I would say that costuming takes a great deal of knowledge of textiles, history, math, and engineering. Yes, that's right, math and engineering. If you do not know how to plot a curve or calculate the amount of square inches you will need for a pattern you will need to learn fast. You will purchase fabric by the yard but you will have to know how to lay out your pattern on it to be able to use the maximum amount of your yardage.

Sure if you buy a commercial pattern it shows you how to lay it out and how much fabric at what width to purchase. But if you are like most costumers you will graduate to making your own patterns and with that comes the knowledge of how much fabric and trims you really need to buy. It will be second nature in no time to you and it is all math!

So if you were bad at math in school it was because they did not use fabric and pattern making as an example to help you learn.

Now is the time for you to utilize all that knowledge you thought was useless to help you make the best costume in the show!

Select the link down below to where you want to explore, (the menu will scroll down with you), and away we go! If you have any questions or would like to add to my links please let me know.

And now for some humor of sorts.....or not!

The following is an excerpt from the July 1943 issue of Transportation. This was serious and written for male supervisors of women in the work force during World War II-a mere 60 years ago! For those of you with efficiency issues, pay attention to #8.

Eleven Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees: There's no longer any question whether transit companies should hire women for jobs formerly held by men. The draft and manpower shortage has settled that point. The important things now are to select the most efficient women available and how to use them to the best advantage. Here are eleven helpful tips on the subject from Western Properties:

1.Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters, they're less likely to be flirtatious, they need the work or they wouldn't be doing it, they still have the pep and interest to work hard and to deal with the public efficiently.

2.When you have to use older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home at some time in their lives. Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy. It's always well to impress upon older women the importance of friendliness and courtesy.

3.General experience indicates that "husky" girls - those who are just a little on the heavy side - are more even tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.

4.Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination - one covering female conditions. This step not only protects the property against the possibilities of lawsuit, but reveals whether the employee-to-be has any female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job.

5.Stress at the outset the importance of time - the fact that a minute or two lost here and there makes serious inroads on schedules. Until this point is gotten across, service is likely to be slowed up.

6.Give the female employee a definite day-long schedule of duties so that they'll keep busy without bothering the management for instructions every few minutes. Numerous properties say that women make excellent workers when they have their jobs cut out for them, but that they lack initiative in finding work themselves.

7.Whenever possible, let the inside employee change from one job to another at some time during the day. Women are inclined to be less nervous and happier with change.

8.Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology. A girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.

9.Be tactful when issuing instructions or in making criticisms. Women are often sensitive; they can't shrug off harsh words the way men do. Never ridicule a woman - it breaks her spirit and cuts off her efficiency.

10.Be reasonably considerate about using strong language around women. Even though a girl's husband or father may swear vociferously, she'll grow to dislike a place of business where she hears too much of this.

11.Get enough size variety in operator's uniforms so that each girl can have a proper fit. This point can't be stressed too much in keeping women happy.