Zero waste Ethnic Clothing Folkwear Patterns Have They Been Misunderstood?

I have to admit, I had trouble understanding the Folkwear portfolio.  I didn't know if it was cosplay, museum reproduction garments,  theatre, or costumes.  So I purchased the Folkwear Book of Ethnic Clothing, this book is a treasure trove of ethnic clothing  history, I'm understanding a bit better, and really enjoying reading about how the garments evolved from rectangles, triangles and circles to the more fitted garments.  If you're expecting these patterns to be ready to wear you won't be satisfied with them.  Early on the pattern reviews were a mixed bag, but I've seen some beautiful interpretations inspired by the ethnic design as well as simpler modern versions.

I'm considering creating the cover tunic to lounge around the house ☺

If I remember my costume history correctly, the first body adornment was scarification of the skin. The first textile was made of tree bark.  This book fast forwards to more traditional fabrics, woven on looms.. The first patterns were geometric shapes. On its surface a rectangle isn’t very sophisticated, but it’s the “why” that’s interesting.

“Looking deeper for a possible explanation, we find a belief common to many cultures that a fabric, like other objects made painstaking by human hands, has a spiritual as well as a structural integrity. Cutting not only damages the fabric but also diminishes its power to protect against malign forces.”

They didn’t cover this in my costume history class.

“To preserve the fabrics integrity, clothing designs are developed that require few, if any cuts into the fabric. When cuts must be made, the resulting pieces are given the shapes of triangle, square, rectangle, or circle in order to substitute their talismanic potency for the power of uncut cloth. “

Imagine what they might have thought about pieced quilts.  I've never thought of my clothes having "talismanic" properties, but I have held onto some pieces that no longer fit, that I love.  There's something to be said about a garment or anything made by loving hands, with intention.  

The first garment of 2019....

The cape will be later.... no not really.

It comes with differenct embroidered designs for each size that are interchangeable.  In this go around, I won't be embroidering.

Things are still getting organized and moved in to their final places, I have a lot of fabric.  The ethnic clothing designs are suitable for burning through yardage with reckless abandon, and using some special pieces as trim.  My mind is on fire with the possibilities, and frankly, it's time, I become "that neighbor", who runs around the house in an Afghani Nomad dress.

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Here's a bit of sobering information from the book. 

"In certain parts of Africa, wealthy families might honor their dead by wrapping the body with a multitude of fabrics  neighbors and friends also contributed cloth, and the size of the pile of cloth indicated the prestige of the deceased."

A most fitting passage for someone organizing stash..... although shipping my stash to Africa for the opportunity to be prestigious in death is not on my bucket list, so the lesson is, use your stash before you're buried with it.