A Dress A Day

A Few Procrastinatory Monday Links

2010-03-08T05:28:00.003-06:00

Jessica found this incredibly steampunk Norman pattern and wonders if anyone has information they can share about Mrs. N.R. Norman, inventress. This is Centennial Pattern No. 8, for those keeping score at home, and is from the 1890s. It may be a St. Louis company -- it's marked St. Louis. Any information? Please leave a comment! (Here's a bigger image.)

Speaking of comments, Becky O. left one on Friday pointing us to this WONDERFUL writeup by TrueUp about the different on-demand fabric printers. Exhaustive and well-researched, definitely worth checking out.

Kate found the button-top (not dress) I was thinking of. Great for Rolling Stones fans!

Kristen sent this link to dresses knitted from trash. So cool. (Although probably itchy.)

Anna sent me a link to The Sewing Machine Attachment book. (It's a book about different attachments FOR your machine, not about fostering your attachment TO your machine.) I have purchased mine, will review when I get it!

Lucy (who is the person behind Home Movie Day London) sent this link to a digitised (British spelling, in Lucy's honour) film of 1930s fashions. Lovely!

A few self-promoty links:

If you like words, and are on Facebook, might you not consider being a fan of Wordnik on Facebook? Our fan page is here. If you're not a Facebooker but still want Wordnik words of the day, that link is here. But the only place you can see the Wordnik LIST of the day (a collection of related words) is on Twitter:@wordnik. [If you're looking for me on Twitter, I'm @emckean for word-type stuff, @FakeErinMcKean for "what-I-had-for-lunch" type stuff.] (Whew! That's a lot of social media in one place ...)

Crossword Fabric

2010-03-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

As promised, here's the crossword fabric available at Spoonflower:

A few notes:

-- the blacks (and other dark colors) tend to wash out & fade really quickly on digitally printed fabric. I don't know how to fix this -- anyone have hints for keeping them dark?

-- this design is optimized for the upholstery-weight fabric. I haven't tested it on other weights. (That fabric is slightly off-white, too.)

-- this fabric was designed for me by Beth Keller. She's awesome. You can check out her Etsy site, KellerDesigning. I don't know if she's taking commissions now, but you could always ask ...

Enjoy!

Today's Pattern Story

2010-03-04T06:00:00.001-06:00

Darla: "Oh. You're right. I do look like a walking café curtain."

Carla: "I hated to be the one to tell you, but someone had to do it."

Darla: "And you know ..."

Carla: "That I look like I'm about to call "offsides!" at the World Tea-Drinking Championship? Yep."

Darla: "Our home-ec teacher has a lot to answer for."

Carla: "Don't worry, I already spiked the faculty coffeepot with something that causes unpleasant gastrointestinal effects, yet is non-life-threatening."

Darla: "You rock. Also, cute shoes!"

(Thanks to Janet at Lanetz Living for today's pattern!)

Talbots? Talbots. Huh.

2010-03-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

Somehow I managed to get on the Talbot's catalog mailing list and this shirtdress caught my eye. LOVE this color green:

I can't tell if it has pockets or not, but it really does look nice. The whole catalog seems full of surprises, including some great cardigans in one kajillion colors and some very very cute shoes.

I haven't shopped at Talbot's in ages -- it was always a bit off in a way I think our friends in the UK would call "mumsy." So either they have gotten better, or I have now aged into their target demo. Or both. Both is always possible.

Inspiration

2010-03-02T06:00:00.001-06:00

Seen last week on the Collette Patterns blog:

The tone-on-tone of this is really gorgeous. (Click on the image to go to the blog and see a full-length view.) I would love to see something like this on a non-princessy wedding dress, say a simple silk sheath in cream with cream roses along the waist and hem in taffeta or even organza.

While I'm at Colette's blog, I would like to point out how cute these little bias-tape bows are. Adorable!

And speaking of embellishments, I *think* I saw recently a dress with a heart on it, where the heart was made of random sizes of heart-shaped buttons. Does that sound familiar to anyone? Or did I just make it up?

