3/31/97
e-Mail: smockingstore@att.net
Website: Garden Fairies Smocking & Needlearts Catalog
Smocking Newsletter - Beth-Katherine Kaiman, copyright 1997-2007, all rights reserved. Please respect my creativity and hard work and ask permission before you copy something from these newsletters for your non profit goup, I always ask that you quote me correctly and give me credit with a way for people to get back to me. Thank you. IF you wish to quote me in a venture for profit please contact me separately concerning royalties.
In This Issue:
Topics for Discussion
Beginner's Corner
Smocking History
Smocking Stitches
It was pointed out to me by BooBear99@aol.com that there was a discussion on one of the sewing boards about copyrights and selling garments made from someone else's pattern and designs. Since we were talking about making smocked garments for resale I thought it best to include some of the questions and comments that I found. Any comments of your own?
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From: SweetPeasC@aol.com
"I am considering starting a small home business sewing children's clothes for sale to individuals and consignment. Do I have to come up with all of my own designs to avoid copyright infringement? I use commercial patterns for my personal sewing, but usually modify them to the point they are not really like the original. I really don't see how I can come up with something completely original. You can only reinvent the wheel so many times. Any advice out there?"
Christine
I'm still confused about pattern copyrights. Does this vary by state? If my customer buys the pattern, fabric, etc. and I sew the garment do I violate the copyright? If I buy the pattern and all materials, make the garment and then sell it, am I in violation?
Copyright law is a federal issue, and so it won't vary by state. In the instances above, you do not violate copyright using a commercial pattern, unless you are multiple copies of whatever you're making from the pattern for sale.
A good resource for information is on-line at Cyberspace Law for Non-Lawyers. Access it at this URL: http://www.counsel.com/cyberspace/
and this from SEWCRAZY9@aol.com: "If you are making items for your own use or to sell at a LOCAL boutique most companies do not mind. However, if you try to sell your products at tradeshows, or wholesale as your own design you could be in for some legal trouble. I suggest you contact the pattern company for a licensing agreement - most often they will allow you to sell your products with no addition fees and then some will request a small percentage of the wholesale price, the average is 2% - 5% - that's not much for piece of mind!!"
From Ret214@aol.com "I know this is getting boring to some, but I have taken this pattern thing seriously. I have done further investigating and found that the commercial pattern makers aren't even happy with us using their patterns up to a dozen times. If you are mass producing, that is making more then one item at time for resale then that is out. I recently called Simplicity, who now has an internet address, and they repeated much of what you have read here. I recommended that it be printed on the patterns and in the books, because I couldn't find any mention of restrictions, except a minuscule copyright on the inside flap. Now I was wondering if there is any one that has been producing patterns that has them for sale. I have some of my own, but would like to be able to purchase some that I can use commerically. I know I can go to a pattern maker and might if they have some available or can't find some one that they want to sell."
And this from PattrnMakr@aol.com, Kathleen Fassenella a professional patternmaker: "There is no clear, concise written law covering sewing pattern copyright infringement law...for the most part, the courts rely on "fair use" and "intent" which is subjective at best.
If you are a beginner in smocking or have a question please address your questions to this section.
From: geoffrey.nash@hunterlink.net.au
Dear Beth-Katherine
Just a note to say I am really enjoying the newsletters.
I also wondered what others do when pleating up a bishop garment. I rolled the garment up on the dowel stick with the wrong side up and then pleated it which works much better at getting the pleats even over the armhole seams. But my pleater, a Little Amanda Jane, which I love and find very easy to use, definitely pleats so that there is a right and wrong side. On the wrong side the pleats are noticeably shorter above the gathering thread than on the right side. The underside of the material as going through the pleater is the wrong side. This means that the wrong side of the pleats ends up on the right side of the bishop. I tried rolling up the other way so that I could pleat with the right side of the pleats on the right side of the garment but this does not pleat so well over the seams. I don't think this description would make sense to anyone who hasn't done this but hopefully smockers will understand my question. Thanks, Phillipa Alexander
Phillipa thank you for the description of your pleater's operation in the works. It is very important how you send your fabric through. The trick is to make sure that you only send two layers of the french seam through the pleater. This the way I was taught: first of all I attach the sleeves to the front and back with french seams with a 1/4" seam allowance, meld my stitches (melding is steaming in your sewing thread so it no longer lays on top of your fabric - thereby making your seam stronger) trimming the first part down to 1/16", iron over and stitch the second part with a 1/4" seam as well, meld your stitches. Now your seams are thin enough to go through the pleater. Roll you bishop with the seams facing down, fabric right side up. Your seams will fall backwards as you roll on through. Pleat slowly, making sure that you milk the fabric off the needles before you hear the 'crunch, crunch, crunch' of the pleater (signaling that you have too much fabric on your needles). When you get to your seams rock the seam through, by rocking I mean feeding the seam through and it doesn't go over the needles smoothly then gently rock the turning knob, and it should go over the needles very smoothly. The tricks here have been handed down to me through years of experience but also a very good teacher way back, beyond the annuals of time, when I first learned to smock. Hope this helps. - Beth
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Hi, I have enjoyed both Vol.1 Issue 1 and 2. I am interested in picture smocking and am experimenting at the present. I have decided to start a new thread at each color change and keep it dangling until I need it--is that the correct way to do it?
