This is my favourite childhood book, and while searching for a new copy of it several years back (my copy no longer has it's cover) I discovered that it had been reprinted with another name. The new editions are under the title "Double Spell"! I know that this is the case in Canada, and that this title is listed on Amazon.ca, so I'm sure it's on .com as well. Hope I've helped someone else fine the magical novle.

My cousin and I are in our early 30s and have been searching EVERYWHERE for this book. We remember reading it as young teenagers and how much we LOVED IT! I hope to get a copy thru Amazon; if so, I know I'll STILL enjoy it! EXCELLENT mystery!

I had hoped to make this book this month's selection for my book club. I am really upset that it is out of print! This an excellent book. I am 11 years old and found the book really exciting.

This book goes into details that others leave out. What type of lining was used, how the embrodery was done, drawings of the hooks and eyes used to hold some garmets closed. Where many books on historical dress will tell you a garmet was laced closed up the back Janet Arnold will expand and tell you that the holes were reinforced with metal rings sewn on with thread and what color and type of thread. In addition, the clothing of the men of the time is not just given a passing nod, but every bit as important. Her attention to detail extends to giving the information on where she obtained her information, allowing yet more research to be done on your own. Not for anyone new to sewing but a must for the person who wants to understand the details of historical garmet construction.

The late Janet Arnold can certainly be called the mother of historical accuracy in costume research. Her meticulous sketches of extant garments, coupled with her carefully drawn graphed patterns, make her books indispensible both for students of historical costumes and for those who wish to reproduce them. Each drawing includes a brief description of the garment, including which materials were used and any types of embellishment. I found it very easy to scale up the patterns I wanted to use with one-inch pattern graphing paper (available through most fabric outlets). This particular volume in the _Patterns of Fashion_ series includes my favorite era -- the English Regency. The patterns provided include long gowns, a crossover bodice shortgown (a version of which was made for Kate Winslet in "Sense and Sensibility"), a riding habit and a 1790s pelisse (overdress). This book is worth every penny and will become a dog-eared favorite on your costuming shelf!

Janet Arnold's books are great contributions to society. All historic costumers should consider her nothing short of required reading. All of the patterns are easy to use by comparison of non-commerical patterns; however, not for the novice. I personally have a failing in math, yet had no difficulty. To ease it a bit, use an overhead projecter, as I did, to enlarge the patterns. Even if you are not into the re-creation of these gowns, The book still has great information on historical sewing techniques, and certain styles and how/why they were worn. I poured over this book for hours. If you are in to re-creation however, you could create a complete 18th cenurty, Regency, or early Victorian wardrobe from this book. (and a late Victorian, Elizabethian, Barquoe, or early 20th century one from her other books). Bravo.

For years I heard how this was _the_ book to buy if you were into Elizabethan costuming and wanted authentic items that could be documented. The book is good for that, and I enjoyed the style that Ms.Arnold wrote it in.

But I have two major gripes with the book-both regarding the quality of graphics and images in it.

First off-in the whole book there are only about 5 pages in color. The rest of it-including hundreds of portraits, examples of extant clothing pieces and pieces of embroidery were all in black and white. I complain about that because, with so many of the portraits quoted as examples it would help if they could be seen clearly. (Many of them are too dark to have reproduced well, and a few are quite horrible.) And the photographs....

If they could reprint this book and possibly include more color plates it would be a much much more valuable resource. As it stands now, it is a good source, but not all that I could have hoped for. Instead I have begun a search for color reproductions of the portraits cited in the book. A long tedious job but one that I think over all will make it a much more solid resource for my needs.