(The dress itself is available here, and it's a larger size, too!)

Thanks to Kathleen for the link!

Another Loafer Roundup

2010-03-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, I am still obsessed with penny loafers, so it's time for me to share another roundup of them with you.

In some very exciting loafer news, Bass has finally come out with a low-vamp penny loafer (the Brookfield). I wish they were an update (but not this one) on the classic cordovan Weejuns, a shoe I wore constantly from elementary school through high school, but you can't have everything. (The menfolks can have updated Weejuns this spring, though.)

What you can have is them in white, which I think is really cute for summer:

And being Bass, they come in wide widths, which I appreciate, and they have more padding than most of the other loafers I've seen. (You may have to search a bit for the white ones -- I see them intermittently on eBay.)

I like these Franco Sarto Ivy loafers too, but I'm not sold on the suede, and all the non-suede options are fake croc. I really, really hate fake croc (and real croc, for that matter).

I haven't had a chance to try these on (unlike the Brookfields) so I think the vamp may be too high.

These Via Spigas Olsins are super-cute:

They're on the expensive side (~$100) but are on sale everywhere right now in random colors (including the dreaded croc) and a bright shiny orange.

(The Via Spigas, with that wonderful snipped-off 1960s toe, don't look so good on a wider foot, I'm sorry to say. If you have narrow feet, they will probably look fabulous.)

This KORS MICHAEL KORS Harper loafer is cute, except for the lug sole. (Why, Michael? Why?) And they're very expensive, at almost $200:

Aldo has a loafer, too, in black, brown, and red (red's on sale!) but I don't like the trompe l'oeil nature of the penny slot (you see how picky I am?):

These Aldo loafers are a little too 1990s for my taste, but maybe the 90s are coming back, now that we've nearly exhausted the 1980s revival?

If you're out and about and see any other penny loafers, please drop me a link!

Extremely Short and Quick Post: 2010 Crossword Dress

2010-02-22T06:32:00.003-06:00

So, quickly:

here's my dress from the 2010 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. I broke 500 for the first time!

Thanks to Jan for taking the picture (on my cell phone).

Also: this is one of those BurdaStyle Heidi dresses. I'll post a better picture of it later in the week.

Also: the fabric is from Spoonflower. I'll make it available this week too.

Also: yes, those are hot pink patent penny loafers.

Also: that's it.

Okay, Karl, Just This Once

2010-02-17T00:48:00.002-06:00

Aside from the belt, the fringe, the shoes-slash-lucite-hooves, and the expression on the model's face (which can only be described as "I am smelling something bad while thinking about completing my overdue tax return"), this is one lovely dress. The neckline, the midriff band, the fantastic fabric which I can almost *touch* through the computer screen ...

And it's by that certified wackaloon, Lagerfeld (for Fendi)! I swear, I love to read about Lagerfeld. If there were a Lagerfeld News Weekly I would be a charter subscriber. Nothing about him surprises me. Bathes in a mixture of V8 and ball bearings? That's for amateurs. Can't sleep unless a minion is doing wheelies on a dirt bike up and down the parqueted hall? Pffft. Hardly even eccentric. He's been hired to decorate a secret lair on Skullcrusher Mountain, take pictures of the process for a coffee-table book, and compose a chamber-music piece for an oboe sextet for the grand opening? Please, the man does that every third Tuesday. Lagerfeld would have to build an army of robot kittens that breathe fire and knit alpaca socks before I would even raise an eyebrow.

And yet it still surprises me when I like something he's designed! You go, Karl. Love ya, baby. Don't ever change.

Today's Pattern Story

2010-02-15T06:00:00.001-06:00

Cadets at LouAnne's House of Beauty and Space Hostess Training relax in two of the six approved Space Hostess Poses before their three-day comprehensive exams, which start tomorrow.

