don’t do that, particularly on elements that are visible when worn, such as hems. Instead, leave a thread tail, draw both threads to the wrong side of the work, and secure them with a little, tidy square knot, then trim neatly.
This prevents sections of overlapped, wonky stitching where you stopped and started, makes taking out the stitching for future remodels much easier, and removes one glaring modern tell from your wardrobe.
Trim Threads As You Go.
Seriously. Just do it. Trim things neatly, as you go. Right after you finish a seam, secure the threads and trim them neatly! Once the threads start to be crossed over by other seams, you’ll find it much harder to trim them precisely, and you put your finished work at risk of stray snips. Trim as you go, and you skip all this risk!
Press As You Go.
Never not press.
Finger press, at the least, to help crease and open things. But a bit of a hot iron will smooth and set seams beautifully, aid in even stitching for tucks and hems, and create a much nicer, non-bulky finish in nearly any portion of a garment.
Even if a garment is stored wadded in a corner, the difference in pressing during construction versus not pressing during construction is visible and enduring.
Hems and Tucks Should Be Even.
There’s a magical invention called a hem gauge. Or a ruler. Or a yardstick. Or a measuring tape. Or a piece of card with some lines inked on. Or a 3×5″ index card folded up to suit. Or your thumb width.
All of these can be used to make accurate, even measurements for turning up hems, and for marking tucks.
While examples of very uneven hems and tucks can be found in extant items, that’s not the norm, nor should it be an expected part of reproduction sewing. Basic tools will make it very simple to get a nice result.
Tucks for Growth Adjustment Are Done AFTER the Skirt Panels are Joined Up.
Growth tucks have to be adjustable and easily removed to actually function as growth tucks. So, they need to be done in the right point of the construction process, which is: seam skirt panels; set hem; work tucks; measure for balance; hem skirt placket; set fullness. If a skirt is only partially seamed, then the tucks and hem made, these are no longer easy to adjust, and there’s a lumpy, thick seam somewhere on the skirt. Ungainly and non-functional is a lousy way to live.
Do it the period way, and you get all the goodies, none of the fuss.
Take Care to Actually Catch Down the Facing.
It’s understandable that you might miss a section of facing edge if you’re sewing down the waist by machine. Instead, work by hand as they did in the period, and pay attention… or be dedicated to repairing your stitching precisely if you miss by machine.
Repairing means not backstitching to secure, as it will be horrifically visible on the outside of the garment. The stitching must be picked out, threads drawn both to the wrong side, knotted by hand to secure them, then the new stitching placed to precisely intersect with the last threaded hole, and the drawing-knotting process repeated. On the right side, this will mean there is no visible break or overlap in the stitching. It should be evenly distant from the seam, too, not wobbling and crossing everywhere.
Honestly, whether you’re sewing for your own household, for friends, or for a customer, it’s often a lot more time-effective to fell in facings by hand. You get a no-bulk finish the first time, and have total control over stitch placement, for a much nicer finish in general, and a lot less fussing. It’s also much easier to remodel the waistband in the future!
Plan for Fastening (Circumferences & Finishing).
If your wrist measures 6″ and you cut a wristband 6″ long, it will be 2″ too short to fasten at all. You must always allow 1/4″ on each edge to turn in for finishing, plus an extra allowance to have the band overlap and close, plus a bit for wearing ease… so a band for a 6″ wrist will usually need to be cut about 8.5-9″ long in order to be functional when finished entirely: 7″ for wrist and ease, 1/2″ for turning in the ends, and 1″ to 1-1/2″ for overlap and closure.
The same concept applies to waistbands: a band that finishes 28″ will fit a waist measuring 26″. With buttoned closures, the entirety of the buttonhole needs to be overlapped with the buttoning end, so the skirts don’t gape open in the placket; the button will sit a bit back from the end of its band or facing, not right on the edge.
Buttonholes need to be worked through two layers of fabric. Make all facings and bands deep and wide enough to fit the entire buttonhole plus at least 1/4″ before and after it. Period buttonholes are handmade, and “face their stress”–horizontal holes for anything closing a circumference of the body (bodice, waistbands, wrists), and vertical for anything suspending vertically (primarily buttonholes that suspend a child’s petticoat from an underwaist or stays, not typically done for adult clothing.)
Plan for Fastening (Number of Closures).
You’ll want more closures, versus fewer, generally. For bodice fastenings, whether child or adult, plan a button or hook position at the neck and waist, and distributed every 1″ to 1-1/2″ on center between. If there is a yoke, plan for one fastener at the top, and one at the bottom, and if the length between is greater than 3″, one or more in the middle, too–and spaced evenly down the rest of the garment bodice!
Hook placement is far more variable, as the hooks are hidden, and can be arranged entirely for figure needs, versus regular spacing.
Closing Thoughts
I was gutted to not be able to offer much hope to this particular person; the “period seller” took their funds on a garment that was in no way up to basic standards for period sewing or professional sewing. I was only able to confirm the buyer’s sad summary, and offer some assistance to help them get their child dressed well and comfortably.
If we have well-educated buyers, we can expect the general tide of historical sewing standards to rise. If we are working on our own sewing, we can patiently and with determination improve our own work to better match that of the era. We have nothing to lose by wanting better!
Missing the Forum? Find a Refuge!
We’ve been longing to get the full forum reloaded, functional, and mobile responsive.
It’s taking far too long.
So, if you’d like to use a stand-in public group on Facebook instead, please click through and ask to join The Sewing Academy At Home, FB Refuge Edition!
We’ll operate on the same basis as the full forum: stay civil, no sales, no military, keep it period, expect to share documentation for opinions and theories. You’ll need to make a brief personal statement and accept the rules before you get to post. It’s less search-friendly and google-able and archive-happy, and I can’t load the old database, but, it’s better than screaming into the expanse!
Ten Things That Make You Look Historic
Look Like History, No Matter Where You Are! (My Middlest Girl, at a museum event in December.)
We talk a lot about a goal of replicating the Original Cast: those people who actually lived during our preferred historic era. It’s a worthy goal, and barring dysentery, we can actually get pretty close to them.
Most lists of this sort would be written in the negative: Ten Things That Are Making You Look Modern, for instance. But here at The Sewing Academy, we believe the best results come from training the eye to recognize historical examples, not modern flaws.
So here are Ten Things…. that make you look like the Original Cast!
1: Understructure In Place
A well-fitted, era-specific corset will do amazing things for your overall look. Don’t hesitate to refine and upgrade until you get great support, comfortable shaping, and your silhouette mimics those of the Original Cast, no matter what your body size and composition.
2: Textiles In Harmony With Style Choices
There’s nothing more charming than a well-chosen cotton print, fitted neatly, and worn well (even if well-worn!). You cannot beat exquisite fit and styling in a pristine silk. The joys of a fine wool dress with delicious “wool dress style” details are unparalleled. Suit your clothing to your pocketbook, and your styles to the textiles you have access to. It’s an amazing way to look Just Like They Did.
3: A Good Hair Style
Practice, search, practice more! You CAN accomplish an excellent historical hairstyle. Just recently, I gave an early 50s spin to my own short hair, with a delightful little confectionery cap set on a good wire frame, and three little ringlets in front of each ear, with the rest drawn back and hidden in a distressingly tiny knob under a hairpiece that needs to be scaled down… so that’s my next step in Good Hair Style: scale down the fake bits to suit me better. You can do it, too. Find your era-specific style and master it.
4: Appropriate Spectacles
Seriously, decent repro specs are a game-changer. Join me in changing the vision game this year! (It’s also period-appropriate to not correct poor vision, if you can do so safely in your historic settings.)
