Reasonably Historic Accurate Patterns

[Dinobabe]

Seeing as how it was brought up in another thread and there is definite interest I thought I would start a new topic.

What patterns have you found (in print or out) that were reasonably easy to make and are fairly HA or easy to alter for HA?


Mom and I used a combination of patterns with a few alterations (I'll look them up when I get home) to make an upper middle class outfit (the one in my avatar).  The costumer at Bristol was fairly impressed (he did make suggestions for better HA) for using popular patterns! 

[Cilean]

I hope I am answering you correctly. You are asking for H/A Patterns?  Because there are at several companies at this time that make H/A patterns currently on the market. I did put a thread out there on how people who have worked with the patterns and how it worked for them.  For instance I love Margo's Patterns I am a size 18w and I think they fit me pretty well but you have to use a sloper or a toile to get an accurate fit. While I had some frustrations with Reconstructing History's late period jacket I had to add a lot of fabric to get it to fit.

Here are some of the current H/A companies that are making patterns:

Margo Anderson's Patterns
www.margospatterns.com

Reconstructing History
www.reconstructinghistory.com

Tudor Tailor's Patterns
www.tudortailor.com

Mantua Maker
www.mantua-maker.com

Mediaeval Miscellanea
www.mediaevalmisc.com/patterns.htm



Did I answer your query??

Cilean

[Dinobabe]

I used McCall's 4696 and 4090 for the dress in my avatar, with alterations.


I was thinking somewhat HA (with or without alterations) as well as totally HA.  Patterns that we can find in our local stores and online, in print and out of print (e-Bay search?), that would be a reasonable sew for an amateur, and that we could make alterations to (to make closer to HA) that are not drastic.  I know some of you are fabulous seamstresses and make the best garb, quality and HA!  But I don't have a lot of experience and while I strive for HA sometimes I have to relent for my level of experience and the lack of free time. 

Thank you SOOO much for the period pattern links.  I love having the option of really HA patterns. 

I would love to hear how everyone has found and used different patterns, whether HA or not! 

[DonaCatalina]

I like Fantasy Fashions for men's patterns. They are made so that you can alter them more easily than some other commercial patterns.

I also like Alter Years 'Easy Elizabethan' patterns.

For Gowns, McCall's 3282 (out of print) is one of my favorites because it's easy to alter to be a little more accurate. I tend to engineer my own sleeve patterns on the back of old wrapping paper.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Cilean gave links to patterns I use on a regular basis. They are designed to be worn with the proper undergarments.

The Fantasy Fashions patterns for Men work very well also. I use the Paned Slops pattern a lot.

[Randal]

Do you have a source for the Fantasy Fashions patterns? They are out currently of stock at the vendors I found.

Thanks,
Randal

[Manwariel]

This website lists many commercial patterns from the popular pattern companies (McCall's, Simplicity, Butterick, & Burda) and says whether or not they're historically accurate and sometimes how to alter them so that they are: http://www.reddawn.net/costume/costpat.htm

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

  RAndal...I order a lot of my patterns from www.patternsoftime.com