The exams determine not only vocational placements for each cadet but also the hairstyles, makeup, and clothing the cadets will be allowed to wear throughout their five-year probational service in the International Space Transit program. The exams are daylong ordeals of drink-serving, emergency procedures, and hair setting and waving. Cadets are allowed one four hour watch in every twenty-four to refresh their makeup and watch uplifting in-flight movies.

Graduates of LouAnne's are considered leaders in the Space Hostess field, and are assured their choice of the placements they qualify for, including the prestigious São Paulo-Marsport run.

This pattern courtesy of Sheila at Out of the Ashes, who is offering an extra 15% off through the end of today (Monday the 15th).

My Space Opera Fantasies Are Elaborate And Unfulfilled

2010-02-12T06:00:00.001-06:00

This dress (from, full-disclosure-mode, new advertiser Marian's Vintage Vanities) is really tweaking my "MUST BUY NOW" knob, but it is just too large for me, and everyone knows Tyrannical Empresses of Space Operas wear their dresses a bit on the tight side, if anything.

But if YOU will be leading the armies of the Zorg (and wear in the neighborhood of a modern size 18) this is the dress for you! It's Lurex! Fabric of the Future (and some of the more entertaining parts of the past)! And it is only TWENTY-FIVE OF OUR AMERICAN DOLLARS. No joke.

This, some Bowie-style face paint & false eyelashes, and a blinking tiara from the dollar store and you would be good to go for dozens of Halloweens, and you wouldn't freeze your ass off, because you could totally wear long underwear under this. And if anyone asked what you were supposed to be, you would just fix the questioner with a piercing stare, snap your fingers, and say "Minion! Kill this insolent creature!" and then turn and walk away.

The beauty of the walking away part is that it means you don't even *need* minions, but if you do have minions -- well, what are you waiting for?

Another Heidi

2010-02-11T06:00:00.001-06:00

Seriously, folks. Do you think I have a problem? I can't stop with the Heidi dresses.

Here's the most recent one:

Fabric is from FabricMart.com again. I don't know who they know but they are getting some excellent fabric lately.

Here's the bodice:

And the back:

I lined the bodice and pockets in pale gray Kona cotton -- not sure why I had it hanging around, but I did.

I have a whole pile of fabric that I still want to make this dress in: TWO (two!) colorways of camouflage, black denim, a Liberty twill, a rayon plaid, possibly a rose-pink corduroy, and on and on ... Good thing it's so fast to sew!

Review: Built By Wendy: Dresses

2010-02-10T06:00:00.001-06:00

I was really impressed by Built by Wendy Dresses: The Sew U Guide to Making a Girl's Best Frock. I really liked her Sew U book that came out back in 2006, so I was excited to see that she had a new one, concentrating exclusively on DRESSES. Whoo-hoo!

There are three dress patterns (sheath, shift, and dirndl) and twenty-five variations, most of which are cute (although they skew a little young). And the pattern sizing has changed from the first book, with the new book including an XL size (up to a 41" bust).

This would be a good book for a dedicated beginner. By "dedicated beginner," I mean someone who is slightly more patient than average (or maybe just slightly more patient than ME), who is thoughtful and careful, and who has sufficient motivation to spend more than one weekend putting a dress together. I estimate that it would take one weekend's worth of time (for a beginner) just to get the patterns traced and altered, one weekend to cut out the pattern and begin construction, and one weekend (or long evening) to do the finishing work. This is definitely a book for someone who will enjoy the planning and the process as much as the finished item.

However, if you worked your way carefully through the projects in this book, there would be very little that would faze you at the end. She covers pattern alterations, collars, clipping curves, sewing on buttons, seam finishing, facings and linings ... and of course, pockets, although welt pockets are not included -- even Wendy says they're on the difficult side, so she left them out. Zippers are given a slightly hand-wavy treatment, but since there are roughly one gazillion zipper tutorials floating around the web, I don't think that's a problem.

I get a lot of emails that basically read "I bought a sewing machine NOW WHAT??" I think this book is the new answer to "NOW WHAT??"

