Sources and Resources

As a librarian by day, I am no stranger to research and gathering information.  As a successful post graduate I also know once you think you've plumbed the depths of current information a new source pops up.

So, it was little to no surprise that my first serious foray into researching actual costume construction (instead of cobbling together my sewing skills, Pinterest, and general thriftiness) yielded no less than 12 books to source. There was no way in heck I was paying $25-$50 for each book from Amazon, though that is where I did my initial research to find them.  Inter-library loan to the rescue!

I've looked through 8 books so far, copied the pertinent pages, and even bought one that was particularly useful.  Or at least it had shiny colorful pages:

Here are links to the others I've had the chance to look through and recommend:

• Patterns of Fashion 3: The Cut and Construction of Clothes for Men and Women C. 1560-1620 by Janet Arnold
• Patterns of Fashion 4: The Cut and Construction of Linen Shirts, Smocks, Neckwear, Headwear and Accessories for Men and Women C. 1540-1660  by Janet Arnold
• Period Costume for Stage and Screen: Patterns for Women's Dress 1500-1800 by Jean Hunnisett
• Historic Costumes and How to Make Them by Mary Fernald
• The Mode in Footwear by R. Turner Wilcox
• The Mode in Hats and Headdress by R. Turner Wilcox

However, these resources are not for the beginner or faint of heart.  They aren't even for those who have less than a dearth of patience and/or time to actually learn, self-directed, from a book. I have a feeling I'll be using them quite a bit in the future to make dresses more historically accurate, but I didn't have them before I started on "L"'s dress.

Besides, I believe in my last blog post I said I would post sources for "L"'s actual purple dress. So, below is a complete list of where I got materials, patterns, and inspiration for that particular dress.

Fabric: 
ValueVintage sellers on Amazon have cotton, silk, and synthetic blend saris, dupattas, trim, and more. I have found several saris from them in the past.
ImperialAntiqueArt on Amazon has a similar selection as above. Sari pictured at right is what I purchased from them for Liza's dress.
Hotel Sheet Suppliers on Amazon vary in price from time to time.  Here's two I've purchased from:
UnionHospitality
Weekender

Materials:
Shoestring is used for lacing up the corset.  It does stretch some over time but is sturdy.
Metal Rings can be used for hidden lacings that need to lie flat.
Polyester Boning is best for light weight hoop skirts, but is too flimsy for a boned corset. With this style a couple extra hoops are necessary in the skirt.
Zip Ties at their largest are best for corset boning.

Patterns:
Italian Bodice Pattern from a now closed corner of the Western Michigan University website.
Raglan Sleeve Chemise from the same above website.
Hoop Skirt Pattern originally intended for Civil War reenactors, but usable here. 

And believe it or not, that was the end of my inspiration online. The rest came as I was sewing.  I really was copying another dress I had so it was pretty easy.  And yes! The dress is done!  I'll be doing a series of posts next on how that went.  Hopefully after that comes updates on my husband's doublet.  We've had illnesses and family deaths, so things are going a bit slower there. In the mean time, here's a preview of the purple dress reborn: