Devere’s Graduated Rulers

I’ve been drafting patterns using a copy of Louis Devere’s The Handbook of Practical Cutting on the Centre Point System (1866) for almost two years now. Of the available drafting manuals from the Civil War period, this seems to be the most complete and easiest to learn.

Full of Lint

I regularly clean and oil my sewing machine, a vintage Singer 201 built in 1939. It can be counted on to run beautifully most of the time, with perfectly straight stitches, and almost noiselessly, compared to other machines I’ve used.

Welcome to Williams Clothiers

Welcome to the new website for Williams Clothiers. I specialize in recreating clothing from the mid-1800s, and in particular, the American Civil War. In the future, I plan to post about tailoring techniques, drafting, new projects, and other information that I feel will be of interest to you. The tailoring business today is nothing like it was in the past, with a tailor on every block. Many people now go their whole lives without visiting a tailor, and

I feel it is important to help preserve the knowledge of the tailor , before even more is lost.