Oh my goodness (fans self)

2010-02-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

So IndigoTangerine left a comment here last week asking if knew that this blog was mentioned in a book called Breakfast At Bloomingdale's. Which, um, no, I didn't! But it is!

I think most of you know that I'm a dictionary editor in my "day job", but when I was working for OUP I was also an "acquiring editor," which meant that I noodged, nagged, harangued, and otherwise coaxed books from ideas to publication. I have a shelf of books in my house that I can point to and say "I midwived those" (and in some of them I can point to the acknowledgements to prove it). Occasionally, when I am having a bad day, I go look at that shelf and I say to myself: "Those are some mighty kickass books that wouldn't be here if I hadn't helped." (I'm even prouder of those books than I am of my own.)

So anyway, of *course* I ordered this one. I may even put it on the same shelf!

Today's Pattern Story

2010-02-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

Pink: Boo-yah! Let's get this party started! Holla back!

Blue: I hate this part of the movie, when I'm no longer queen bee. It's almost like being blonde is a handicap these days. Sheesh. I remember when I got to wear pink and go sleeveless. That's it, when this take is over I'm coloring my hair. Screw continuity, I'd be a fantastic redhead.

Gray: Ptarmigan. How'd that "p" get there? I wonder if that key grip would know?

[Special not-so-secret shoutout: Happy birthday, Mom!]

Such Great Heights

2010-02-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

Anthropologie actually calls this the Great Heights Shift, so they are to blame for the instant earworm I just gave you, not me. Honest. (Anyone earwormed with the Iron & Wine version? Raise your hand in the comments.)

Eirlys sent me the link to this dress (I'm pretty sure -- Eirlys, was that you?) and I've been a-thinkin' about it something fierce. Not that I will buy this dress, because (given the reviews) it probably wouldn't fit me very well, but because I love this fabric. Love. It. So I keep thinking of ways to get me some. Like, "calling Anthropologie headquarters, tracking down ~~stalking~~ the manufacturer, and begging" ways. None of which will work, because, given the way modern retailing works, this dress was made months ago and there's probably, like, a yard of this fabric left (and it's being used to re-cover an ottoman, or make a cat-bed). Sigh. Anyway, that little picture up there doesn't do the fabric justice, click on the link and do the mouse-y close-up thing. (You know. That thing.) THEN you'll see. This would make the cutest A-line skirt with pockets ... or another Heidi, of course.

Completely unrelated: I found an awesome new (old) word for "someone who sews": sewster. You're welcome.

More Liberty Stuff

2010-02-03T06:00:00.001-06:00

I recently set up a news alert for Liberty of London and I wish I hadn't. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have heard about the new MAC cosmetics/Liberty collaboration, which looks amazing (and I don't even wear that much makeup).

Man, that lipstick looks cute. Although I never wear lipstick that isn't lip balm with color in it, and rarely even remember to wear that. I swear, with regular lipstick, I'm like a dog wearing a hat, doing my best to rub the damn thing off, already.

Liberty is also supposed to be doing a huge collaboration with Target, due to launch at about the same time. Will I want one of everything? Probably. There's supposedly everything from "bird houses and bicycles to lingerie."

Anyone else know of more Liberty stuff coming down the pipe? I have to plan for this stuff, people!

Today's Pattern Story

2010-02-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

Cindy: You're sure it was here?
Mindy: What?
Cindy: That we were to wait.
Mindy: He said by the invisible chair. (pause) Do you see any others?
Cindy: No, but I wouldn't. If they were invisible.

Cindy: He should be here.
Mindy: He didn't say for sure he'd come.
Cindy: And if he doesn't come?
Mindy: We'll come back tomorrow.
Cindy: And then the day after tomorrow.

Mindy: Day after tomorrow I have a hairdresser's appointment.
Cindy: Then Thursday, then. Thursday good for you?
Mindy: That's fine. Thursday.

Today's pattern is available from Jen at MOMSPatterns -- it's so cute, isn't it?

