Replacing a vanished post from yesterday. I think I get distracted, and forget to hit Submit. Mods, please deleate if the same pops else where.
Some new books:
The Dressmaker's Guide 1840-1865, second edition, revised. Elizabeth Stewart Clark. This woman also has a site, and an active forum, The Sewing Academy at Home. She has very good basics for CW era clothing on her site, but the book does have more valuable information. Her *patterns* rely on dressmakers tape, and scaled down drawings that you can usually draft straight onto the fabric. This is the last era before modern machine techniques took over, so the clothes are still amenable to more primative finger-pressing and hand-sewing-on-your-lap work style. CW bodices can get very fussy, so I would skip those if your equipment, skills, and patience are limited. However, one can get make easy working outfits with split drawers, chemise, petticoats, and full skirts, aprons, and shawls. I work in these sorts of clothes every day - just keep the skirts at least 8" off the ground, and find a comfy firm foundation to go around the middle to support the waist bands (makes a big difference).
Costume Close-Up Clothing Construction and Pattern 1750-1790, Baumgarten and Watson and Carr. This book has already cleared up some confusion I had with a pattern. Lots of close-up photos, and illustrations. The authors really do make a lot of it easy to understand. 18th Century is a very good era for practical hand sewn clothing that can be passed down, and will wear well if a person changes sizes. Techniques like binding hems help protect against wear and make repairs easier. The tapes used at the waist save huge amounts of time fussing with installing or altering regular waistbands, and this is the last era where women get pockets - generous ones too, so what's not to like? 18th century women's clothing sews up fast (the men had much more tailoring, and this book will help out there too). Social status was indicated more by fabric type and embellishment than basic cut.
Handwoven Tape Understanding Weaving Early American and Contemporary Tape Susan Faulkner. This book is more relevant and useful than it would seem, for such a humble product. Everything used to be held on by tape (and straight pins). A Colonial Era outfit can utilize yards and yards of it. My only successful weavings have been inkle belts - none of the patterns in this book are complicated, so a beginner can achieve success. The original cast in America used tape looms. Lots of photos and diagrams in this book.
18th Century Embroidery Techniques, Gail Marsh. This book is meticulously photographed and diagrammed. Wow, intimidating, actually; however, here are a few motifs a more amateur person like myself can reproduce. Which bring us to the final book suited for a person with plainer tastes...
Homespun and Blue a study of American Crewel Embroidery I borrowed this book from a library about fifteen years ago, and have wanted my own copy ever since. Photos are black and white, but the author is an engaging writer, and shows how the needlework reflected what was going on in America at the time. The motifs are mostly simple and would work well today.