5: White Accessories in Harmony with Style Choices
Simple white lawn can be worked up plain or less-plain. Invest in great real lace, even if it’s just a touch of it. Get over to cottonlace.com and see what Luc has. You still need to know what you’re looking for to harmonize your era with the styles of lace now available, but you can make gorgeous white bits that harmonize with your dresses, and you’ll be splendid. Period magazines often have diagrams for new and pretty collar and cuff styles; size them so the pages are about 7×9″, and give them a test in muslin or tissue paper—those period shapes WORK.
6: Additional Accessories in Harmony with Activity & Style Choices
Again, your wardrobe needs to suit your accessories! If you’re cold, make some warm accessories. If you’re hot all the time, get your protection gear in gear, and try out hot-weather construction strategies like sheer and semi-sheer cotton or wool, and half-high linings, and single-layer corsets… Add something to accessorize you comfortably!
7: Harmonizing Clothes to Activity
We don’t do gross stuff in fine clothes. We don’t wear grubbies to the dance party. Dress to your activities, and then forget your clothes and go make history.
8: Skip The Mod Cosmetics
Seriously, what you look like is none of your business. A tidy personage and a positive attitude will beautify you plenty. It’s okay to have no eyebrows in the past. Don’t worry about it. There are mild period-styled cosmetic preparations you can try, but skip the modern makeup and you’ll improve your look ten-fold.
9: Consider Your Petticoats
Because you probably need another. It’s a very rare instance that you cannot be improved with a better petticoat. Use period techniques and geometry, and good cloth (not utility muslin), and enjoy the beauty that is a great set of petticoats for loft and loveliness.
10: Footwear!
You’re going to want to kick up a frolic, now that you’re looking so very splendidly-period. It’s worth your time, and maybe selling some blood plasma, to get decent historic shoes that work for your own interpretive needs. Get your shoes and sock in good shape, and stomp forth to be historically awesome!
Testing: RedThreaded’s 1860s Gored Corset Pattern
Redthreaded has been making quality historical corsets for quite some time, but their home-sewing patterns are a newer addition to their lines. It’s rare I use a commercial pattern, but it is time to re-do my foundations for the later 1850s/1860s, as well as for the 1840s, and it’s always fun to try something new! So this time, rather than custom-drape, I’m testing a newer pattern release from a great corsetiere, and sharing the details of my experience with you, the Sewing Academy members!
I chose the downloadable pattern in a size 22 (the link goes to the paper pattern–look for the downloadable link in the description); purchase was simple, delivery immediate, and it was easy to save the file to my drive. Printout was very simple: 22 pages, zero scaling, all black-and-white… took about 2 minutes, including shuffling through the toys in the front room to get to the printer and retrieve my printout.
It took me a moment to suss how the printed pattern tapes together. It was simple when I started from the last sheet. Rather than putting together one huge grid, there are five tape-together sets: the last two pages are the gusset, busk facing, and back lacing panels, two sheets taped together; then the hip gore, two sheets taped together; a single sheet for the mid-back piece; and four sheets each for the right and left front/side corset shapes. It only took a few minutes to tape each set up neatly, and cut out the pattern.
Right off, I like that grainlines are noted clearly (and do note that they are not visually up-and-down—there is some great use of graining that adds to the comfort and stability of the design!) and the seam allowances vary in width. There is no sense cutting a 5/8″ seam allowance on an edge that will be bound! RedThreaded gives a sensible 1/4″ allowance on bound edges. The seam allowances are clearly marked on the pattern itself, and the notes include mention of cutting them off entirely and marking your own preferred allowances on the cloth itself.
This pattern does include some modern technique options suited to modern theatrical or cosplay use, so I’ll be retro-fitting to mid-19th century techniques (no serger, etc).
It does include a waist stay, which is not in every mid-century corset, but is a nice technique on single-layer corsets, and I’ll be using that. I tend to be overly warm most of the time, and I’m excited to give a single-layer corset a go!
The instructions use photographs rather than line drawings. There are some processes I’ll swap (I’ll be binding last, for instance, instead of binding the lacing placket and main corset body separately).
First Alteration: I prefer to have a whipped-in busk, versus machine installed, so I’m using the process in The Dressmaker’s Guide instead, altering the facing pieces a tad at center front. Because the fronts are largely on the bias, using a straight-grain facing for the busk installation is necessary.
Second Alteration: The pattern sizing is very close to my actual measurements, but I know I want significant bust lift, which will require shortening and possibly narrowing the bust gussets. I’m both fat and vain, so I’ll be using increased compression in the front torso.
Potential Third Alteration: this corset has relatively few vertical seams, to opportunities to create compression or alter it quickly are lower. This means careful fitting is a huge key to success for my figure.
Fourth Alteration: Looking back, and taking into account my Very Squishy Flesh, I should have ordered a 20, which advice is right there on the ordering page from RedThreaded! Note to Future Liz: take my own good advice and hearken to the designer!
Fitting Test 1:
First mockup material? Poster board. Yes, you heard right! Poster board and tape! This gives me a quick non-stretchy look at the shaping, and how I might need to change it up for myself. I traced, cut, and taped the fronts, back, and back lacing panel, to see how the overall shape will sit to my waist.
The first thing that became very obvious is that I’m taller in the waist and ribs than the pattern really serves as-is. That’s normal information for me, but important–without it, seating the corset properly at my waist, the whole upper edge would fall 1-2″ too short for my bust, and since I do like that to be supported, it makes a big difference.
I also noted that I want to drastically shorten the gusset depth, and I may not be using the side-bust gusset position at all. For those who have breast tissue distributed further around the side, the side-bust gusset may be vital. I anticipate either eliminating it entirely, or else making it more narrow.
Fitting Test 2 & 2.5:
This time, I traced the pattern onto test cloth, marking a higher top edge under the arms and into the bust. I don’t have much “back fat”, so I’ll blend the risen areas into the as-drafted back piece. I’m testing support with cut-down plastic zip ties basted into strips of cloth for boning channels; I’ll use steel in the final version.
This test went rather well; I got great uplift for the bust by shortening the gore placements, and with just one gore in place up front, got fairly nice positioning and volume as well. The waist position was precisely where I needed it to be. The zip ties were annoying, so I started swapping them out immediately.
I had initial qualms about the size and shaping of the hip panel, but it fit in precisely, and had plenty of room for my lower abdomen, hip, and non-existent upper-back-hip flesh. Anyone with actual bun meat may need to plan to slice and dice the back of the hip panel for more flare there.
I did notice a distinct change from two layer to one layer, in the bust area: I needed a bit more boning support than anticipated, to make up for the lesser-support of a single corset fabric layer. This is very easily fixed, of course, with some additional angled boning channels from the side bust toward the front of the body.
I may go back to add a small additional bust gore, quite slim, for a bit more room. And, I could stand to raise the side-front bust a tad more as well. With a good chemise to help control the flesh that’s at liberty, it’s not a present problem at all.
It took some time to draw and stitch on casings for each boning position, but the work was not difficult, and the shaping of the corset helped identify great angles for that boning, too.
Remember how I noted above that there would be very few alteration points once the main seams were together?
Yeah.
I was right.
I ended up needing to take about 4″ out of the mid-back of the corset, from waist to the top edge, between my shoulder blades, which I was able to pinpoint once all the boning was installed. Thankfully, I’m happy to Frankenstein a corset. Pinching out a long dart from nothing at the waist, to 1″ deep at the upper edge, right next to the lacing placket, is a good temporary fix for the issue. I stitched it wrong-sides-together, placing that dart on the outside of the corset and felling it down flat. In a final-final version, I’ll correct the entire angle and shape of the mid-back piece, and will be pleased as custard! For now, it’s functional and not lumpy under my thinnest dress.