(With apologies to Samuel Beckett.)

Of Course You Can Buy This

2010-01-28T06:00:00.001-06:00

So a brief mention of goings-on in Avonlea in yesterday's post made me start thinking about all the dresses in the Anne books (one of which I posted about the VERY FIRST month I blogged) and that led me to this, Anne's wedding dress.

I think this is from the widely panned miniseries/movie that I haven't seen, and not the actual books, but no matter. It's still pretty! (Click on the image to visit the Sullivan entertainment site, where the pattern is for sale.)

It would be well-nigh impossible for me to tally up all the hours I spent reading about Anne and Gilbert [heavy sigh]. Who's with me in still not-so-secretly thinking that Gilbert Blythe is one of the best too-good-to-be-true romantic heroes of girlhood literature? (And he's not even a vampire! Take that, Twihards!)

(I now feel a compulsion to watch that movie, despite the fact that it's not based a) on the books or b) set in Canada or c) in even remotely the same time period. Given all that, is it worth it?)

Am I Blue?

2010-01-27T09:07:00.002-06:00

One more Heidi ... for now (evil laugh):

I'm not sure if the color really comes across on your screen, but this dress is BLUE. Blue blue blue blue blue. The closest I can come to describing it is that this is the blue that I assumed they painted the Avonlea hall:

a deep, brilliant blue, the shade they use for painting carts and wheelbarrows.

Despite it being probably not so good a color for a community hall on Prince Edward Island, I quite like it as a dress!

Here's the bodice -- note the lining which I deliberately pressed to show, for a kind of piping effect without the work:

And the same lining as the bodice for the pocket:

I have at least one more Heidi left to come -- I managed to cut out FOUR of them in one evening, assembly-line style, and have finished one. Seriously, at this point I hardly want to wear anything else -- they're just so comfortable!

Heidi #2: The Return (With Butterflies)

2010-01-25T06:00:00.001-06:00

Here's the second Heidi I made (fuzzy pic, sorry):

The fabric is by Joel Dewberry, I'm pretty sure I bought it from eQuilter, although I don't see it there now. I probably hovered with my finger over the "buy" button for five or six visits until I figured out what to do with it ... luckily, Heidi only takes 2 yards of 56" wide fabric (another reason to love it!) so it wasn't a huge commitment once I did decide to buy it.

I lined the bodice on this one with some $1/yard fabric I bought ages ago. Every time I think "oh, I should really get rid of all those remnants that I bought for no good reason," I find a dress pattern like this one (or the Duro) that needs little bits of contrast fabric. Whew!

You can almost see the lining fabric -- it's cream-colored, with a maroon and gray thread stripe, perfect, huh? -- and the gray ribbon I used as pocket trim, here:

Here's the back -- I actually made a half-assed (pun intended!) attempt at matching the pattern on this one.

I've been wearing this with dark gray tights, flat penny loafers (duh) and a dark maroon sweater; I could probably also wear it with a bright pink, a dark gray, or a cream-colored sweater, if I thought about it.

I also have a goldenrod-colored scarf (you know, one of those pashmina-y things) that goes nicely with this, and about two weeks ago I was in "the city" (which seems to be what you call San Francisco, if you live near it) wearing this dress, that scarf, and an old denim Levi's jacket I swiped from my Dad in roughly 1987 (with bright pink leather gloves sticking out of the breast pocket) and a tourist actually STOPPED ME ON THE STREET and asked to take my picture. It wasn't the Sartorialist, but hey, it was still nice. So if you see that picture on the web somewhere, let me know?

A few other quick things: I'm sure you already know (and knowing you all, have already donated to the best of your ability) about the tragedy in Haiti -- but if you're looking for sewing-type things to do, eBay seller Charlong is donating the proceeds from her auctions to Doctors Without Borders, and I know Lisa and Tina have been doing relief/benefit auctions/sales, as well. If you have links to other relief/benefit sales, please leave 'em in the comments, and I'll do a roundup later this week.