One point on the pricing of items--best to decide before you start and tell the customer what the price will be or you fret about it thru the whole project. Another thing I learned over the years--the more a person is able to afford the cost, the less willing they are to pay--human nature.
Thanks for the letters and I'm looking over the available books they look interesting. Mary Ann
Mary Ann, that is the exact right to work several colors on your picture smocking. Just pay attention when you are smocking not to catch the other threads when you change colors, as well as not to stab yourself with the other needles.
The next stitch you will find often on antique smock garments is that of the cable. This little stitch which has gone through major evolution in the past 20 years was just used as a single line in 'olden' times. Often it was used in rows, or half rows, to fill up space or else it was used to delineate sections, much as we use it today. This stitch holds your pleats together in pairs of pleats, so this is why is not good to do your first row of backsmocking with, and holds then together somewhat tightly but not as tight as the stem or the outline stitches. Varying your colors or using variegated or overdyed floss when doing rows and rows of these would make your design very interesting.
Unfortunately there are no keys suitable on the computer to show you what the cable stitch looks like but if you take a circle 'O' and slice it in half on the horizon you get two half circles. If you shift the top circle to the left of the bottom circle so the opposite edges almost touch you get an image of the cable stitch. As I said in Vol. 1, the outline stitch is created with always with your thread up, or always in the down position for the stem stitch (If I have these two stitches confused please forgive and feel free to correct me as I have never been able to differentiate between the two), the cable stitch is the first stitch we have that combines a thread up and a thread down movement. Your thread naturally falls into place after the last stitch - I always tell my students your thread will tell you which way it want to go). All you have to do is decide if your first stitch is an up or down cable stitch. Always keep your needle parallel to the pleating threads when doing this stitch, and most all of the other stitches, even when you are working on the half space rows. This keeps your design looking neat and pretty.
Last week I said that smocking was created as a decorative way of containing the fullness of garments and to add warmth. This week I would like to talk about the fabrics that were used in Europe during the middle ages - which is where we are at the moment in historical time. In Issue #1 I mentioned a painting of Mary in "The Rest on the Flight into Egypt" circa 1465 by Hans Memling, wearing a chemise (what the underdress of the time period was called) that is close fitting in the front and around the waist. The smocked gusset adds fabric to the skirt with triangle shaped gussets smocked and inserted into the side of the skirt at the waist and fanning out with the hips without adding extra fabric at the waist. The pattern looks to be that of trellis stitches or waves. The fabric most likely used was that of either very fine wool or linen made of flax, although hemp and stinging nettles were also fibers used for making thread for fabric. Silk was available through the traders but was costly. This style of chemise was very common until the 15th century. Chemise, as you may remember from last time is the French word for smock, and if the embroidery used on it, and at necklines for men's shirts, remained as an art form long after the style of dress disappeared one can easily see how the name Smocking came into being. Also considering how inventive women were/are it is not to far of a leap to suggest that smocking was created to imitate chain mail. The outer garments were usually beautifully woven velvets or brocades or plainly woven wool which was dyed in colors.
Now let's talk about fabric for a bit. You must realized that during the middle ages in Europe cotton was not a fiber that was readily available to everyone. It was a time consuming to process to prepare and spin and that made the fabric very expensive The cotton fabric that was available, called muslin - a filmy gauzy fabric, was grown in India and Spain and was brought to Europe by traders. This fabric was not only very expensive but it was extremely delicate and only the wealthy could afford to wear it. Most households had spinners and weavers to make their own cloth and only purchased cloth that they could not make easily. Mostly people used fibers that were indigenous to their areas such as wool, flax and other plants that are in the bast family. One such fiber that I have come across is Stinging Nettles. According to my sister, a spinner and weaver, the Stinging Nettle peels easier than flax during the processing thereby making it an easier fiber to collect. "Common nettles are very similar and related to ramie. Nettles are a perennial weed that grow in the Northern temperate regions. In Northern Europe Nettle fibers have been used since the Bronze age to weave sails for boats and to make household fabrics. A nettle fabric can be bleached to a pure white with a rich glossy appearance and smooth texture. I have read that nettle fibers can be woven into a velvet fabric that's smoother and finer than silk or cotton velvet." Rita Buchanan from Spin Off Magazine Fall '86. I have found references to nettle fabric called Common Linen - which is probably what many Smocks of the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries were made of.
Were you aware that the Chinese are attributed with inventing sewing of cloth to make clothing? According to Compton's Living Encyclopedia "In about 1500 BC the Shang people of the Far East created the beginnings of Chinese civilization. The Shang learned to cultivate the silkworm. They wove its fragile filaments into very delicate fabrics. The silks were cut and sewn into flowing garments with long, loose sleeves. The Shang used both weaving and tailoring in making clothing. In fact, they mastered many of the basic processes that are used to manufacture modern clothing." Fascinating..