True Confessions:
I entirely forgot to install the waist stay, and inserted the hip panel inside out, so there’s a raw seam on the outside of my test corset. The test boning is a mix of 1/4″ flat spring steels of varying and assorted lengths, American and Canadian, harvested from previous corset iterations. I added a binding, tossed the corset in my suitcase, and determined to find it charming.
Life Test:
This rough draft corset, completed in less than two days, had a 5-hour dress test at the Citizen’s Forum Conference in Maumee Ohio, 22 March 2019.
Donning was easily achieved; I did have some lacing adjustment help from a friend, but no one cried.
I found the shaping to give excellent and comfortable compression, with very acceptable room for my guts. I nibbled and sipped with great abandon. I knocked over small decorative elements, and retrieved them from the floor. I felt firmed and supported, and loved having my bust in a nice historical location that denies the effects of gravity and the space-time continuum.
Upon doffing, I did not need to heave the Busted Can O’ Biscuits Sigh… I was still comfortable! My corset showed exactly what I wanted it to show: some heat/perspiration molding in the bust and hip without loss of support, and ZERO significant stress or fitting wrinkles near the waist. Being able to cut and refine right to my actual sudden waist point, with a nearly 90* hip angle, made a HUGE difference in my comfort and overall shaping!
Summing Up:
I like RedThreaded’s 1860s Gored Corset Pattern. Quite a lot.
The drafting and scaling are precise and excellent. Markings are clear. Instructions (even with the modern arrangements) are quite good.
I would recommend it for a more experienced corset fitter, as it will take some pre-calculation to make sure sections are adjusted to suit the figure (particularly for anyone long in the ribs, like me, or taller than average.) The side-bust gores, in particular, will need careful attention for correct fit and depth to avoid bosoms that migrate to West Armpit.
Having a minimum of piecing, it goes together quickly; having a minimum of piecing, there are fewer fitting adjustment points, and they can be hard to get to without deconstruction. As with all patterns, at least one test version is mandatory.
Follow the designer’s recommendations: if you are one with soft flesh, DO order down a size. This pattern does *not* have ease added, but squishy flesh will squish, and you’ll end up with too much corset left over. My measurements were squarely in a 22, but with what I ended up removing in circumference, a 20 would have been a better start point, with my own alteration for greater length waist to upper edge.
This shape of corset is ideal for anyone with sudden hips! I can’t recommend the separate hip panel enough. Being able to cut the waist to precisely my waist length, and have the hip go at a nearly 90* angle away from that, is so very comfortable! Depending on where your hip/belly/butt flesh lives, you may need to alter the hip panel for more flare.
For those with little to no hip shelf, this pattern can still be a very excellent one; you can create cotton-covered wool roving pads that baste into the corset hip, which creates a stable and comfortable hip shelf. The padding rests on you and fills out the corset shape; your clothes are then supported by the filled-out corset exoskeleton.
Do not fear altering your bust gores. Lift their starting point. Narrow or widen the gores. Refine the shape to echo the volume placement of your breasts. Reduce the outer gore or eliminate it altogether if your breast tissue does not reach that far to the side.
For $20 invested in a good pattern, this is one of the most comfortable, easy-to-wear corsets I’ve had in the last 28 years!
And no, I have no pictures. Because I am really quite dreadful about that. I am determined to find that a charming quirk, rather than a blogging failure.
Vintage Sewing Advice & Why It’s Not Stupid
Herself
About every six months, a short piece from Mary Brooks Picken rolls around the sewing interwebs, to great and derisive guffaws.
About every six months, I get crabby about that.
Now, Mary Picken is well past my preferred era. The piece she wrote that gets passed around wasn’t published until the 1940s. However, she’s an astonishingly productive and well-skilled woman (NINETY FIVE BOOKS!), and her advice is not for naught.
Here’s the quote from 1949:
Prepare yourself mentally for sewing. Think about what you are going to do. Never approach sewing with a sigh or lackadaisically. Good results are difficult when indifference predominates.
Never try to sew with a sink full of dirty dishes or beds unmade. When there are urgent housekeeping chores, do these first so your mind is free to enjoy your sewing.
When you sew, make your self as attractive as possible. Put on a clean dress. Keep a little bag full of French chalk near your sewing machine to dust your fingers at intervals. Have your hair in order, powder and lipstick put on. If you are constantly fearful that a visitor will drop in or hour husband will come home, and you will not look neatly put together, you will not enjoy your sewing.
And this gets all manner of negative commentary.
But let’s break it down a little, and I hope you’ll see how much benefit you’ll get in your mid-19th century sewing endeavors from just following a few 20th century Mary Picken notes.
Prepare Mentally
Seriously, do this. Read the pattern or project through. Walk through it in your mind. Make samples of new techniques or skills. Don’t start with a grudge. Arrange your space for mental and emotional calm and even happiness. Don’t go for slapdash–you’ll make mistakes that are uncomfortable to wear, or take time to repair.
Good Environmental Conditions Count
If the kitchen is a wreck and the house is in chaos and your bed is a heaped pile, fix those things to basic and tidy first. You’ll avoid things like:
- Butter marks on your good cloth because you brushed against it in the kitchen, didn’t realize, and then bent over your lovely silk or cotton or wool and transferred the oils right to the middle of your bodice or skirt pieces. Had the kitchen counters been wiped down, and things put in their places, you’d have no crisis.
- Needing a warm beverage and not having a single clean mug. So it’s either suffer for want of a beverage, or stop your productive work and try to scare up something that won’t give you cholera.
- Needing to take a break and stretch out, but not having any space to do that because the couch is covered in laundry and your bed will take a week to sort out… or, you know, two minutes to make up after you’re out of the shower.
- Hangry and Hanxious You and any other household members. Hangry-Hanxious Me makes mistakes. Stupid ones. And gets mad about it. And tossed projects, and wastes materials and time and effort. Not a fan of her, actually. One of the best things I do when starting into a spurt of sewing is to make and shop for a simple meal plan, and kit up things, so I don’t have to spend any time prepping, making, or cleaning up meals for myself. I can turn it over to household members, or if it’s just me, cater to my own needs without interrupting my productive time or forgetting to do things like rehydrate, fuel my brain-jelly, or visit the loo.
Functional Project Space Counts
I don’t have a dedicated sewing studio. Haven’t had in 15 years, actually. This may shock some of my readers to their core. HOW CAN IT BE?
I work at the kitchen table, or in my very pleasant bedroom (cross-legged on the bed in the afternoon light–it’s amazing), or in the front garden under the porch and tree, or in the living room in front of the big window, or in the car on drives, or in airports… pretty much anywhere can be my functional project space, because I work best in tidy settings, without too much visual chaos, and I don’t subscribe to the idea that Creative = Chaos at all. The visual overwhelm that typifies many casual shots of other peoples’ creative spaces makes me itchy and panicked.
I very honestly do best at my work when my thread bits go into that little pile by my right hand, and get tossed every time I stand up to refill my water or take a personal comfort break. When I press along the way and there’s nothing piled on the board that has to be moved in order to do it. When my cut fabric is folded up neatly and not getting mangled or stretched from being in a heap. When my supplies are right at hand in a compact, tidy way. When I’m not distracted by debris on the floor that makes my feet feel gross. (Seriously… that’s a huuuuge sensory ick for me.)
