- All Sections
- Basics (1)
- Costume making (3)
- Historical periods (6)
 The calash bonnet is one of the most intriguing 18th century accessories. Serena makes a historically accurate example.  The art and science of hand sewn buttonholes, looking close-up at museum examples and then making our own in four simple stages.  No matter how good a garment is, it can always be improved by adding some lace. Izabela looks at Punto in Aria and bobbin lace.  Serena takes us step-by-step through constructing an 1812 spotted muslin dress by traditional hand- stitching methods.  Amanda analyses a rare find and compares it to museum examples around the world so that the techniques can be recreated accurately.  It's always worth revisiting the basic techniques that we give little thought to, just to check there's nothing we've missed...  Jason gives detailed instructions on constructing the period trousers he showed us how to draft last month.  This early 1790s brocade bodice in Katherine's collection retains the straight front and structured lines of earlier dresses, but also hints at the later 1790s fashions with its higher waist line. It also showcases a variety of different construction and seam finishing techniques, as each seam and edge is finished differently.  After a wait of almost ten years, Patterns of Fashion 4 was released in late 2008. Janet Arnold's final work covers all kinds of extant ruffs, collars, smocks, shifts and chemises in astounding detail, with mouth-watering photographs and the clear, complete annotated patterns that she was so famous for. To celebrate, we thought we'd feature details on where to get some of the fine quality materials to re-create the items in the book. |