Aside from wool there were three fibers commonly used to make thread for weaving. These are called bast fibers flax, hemp & stinging nettles . Flax has been cultivated as far back as 3,000 BC in Egypt and is considered a very sturdy fiber for making fabric. Mummies which were wrapped in linen cloth during their embalming process were found with their wrappings still intact. Flax has been found in most every climate and a little side note was one of the most important crops that were grown by the American colonies. The weave of the fabric as well as the choice of wool would make a garment semi water resistant. A plain weave would make a garment more water resistant because there is less air spaces in the cloth. (The combination of Linen warp and Wool weft made a fabric called Lindsey-Woolsey found in the U.S. Civil War Uniforms - this sturdy fabric was very common as the linen made a stronger yarn and the wool is basically water resistant).
Interesting to think that linen was considered a common fabric whereas cotton cloth was a luxury. Cotton was so difficult to process and it could only be grown in warm sea side locations. The cultivation of cotton stretches back through history into the Indus Valley of India to Ancient Egypt and in China. Nowadays the tables are turned. After the industrial revolution, with the ease of making thread and weaving fabric an everyday occurrence, cotton, wool and silk became the fabrics of choice amongst the 'common' folk (a phrase that was disappearing as fast as hand work) and linen was only affordable by the elite as it was still hand processed. Today Linen is still basically a hand made fiber, soaked, out in the sun until it sorts of rots, run through combs, = tow then it's ready to be spun. Extremely labor intensive.
From Compton's Living Encyclopedia
Mythology - Greek Mythology
Perhaps the most threatening of the goddesses were the Fates, called collectively Moirai. There were three Fates, whom Homer called "spinners of the thread of life." Clotho was the spinner of the thread, hence she was also a birth goddess. Lachesis measured the length of the thread, the amount of time allotted to each person. And Atropos cut the thread. These three had more power than most other gods, and whoever resisted them had to face Nemesis, the goddess of justice. (See Fates)" Tell that to your husband or children the next time they complain about the time you spend at your sewing machine.
SAGA (Smocking Arts Guild of America)
American Home Sewing and Craft Assn.
Professional Association of Custom Clothiers
Karen Maslowski of SewStorm Publishing has a newsletter - check out her website
Books Mentioned in Newsletter available from Garden Fairies Trading Company:
"Smocks" - Maggie Hall - Shire Publications - $9.00
A wonderful little book by an English costume designer about the history of the smock-frock as worn by countrymen in England and Wales. 'This book traces the development of the smock, its makers, . . . & its wearers.' Excellent photographs and text.
"The Book of Smocking" Diana Keays - Arco Publishing $17.95
A wonderful book from England filled with really neat smocking projects to make from traditional to contemporary styles - English style. The first few chapters are a scholarly account of the development of smocking throughout history filled with photographs and illustrations. The latter part of the book contain more than 20 projects in 1/4 scale grid with complete instructions and smocking designs. The projects include a sampler, pillow, several dresses, belts, purses and a couple of blouses. This book is out of print but I have several copies. A worthwhile addition to your smocking library. A great jumping off point for your own creations.
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Beginning Smocking Texts:
"Photo Book of Smocking Stitches" - Sandy Hunter
Excellent book for those who want a smocking stitch dictionary in photographs (some of us have trouble learning from drawings).
"Left-Handed Photo Book" - Sandy Hunter
Same book as above but geared for left-handed smockers
"Ellen McCarn On English Smocking"
This book is wonderful. Clear and concise directions and drawings. An excellent book to teach yourself smocking.
"Picture Smocking with Ellen McCarn"
A wonderful companion book to the previous edition. This book tells you all you ever need to know about picture smocking. Comes with a stash of picture smocked motifs and geometric patterns for creating your own designs.
"Perfecting Picture Smocking" Laura Jenkins Thompson
This is another wonderful book for learning the art of Picture Smocking. There are so many tricks of the trade jammed packed in here one wonders if anyone has time for any other style of smocking.
"Australian Smocking & Embroidery" Magazines
We have volumes 26 through 46 available. Each issue is a wonder and a delight for the senses of the eye (you know those creative juices that begin to flow whenever we see something pretty we'd like to make). These magazines defy description. Printed on heavy stock paper they are more like booklets than magazines.
Ann Halley's "Counterchange Smocking"
A neat little book with descriptive diagrams of this evolution of North American style smocking with a contemporary twist.
SILK RIBBON BOOKS:
Silk Ribbon Encyclopedia - 131 Silk Ribbon Flower ASN Publishing - $9.50
Silk Ribbon Whimsiess - Kari Mecca $18.00
We carry YLI & River Silks silk ribbons in sizes 2mm, 4mm, & 7mm. We also have Gloriana Hand Painted Ribbons.
All of these books and patterns are available from smockingstore@att.net. Please e-mail me with your order and I'll return back with shipping information. If you are interested in receiving an up dated listing of Smocking Plates, Smocking & Heirloom Sewing & Silk Ribbon Books, fabric listing of all the goodies, smocking patterns, notions and silk ribbons that are carried in our store please e-mail me and I'll get them off to you. If there is anything that you need in the way of smocking supplies I hope that you will consider using our business. Give us a try we are user friendly.
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and a toast I heard the other day: " May you never board a space ship without your body." Tim