When I’m on top of my game, and wrap up a project, I take 20 minutes and get everything actually put away. All the tools and supplies go back to their respective containers. Scraps go to the donation box, or garbage. Usable “cabbage” (thanks Bernadette Banner for this charming vocab!) goes into the appropriate container (sorted by fiber and era, usually). Measuring tapes get rolled back up and popped into their little storage container. Flat surfaces wiped down, floor swept up.
New project to be started? All that same stuff needs to happen, so I can then pull out the tools and materials and supplies needed for the new project, pop them into a project bag or bin, and have everything in one contained, tidy, organized spot. No Frantic Me. No Frustrated Me. No Take-Over-The-Whole-House-With-Chaos Me. It’s kind of awesome.
Functional Me Counts
In addition to having a functional environment both for the continued sustaining of life and household sanity, and the sewing stuff, having a Functional Me is kind of amazing.
Put on a clean dress/powder/lipstick: this is not a joke, actually!
Dude.
Shower. Moisturize. Put on clean underwear. If you have breasts, add a bra. Try some jeggings and a comfy tunic top. Dry your hair and toss it into a bun, ponytail, whatever. Wear some cherry chapstick (and stop it with your bad habit of snipping threads with your teeth, because it’s hard on your teeth and leaves chapstick residue on your project.)
We’re not talking a full face of makeup and glam hair and an evening dress. Mary Pickens mentions clean clothes, basic hygiene, and a non-greaseball face, plus something to make it look like you have lips on your head instead just a vast expanse of blended flesh from shoulders to nose. This is not extreme.
We’re talking “don’t get featured on People of Walmart” because you’re in basic human comfortable clothing that looks decent if you have to run out and grab anything, or if someone you care about pops over for a visit, or if you get a surprise chance to do something awesome. Zero stress about personal appearance, even if you’re not a person who stresses a lot about it. I like that.
If you’re in fitting mode for a historical project, jeggings or yoga pants or a skirt plus a tank and light top make it really easy to pop into a corset and do a fitting, but you’re still Quite Dressed for everything else.
You’re not sitting there greasy, lank, stale, and sporting Ozark Bosoms somewhere near your waistline. You’re not going to get stale sweat on your new, clean project. You’re not going to transfer butter from breakfast toast to your good fabric.
It’s a lot easier to feel good about your work when you feel decent about your ownself, so basic human upkeep ranks high on my reasons why Mary Picken’s advice is highly applicable today.
Be Willing To Learn From Good Sources
As with many historical things, don’t fall into a trap of “presentism”–assuming that our current practices and beliefs are the pinnacle and be-all, end-all of all human development forever.
One of the coolest things about sewing for living history is the chance to really experience archaeology! To try out the full systems and see how they feel. To learn to appreciate antique systems and habits. To experience, for a little while, a different world, and bring back into modern life those elements that appeal to us, that comfort us, that support us well. To share those experiences with others in the hopes it will also appeal, comfort, and support their modern lives.
Mary Picken was essentially awesome. She had good advice in her era, and much of it very directly applies to getting her same exceptional results in our current world.
Don’t diss her. Give her methods a whack. See what supports you. Test it long enough to make a habit, and enjoy the results!
If you’re naturally more chaotic, upgraded practices will let you avoid Overall Chaos, and focus on your creative chaos instead (and if you’re going to a limited-space workshop, tidy work habits will make you a class favorite with your fellow participants. Don’t be the Chaos Person who makes the whole thing awful. Contained Chaos is much nicer.) If you’re more like me, and require tidy, well-organized spaces to be at your most creative, these basics will support that as well.
Mary Picken. She’s awesome like that. Go be awesome like Herself.
Forum Glitches
Friends, we’re having some server issues with the Sewing Academy @ Home Forum, so it’s not operable just now… we’re working on the problem, and will have the forum back up asap!
Where To Find My Work, Authorized And Free Of Charge
Dear friends: I received an email Tuesday that indicates Citizen’s Companion will once again re-issue my copyrighted work in the Women’s and Children’s Back to Basics special editions, without my permission or copyright transfer, and indeed, without asking me to contribute research updates or clarifications. (The Women’s and Children’s content has significant components that were given my by-line in the original run of the issues, and additional significant content that the editor and I agreed would be published without a by-line, but which are still my work.)
It seems the prior publisher grossly misrepresented the extent of their rights to my work, which had only ever been submitted with First North American Serial rights ONLY, all other rights retained by me, including the right to include my work in re-prints or digital archives. Thus, the current publisher feels they “bought” rights to my work for former editors of Citizen’s Companion, responded with such when I last contacted them about please ceasing to contravene my intellectual property rights, and it appears they will choose to stand upon that. It is not accurate, but there we are. Some folks lack ethics.
I’ve notified the current Citizen’s Companion staff several times that I do not intend to grant republication rights–and certainly not without updating the information, which is in some cases nearly 20 years old!–but the response has been less-than-encouraging for intellectual property rights. It seems they will yet again contravene my rights as an author and researcher.
However, you need not participate in such trampling, and I can offer my original and updated files in my self-archive, for free:
As always, you can find the up-to-date versions of my published work, FREE OF CHARGE, on my website, www.thesewingacademy.com , the only fully-authorized, legal repository of my own archived and updated work.
(Additionally, the staff of Citizen’s Companion persists in calling citizen-oriented vendors “sutlers”—please join me in squashing the mis-use of historical terms. Citizen-oriented makers and vendors are not sutlers. I know, it’s a small thing in the grand scheme of a publication that does not hold to a higher standard of ethics with intellectual property rights, but still. Words Mean Things.)
Fellow researchers and writers, please be sure you limit your publication efforts to self-publishing, self-archiving, or ethical publishers who operate with a simple, clear writer’s agreement. No independent writer should be handing over “all rights” to anyone, much less to a publisher that does not pay for the work. Things to consider: First North American Serial Rights that revert fully back to the author on publication; reprint rights on request only; limited or no digital archive/publication rights (outside of short teaser excerpts to advertise the periodical, perhaps); no compendium, compilation, or other omnibus publication without permission… as the creator of your own work, you have rights to it that are created with the work itself. Don’t sell yourself cheap, and don’t work with unethical publishers, full stop. It’s not worth the years-long hassle.
Yes, there are legal options. I’ve used several, and the current Citizen’s Companion publisher has a larger budget than I do defend their assumption of rights to very outdated research the magazine published up to two decades ago in some cases.
So I’m using MY right to update my own work, and share it here, free of charge. No subscription needed, no ads, no ethical issues.
An end-run around people who have less-than-stellar track records in the hobby community is rather a lot of fun. We need the cardio, right?
Hit the Compendium and the blog topic archives to your right–get my current, updated stuff, free.
Corsetry Toolkits!
I’m working on finishing up a full (and largely positive) review of the new RedThreaded 1860s corset, but while I’m finishing up, I wanted to share some tool resources that can help you dive into home-corsetry for the mid-19th century!
Grommets are a big deal. You need the 2-piece style, with a grommet and a washer, not the one-piece squashing-splay jobbies at Joann’s. And they need to be of modest size, to better suit the look of metal grommets used for lacing in mid-century corsets. You’ll also need a way to squash them together. A way that doesn’t kill your hands forever.
For under $12 *including shipping*, you can get a box of 100 sets of 000 or 00 metal grommets, plus the “hammer and anvil” that goes with the size, from Gold Star Tool.
The “hammer and anvil” set is inexpensive, effective, and lets you get a really good smash on the grommets for permanence and durability, without needing any sort of hand strength or grip strength. (This is a big deal for me. I cannot open jars without outside assistance. Grommet pliers are just Straight Out Nope.)