My First Heidi

2010-01-22T09:20:00.003-06:00

Remember way back when, last year, when I posted about this fabulous new BurdaStyle pattern I'd found, Heidi? I made three of them in quick succession and promised you pictures.

I finally got a battery charger for my camera (and then immediately found mine, in the last box unpacked after the move, isn't that always the way?) and so here is my first Heidi attempt:

Notice how deep the neckline is? Yeah, me too. So I wear a long-sleeved black tee under this one. After this one I altered the pattern to not be as wide and deep, and I still have more of this fabric (glad I bought a ton of it, I love it and it's now sold out!) so I'm probably going to re-make the bodice. It goes together quickly (despite being lined) so that won't be the arduous slog it would usually be.

Oh, and I changed the tucks in the original pattern bodice to darts.

And look! It has pockets!

The original pattern had very shallow pockets, but I deepened them by about three inches, which seems to work just fine. They go together very easily.

Here's the back:

For some reason it was really hard to take sharp pictures of this particular print ... I wonder why? And I'm sorry it looks so baggy -- I adjusted my dress form WAY down to take some pictures of some smaller dresses with a friend, and she's still not back to her usual fighting form. The dress itself is fairly fitted.

As you can see, I didn't even bother to try to match the print. It's giant scribbles!

Next week I'll show the other two versions!

(Sorry, I don't know where this week went. Okay, I do know -- it was trapped in busyland, with two writing deadlines, a couple of big meetings, and torrential California rain which caused minor flooding in our garage [WHICH IS STILL BETTER THAN SNOW!]. Next week, well, it doesn't look better, busy-wise, but it doesn't look like I need to start cadging ProVigil, either.)

Y'all are some good people

2010-01-12T06:31:00.003-06:00

Remember last year, when I posted a link to a group in California that wanted scraps to make quilts for Quilts for Valor and other groups?

I wanted to share this thank-you note I received from Jane Ellen, who manages their donations:

Over the year I've received at least 6 large boxes of marvelous fabrics--silks, Japanese cottons and more. Most have arrived anonymously, but a couple had return addresses and I hope they got their thank you notes. The Pieces of Love quilting group at Northpoint Church in Corona, CA made and distributed at least 120 quilts in 2009--not bad for our first year with 12 members! Twenty were handpicked for women and children at an emergency homeless shelter and extras were left for others to receive as needed. For seven years our church has partnered with a Head Start Program in a disadvantaged area near us. Each year we give a Christmas in Corona party for the children and their families. This year we had over 400 people on our Christmas lists. Originally we just provided toys for the preschool children, but we have expanded to provide an item of clothing and a toy for each child in a Head Start family and gift cards for the parents. We also provide a small (50x63" min.) quilt for each child under age 3. The last count I heard was 52 quilts this year. Other quilts were personally delivered to members needing a tangible reminder of God's love in our church family. One quilt was sent to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where our church partners with a school and ministry. Several were sent on to Quilts of Valor for wounded warriors. Between now and March we'll put together a blue and white quilt for a woman who's speaking at our women's retreat then. This year's retreat is entitled "Sacred Scraps" and will have many of our quilts.

So thank you, from Jane Ellen, and thank you from me, too!

Youth (and this pattern) is wasted on the young

2010-01-11T07:00:00.001-06:00

I really love the waist treatment on this pattern (from Tina at What-I-Found Vintage Patterns) but it is a size 11. That's right, e-lev-en. Bust 31 1/2, which I might be able to fit into immediately AFTER I track down Ray Palmer and his shrinking lens. Possibly. I might also have to track down some superhero who has a "remove-a-rib" lens. (I'm sure there was one in 1970s Marvel comics.)

I do understand that people come in all shapes and sizes blah blah blah but it's so sad when something like this doesn't. I know I could always scale it up but pattern grading falls right after "regrout tile in public bathrooms" on my list of fun things to do.

