Chapter One:

Right, so I've decided to create this blog to track my progress as I work from, what should probably be a classic if it isn't already, "The American Dressmaker". This book went through a couple of tweaks, but I'll be working mostly from the 1910 edition, aka referencing fashion trends from 1909.

Why have I decided to do this, you ask? Mostly the interest originated from one of the last papers I wrote before graduating from college last May. The paper I ended up writing focused on events that happened to a specific group of irrationally photogenic people who were all later brutally murdered as the Great World War began to wind down. In order to 'get to know them better' (I know, I know, method writer, right?), I began looking into the world they lived in, which eventually led to the discovery of several fashion and pattern magazines from the turn of the century. Really, the magazines were more interesting than the paper, which was a problem, as since the paper was already on a ridiculously depressing topic and the vintage mags so lively it made it hard to try and focus on the issue I had to write about.

However, with all that being done with, I have been one of the lucky few to land a job just weeks before graduating, and that job has taken me to the beautiful Japanese countryside. Out here, there's plenty to see, but really not much to do. "But Japan is supposed to be the land of wonder, robots, and über technology!" you say. In Tokyo, yes, that can sometimes be the case, however out here in the rice fields, it's back to basics. Coupled with no motor vehicle (which isn't uncommon out here) and it costing excessive amounts of money and time to get to the more interesting places, I tend to stay in my own pond but have realized recently that I Really Do Need Something To Pass The Time That Is C＊O＊N＊S＊T＊R＊U＊C＊T＊I＊V＊E. Since there are threats of the zombie apocalypse and the mayans possibly being said zombies on their own doomsday date, I figured learning how to sew by hand might come in handy when the world is plunged into darkness.

Hell, at the very least I'll be well-dressed. Right?

That's where this book, "The American Dressmaker", comes in. After scouring through several very old books ranging from over 170 years old to around 90, this book seems to be the most objective and committed to getting someone who doesn't know anything at all about making their own clothes, or even how to make a stitch, drafting their own patterns using detailed instructions and how to go step by step after that in very clear-cut details. Basically, when reading this book, I haven't had to google anything once, and that's a good thing. The book I was practicing before was geared towards teachers teaching young girls who were probably destined to work in factories by the time they reached eight years old. It wasn't really into dressmaking just yet, but it was good for learning some basic hand stitches and, you know, making button bags using french seams and hair receivers (the best).

So hopefully I can make it all the way through "The American Dressmaker" of 1910 (really 1909) and learn a thing or two along the way. The technology has changed dramatically, and so have the tools, so this should be an interesting ride.