Do you starch your chiffon before working with it? That may help and after it's pleated and the pleats are tacked down, you can rinse out the starch. Sharon C.
-----Original Message----- From: h-costume-boun...@indra.com [mailto:h-costume-boun...@indra.com] On Behalf Of Lauren Walker Sent: Saturday, June 29, 2013 9:08 AM To: Historical Costume Subject: [h-cost] chiffon and Astrida's book Oh, dear. I was just going to check in to complain that if I EVER finish the current project it's going to be YEARS before I work with chiffon in 1/12th scale again, and here I see Astrida has a whole book on how to really *do* these embellishments where I've been winging it. I'm torn between buying a copy now and waiting until I'm done with the doll project so I don't feel I have to tear everything apart and start over. I mean, I did just pause to go order the book, because books always win. But I'm just about to do the "accordion" pleats (Godey's calls them accordion pleats) for the skirt on the gown on the left here: http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015004176890;view=1up;seq=511 for the tiny Grodnerthal doll (I've got the bodice done although there are things with which I'm not satisfied so it might get done over--the pleating ended up not crossing above the belt, and I'm not sure I can stand it) and I'm not sure whether it would help or not to know what I am doing! Anyway I'm looking forward to my copy of the book! And to moving on to the fourth and last outfit in the doll project, which is the one on the right in this plate: http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015004176882;view=1up;seq=109 which I'm working in a striped cotton and a sheer wool challis. Which will have their own problems, but will at least not be this insanely delicate chiffon. By the way, Godey's calls the hat a "flat leghorn" -- looking at some other hats from the late 1880s, some did not have crowns, or the crown was filled in with the scarf material. Would any of you hazard a guess about this particular hat? Thanks! I'm going to be so happy to go back to human-sized 18th-century wools and linens. Fabrics you can't hurt even with a blowtorch and a hammer! Lauren Lauren M. Walker lauren.wal...@comcast.net On Jun 17, 2013, at 3:39 PM, Terry wrote: > I'm so excited to say that I just received Astrida Schaeffer's book > Embellishments: Constructing Victorian Detail. I mean I JUST got it > (5 minutes ago), so I've only had time to thumb through it, but it > looks beautiful. Can't wait to read it! > > > > Terry Walker > > > > _______________________________________________ > h-costume mailing list > h-costume@mail.indra.com > http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
