1860s Civil War






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By Shari Fuller As the world  entered the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution went into full swing and with it the new branch of science called chemistry.  As early chemists began isolating and identifying elements they were able figure out ways to reproduce natural dyes from other other sources.  These […]

Judging a Cloth by its Color…. part 3


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Color is anything but passive  and from the time the first dyes appeared, artisans found ways to use color to create interesting designs and patterns on fabrics.  At first, multiple colors were woven into fabrics to form simple stripes and plaids, but over the years, weavers developed increasingly complex patterns […]

Judging a Cloth by its Color… What Fabric Tells Us, ...


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When I was very young, I remember admiring a black and white photo of my mom wearing a very pretty dress and the amazement I felt when she showed me that same dress hanging in her closet.  The color was so beautiful.  It had never occurred to me that life […]

Judging a Cloth by its Color… What Fabric Tells Us, ...



    Though buttons can trace their beginnings to the earliest civilizations, pins, belts, and broaches were a more practical fastener for the looser garments of the time so they bedecked clothing simply as ornamental objects. It wasn’t until the 13th century, when someone came up with the idea of […]

The Big Impact Of The Little Button


The cage crinoline, also known as the hoop skirt, was invented in the late 1850’s to relieve women from having to wearlayers of petticoats to make her skirt stand out.  Though it greatly reduced the weight of women’s clothing, it did have its drawbacks.    It was a tricky contraption […]

The Cage Crinoline