Now, you’ll also want a smacking tool… it needs to be hide, or dead-fall, or rubber mallet style, not metal. Metal will rebound in your hand, skitter around, and up your risks of smashing fingers and inventing all new Sewing Vocabulary that will likely get you Darned to Heck, where it is always Uncomfortably Warm. Let’s not.
Hit up Harbor Freight. A 1 pound rubber mallet runs under $3. And they have stores everywhere!
I’m often asked about the German Artificial Whalebone by Wissner (made from the baleen of artificial whales grown in the stock tanks at Wissner, of course)–does it work, etc? I’d say a hearty YES, actually! It’s an extruded polymerized polyester product with many remarkable properties.
It provides good, flexible support with far more stability over time (and with body heat) compared to lesser plastics or too-light steels, it can be twin-channeled with bones right next to one another when you want additional support, it’s lightweight, it can be cut with regular scissors and shaped with a nail emery, and it’s available by the yard/meter, so you can custom-cut your boning lengths as needed.
I prefer the 7mm (1/4″ wide) size, and I like ordering through Farthingales in Canada, though there are plenty of US suppliers. Burnley & Trowbridge have the 6mm at $2.30 a yard; Corset Making Supplies has a variety of thickness and width options by the roll, still under $3 a yard. (Burnley & Trowbridge have the very slender 4mm version, should you need something to mimic superfine baleen!)
German whalebone from Wissner is particularly useful if you’re corseting growing girls through their teens; you can go from test to finished corset as often as needful, without spending on repeated shipping.
Even with German whalebone for the majority of the corset, though, I still prefer to have 1/4″ flat spring steels for supporting the grommets at the back placket.
Coutil is not your only corset fabric option, nor is it a be-all, end-all. It’s just a French word for Twill. You can successfully corset with nearly any fabric, provided it has a firm, fine weave (too coarse and bones work through quickly), is a natural fiber (no heat-stroke death for costuming. It’s a low standard, but it’s my standard.), and has zero to very minimal cross-grain stretch. If you do want coutil, though, check out what Tutu.com has… $15 a yard for 60″ wide in white.
There you have it: a short list of useful things to contemplate while I wrap up my review of the new corset pattern and get it all loaded up!
Whatcha Doing? Or: Event Styles & You.
If you’re new to the world of living history, or just beginning to expand your event participation, you may run into some terminology regarding different types of activities. It can sometimes feel like a whole new dialect! Here’s a brief summary to get you started:
Mainstream: Let’s get this one out of the way first, because it has both indistinct and spurious connotations, and isn’t one you’re going to hear a lot these days, due to the “indistinct” problem. What it does have:
- Costumed participants, though there will not generally be a written set of material culture guidelines, and historically accuracy will vary widely with participants based on their knowledge and comfort level.
- Spectators, who will or will not expect interaction with costumed participants. Spectators may have to pay an entry fee, or not, depending on the event.
- Registration fees for participants, typically; these fees usually go to provide amenities like portalets (and hopefully, servicing!), potable water, sometimes even firewood.
- Registration is often by larger-club group registration, without accommodation for solo citizens or citizen-only groups.
- A variety of generic and specialty impressions, of varying degrees of research, as well as some who do not choose to undertake any impression or demonstration or interactions at all.
- Some standardized activities, such as 2-3 pre-planned military skirmishes each day, and things like a “ladies tea” or fashion show, and a dance (misnamed a “ball”) in the evening.
- “Mixed” camping settings are common, with families in military areas, and military roaming without period paperwork; there may or may not be any expectation of maintaining historical material culture in camping areas or foodways.
- No expectation of maintaining impressions or interpretive voice when public visitors are not present.
- Vendors often present; misnamed “Sutlers”, and found to have widely varying product accuracy, largely catering to spectators or participants who may not be concerned with historical accuracy.
In the 1990s, and into the new century, the term “mainstream” was sometimes used pejoratively to describe public events that did little to interpret accurate historical information. These events do still exist.
However, and gladly, there are many more options for historical events!
Timeline Events
- Open to the public, who may or may not pay an entry fee.
- Participants may pay a fee to cover site use, insurance, and amenities. Registration may be individual or by groups. There may or may not be written material culture expectations.
- Some specialty impressions, demonstrators, or presenters may receive a bounty, honorarium, or financial consideration for their participation.
- Individually-selected impressions, interactions, and demonstrations along a timeline of eras, either within a narrow time window (such as pre-1869 Western Emigration), or along an extensive span.
- Generally no over-arching event scenario, though there may be a theme to the event, such as showing homefront life, or celebrating a holiday through the eras; the overall theme unites the displays and interactions for the public.
- Most interpretive voices are acceptable (first, second, and third); public interaction is expected, and within scenario or impression groups, first-person interactions and short scenarios may be expected.
- Timeline events run the gamut of extremely accurate history, all the way down to “doing stuff that’s sorta loosely inspired by history in public.”
- Vendors may be present, but will generally be there to serve the needs of the visiting public and souvenir market, with some items for historical people; may or may not be juried.
- Related to timeline events are what I call “Smorgasbord” events: dealing within a specific and limited time-frame, but very open-ended as to styles of interaction, specifics of impression and demonstration, and material culture expectations. Smorgasbord events are ideal for “carpe eventum” situations, wherein a small group of like-minded folks coordinate an event-within-event with a first-person scenario for their own enjoyment and often for public education. The historical accuracy of such carpe eventum runs the gamut, dependent upon the specific small group.
Conferences & Conventions (& Retreats)
- Open to living history enthusiasts, academics, writers, makers, and the public
- Conferences with presentations and workshops will not generally have historical dress required (or even encouraged, when space is tight), though there may be some special costumed events as part of the conference schedule. Basically: if there’s a modern folding chair and powerpoint presentations, it’s a conference setting and modern clothing is going to be just fine.
- Conventions may have more scope for historical dressing, even when historical activities are not being done in the historical clothing. There’s an element of See And Be Seen to strolling a convention or exhibit hall, after all!
- Conferences and conventions will typically have a higher participation or entry fee, to cover the event expenses with a smaller number of participants. There may be extra workshops or experiences for which there is an additional cost.
- Vendors are often present; some events jury vendors (vetting for historical research and application, and specifying which wares an individual merchant can bring). Others do not jury vendors. If you know the standards of the organizers are high, and the vendor spaces are juried, conferences and conventions can be amazing places to view top-notch material culture and make really informed buying choices.
- Special events related to the experience can run the gamut from costumed historical activities (picnics, dancing, dining, garden or house tours, etc) to historic preservation efforts (modern clothing expected) and historic skills experiences (which may be a mixed bag for clothing–some modern, some historic.) Event organizers will generally be quite clear as to the expected clothing needs for different experiences at the event.
- Well-planned conferences and educational weekends are very clear on their offerings, the realities of the program and facilities, and whom the program target; most recognize that we are all beginners at something, and are designed to meet both entry-level and advanced interests.
- Smaller retreats are often sponsored by small groups of like-minded individuals who lead or bring in an instructor for a long weekend of learning and practical experience. These are typically modern settings, modern clothing, and no first person expected from participants–they are learning events, not interpretive events.
Semi-Immersion Events
- May or may not have a public attendance and interaction component; the visitors may or may not pay an entry fee.
- Participants usually expect to help cover costs (potable water, sanitation, shared food, shared event amenities). Registration is generally individual or by families, and will usually involve submitting photos and descriptions of individual impressions for approval well before the event.
- Semi-immersion events depend upon the participants’ mutual suspension of disbelief to overlook modern intrusions to the historical setting.
