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The Dewey Decimal System

If there is one thing as a little girl that I wanted more than anything from a Disney movie was the library from the Beast's castle. The sight of all those books and the information that was just waiting for me to open the cover is still with me to this day. To put things into perspective here, I typically read a book a day... sometimes more if it is on the weekend.

Even as a technophile, I still love my books and collect books for my hobbies. Maybe someday if I can have a table sized screen where I can do multiple tasks at once while working on a costume, I might change my mind. For now, I do research online but most still comes from books that I either purchase or get from the library.

I wanted to share some of the books that I am using currently for historic costuming and general sewing references. As a friend recently pointed out to me, there are people who would like to take up sewing but don't know where to start. I'm lucky in that I was taught sewing at a young age from my mom and grandma. I also taught myself from reading other sewing blogs, sewing techniques in Threads magazine, and various sewing reference books.

These books can be picked up new, used at book sales or various websites like Amazon or Abebooks, or found at various libraries. Colleges and universities have access to amazing books that just cannot be found anywhere else sometimes. I hope you check them out as a resource.

General Sewing References
- The Dressmaker's Technique Bible by Lorna Knight: techniques for various seams, zippers, fabric manipulation. Great handy reference for me to flip through the seams when I blank on what a specific seam is called and how to do it.

- Designer Joi's Fashion Sewing Workshop by Joi Mahon : patternmaking and altering existing patterns, draping and fitting

- Vogue Sewing

- Couture Sewing Techniques by Claire B. Shaeffer

- The Dressmaker's Handbook of Couture Sewing Techniques by Lynda Maynard

- Threads Sewing Guide and Threads Magazine: Threads magazine and the sewing guide are helpful resources because they cover both the basics and advanced techniques. The website is also helpful and many of their articles are available for free there.

Elizabethan/Tudor References
- The Modern Maker Vol 1 & 2 by Mathew Gnagy: Absolutely fantastic resource for sewing period clothing. I need to get back into Elizabethan clothing to make something from these books.

- The Tudor Tailor by Ninya Mikhalia and Jane Malcolm-Davies

- The Tudor Child by Jane Huggett and Ninya Mikhaila

- Patterns of Fashion: the cut and construction of clothes for men and women c 1560 -1620 by Janet Arnold

- Patterns of Fashion 4: the cut and construction of linen shirts, smocks, neckwear, headwear and accessories for men and women c1560 - 1620 by Janet Arnold

- The Cheapside Hoard London's Lost Jewels by Hazel Forsyth

- Treasures of the Royal Courts: Tudors, Stuarts & the Russian Tsars edited by Olga Dmitrieva and Tessa Murdoch
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