possible authentic fabric?

[21stGA Jcantrell]

Hey, this is my first post here so howdy to all :D My question is as follows :

Everybody knows the familyheirloom weavers are THE place to get authentic fabrics. The thing is, for shirting they have very few selections and I dont want to look like every other person with my civilian shirt fabric matching someone elses supposed "homemade" shirt. This site was shown to me by a civilian reenactor who has about 7 years worth experience under her belt, but I have never purchased from there so I dont know if their fabrics are authentic or not. The site is as listed
http://www.sticksnstitches.com/fabrics/

Do you all think this material is farb? Anyone had personal experience buying from here before? The prices arnt bad and I like the patterns so any comments or information pertaining to this is greatly appriceated :)

[HOG.EYE.MAN]

I'm not familiar with that site..... (not saying anything is wrong with it either)

If you're portraying a CS soldier and you want the issue look, consider just sticking with the basics. Purchase some osnaburg from Pat Klein and buy a simple pattern for it. Or, you can maybe buy some wool flannal and use a civilian pattern to make a shirt out of it also. Checked shirts and other shirting materials are over represented in our hobby.

Good luck,

[GreencoatCross]

Let me mirror Aaron's statement....you can't go wrong with a white osnaburg or wool flannel shirt made using a good pattern. In my own case I recently made a hand-sewn shirt from Pat Kline's nankeen cotton, which is slightly lighter and a bit finer than osnaburg cotton, with good results. Checks, plaids, and stripes are nice but solids really are getting a bit thin out there when it comes to shirts.

You may have good luck at local fabric stores while looking for wool flannel; I know one down the road from me sells about ten various solid colors of wool flannels in two "grades." And maybe think like a solider when picking something out; "dark shirts don't show dirt well."

Brian White
Randolph Mess, USSS
GHTI

[KLCoombs]

The smaller scale "homespun" type fabrics on that site look okay, but at $7.95 a yard, I'd pass. You can get "homespun" of equal quality much cheaper at Wal-Mart and JoAnn's. It doesn't look like its handwoven, but much of it DOES look like factory woven plaid, striped and checked goods of the period. I'd avoid overtly modern color combinations like Christmas plaids. I recently had a copy made of an original "homespun" type dress in Heather Hook's collection. It amazed me because the green and white checked (factory-woven) fabric was virtually identical that tiny-checked fabric that Wal-Mart always carrys. The dress had functional brown china inkwell buttons -- which I had a lot of anyway, and I thought, "Hey, I can get a nearly EXACT copy of this dress" - and Michelle Petit (http://petitsvillagemercantile.com) did a phenomenal job - the pix of the repro look almost exactly like the pix of the original. Moral of story: don't dismiss a fabric simply because it's cheap -- study originals until you develop an "eye" for what looks right.

For an actual handwoven look, if you want to find an alternative to Pat Kline's excellent range of homespuns, I'd suggest trying out Charlie Childs' website. He carries three plaid/checked fabrics and two striped shirtings that are copies of documented original fabrics and very attractive. http://www.crchilds.com/id44.htm

--Kathryn Coombs
President, Atlantic Guard Soldiers Aid Society
(like the 21st GA, also part of Pridgeon's Shenandoah Legion -- we're everywhere, we're everywhere... eek!!)

PS Welcome to the Authentic Campaigner forum!

[21stGA Jcantrell]

Thanks for the reply guys, I actually had picked up some of the walmart homespun under some advice from my aunt who has been sewing and all that for over 15 years :)


<STIRKE><strike>About crchilds, basicly he is buying from familyheirloomweavers and selling it for double the price (thats what it appears anyways) but still is an excellent source for patterns and the like (I am making a homemade uniform from scratch and its very cost effective to just buy the patterns and cloth and make it yourself :))</strike>

James - please be careful with your accusations unless you are ready to put forth proof of what you are saying. If you can do so, do it. If not, don't accuse.
- Mike Chapman</STRIKE>

[James Masson]

I thought that Child's weaves his own cloth? Am I wrong?

[RyanBWeddle]

About crchilds, basicly he is buying from familyheirloomweavers and selling it for double the price (thats what it appears anyways)

You are WAAAAY off the mark on this statement, Charlie Childs probably has more research and know how under his belt when it comes to Civil War era fabrics than anyone else in the world! He has been running his business & reproducing quality goods longer than you've been alive. Childs has each of his fabrics privately woven for his business and are based off originals, he does not buy from any other source and resell at a markup. There are enough out there guilty of that action.....

Perhaps there is a reason they are "double the price". Quality and Authenticity aren't cheap and you can't do better than Childs. His prices are more than fair for what he offers...

[HOG.EYE.MAN]

Ryan,

I do declare you're correct indeed about County Cloth.

James,

I didn't realize Walmart was an "approved vendor" for fabric.

[21stGA Jcantrell]

Hey guys, sorry about the above statement, I knew it would cause an uproar, thats why I said "it appears that way" (maybe I should be more careful with my words, i wasnt tryin to accuse anybody of anything). Just looking at materials and prices in comparison to other sites is why I came to that conclusion, I regret the error.



About the wallmart fabric, nor was I. It was only 2 dollars a yard so picking up a few yards couldnt hurt now could it? :) Once I purchase some fabric from FamilyHeirLoom Weavers I will make a comparison (since we all know FHLW is authentic)

again sorry about above

[paulcalloway]

If I was buying shirting I'd buy from C.R. Childs or Pat Kline (Family Heirloom). They have enough shirting styles between the two of them that I don't think "looking like everyone else" is a valid concern.

We've come a long ways from the days of blue sportcoats and Sears work pants ... and it hasn't been because of Wal Mart, JoAnn Fabrics or Sticks N Stiches. Childs and Kline have done a lot for the hobby and my money goes to support the people that support me. I've ordered from both Childs and Kline and will again in the future.

[21stGA Jcantrell]

Yes, they are really great :) I wasnt talking about the styles of shirts lol, just the fabric (the way it looks, like stripes , checks etc) since FHLW has only 6 types of fabrics listed for shirts and CC only 5 (cc is out of the question for me at the moment for fabric since I am struggling in this hobby in the cash department, I'll stick with FHLW) Thanks for all the replys fellas