There is no question that this art rests on exact measures, given that its products are made to be extremely comfortable and ample enough to keep from interfering with the body's movements, and so washing the cloth before using it can hardly be dispensed with. By this precaution, which tightens it up, you can be … Continue reading The Art of the Lingère – Chapter III: On Measuring

Linge in general being the main product of all nations, its manufacture is multiplied in proportion to need and luxury. The following is a list of linen and other fabrics which are used in France, their width, and the countries and provinces where they are made. FABRICS. Holland Frise (Frisian), or hollande (holland), is white linen: usually … Continue reading The Art of the Lingère – Chapter II: Fabrics of Linen, Hemp, Cotton, and Lace

FIRST CHAPTER The Ell and its fractions in feet, inches, and twelfths of an inch. The ell, the scissors, the needle, and the thimble are the only instruments of the lingère. The ell is an instrument only used to measure the quantity of linen required or judged necessary for this or that garment in any … Continue reading The Art of the Lingère – Chapter I: Measuring

François Alexandre Pierre de Garsault (1691-1778) was a sort of Renaissance man of the eighteenth century, interested in art, natural science, and technology. In the 1760s and 1770s, he published a number of books explaining the occupations of a number of different types of artisans, including those in trades related to sewing. Of these, I … Continue reading Garsault: The Art of the Lingère – Introduction