- Generally, first-person interpretive voice is expected when interacting with fellow participants and visitors.
- There may be limited to no “off-stage” areas or times; participants should expect to use accurate historical material culture and processes for all personal needs (exclusive of some things like keeping insulin at safe temperatures; these medical accommodations fall into the “be considerate and discreet” category).
- An over-arching event scenario unites all impressions and interactions; this scenario will require individuals to adapt their typical range of impressions to suit the interpretive needs of the event.
- Roles are often functional, serving the interpretive goals as well as the material needs of the participants. Active cooking and cleaning, hauling, harvesting, tool-mending, gardening, manufacture, and other life tasks are common.
- Semi-immersion events tend to have extensive pre-event planning and support, and can be a wonderful entry to history-heavy experiences for newer living history enthusiasts. The support of more experienced participants is extensive and… supportive.
- Vendor presence is not typical; some semi-immersion events have a separate area for food vendors for the visiting public, but it should not be in the historical area.
Immersion Events
- Typically individual registration is required, and fees go to cover shared amenities. Registration is generally limited and targeted at those who are known to enjoy and be skilled at full immersion.
- These events do not have a visible public visitor component, though they may be held in typically public spaces and require some willing suspension of disbelief to ignore modern intrusions, though usually, modern intrusions are deliberately eliminated or reduced as much as possible.
- No backstage or off-hours; participants maintain their impressions and personas round-the-clock. Medical accommodations are handled in the “considerate and discreet” manner of semi-immersion events.
- An over-arching scenario guides and molds all impressions and interactions; organizers may give individuals differing goals and motivations to help spark natural interactions through the event.
- Roles are almost always functional, serving the material needs of the participants and scenario. Impressions are carefully planned to create a coherent community for the event.
- Generally no vendor presence, unless in the form of an actual historical livelihood bartering or trading historical currency forms within the scope of the event scenario.
- Event scenarios, impression vetting, and research support is something that happens early and often.
- Immersion events are most often a once-off. While there may be a series of linked immersion events over time, it is not typical to do the same scenarios in each, and there may never be a repeat of the specific set-up.
Invitation Only
Here’s the way to get an invitation to an invitation-only event: contact the organizers and ask for an invitation. They’ll generally respond with extensive information and a request for descriptions and images of your impression, and will require the same from every participant.
Invitation Only doesn’t mean it’s an exclusionary event group; it simply means registration is highly individualized, and designed to create a very compatible and cohesive event community.
The Really Special Events
This is a whole ‘nother bag of cats related to immersion and invitation-only events, wherein a small group plans a first-person experience that involves historical settings and activities in as much of an historical way as possible.
These typically have higher individual registration costs, as they factor in shared rental of a historic property, catering, and experiences. There is not generally a public interaction or interpretive component, but first-person impressions are normal and sustained.
Event framework might involve hiking and recreation, travel, community-building, crisis experiences, or other fairly deep “experiment in history” components, which then inform the individual’s future interpretive communication.
Pre-event research and support are common.
Even if the event is repeated, the activities, mix of personalities, and details will generally change each time, to keep it fresh and interesting.
Summing Up
When it comes right down to it, no one style is the be-all, end-all of event structure! What matters is whether or not the event has clarity about itself, and whether that structure is something that sounds like your idea of fun.
If you love demonstrating a craft or art, but don’t like play-acting, then timeline and smorgasbord events are a fantastic fit for you!
If you like to “live in the past” and don’t want to deal with communicating in sound-bites to the public, immersion and small “boutique” events are more your game.
If you don’t much want to do public interaction or first-person with others, but you love learning about the past, a wide array of educational conferences, conventions, and retreats is right up your alley.
Get clarity about the sorts of things you call “fun”, find events that share that clarity, and dive into your own history!
Getting Better: A Short, Encouraging Rant.
by George P A Healy, MET collection
When it comes to replicating mid-19th century items for living history use, the closer we can get to the original, the better.
But sometimes, we hit a wall. We’re doing… okay. But the stuff we’re making isn’t quite cutting it. We might look like a reenactor, versus one of The Original Cast (and yes, I’m still regretting introducing The Original Cast as a term about a decade back, but I still find it highly useful, so I’m still using it.)
How do we break through, get over, or just tear down that wall?
Surprising no one, I have some thoughts.
Look at Stuff
… and by Stuff, I mean Original Stuff. Thousands of items are being shared in on-line archives daily. Do some digging in local historical archives, regional museums, private collections, on-line collections, antique guides, and other real resources, and really look at them. Are you seeing what you once thought you saw? Or has your eye been slowly refined by casual looking, and now you’re seeing more? Take notes.
Don’t Look at Stuff
… other repro stuff, I mean. There are some amazing replicators out there. I’m pleased to be friends with a whole stack of them. But if you’re copying somone’s modern repro project, you’re going to end up with a copy of a copy, and the more times it’s been copied, the more risk you run of getting make-believe, versus history. So be inspired, perhaps, but don’t copy. Look carefully to see where the replication and the original are twins, and where a repro items perhaps fails. Take notes.
Retrench
Take a bit and reexamine what you have and what you do. Are the elements of your impression truly harmonizing, or do you have an atypical stinker wrecking things up? Have you been skating by doing so-so, half-done semi-historic techniques? Now’s a great time to learn or refine something.
Perhaps you need to get really comfortable with making and applying fine piping: just do it! Perhaps you need to learn to really find your waist: just do it! If it means you end up taking apart and refining existing projects, awesome! (Caveat: so long as the fabric is a really spot-on one for your era. Don’t waste time on poor fabric choices.)
Sometimes, we get poor results just because we’re skating on some basics, like pressing a project as we sew, or paying attention to period grain placement when we cut, or skipping making a test bodice, or testing trim scales. Slow down a speck. Take the steps. Pay attention. Be tidy as you work. Press things. Make the muslin. Press the muslin, too. All the small habits really do add up to a more successful finished project.
Get Comfortable
… with a bit of historically-accurate tedium. You can spend your time fussing over the miserable slog of sewing on hooks, or hemming by hand, or hand-gathering, or any of the hundred mundane tasks of replication… or you can find your little zen pocket of the universe, and settle in to make the most of the time.
Simply choosing to add a pleasant aspect to a mundane task–like listening to period music, or “watching” a costume drama while you work, or taking your work to the sunniest spot in front of the window, with a fragrant cup of tea by your side–along with a determined attitude and a reasonable pace of work, can have a profound effect on the quality of your finished items, and a decrease in blasphemy, profanity, vulgarity, and general rage with which you may have previously approached your least-favorite tasks.
Sometimes, the mere swapping-about of the work process can help! For me, I make and prep my skirts first, directly after cutting everything. Seams done, hem in, balanced and gathered, gauged, or pleated, ready to go—it’s a psychologically easy start for me. Then I prefer to focus on doing up my sleeves–since I can baste those into my muslin to test them, because YES, I MADE THE MUSLIN. Once the sleeves are truly sewn and finished, they get neatly folded on top of the tidily-folded skirts, and I start my bodice. Projects where I’ve started the bodice first? OH LANGUISHMENT. OH WOE. OH TEDIUM.
If your sewing process has been a drag on your work, consider switching it up and finding a new comfortable work order!
Get Uncomfortable
Learn to use your thimble. Seriously.
But beyond that, get out of your project comfort zone! If you do mostly sewing, try another period handwork–knit something very badly. Paint a few horrific watercolors. Embroider something terrible. Build a rickety shelf with handtools. Make lumpy cream gravy. Learn a period ballad and caterwaul in the car.
