Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Found! Cotton Bobbinet

Hey, remember all the way back to last Thursday, when I posted about net corselets? Well, I happened into New York Elegant Fabrics yesterday (if you must know, I was trolling for more eyelet) and came upon a whole section with a sign that read "Cotton Tulle." I'm sure you can imagine my excitement! A seamstress's life is never dull.

The fabrics came in a small array of colors: white, ivory, and black. And they all had similar-if-not-exactly-alike labels: cotton bobbinet, cotton tulle, and cotton net.
As far as I can tell, those are all the same thing.

They were mostly 54" wide and all were $24.95 a yard. Not inexpensive, but far better than the $70-$90 price range I found online.
Readers, you know I took some samples. This is the one labeled "cotton bobbinet." It's soft but surprisingly strong.
It has just a little bit of crosswise stretch to it. However, when layered, the stretch lessens considerably. A corselet would have two layers.
New York Elegant is nice because of the handy swatches, but it's not my favorite place to shop. I'm excited to check out what B&J has in the way of bobbinet! Never a dull moment indeed.

You know what I wish existed? An entire book filled with pictures of the insides of vintage couture garments. Wouldn't that be amazing? Good interior shots are so hard to find. Here's one of the few in the Dior book I own:

Can you imagine a whole book filled with images like this--but with interior shots from every angle and detail? I think a major collection like the Met Costume Institute or the V&A should take this on. Now readers, how do we make this happen?

29 comments:

  1. My initial reaction to this post was a very insisting voice inside my head saying "Yay! One step closer to a corselette sewalong!"

    But we can also do the petition-for-better-couture-sewing-books-thing :)

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  2. Gertie, you are the lady to make that happen! Your next book perhaps? I LOVE these inside shots - that Dior one last week was incredibly useful - and beautiful!

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  3. Gretchen, don't you work in the publishing industry? Maybe it's an FIT student project, too...

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  4. YES! I have been thinking for years that there needs to be at least one book with better interior shots/schematics of vintage couture. "Costume in Detail" comes close, but only goes up to the 1930s with the dissection (just sketches--no photos) of the interior construction. I think we need to start a petition! lol!

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  5. I believe the interior of a garment should be as beautiful as the outside. A book filled with pictures of interior construction would be awesome.

    Aren't we seamstresses weird? lol

    ~Sewjourner

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  6. That is a fantastic idea for a book. I've found myself often wishing I could see the insides of dresses in costume/fashion books cause I wanna know, how did they do THAT!?

    If you haven't made this happen by the time I become curator of a major collection, I'll make it happen ;o)

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  7. Huh! I've used the nylon version of English net/tulle before but haven't ever found the cotton one -- I guess I didn't expect them to be so similar (ie the stretch)



    That sounds like an amazing book project! Id like to preorder mine now :)

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  8. I agree that this is a great idea for a book! People who buy off-the-rack clothing have no idea how complicated garments are constructed. You can see men's tailoring pulled apart on this blog: http://tuttofattoamano.blogspot.com/

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  9. What's even better about your cottony find is that it can be DYED! That, to me, is really exciting.

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  10. I came all the way from Toronto to the garment district in NYC and spent far too much money and time at New York Elegant Fabrics yeaterday. It would have been so cool bumping in to you ;)

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  11. As an intermediate-type seamstress, seeing the inside of well constructed garments is both beautiful and inspiring! It gives me something to shoot for when I'm sewing and also gives me the confidence to sew away knowing what couture items REALLY look like. Please, make this book!!! :)

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  12. If you haven't seen it, there is a great V & A series called "Fashion in Detail". One of them is on 20th century fashion. I haven't seen it but some of the previous ones in the series did interior details. Even if there aren't interior details I think you would love the book anyway. The other books are also fascinating, just from different centuries.

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  13. For your UK readers. Macculloch and Wallis have ivory cotton net (112cm width) at £16.59pm

    http://www.macculloch-wallis.co.uk/Product.aspx/!2297

    and skintone coloured cotton tulle (150cm width) at £14.89pm

    http://www.macculloch-wallis.co.uk/Product.aspx/!24093

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  14. I think you should write another book to make this happen!

