Hello! I am searching for a Colonial American or Early American dress pattern. My specific need is Virginia, circa 17881. Folkwear does not have this era, and I do not know of any other sources. I'd appreciate any leads or links. Thank you. Pat in Virginia
Oops! Well, I can understand why the moderator restricted it, when the word "women" is in the name of the mailing list.
18th-Century Woman is a great list, by the way, and several people who have written books about the eighteenth century are active participants. It's rather busy, though -- I'd suggest that someone wanting to sample try out "Web Only" at first, were it not that I just tried to read Yahoo's pattern-making list on the Web, and it's no longer honestly possible: the Web interface not only doesn't let you follow threads, you can't even see the entire subject line!
The list of pattern sellers is in the form of a table that doesn't work at all well in ascii. I could filet the URLs of the vendors out of the source code, if anyone is interested. I see that they missed out my favorite vendor, Wm. Booth, Draper.
But I'm not sure Wm. Booth, Draper sells patterns -- when I go there, all I do is drool over the hemp twill, and I don't use patterns -- which may change after the copy of "Whatever Shall I wear" that I just ordered arrives, but you have to have stays and a shift to wear a gown and I'm not really interested in making stays for one brief event a year when I might not even be invited next year. On the other hand, corrugated-cardboard stays would stand up to a few hours per year. (But then I'd have to find a place to keep them . . . )
Anyhow, here's the table. You can read the list of pattern makers and the list of vendors, but can't get any use out of the X marks telling who sells what.
Online Sutlers with Patterns for 18th Century Clothing
Eagle's View J.P. Ryan Kannik's Corner Mantua Maker Mill Farm Missouri River Northwest Traders Pegee's of Williamsburg Period Impressions Rocking Horse Farm Smoke & Fire Tailor's Guide
Bradley Company of the Fox X X X Burnley & Trowbridge X X X X X Coureur de Bois X X X X X X Dragonfly Design Studio X X Five Rivers X X X X X X X X G. Gedney Godwin X Grannd Garb X X X Harper House X X X X X X James Country Mercantile X X Jas. Townsend & Son X X X X Lacis X X Northern Rifleman X Rizzo's Reproductions X X X X X Sewing Central X X The Silly Sisters X X Smoke and Fire X X X X X
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