This is one of the best books ever written on the subject of Elizabethan Costuming. It mainly contains all of the details of Queen Elizabeth I wardrobe but it has unique points in the society that surrounded the dresses. This book helps to explain the Gloriana image that became so popular and it helps us to understand all the little details that went into the dress of the period. Detailing costumes using portraits and explaining how the fashion progressed makes this book a must for anyone interested in Renaissance Faires and the nobility. The only drawback is that very very few of the portraits and pictures are in color. I think a total of about 7 are in color the rest is in black and white. The only way to make this book more appealing and usable would be to put all of the portraits and pictures in color, but that would make the book even more expensive. After this must have book the 2nd on the shelf should be a J. Hunniset book (the lady who did all the costuming for Elizabeth R and The Six Wives of Henry the VIII produced by BBC). Next, any Janet Arnold book. Last, would be the Norris book: Tudor Costuming and Fashion (although most of this book is very outdated it is nice to look at). All of these are must haves and will make a well rounded library. Dispite the high price of the book it is worth posessing. Enjoy.

For the historical costumer focused on 16th century clothing, this is the "bible" hands down. Big, expensive, and filled with the usual detail that is the hallmark of Janet Arnold, this is one very worthwhile investment for the serious costumer. This book has one tiny drawback, in that it focuses entirely on women's fashion in the 16th century as viewed through the wardrobe accounts of Queen Elizabeth I and some of her contemporaries. Therefore, it has nothing to say on the topic of men's clothing, which is an unfortunately neglected aspect of 16th century research.

Much of Janet Arnold's most important contributions to the costuming community are addressed in this book, making it extremely valuable. She presents each section with satisfying detail, raising very few questions that remain unanswered. The photographs accompanying the text are also invaluable, as many of them are not available in other books or to the general public for viewing. If only there were more color images...

If you can afford the book, you won't regret buying it.

Janet Arnold explores the cut and construction of clothes from 1560-1620 like no other. If you have questions regarding period seam placement, pattern design, period fabrics, and period construction...this is the be all and end all of sources. This is not a "how to" book for a beginner, this is for the serious artisan looking to design in a more authentic direction.

This book is an indispensible resource of period cut and construction techniques. The highly informative text and detailed illustrations are wonderful tools for creating authentic garments. Be aware- this is not for the novice seamstress- the illustrations assume that a strong base knowledge of sewing and cutting has already been met. I borrowed copies of this book for years- now I finally have my own.

This book analyzes in detail surviving garments of the late sixteenth to early seventeenth century. Many are too fragile now to be on display in museums, so this is an extremely valuable historic record. Janet has examined the garments and provides detailed drawings, patterns, and construction notes. The book also correlates period portraits, paintings, and scultures (in black and white) with the actual clothing examples, so costumers can learn to "read" the pictures for fabric, cut, style, etc. This book is a classic in its field, and no serious historic costumer should be without it

This is a great way to have a historical dress without tearing a old garment apart. Easy to follow patterns and good directions.
A great book for any reenactor or anyone who wants to have history live again with a museum copy dress or gown.

Janet Arnold's clear, precise illustrations of period garments are just as valuable as her detailed descriptions of materials used and garment construction techniques. This book is most helpful for students of Victorian and Edwardian fashion, particularly since the garments chosen for study are not extreme examples but ones well suited for the reenactor or living historian. The graphed patterns are easily enlarged with one-inch gridded paper, and the intermediate seamstress will have no trouble creating beautiful outfits.

All of the patterns in this book were taken from existing garments, so they are very historically accurate. Details on fabric, trim, and construction are included--as well as what type of corset was worn with each (very important!). I used one of the patterns to make a 1870's dress and it turned out wonderful--I made mock-ups of the bodice first to ensure fit, and had to make a number of alterations. The grid scale is easy to use. Seam allowances and alternate sizing is not included, so if your figure is extremely dissimilar to the original wearer of the gown, you might have trouble. These books show a few specific examples in great detail, so you should use it with other broader resources for ideas for alterations, materials, and accessories.

This reassuring story of a child's concern about moving also reveals the hardship of our immigrant forebears and some traditions which helped the settlers and later generations flourish. Erica is sad about leaving behind her best friend and her school. But the move to New Braunfels has the advantage of bringing her close to her grandmother who recruits her help in making molasses cookies for Christmas. This book will give elementary age children comfort about changes in their lives while they learn of an interesting time in Texas history and the holiday customs which came with the settlers from Germany.

Enjoyable reading for learning more about family traditions and their origin. Of particular interest to readers curious about local (New Braunfels, TX) heritage.