All posts filed under: Miscellenia

Giving thanks for the best thing a girl could ever have

Published by The Dreamstress

I have the loveliest friends.  I really do. This post is my shout-out to all my amazing friends – the ones who have been there for the best of times, and the worst of times.  The ones who listen, who laugh, who show up to help with frantic last minute sewing, who model for me, who photograph me modelling, who share ideas and information.  This is for friends online, and in real life. To all of you who read, and comment, and interact with this blog.  Thank you for making me feel connected, and for sharing information and enthusiasm.  Seeing what you have said overnight makes getting up that much more exciting.  I’ve learnt so much from you, and you’ve been so generous with your time, support, and sometimes even sewing things you thought I’d find useful (my roses are just starting to bloom Elise, I can’t wait to fill the silver flower holder!).  I’d love to meet every one of you in person! To my sewing friends – Mrs C, Madame O, Joie de …

Terminology: What is scroop?

Published by The Dreamstress

This week I thought I would do a fun little terminology post, and when your term is scroop, there is no way you can’t have fun! What is scroop?  Scroop is the sound that taffeta makes. Really. Yes, it is an actual, proper, technical textile term (not like all those costuming collective nouns that we came up with). Both silk and rayon taffetas (and some other silk and rayon fabrics) can have scroop, but it’s not caused by the weave, or the quality of the fabric.  Scroop is added with a special acid treatment, which hardens the filament yarns that the fabric  is woven from, making them rustle more. An early article on synthetic silk (rayon) mentions that it is shinier than real silk, but that its scroop is less. Scroop has an equally  awesome synonym:  froufrou  (though since the 1950s people have begun to use it to mean frilly, rather than rustle-y, leading to a shift in the meaning). (bonus awesome  thing – there was a British peer names Scroop Egerton, he was the …

And another one down, and another one down…

Published by The Dreamstress

I use a lot of thread, and whenever I finish a spool of thread Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust plays in my head. Last week, thanks mainly to the pleated 1883 in every way skirt, I used up four full 150 metre spools of thread, two full 100 yard spools, and a further two partly-full 100 yard spools. I’m really sick of Queen!