All posts filed under: Reviews: resources, books, museums

Friday Review: Three Buckets Full

Three Buckets Full 509 High Street Boulcott Lower Hutt City Wellington What it is: an antiques and notions store with a focus on textiles, sewing, and beading. Three Buckets Full is the Wellington areas best-kept secret: everyone who has ever been to it raves about, and loves it, but the shop does no advertising, isn’t on the internet, doesn’t really even have a phone line, is in the most unpromising location, and has the most inconspicuous, uninteresting shopfront. If you don’t hear about the place by word of mouth, you are never going to find or visit it. Luckily, word of mouth in the Wellington textile world is alive and well, and once I discovered it, Three Buckets Full became my favourite store ever. Or at least, one of the more dangerous stores ever to take me in to. It carries all of the most delightful and drool worthy pogey bait types: vintage jewellery, beads, buttons, lace, antique trims, old sewing notions, fabric, vintage textiles. The only thing I don’t care for is the dolls. …

Friday Review: Jill Salen’s 1900 Ribbon Corset

Published by The Dreamstress

This is a review of the fit, comfort, and wearability of the 1900 ribbon corset pattern from Jill Salen’s Corsets: Historical Patterns and Techniques, and of the pattern itself. First, the pattern: The pattern, when you first confront it, looks ridiculously hard and completely incomprehensible. This is true of all ribbon corset patterns in my experience. As soon as you put a prototype together and figure out how it works, the logic of it all comes together in your mind (or at least it did in my mind!) and the whole thing makes perfect sense. There are some very interesting things about this pattern. Because the side, back, and front pieces are perfectly straight, the seams that meet them are very curved, to give the corset its curving and shape. The front and back seams are particularly curved. I’m not used to sewing two very curved seams at the centre front and back, modern seamstresses are generally taught to keep both of these seams perfectly straight, so it did take a little mind-readjustment. Flaws/problems in …

Museums are not infallible

Published by The Dreamstress

This topic has been brewing in my mind for some time, and I was prompted to post on it due to American Duchesses’ post about stays, and Abby of Stay-ing Alive’s survey (which you should take if you haven’t!). This post is based on my experience working for museums, and is meant to provide a greater insight into how we (as historical costumers), can use them. Museums are a fantastic resource for historical costumers. As the caretakers of historical artifacts, they hold the ultimate resources: original garments. They also frequently supply valuable research on original garments. However Museums are not infallible. Everything that a museum or its representatives says or writes is not necessarily accurate. As a more-than-averagely intelligent person (I automatically assume that anyone who reads my blog is more-than-averagely intelligent!) with a particular interest and background in the area, you should feel free to question and improve on their information. The Tate identifies this woman as “heavily pregnant”, but American Duchess suggested that the ‘pregnancy’ is in illusion/affectation provided by the fashions …