

UPDATE
I am entirely blown away. At the point I write this I'm a little more than $500 away from my stated Kickstarter goal, 18 hours after going live with my project. Thank you!
Your enthusiasm has galvanized me to work harder and smarter on this book so I can make ALL of you proud!
After I've reached the goal I will CONTINUE to raise funds to cover all of the expenses involved in finishing, photographing, editing & printing the book.
GOAL REACHED doesn't mean the fundraising automatically ends. Please pass along the link to the Kickstarter project to anyone you know who might be interested. My actual goal is actually about half of the total amount required for printing, photography, licensing, etc.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
We think of fashion as changing, evolving, but it's not often that we actually consider the CONSTRUCTION of garments as an evolutionary process.
Current garments flatter our modern sense of beauty, but in reality women come in many shapes and sizes, some of which look best in non-modern cuts of clothing.
Amalie Shrawl, Inspiration
Alexandra Amalie von Bayern (1826-1875)
by Joseph Karl Stieler (1781–1858)
By using shaping and draping techniques from a previous periods married with modern knitting and pattern writing techniques, I've created a collection of hand knit garments that reflect a historic feeling without being "costumey"
I've drawn my inspiration from artworks throughout history; paintings, statues and funeral effigies. I'm hoping that this will be the first in a series of books that explore how different methods of cutting and patterning garments can flatter different body types.
WHAT'S IN THE BOOK?
This book will include 20 patterns based on images from art history including cardigans, pullovers and accessories written for all level of knitters. Full charts & written instructions will accompany each pattern.
Gripsholm Jacket, Finished
Some designs adhere closely to the original inspiration, some will stray a bit, while keeping the general integrity of the source material.
Gripsholm Jacket, Inspiration
The Gripsholm Portrait,
though to be Elizabeth I of England
Artist Unknown, c 1563
WHY I NEED YOU
I'm publishing this in conjunction with Cooperative Press, and they're amazing! But there are extra expenses surrounding this project, specifically the big three are:
- Licensing fees to use museum images
- Color printing costs
- Travel fees for background research & photography
No matter WHAT you can give, I am VERY grateful! I intend to make this book available in three formats:
- Conventional, color printed soft cover book
- ebook
- individual, downloadable pdf pattern files
I've included these formats in the rewards section, and in some cases by committing to fund this project you may even get a bit of a price break - isn't that nice!?
THANK YOU
Thank you for funding this project, or for even considering it! Please pass along the URL to this project, I'd love to get it SO completely funded that History on 2 Needles will become the first in a series! YOU can make this possible!!
Tissot Jacket, In Progress
Tisso Jacket, Inspiration
Portrait of Miss L. L.1864James Tissot (1836-1902)
Questions about this project? Check out the FAQ