06-22-2005, 04:08 AM
Lepida, thanks -so- much for your knowledge on fabrics. I'll go check out the civ thread - I imagine I'll find many other answers there, too. (I hadn't actually realized we had a civ thread.. *duh)
(Incidentally, I wasn't implying that it was poorer quality - on the contrary, I recognize that anything handmade by an expert can be very fine - but simply DIFFERENT. I expect that the properties required for efficient mass-mechanical production are not always compatible with properties of wearability! Perhaps the 'scratchy wool' we have nowadays is so because the of type of fiber needed for inexpensive mass production... just mentioning it because a few people have commented on this, so perhaps I didn't express myself well.)
Interesting about them not hemming -that's what I meant about felting - the texture of the fibers is able to lock together. However, I do have my heroine at one point stitching the hem of a cloak! Guess I'd better rethink that scene - perhaps she'll be spinning...I've seen a wall painting of a woman with a drop-spindle. she's upper class, but I believe in many families, even though they could afford slaves to do this work, spinning and weaving were considered appropriate womanly pursuits. Part of her character is to be slightly inept at this sort of thing - so (she's upset in the scene) - so she ends up with this thick, slubbed yarn - (which would then be pretty useless, right?)
I'd love to get my hands on some really good reproduction garments - a nice cloak or something - I'm so over crappy foreign-made synthetics.
I've read that Egyptian linens were so fine as to be transparent (this supported by many of the paintings I've seen.)
I'm finding it tricky guaging the relative expense of things too - there's rich and then there's rich. My characters are reasonably upper-class, without being filthy rich - so I'm thinking she'd be able to afford imported linen and perhaps something special in silk, but without going overboard. Any thoughts? (well perhaps I'll find more on this in the civ thread too....)
thanks
Helena
aka Helen South
(Incidentally, I wasn't implying that it was poorer quality - on the contrary, I recognize that anything handmade by an expert can be very fine - but simply DIFFERENT. I expect that the properties required for efficient mass-mechanical production are not always compatible with properties of wearability! Perhaps the 'scratchy wool' we have nowadays is so because the of type of fiber needed for inexpensive mass production... just mentioning it because a few people have commented on this, so perhaps I didn't express myself well.)
Interesting about them not hemming -that's what I meant about felting - the texture of the fibers is able to lock together. However, I do have my heroine at one point stitching the hem of a cloak! Guess I'd better rethink that scene - perhaps she'll be spinning...I've seen a wall painting of a woman with a drop-spindle. she's upper class, but I believe in many families, even though they could afford slaves to do this work, spinning and weaving were considered appropriate womanly pursuits. Part of her character is to be slightly inept at this sort of thing - so (she's upset in the scene) - so she ends up with this thick, slubbed yarn - (which would then be pretty useless, right?)
I'd love to get my hands on some really good reproduction garments - a nice cloak or something - I'm so over crappy foreign-made synthetics.
I've read that Egyptian linens were so fine as to be transparent (this supported by many of the paintings I've seen.)
I'm finding it tricky guaging the relative expense of things too - there's rich and then there's rich. My characters are reasonably upper-class, without being filthy rich - so I'm thinking she'd be able to afford imported linen and perhaps something special in silk, but without going overboard. Any thoughts? (well perhaps I'll find more on this in the civ thread too....)
thanks
Helena
aka Helen South
