Books


MOCHI > The Workshop > Library > Books

Make Your Own Japanese Clothes
John Marshall. Kodansha International Ltd. New York, 1988. ISBN 0-87011-865-x (US): A great primer for making traditional Japanese clothing: there are instructions and patterns for kimono, hanten and haori jackets, tabi socks, and other garments. (N.B. There is no hakama pattern in this book.) Patterns are created on the basis of your body measurements, so size is not an issue! There are also chapters on basic Japanese sewing techniques. suggestions for modern adaptations, and instructions on care and storage.

The Artist's Complete Health and Safety Guide
Monona Rossol. Allworth Press. New York, 1994. ISBN 1-880559-18-8. (Second Edition): This handbook talks about what bad things can happen to you, what art materials are hazardous, and how to work around those hazards. Some of the stuff in here is really scary. For example, there's the sentence: "[I]socynate crosslinkers (which are related to the chemical which caused 2,000 deaths in Bhopal, India) are so irritating and sensitizing that they can cause acute asmtha-like respiatory distress and other symptoms at very low levels." This all may seem like overkill, but you want to stick around to be able to costume for a while, don't you?
How to Make Latex Molds
Deep Flex Plastic Molds, Inc. Murfreesboro, TN. Stock #82-0024: This is a very useful booklet that shows you the basics on making latex molds and shells. It's only 16 pages (being a small press job), but it's a good introduction to this kind of craft without bogging you down into minutia. Ask at your art supply stores for this booklet (MOCHI picked this up at the local Dick Blick) .
The Prop Builders Molding & Casting Handbook
Thurston James. Betterway Books, Cincinnati, OH. ISBN 1-55870-128-1: When you are ready to take the next step in molds, here is the Sensei. James, Prop Master at the UCLA Theater Department, has included everything: models, molds, releases, casting, safety, and even instructions on how to make a vacumn table (which has given Spiky yet another goal in life). James also has written the Theater Props Handbook.