Stepping outside of your normal project range to experience other aspects of mid-century life can refresh the soul, and bring new depth and context to every avenue of living history!
Read Stuff
Read any primary sources, and good secondary resources, that you can get your eyeballs on. Whether it’s a period novel, science treatise, travel story, missions report, newspaper, or business directory, you’ll gain context. Read What The Original Cast Read.
Don’t Read Stuff
… but don’t get too caught up in the politics of modern hobby chat on-line, or you risk getting bogged down in all that mire, or getting used to seeing fairly mediocre work praised instead of examined, or any of a number of distraction and misinformation risks we are all prone to. On-line lists and such have their place! I adore them! Just be wary of the echo chambers, and think sensibly about the information you find. Evaluate, critique, search, and make up your own mind: is what you’re hearing and reading consistent with The Original Cast stuff you’ve also been reading?
Set Ambitious Goals
If you’re used to doing modern double-layer collars, set a goal to make a fine-hemmed single-layer batiste collar, and maybe edge it with really good lace. Choose one technique to focus on with your next project, and take some notes on the learning process. Learn to use teensy double-points to knit something. Look at budget-friendly ways to set aside money for the Really Good Bonnet, or the Really Historic Glasses. Set a goal that pushes you, and work in small increments to get there.
Celebrate Small
Take the time to notice and be pleased with your progress. What may not seem celebratory to others might be a very big small deal to you! It is very encouraging to pull out something, on which you’ve done your best, and notice afresh how much care you put into improving your pressing skills or buttonholes or tidy button stitching that isn’t knobby with drool-covered knots… your upgrades matter. Celebrate them! (And if you come across something you can now improve, go ahead and do that! It’s Quite Reasonable to snip off all your buttons and re-stitch them with the better techniques you know now, or pull off a mangled patch and re-do a mend in a more period manner!)
What will you improve this year?
A Sweet GAM Dolly Sets
In meandering about the internet today, I came across this very lovely post regarding Great Auntie Maude’s Favorite Cloth Doll, and thought to share it with all of you lovely readers!
Click Through for Sew Decades Ago’s photo-laden post–she did a charming job on the whole set! Mother-daughter doll projects are such a great way to connect with your favorite girl.
And if you’re ready to make some sweet history dolls for yourself, like I did in advance of our 24 July Pioneer Night event (photo of four cloth girls and one cloth lady to your left–yes, I made four new dolls and dressed three new dolls in about 6 hours, because I am a crazy person), hit our Dolls section for both shipped and downloadable doll options (downloadable Lady Doll should be available very soon!)
Hunt Hill WI Retreat Registration!
Two years ago, we partnered with the Living History Society of Minnesota (LHSMN) to bring about a wonderful working weekend at Hunt Hill, Wisconsin. This year, we’re doing it again! You’ll find all the details and registration links by clicking through.
Suggestions on Lending from Godey’s
From Godey’s, October 1862, we glean this delightful bit, contributed by an anonymous member of the reading public from Illinois:
We wish all our exchanges and subscribers were of the opinion expressed in the following lines:–
What, borrow! and the Lady’s Book!
You do not mean it, really;
Godey would stare with frownful look,
And censure us severely.
Scarce any wish would we deny;
(Before asked, you knew it)
But as to lending Godey, why,
We cannot, WILL NOT do it.
Save your loose pocket money;
Wash your husband’s shirts and collars;
Cut down expenses–cut no dash,
Till you’ve amassed Three Dollars.
Then, with a conscious dignity–
Unlike a begging toady–
Remit your honest dollars three,
And pay for your OWN Godey!
Corsets & Cravats 2018: Don’t Miss This!
Image courtesy of Corsets & Cravats
I’m sitting down today with Dannielle Perry, one of the masterminds behind Corsets & Cravats, a new regional conference with some great national-level presenters, about the upcoming even in Newberry, South Carolina.
Dannielle, what made you decide to develop a new educational opportunity in South Carolina?
In the summer of 2016, I taught a workshop for the Greenville Ladies Aid Society at the home of Rose Favors in Newberry, South Carolina. At one point during the weekend, Rose mentioned a historic hotel and the possibility of bringing some vendors to the town.
The next spring, Kara Bocek of Corner Clothiers and I attended the DAR Agreeable Tyrant Symposium. The quality of the presentations was amazing. After listening to lectures on things like the weave of the fabric of George Washington’s inaugural suit, we got excited. We wanted to host a heavily research-based event. We wanted an opportunity to showcase both established and up and coming researchers. Kara and I had been to the Genteel Arts Symposium in Harrisburg, but there wasn’t anything like that further south.
I reached out to Rose Favors and Ann Maddox of the Greenville Ladies Aid Society in South Carolina and they were throwing around the same ideas. The four of us met and Corsets & Cravats was born.
Looking at the mix of workshops and presentations, this is not just clothing; there’s a great mix of material culture and “internal” culture. Music, literature, technology, religion; I get the sense that there’s a push to develop the whole context of the era. Can you tell me a bit more about the goals for the conference, and how you hope to develop it going forward?
People tend to over-simplify historic figures and eras. Behaviors are not singularly-motivated today or were they in the 19th century. I am a mother, a teacher, a milliner, a business owner, and a wife. My personal actions and behaviors are not solely influenced by the evening news. Political and military events do and did affect how people behave, but there is so much more to daily life than that.
Understanding mid-19th century culture helps people realize that Americans then were not so different than we are today. Studying denominations and religious practices helps us to understand the importance of God and worship to the average 19th century American. A study of popular literature can give us a glimpse into day to day life and the issues and concerns of people of the day.
Some topics are easier to understand than others. Our cultural sensitivity class will help interpreters deal with sensitive issues like race relations and the institution of slavery. A great place to start on any of these topics is research. We are offering a class on that too. In short, our goal is to improve the cultural knowledge of attendees to better interpret history.
Moving forward, we plan to expand beyond the opera house to the adjacent conference center to allow for more classes, attendees, and vendors. We are already making plans for 2019, so stay tuned.
Will there be a focus on the Southeast, or can those from any area of the country attend and absorb some new resources?
Our focus is popular and material culture in America. We are not regionally focused or limiting ourselves to regional topics. Information should be relevant to mid-19th century interpretation throughout the United States and Canada.
I happen to be a singer myself, so the musical workshop with actual performance included is particularly exciting. Developing living history skills to include appropriate music has so much potential in every setting and event! Is there a workshop that you’re particularly excited about attending?
Kara and I came up with topics and then invited instructors, so all of them. I honestly wish I could take every single class.
I am excited to be accompanying Colleen for the music class. Samantha Bullat (McCarty) is teaching a padding workshop to help us make our clothes fit the way they should. Sarah Hermann is examining genre paintings to find all the little things like baskets, food, utensils, and even the types of livestock that make living history scenes more authentic. Carolann Schmitt and Mackenzie Anderson Scholtz are each teaching classes that work together to give us the full picture of the underpinnings that create the correct shape for the Mid-19th century clothing.
These workshops and presentations don’t seem to be limited to the very narrow Civil War years, but rather, cover a more rounded lifetime of experiences leading up to the war. What made you look to that expanded context (which I adore, by the way!)?
People are not dropped from space into a four-year period. People had lives before and after the Civil War. They had hobbies and jobs just like we do. Many people did not know specific troop movements, but they did know about day to day life.
To have a convincing impression, we need to have a knowledge of mid-19th century cultural history. What songs would we sing, what books would be reading, how and how often would we worship, etc. are all things that we should be familiar with to properly interpret the 19th century.
