Favorite Links

Historic Costume Patterns Links

• Margo's Patterns yahoogroup
  • E-mail list for the users of Margo's patterns. Margo checks the list several times a day. If, by chance, she isn't available to answer your question some of the 1100+ members can probably help.
• Margo's CafePress Store:
  • We have t-shirts, mugs, bumper stickers, and other goodies available in this store. Visit today!
• One Tough Costumer Blog
  • Margo's costume blog, with costume news, events, and projects, sewing hints and tips.
• Margo's Patterns Facebook Group
  • Are you on Facebook? Join us!
• One Tough Costumer:
  • Margo's personal website. This website is offline while Margo does a long needed rewrite and creates illustrations.

Mailing Lists

When we started this website nine years ago, it was possible to list all the relevant email lists. Today, there are thousands, so we'll just point you to our favorite:

• h-costume list
  • This list concentrates on re-creating period costume, from the Bronze age to the mid-20th Century. Its emphasis is on accurate historical reproduction of clothing, historical techniques for garment construction, as well as the application of those techniques in modern clothing design. Other topics appropriate for discussion include adapting historical clothing for the modern figure, clothing evolution, theatrical costumes, patterns, materials, books, and sources for supplies.

General Costuming

• The Costumer's Manifesto
  • Huge site with thousands of links to every aspect of costuming.

Historical Costume

• Elizabethan Costume Page
  • We could give you an extensive set of links to Elizabethan costume, but Drea's already done it. Includes references, lists of suppliers, links to many other Elizabethan costume sites, and a terrific bibliography.
• A Gentlewoman's Accounts
  • A collection of 16th century images; from details of Henrician clothing to ladies wearing French hoods sorted by decades. Along with her dress diaries, free stuff, and more. By Kimiko Small, researcher of our Tudor patterns.

Sewing

• The Sewing Divas
  • Not a costuming blog, but lots of great information about fine sewing
• PatternReview.com
  • Not just patterns, this site also has thousands of reviews for sewing machines, books, gadgets, fabric stores, classes, sewing expos, and more.

Historical Background

• The Compendium of Common Knowledge
  • Why go to all the effort of making an Elizabethan costume, only to sit around in it talking about computers? Maggie Secara's site will give you a basic grounding in the lives, manners, and conversation of an Elizabethan person. Some costume detail. Also available as a paperback book.

Organizations

Costume Organizations

• International Costumer's Guild
  • The International Costumers' Guild, Inc., is an affiliation of amateur, hobbyist, and professional costumers dedicated to the promotion and education of costuming as an art form in all its aspects. See the web page for local branches.
• The Costume Society of America
  • The Costume Society of America advances the global understanding of all aspects of dress and appearance.
• The Costume Society Of Great Britain

Sewing Organizations

• American Sewing Guild
  • Membership organization that welcomes sewing enthusiasts of all skill levels and from many different walks of life. Chapters are located in cities all across the country and members meet monthly to learn new sewing skills, network with others who share an interest in sewing and participate in community service sewing projects.

Events

Costume Events

• CostumeCon
  • CostumeCon is an annual conference about costumes. The convention has its roots in science fiction and fantasy conventions and historic re-enactment type events, but all forms of costuming are welcome, including anime, fursuit, etc. Costume-Con is a "travelling" national-level convention, and is in a different city and run by a different committee each year.

Reenactment and Recreation

• Society for Creative Anachronism
  • The SCA is an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe. Our "Known World" consists of 19 kingdoms, with over 30,000 members residing in countries around the world. Members, dressed in clothing of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, attend events which feature tournaments, royal courts, feasts, dancing, various classes & workshops, and more.
• Renaissance Faires
  With over 100 Renaissance Faires in operation in the US, we can't list them all. here are some sources:
  • The SCRIBE Network
  • The Directorie

Shopping

Costume And Sewing Supplies

• AlterYears
  • Historical, ethnic dance and specialty patterns, a vast collection of hard to find costume books, supplies and underpinnings.
• Grannd Companies
  • Patterns, sewing notions, costume supplies
• Manhattan Wardrobe Supply
  • Fascinating site serving professional wardrobe for film, theater, photo shoots. Workroom supplies, storage, garment cleaning supplies.
• Richard the Thread
  • Historical and theatrical costume supplies. The "King Henry" hooks are recommended for doublets and bodices.
• Stan's Sewing Supplies
  • Open topped tailor's thimbles
• Sew True
  • All sorts of sewing supplies, including Silamide thread

Fabric

• Renaissance Fabrics
  • Beautiful fabrics, books, patterns, and trims. Great service.
• Fabric.com
  • Huge assortment of fabrics at good prices. swatching available. Kimiko: Once we get it set up, please add: Historic Costume Patterns is an affilate, so please click through the banner on our site when you order!]
• fabrics-store.com
  • Good quality linen.
• Thai Silks
  • Incredible selection of silks. Sample packs available.
• Dharma Trading
  • A wide variety of fabrics, mostly white, some black, at fabulous prices. Also everything you need for every kind of fabric dying.

Lace and Trim

• Lacis
  • Everything for lace making, new and antique lace and textles, , sewing and costume books, and patterns.
• heritagetrading
  • Stunning array of the most beautiful trims on the web. Also bullion embroidery thread.
• Cheeptrims.com
  • Wholesale only, but well worth it if you have a resale number. Astonishingly low prices on a huge selection of lace, trim, jaquard ribbons, and much more. They only sell in bulk, but at these prices, you could buy in bulk, use only what you need, give the rest away, and still have paid less than you would at a chain fabric store!

Embellishments

• Dye: See Dharma Trading in the "Fabrics" section
• Rhinestone Guy
  • Incredible selection of all kinds of rhinestones and crystals, from high qality to economical. Unusual shapes, settings. Also carries flat backed pearls. Very friendly service.
• Fire Mountain Gems
  • Wonderful selection of beads and jewelry supplies. Look for their inexpensive freshwater "potato" pearls, which are perfect for period jewelry or clothing embellishment.

Costume Accessories

• Sock Dreams
  • Socks and tights in wool, cotton, and silk, including stripes and plus sizes

Time Management

Finding time to sew:

• David Allen
  • The Home of "Getting Things Done" (GTD), the system that makes it possible for Margo to, well, get things done.
• 43 Folders
  • A user friendly approach to Getting Things Done

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