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  15. What a great collection of cotton netting. I have a piece from several years ago that is waiting for a project. I think your idea of a book featuring the interiors of garments is wonderful. I suspect it would appeal mostly to sewists and not the general public, but what a great resource it would be. Could we convince Susan Kalje?

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  16. **BLOG AWARD** Hey Gertie! I have no idea how you feel about blog awards! Some like them, some don't. But, I absolutely love, love, LOVE your blog!I've got a blog award for you [here ----> http://ohchelsey.blogspot.com/2011/05/2-blog-awards-some-for-you-guys.html] Oh, and you don't necessarily have to do the whole "random facts" thing about yourself. Just know I love love LOVE your blog! ;)

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  17. Oh I do love bobinette!! The corset part of my wedding gown was made with 2 layers of bobinette dyed to match my skin tone and then sandwiched with organza in a pale pink and then the white lace sewn on the outside! It was the first time I saw bobinette in action and it was fab because it allowed the creation of a nude illusion under the lace!

    PS - I left behind my beloved "Fabric Place" in Baltimore and trips up to NYC for the lovely weather here in southern Cali but the shopping just can't compare! When I read your blog I cry a little inside about my lack of ability to get to fabric/notion stores.

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  18. Could a corselet be made with powermesh? Is is strong/binding enough to the body? Are the fabrics similar? I haven't had luck finding Bobbinette in my area.

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    1. Hi, bobbinet has way less stretch than powermesh. stockist of bobbinet - http://www.whaleys-bradford.ltd.uk/product.htm?productID=287

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  19. I know 17th century isn't vintage, but the V&A has a book out called "Seventeenth-Century Women's Dress Patterns: Book 1" that claims to include x-rays of dresses to show interior details like layers and stitches. I haven't seen it, so can't say for sure (amazon has it listed but there are no reviews yet). Maybe they just need to extend this concept into 20th century clothing..

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  20. Oh yes indeed - I want a book like that!

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  21. Years ago I saw an exhibit with couture clothes all turned inside out! SO interesting! But of course you weren't allowed to take pictures and the exhibit catalogue was a joke.

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  22. My gosh... A giant coffee table book filled with the construction details of vintage couture garments. That's the stuff of dreams.

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  23. I think this is a FASCINATING subject. Sorry for shouting but I just can't convey enough how much ladies (and sirs) like myself just go crazy for this kind of artistic/sartorial craftsmanship.

    So few of us have the opportunity to see these amazing works of art up close in person and so never really understand on an intimate level how they are constructed. These garments are not only beautiful to look at and wear but they are engineering feats as well.

    Should a book become realized, I would for one be at the front of the waiting list to purchase it!

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  24. they aren't designer, but I recently went to a specialist textiles and costume museum that I am lucky enough to be able to visit locally (I live in the east of England) where they have all these costumes going back several centuries.

    Funnily enough I too found the inside of the garments just as interesting as the outside and busily took photos of the inside seams showing all the hand stitching and boning. If anyone is interested I am happy to send photos of them.

    Rosie

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  25. I just stumbled upon a book (Seventeenth-Century Women's Dress Patterns: Book 1) released by the V&A Museum and thought of you and this post. It's not contemporary, obviously, but it sounds amazing. The book even goes as far as giving x-rays of the garments to give the sewist a better understanding. I'd love to see something like it for 20th Century Couture.

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  26. V&A sells a book called Underwear: Fashion in Detail By Eleri Lynn
    see [url= http://www.vandashop.com/product.php?xProd=5520&navlock=1]link[/url]

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  27. I can't find any bobbinet but I can find cotton tulle online. (I live in the woods in Nowhere, Oregon.) Will this work? The link is for cotton tulle:
    http://www.heirloomsewingforchildren.com/fabric6.htm

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  28. I've been looking for cotton bobbinet for ages, and your blog comes up in google quite at the top. I just wanted to let you know (and others that are looking for bobbunet and end up here) that its available at Whaleys Bradford cmpany website http://www.whaleys-bradford.ltd.uk/product.htm?productID=285

    Just got 3 meters of it & it's beautiful.

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Thanks for your comments; I read each and every one! xo Gertie

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