We also hope to expand our reach beyond Civil War reenactors to living historians and historical interpreters who interpret and study more than just 1861 to 1865.
I also notice a concentration on really honing impressions to our individual needs, from the working classes on up, with things accessible to both urban and rural life. If I’m new to creating a first-person impression, or in the middle of revamping old knowledge, where should I start?
A lot of newbies ask me where to start. I tell them it is a process. A great place to start is activities that you enjoy in the modern world and expand from there. I started to participate in living history in the mid-1990s. I love music, so a purchased a melodeon and started researching period music. I learned what I should and shouldn’t be singing/playing. I learned to sew because I couldn’t afford to purchase the clothing I wanted to wear. I learned that I was pretty good at fabric arts, so I expanded my sewing to quilting, knitting, and even spinning.
I try to have one new thing for each event. It doesn’t have to be something you can touch. It can be something you have studied. Improve a little at each event and you will be amazed and how you learn, grow, and change.
I noticed some workshops are already sold out; what’s the deadline for registering? When will pre-registration for 2019 open?
The deadline for registering is July 15, 2018. However, we only have a few spots available and registration will close when it is full.
As you mentioned, many of the classes are already full and many only have one or two spots left. We kept class sizes from 15 to 20 people based on the subject matter and the size of the classroom. We wanted participants to be able to feel comfortable interacting with instructors and each other. We feel small class sizes contributes to meeting that goal. We are calling them classes rather than workshops because so often participants leave workshops with UFOs (unfinished objects) that take forever to finish. We wanted attendees to learn skills rather than walk away with half made objects.
Pre-registration for 2019 will open shortly after the Corsets & Cravats 2018 weekend. However, this will be a hold my spot only as we haven’t lined up all of our teachers for 2019 at this point. Some speaker class ideas for next year include heirloom gardens, naturalists, humor, and what it means to be middle class.
Is this a conference best suited for those who are more experienced with living history, or are “newbies” going to fit in well? How much experience do I need to have before attending?
You don’t need experience to attend. We have attendees who are new to living history and we have people who have been participating for decades. We have had interest from other costuming communities beyond living history. We are open to all who are willing to learn.
A quick peek at the vendors shows a well-curated group of merchants. Will the juried vendor space be open to the general public, or reserved for conference attendees?
As a vendor, this is a topic close to my heart. Being a vendor is a job not a hobby. Vendors work for weeks before an event producing, and preparing stock geared toward a specific event. We spend years and thousands of dollars researching the items we reproduce. Vendors need to not only meet expenses but make money to make the time and effort they have made to attend an event worthwhile.
The vendors will be open to attendees and the general public. The best time for the public to visit will be Saturday morning. Weekend attendees will have adequate shopping time throughout the weekend. We want to give our vendors the best opportunities possible to have a profitable weekend, so they will come back.
The overall conference cost is only $165, and that includes up to five workshops on two days and the Saturday presentations; tell me a bit more about the special events connected with the conference?
Beyond classes and presentations, weekend attendees are invited to attend a Friday night sociable, Saturday night entertainment, and Sunday morning church services. Our theme for Friday night is “What? This old thing? It was just hanging in my closet.” Attendees can wear any impression from 1830s to 1870s and will be given a chance to explain the outfit and give documentation. We will also have tours of the opera house and refreshments provided by the Greenville Ladies Aid Society.
Saturday night at 8:45 the Joyful Harps will entertain us on the opera house main stage. Sunday morning, Reverend Brantley will lead us in worship at the opera house.
For an additional fee, we are offering Tea on Friday, and Supper on Saturday. Tea will be hosted by Reverend and Mrs. John Taylor Brantley at a local tea house. Unfortunately, the tea is already sold out. Saturday evening, we have a period inspired supper at the community hall adjacent to the opera house with local SC foods. There are still spots available for supper.
Do I need to be in period dress the whole time?
No. You don’t have to dress out at all if you don’t want to. Period is dress is encouraged for tea, Friday night, and Saturday evening. We feel participants will be more comfortable during classes in modern clothing.
I see there is a period photographer; I love having a plate made as a truly unique souvenir of an experience! Looking at the photography page, there are a lot of options to suit my budget, with size, optional prints, and optional framing. How do I reserve time, and what should I expect of the experience? Could I have a wetplate done in modern clothes, or must I be in period clothing?
We are excited to have Harrington Traveling Photographic Artists joining us for the weekend. Their work is phenomenal. The Harrington’s made a ruby ambrotype of my family in a picnic scene at the Maryland, My Maryland event in 2012.
Most collodion artists only do ferrotypes, but Todd and Vivian make ambrotypes, ferrotypes, and carte de visite.
You may have wetplate done in period or modern clothes. In fact, many Newberry locals plan to come have their image struck. To make a reservation email admin@corsetsandcravats.com.
I’ve not been to Newberry SC before; what should I plan to do or see while I’m there for the conference? With independent lunch windows, where should I plan to eat? Any local specialties I shouldn’t miss?
I got help with this one. Rose is our local Newberrian. She is compiling a huge list of things to do and see in Newberry and all of South Carolina. She is not quite done with the big list, but here is an abridged version.
Where to eat? There are several places within walking distance of the opera house. For a sit-down lunch, try Figaro or Cabana. Figaro’s Chef John Worthington has promised to make some special fare for C&C attendees. Figaro market has to go lunches. There is also an ice cream shop called The Corner Scoop which has sandwiches too.
What to do? There are lots of great shops and boutiques in downtown Newberry. Two great antique shops are As Time Goes by and Eurolux. For history lovers, Rose Hill Plantation and Hampton-Preston house within a reasonable drive from Newberry. The town also has an internationally acclaimed nursery known for its orchids.
What top three bits of advice would you give to any attendee?
1. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Your instructors are happy to help you.
2. Let us know if there is something we can improve. We do not know if there is a problem unless you tell us.
3. Relax and have fun.
There you have it, everyone!
For complete information on the new Corsets & Cravats educational conference in Newberry SC, August 3-5 2018, please click through to www.corsetsandcravats.com. Register ASAP to claim one of the few remaining spots! It’s sure to be a fantastic experience for all!
Mahaffie Sunbonnet Sewing Review
Only a few weeks after we debuted the new free sunbonnet pattern, made possible by the lovely folks at Mahaffie Stage Stop and Historic Farm, one of our lovely Sewing Academy readers and long-time Forum member, Betsy Connolly Watkins, has completed her very own, and was very happily willing to share the experience with all of us!
You can read her post, and see how charming the results are, right here.
And, for the record, I agree with all of her comments! This is not the very-very-simple style suited for very new historical sewists. It is not hard, but it does have multiple steps that may feel unfamiliar even to someone with the years of historical sewing experience those like Betsy have.
The process of back-engineering the original in the Mahaffie collection was a lot of fun for me, simply because of the interesting order one needs to take to replicate the results of the original. It was a series of “OH! So then… no, but first.. oh, and then… nope, this other…” I spent a good two hours muttering to myself in delight, sketching, and measuring. And then even more hours thinking through it all, and turn it into a step-by-step project and test out the sequence.
While you could make a Mahaffie-style sunbonnet in any sunbonnet-appropriate textile, I really love that Betsy used a woven check very similar to the original extant bonnet. The checks show off so wonderfully in this style, as would any linear-design fabric. This is one style that really needs the smaller, linear motif to show off best; a larger print, or a non-linear floral would not have such distinctly charming arrangements in the bias-cut frill, and in the seaming/piping of the front/back bonnet sections.
Excellent work, Mrs Watkins! May you wear it happy, deeply shaded, and in excellent health!
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