The saddest thing about these adorable patterns is that they're often uncut ... because adolescent girls either want to draw as little attention to themselves as possible, or they want to dress like raddled divorceés who drink in the afternoon. (Or, judging from what I see in the windows of Forever21 as I walk past, extras in a Pat Benetar video. Aren't we tired of asymmetrical jersey ruffles with unfinished edges yet? I know I am.)

I suppose there are so many truly awful things about adolescence—systemic "unfairness," skin problems, parents—that I shouldn't begrudge the odd pattern that only comes in sub-deb sizes. (To be clear: there's nothing wrong with having a 31.5 inch bust, even only considering how many awesome things you can wear if you don't have to take into account chestular scaffolding and trussing.) And it's not like I don't have roughly two patterns to sew for every day that I can expect to live, most just as cute as this one, if not cuter. So you should put this whole post down to the cranky ramblings of the aged. If I had a lawn, I could now shout for those darn kids to get off it. (And you'll have to excuse me now, my stories are on.)

Two for Thursday, Plus Send Me Book Links Please

2010-01-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

Denise at The Blue Gardenia is having a sale (33% off on three patterns) and this is one she's listing now ... it's such a good pattern, especially for people looking for a fancy dress that is also *simple*. This one would be a snap, I think!

Carmen sent this link to the art of Mashanda Scott -- it's all made of FABRIC! Astounding.

Also, I'm hoping to do more book reviews in 2010 -- if you have likely candidates, feel free to email me links (or leave comments here)! I don't care if they're newly published or not, as long as they're still relatively easy to obtain (new or used). Sewing how-to, fashion and textile reference, and fiction about clothing all welcome!

Don't Wear Green Tarletan Dresses

2010-01-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

From the (1883) Annual Report of the Massachusetts State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity:

Attention has very frequently been called to the presence of large amounts of arsenic in green tarlatan, which has given rise so many times to dangerous symptoms of poisoning when made into dresses and worn, so that it is very rare now to see a green tarlatan dress. This fabric is still used, however, to a very dangerous extent, chiefly for the purposes of ornamentation, and may often be seen embellishing the walls and tables at church and society fairs, and in confectionery, toy and dry-goods stores. The writer has repeatedly seen this poisonous fabric used at church fairs and picnics as a covering for confectionery and food, to protect the latter from flies. As is well known, the arsenical pigment is so loosely applied to the cloth that a portion of it easily separates upon the slightest motion. Prof. Hoffmann after examining 11 large number of specimens estimated that twenty or thirty grains of the pigment would separate from a dress per hour, when worn in a ball-room.

But green tarlatan is not the only fabric which contains arsenic. We find arsenic sometimes in other substances used in making articles of wearing apparel, usually in the form of arsenical pigments. The writer detected a large amount of arsenic in a specimen of cloth known as "Foulard cambric," which had been made into a dress; after wearing the dress a short time severe conjunctivitis was produced, together with nasal catarrh, pharyngitis, and symptoms of gastric irritation. The pattern of the dress consisted of alternate stripes of light-blue and navy-blue, and contained 0.291 grm. per square meter. Conjunctivitis has also been recorded from wearing of "tulle" dresses. A pustular eruption upon the neck and arms was caused by "a splendid dark-green dress, trimmed with light-green leaves," obtained "from a well-known Parisian atelier;" the dress was found to contain "a large percentage of arsenic."

Excessive irritation of the skin has frequently been caused by wearing stockings colored with an arsenical pigment. The writer has detected arsenic most frequently in light-red, magenta-colored and brown stockings; in one case, that of a child, which came to the writer's knowledge, great inflammation of that portion of the skin which came in contact with the stocking took place first, then occurred symptoms of general poisoning, which resulted in a short time in death.

Dr. Jabez Hogg reports also among other articles of wearing apparel fatal cases of poisoning from the green flannel lining of boots, and poisoning by maroon flannel shirts, by calico shirts, gloves, coat sleeves, hat linings, and paper collars.