It is now that wonderful time of year again where I am deciding what I want to make next. I have a custom order pending, I'm waiting to hear some details. Custom orders are always a challenge and joy, I'm very excited to get started.
Included better photos of the embroidery box that I recently completed. The pictures before were a little dark. So cropped these and lightened them up so the detail is more distinct.
I believe from what I can gather it's going to be in accessorizing late period gowns with a possible hat order depending on the customer. Which is always a good challenge to match up existing outfits to find proper accessories to give it that period finished look . So far my idea is to hand strand and knot a long freshwater pearl necklace on silk. I have some fantastic silk cord at home that will work great for this project. I also have some gold over silver ear wires that I will be able to use for dropped pearl earrings. I have to locate the proper size and weight freshwater pearl drops for the planned earrings. These two accessories are very commonly seen in anything from an Italian late period through some Spanish late period and English late period clothing. So these two items are very much something that you could transition through multiple gowns if need be. For the different time periods I play with within 100 year span I find it these transition pretty well from time period to time period.
I still have one late Italian gown that I want to make that is white silk with coral edging. I have a late Tudor in red velvet with brocade sleeves and inset skirt with foresleeves that are decorated. These two are gowns that I still have on my mind, that I want to make. Which I'm going to include the following pictures as inspiration from portraits. So these are pending projects but there's no deadline on when to get these gowns done. I have some red velvet but it is a polyester nature. And it would behave for the well, it is the perfect shade to the red velvet in the portrait. Unfortunately it is not the content that I would be needing to make a arts and sciences based project. The other pieces I have for the foreskirt and the foresleeves is a similar pattern but not extact. But it would be a viable option to Pearl and finish them in a period method with lining them properly. I have some fantastic coral velvet that I would love to use for the coral and white and Italian gown. The portrait itself does look more like a silk fabric, in Italy silk was popular considering the climate. So I'm trying to find a viable trim that will simulate the white with pink embroidery we see on the gown. Trying to find a white silk that will suit the composition of the portrait. So I do want to hold off till I can find the right silk with undertones for this project. I do not normally make white gowns but this is one that I have admired for some time.
So on the garb plans for this year, projects waiting in the eaves. I believe that these 2 gowns will occupy most of this year sewing time. Right now I am focusing on finishing my embroidered jacket. I have decided to take out the coral wool stitched edging that I've been putting in for some months. Using matching teal thread in very fine small stitches around the teal trim. I am not able to take off the blue edging on outer edges of the jacket otherwise it will not fit properly. This occurred because of a improper patterning and sizing issue when I had created the project. Though at this point I know that when is complete it will look fantastic. I will be able to wear it over myself teal gown and it will match beautifully. The silk downs that I bought off of eBay have proven their worth time time again. They are consistent with their fit in sizing, they work great as an under kirtle, since they're fully lined and boned, for Italian or English gowns.
Everything has a learning curve and I've learned very much of the past few months especially from a Ice Dragon on the areas I need to improve upon. So I'm trying to take this time to carefully choose the projects I want to do next. And see how close I can get to a proper historically accurate project. And I believe that working from portraits is really going to help me try to get that finished look. I do get quite a few compliments that I have stepped out from a portrait with my gown as is, but I want to make my silhouette more historical accurate and impactful if I can.
Living the dream,
Mairin
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