Silk, various forms

This is a tall order, Kitty, and you would be better served by doing a couple of things. First, go to this site:

Julie Parker has written what I think are the definitive tomes on silk, cotton and wool, each with actual fabric swatches of the materials described. I learned a lot about silks with her All About Silk book, and the others, as well: All About Wool, and All About Cotton. They are mainstays in my voluminous sewing library. NAYY

If you prefer not to do this, you can also order sample sets at a couple of different online fabric providers. I know for sure

has one, and Greenberg & Hammer used to have. There may be others that someone else may know about here. As I used to tell my students, you need to "educate your fingers" about various fabrics' characteristics. That's pretty much the only way to learn, although reading a book or a description will help reinforce it. This is my opinion, YMVV.

Hope this helps, and good luck with the dress. It sounds like a great project.

Karen Maslowski > I've been looking for silk at different sites and find so many different

Light and sheer, and very soft. Goof for soft fluttery things, but needs to be lined to avoid sho-through except where you want this.

With a pattern woven in: light weight, for blouses and stuff.

With a coloured pattern woven in - heavier than jacquard. Think curtain weight.

Woven from slubbed silk made when two silk worms make a single cocoon together. great for bridal things

Another type of jacquard pattern: tends to be heavier than 'jacquard'. Makes good wedding dresses

Not sure about this one...

Woven from highly twisted threads: has natural stretch. Drapes well, and can be anything from blouse to coat weight

As above, but very light blouse weight: soft drapy hand

Like crepe, but semi-sheer

Often refers to dupion type fabric. Crisp hand. Great for more tailored looking things. creases rather a lot, like many silks.

A finer slub weave.

You wouldn't wear a hoop in the 1890's, so no worries there. A sort of Tea Gown would be a good look.

Take a look at the Past Patterns web site some patterns:

>

Kate wrote

look of the 1890s was *not* hooped skirts. Think "Belle Epoch",and "Fin-de-Siscle". ;->

Dear Kitty,

Someone else has aptly answered the questions about fabric weaves, so I won't repeat. However, if you're going for the 1890s, you're going to have to put up with big sleeves. The best thing I can suggest is to look at summer frocks for this decade. Then you won't have to wear silk; you can use cotton or linen. But the types are very important. The ones in the collections that I have curated are dimity, lawn, figured gauzy cotton, cotton lace, some linen for tailored suits, and only some silk linen or tweed. Large hats and crocheted gloves, pointy shoes with spool heels and outrageous silk stockings would complete your outfit.

Teri

Like a good jazz musician, I think Kitty is trying to riff on an 1890s theme, which is to say that she wants to evoke the idea of an 1890s outfit without actually wearing one. I think it sounds beautiful!

-Charlotte, a fan of Beethoven's 7 Variati> Dear Kitty,

Kitty Take a peek at this one

It'sthe Burgandy Dress. It looks like fun and you could change the neck stuff to something a little simpler. It's a little earlier time period, but not by much. Juno

Another one I thought of, again a little out from the time period (Edwardian) is folkwear pattern #209

this is only for the skirt though.Liz

I don't know how you got into that page, I get a page saying that it is under construction and isn't availabel. When I try to go in from their home page by clicking on dresses, Nothing happens. Oh well, Maybe I should just order a paper catalog. thanks, kitty

???It works from here. But, that page is for Civil War (i.e. 1860s) era clothing. I thought you wanted the 1890s. Quite a difference. It would be like wearing fashions from the 1970s *now*! ;->This page: shows styles from the 1890s.as does this: that page, look at the " 1897 Autumn Costume with Jacket Bodice " and the "1897 Braided Cloth Gown with Bell Skirt"and: I'd be taking a look at " 1893 White Satin & Brocade Gown "

I'd stay away from the Civil War (hooped) and 1880s (bustle) look if you *really* want to have your costume true to the 1890s.

perfect. I added the gibson girl blouse and a pattern for undies, and by the time I was done, I had blown my wedding budget on patterns. sooooo

I suddenly remembered buying a pattern for a chemise from Butterick that might work for the undies, etc and suddenly, I have found that I bought all those patterns from Butterick last year. YAHHHH.

Now I can spend my wedding budget on FABRIC and I have the patterns. could it be that I was thinking of these designs all along and didn't remember I had bought them?

thanks so much, I have been wearing myself out looking for patterns and fabric and I am half way there now. LOL thanks, what a relief. I'm half way ready to start cutting and having fun.

I didn't realize how much this was bothering me til I realized how relieved I am. I was praying about this last night and wondering how I was going to get done in the time and money alloted. Thank you LORD!!! what a blessing. Kitty

thanks so much, they all give me a green under construction sign. I found the folkwear patterns have nice patterns, which I can use my Butterick treasures I just unearthed to recreate. How serendipitous. LOL ( never thought I would have a reason to use that word)

I'm still tempted to buy a paper catalog of patterns in time. I used to have a catalog from Amazon Dry Goods, with folkwear and Patterns of time in it, boy I could spend hundreds on just patterns I think.

I want to make the walking skirt previously mentioned, with a gibson girl blouse. think I need a jacket? Maybe if I just make the skirt and blouse in a matching fabric with similar trimmings I will have a dress and won't need a jacket? I can't imagine really wanting to wear a jacket in August even at 8 in the evening. Kitty Kitty

Ok, Butterick patterns 3418 for the skirt, and either 4049 for the blouse or a pattern with a circle yoke with lots of trim which I know I've seen but don't have here in my hand.

I wonder if the purple Matlasse' silk from fabric.com would make a blouse I wouldn't have to spend a week embellishing with a black or purple linen skirt? or would it look nicer to use the same fabric for both pieces?

I am a bit worried that the silk will be to warm, should I be looking harder for linen? is there by any chance, such a thing as a linen jaquard? or would that be a heavy drapery type fabric?

Kitty

What browser are you using? They load perfectly using Mozilla's Firefox.

It's free.

Yes! View A

View B?

I think she's got it! ;-)

Oooh, that sounds purty!

Karen Maslowski > I want to make the walking skirt previously mentioned, with a gibson

yes, this sounds perfect... to me. now answer me this....

my daughter says it sounds to much like a costume. give me your thoughts on this.

In article , Kitty In Somerset, PA of

uttered>yes, this sounds perfect... to me. now answer me this....>>my daughter says it sounds to much like a costume. give me your >thoughts on this.>

You won't like this ... but I'm inclined to agree with her. There are, however some C20th patterns from Folkwear that might do something you like.

In your original post, you said: "I am trying right now to create a period type dress for a semi formal occasion, and outdoor evening wedding. I want my dress to be dressy, two part, cool, easy to wear, and to give the feeling of being of the

1890's but without a real bustle or hoops, if possible. My goal is to be comfortable, fancy and fun, with most of the style but none of the overdressed look. and I'm worried I wouldn't be able to wear a hoop without looking silly."

I wondered when I read that if this was to be an "1890s themed" occasion and wedding. By that I mean, are the other guests being asked to wear period clothing? Are the bride and her attendants going for an 1890s look? Are the fellas wearing late 19th century regalia? Otherwise, what would be the point of " I want my dress...to give the feeling of being of the 1890's"?

If you intend to wear clothing based on designs a hundred years out-of-date, what else can they be but "a costume"?

YMMV,

"BEI Design" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

new trend setting? ;) there is reproduction clothing, which is what i would call a costume & there are designs based on a time period, which would not be costumes because they are modern interpretations. at least that's my take on things, but , much like cooking, where i can't follow a recipe to save myself, i'm not very good at following either patterns or current fashion :) lee