I'm doing a little homework and we've been asked to have our "gurus" recommend book(s) to us. I think more of the gurus I know are concentrated here than anywhere else. So if you consider yourself particularly well informed on *any* subject please comment with a worthwhile book(s) recommendation. Please list why you recommend this book and, if perhaps I don't know it, your full name so I can give credit for your recommendation.

In return I am supposed to share my recommendations with you, so here they are: 

Tudor Tailor: reconstructing sixteenth- century dress by Ninya Mikhaila and Jane Malcolm-Davies. Great book all around of 16th century enthusiasts. Supports methods of construction with historical research and reasoning. Great pictures, concise instructions and web support.



Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd, Patterns of Fashion: 1560-1620, 1660-1860 & 1860-1940 all by Janet Arnold. Pictures, drawings, patterns and exquisite research.

Whatever Shall I Wear?: A Guide to Assembling a Woman's Basic 18th century Wardrobe by Mara Riley. Great how-to book from hand stitching to aging finished garments and assembling the entire kit. Includes research, reading list, sources for goods and great illustrations.



Eighteenth-Century Clothing at Williamsburg, What Clothes Reveal: The Language of Clothing in Colonial and Federal America , Costume Close Up: Clothing Construction and Pattern, 1750-1790 all by Linda Baumgarten. Photos, detailed drawings and patterns with gobs of research. Al beatiful books and reasonably priced considering the content.



Thank you in advance to everyone for sharing.

1. Five-eighths, one-half or three-eighths?

one half. I started doing this when I very first made my own patterns (it wasn't until I'd been making my own patterns for years that I used a commercial pattern) that I decided that even though I'd heard that five-eighths was what people used I felt like it was a pain to measure out. Lo-and-behold I get to design school and one-half is industry standard.



2. Linen, cotton, wool or silk?

Wool, I think, is my first choice and linen and silk tie for second. Cotton is fine but whenever i sew in cotton it, even if it's correct for the period I'm working on, I feel like I'm cheating since I spent so much time on 16th century first. I really just love the textures of wool and linen.



3. Stripes, solids or prints?

Solids actually. I like the look of a nice Kampfrau kit.



4. Drape or draft?

Bit of both. I prefer draping though. It's so much better for custom fit.



5. Pins or weights?

Both. it depends on the purpose.



6. Nipper or seam ripper?

Ripper, but the kind that's a little blade. I don't even use the regular kind at all anymore. If I can't find my "seam blade" let's call it, then I use my thread snips until I can locate it.



7. Pleats or ruffles?

Pleats, without a doubt. I like things that are tailored and orderly (OCD anyone?). Ruffles and gathers always seem haphazard and too frilly.



8. Wheel or scissors?

I just recently had the opportunity to play with a friends rotary and I liked it enough that I'm going to get one when I can afford it. But I've always loved my Ginghers.



9. Princess seams or darts?

Neither. I generally dislike them both and that's why I worked with 16th century for so long.



10. Flat-line or bag-line?

I started sewing bag-lining everything because I was taught by my mother that things should be as pretty on the inside as the outside. It's just recently that I went, oh kick in the head, that's better anyway.



11. Serge or French seam?

Serge what you can't see. Hand finish what you can.



12. Invisible or original sliding?

I freaking hate zippers. Not the putting them in, just they way they look. I guess since I like 40s/50s clothing I'm going to go with invisible. I see zippers as another way we tried to make our lives easy and botched a perfectly good garment. I like earlier periods (in case you weren't sure).



13. Hooks & eyes or lacings?

Lacings given the option. I love the look of the hand detailing. Nice hand bound eyelets are so sexy. But really which ever is correct for the garment.



14. Corset for comfort, or corset for look? (And no, you can’t claim both.)

For look. That's why people wore corsets any way. It's like historic plastic surgery.



15. Bind, pipe or face?

Binding. Just cuz i like it.

I just have to pass on this story. I don't read the newspaper and we don't subscribe to cable TV, so all of my *really* important news comes from Yahoo. Sad but true. However if I didn't I wouldn't get cool stuff like this:



http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070927/od_nm/arts_marieantoinette1_dc

Wendy has a new online comic. I haven't read it yet (just the first couple scenes). It's not EQ, but here's the link:

http://www.elfquest.com/edits/WendyWords_06_29_07.html

As previously mentioned, I've been working on cleaning my sewing room. I'm making some good progress going through my storage drawers today and then I get to the one where I keep all of the bits of started but unfinished, "I'll get to it soon" projects... I've found the cut fabric pieces for a project and I can't for the life of me figure out what it is! The fabric is one I've used for a pinafore for my niece in the past and it is 5 pieces that mostly look like it's self and lining pieces but no matter which way I turn them or fold them I can't figure out that this thing should be!