I was thinking I have to get myself a walking stick – it would absolutely be the icing on the cake that is going to be my pet-en-l’air:
I have also been thinking about garters… First I thought I wanted to make a pair in silk or something and I thought I could make an embroidery pattern to match the pockets! But then I remembered I have two pieces of woven ribbon/band from my grandmother that I think may have been intended to be used in Swedish national costumes – I know bands like them are used as gartes like that on national cotumes. I also found this post at The 18th Century Trading Post (Australia) with bands/band garters much like the ones I have:
They are a bit simble and peasant-ish though and I want mine to be a bit more luxurious. ;P So I’m a bit ambivalent concerning that too… I’ll put up images of the two bands I have later, promise!
Maybe I should weave a band myself… I got a “gate loom”(?) from Kristina (mother-in-law again, love her) that I used to finish a band I had begun with a gate of my own but that broke in a move:
This gate is wider and better than the first one I had. The band in the image is made of linen (flax?) and the work of a beginner, hehe. ^^;
Tags: embroidery, Garters, Inspiration, Undergarments, Walking stick
Fuchsia's 18th century dress 
February 18, 2009 at 7:01 pm |
Hi Maria, just replying to you request for info from my other blog, re garters. Yes it is highly likely that the narrower straps could have been used for garters, and may have been woven on a tape loom. I have no original pictures of these used as garters, but I have seen an 18th century mention of a white colonial man in the New World weaving garters on a loom. Actually, at least as far as men are conserned, in the 18th century pretty much anything could be used for gatering that was suitably narrow enough, eg, ribbon, leather, strips of material, tape, loom woven straps, and of course woodland Indian garters.
Regards, Keith. (also at: http://woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com )
February 19, 2009 at 9:08 am |
Oh, wow, thank you very much! =D That was very helpful! =)
February 18, 2009 at 8:09 pm |
Need inspiration? I like the look of this walking stick: http://www.smilingfoxforgellc.com/details3.asp?id=985
Not enough to buy it, but it’s nice. But I’m sure you can do better.
I’ve been going through my books, looking for a chapter on bridal garters from the 18th & 19th century but I can’t find it. Must’ve been a library book. But there were very inspirational images there. How frustrating, and all I know is that it was a Swedish book
February 19, 2009 at 8:13 am |
Ooh, that’s exactly what I want! Thank you! I’ve never seen that place before! =D
Too bad about the book, I might have a look at the library some time for inspiration (when I’m not studying pedagogy) – I’ll tell you if I come upon that book! ;D
February 28, 2009 at 12:26 am |
I’ve been on a garter kick too! I had a few photos save of some old 18th century garters somewhere… Costume in Detail 17030-1930 has a page with a pretty useful description of a pair in a museum which would be perfect to work from. It has dimensions, materials and everything if you wanted to go that route? They had little wire springs (which could be replaced with elastic), cotton wadding all kinds of things in them!
March 2, 2009 at 7:20 am |
Wow, cool, thanks! =D Hope I can get hold of it some day… =)
March 5, 2009 at 2:07 pm |
http://coraginsburg.com/catalogues/2007/CoraGinsburgCostumeTextilesCat2007.pdf Page 20 has a pair that look rather similar to the ones sketched in my book. In costumes in Detail they say the embroidered part if 7″ long, and the spring pat 5.5″, the ones in the book have ribbons instead of buckles which looks easier/prettier!
http://parisparfait.typepad.com/paris_parfait/images/2008/07/11/ma_shoes_and_garters.jpg has a photo of some belonging to Marie Antoinette, I don’t know that this style might be too late for the time you are going for though? Still interesting though!
April 2, 2009 at 5:46 pm |
Ooooh, thank you very much!!! =D
April 9, 2009 at 9:57 am |
[…] Bands… By Maria Since I have uploaded the pics to my computer and I promised to put them up, here’s the bands I was talking about: […]
February 3, 2010 at 5:49 am |
You should also look at Textiles in America by Florence Montgomery for appropriate patterns for Gartering (also known as Ferreting). One note that is evident from known pieces is that if a tape loom was used, it was a double-hole style. Unless I am mistaken, there is no other way to make a twilled (as all of the examples I have seen) style with a tape loom that has a single set of holes.
Here is an example to show what I am talking about: http://www.blisstree.com/hankeringforyarn/vintage-weaving-techniques-tape-and-ribbon/
many people in the hobby erroneously assume that gatering was large and done on single hole looms. Tightly spun, tightly loomed worsted wool is also an excellent and common choice for gartering.
August 17, 2010 at 2:56 am |
Ran across this blog post while looking for more 18th century garters than the one I’ve just found at http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5120711 — might set up a new linkspage for 18th century garters if I find more examples to link to! 🙂