All work and no play...

It's been a hectic month, finally finished my work. I took on additional work to help with accounts needing serviced. Very successfully completed them before my deadline, which makes me happy. Turns out these locations I trained at over 9 months ago, so soon as I entered; recognized them immediately.  Finished them in time to make the trek home to meet up with hubby for us time, yay!

With my extra time was able to watch Maleficent in 3D with hubby yesterday. We had free tickets due to our loyalty club membership. It's not how I expected it to be but was interesting how the story danced in detail around the original animated feature from 1959.  I wish some of the story wasn't so rushed to workout the iconic scenes. Though overall I liked and the animation effects and such were dazzling. Out of the live action films so far I would say this is the best sticking to the original with a twist being from the villain point of view. It uses the first telling as a tale woven through time and the facts were lost in translation, which does happen in history. 

Since I had the rest of the weekend to myself despite being on call, I was able to finish up a small embroidery project that I had been working on for some time. This is the embroidery box that I created as inspired by the 17th-century embroidery caskets used to store embroidery items tools notions. Now this one is just a simple square box,  I was able to cover it over with Aida cloth and some of the edging is a strip of cross stitch fabric, the strip was decorated  for a bell pull.  I used it to go all the way around the edge of this particular box, as well as accent the top cover. I added some looped lace on the top cover for interest.I was able to also add one of my patches of my heraldic arms, there are two sequined peacocks with cockleshell's pearls and glass beads accenting flowers around the sides all done with silk. Most of this is a conglomeration of items that I already had in my embroidery stash of awesome. The peacocks I purchased specifically for this project and they would be considered tree ornaments in their original state.

Contemplating the next project. Though it's best for me to go back to the embroidered jacket to make actual progress on it. Came too far to turn back now, it will look great when done. I just wish it could embroider itself sometimes. Brings to mind my favorite scene in the 1959 movie Sleeping Beauty is, when the fairies are making the dress and it magically sews itself while waltzing in the air. I kind of wish there was that type of magic for creating my renaissance gowns as easily. The gown making scene by birds and mice in Cinderella was good too.
Wishing there were more hours in a day,

Mairin

Silver Anniversary

Here is the pink pearled coif and partlet with another gown. This is my silk and linen  gown. All trimmed in pink gauze with gold filament with fancy button closures. The Spanish sleeves off set the coral inner sleeve with the pink trim. Very happy how it all looks.

The catapult youth activities went well, chaotic as expected. Have a few folks wanting help enhance the youth experience at events. Very pleased with the help running out of ideas and time with work being so intensive. It's nice to get some input and helping hands. The eating the ammo was very popular though I plan on better rubber bands to hold up better for the catapults. I received the Trebuchets in the mail, may have to be an outside activity since they get better distance.

Got to see many friends receive great awards, vivats for all the recipients. On the list working on Ice Dragon Pent is looming. I am working on a specific youth toy entry, fighting knights in strings as inspired by the Horus Delicarum manuscript. So I have waxed sisal rope, made a table cover, and have drawn the knights on the wooden blocks. I have the embroidered jacket to add but it's a work in progress. So have to write documentation and come up with a detailed drawing of the jacket when completed. Also have to starch the ruff and set them on their stands.

So lots to do and little time as usual but that is not  surprising. I am praying I have things done  in a reasonable manner. I hope to work on lots tonight. We shall see how far I get.

Looking to see my laurel at this event and get some major insight into  knowledgable  nuances I may have overlooked.  This being my favorite if events it's going to be fun for certain. Don't have new gown to debut but that is fine I have my gold and white gown to wear out of the fabric my laurel  gave me want to show her the use of it.

Was able to get 5th peacock done early this week working on the last one but have a gardens worth of flowers to embroider on the body of the jacket.  Guess will see how it all goes.  Got to get back yo working on all this, lots of concentration on the little things.

Regards,

Mairin

Inspiration Strikes Back

Circa 1560

Foresleeve and Foreskirt
Fabric

More gown inspiration, found this image of a gown from the 1560s and I am absolutely in love with it. I was lucky enough to come across some vintage velvet fabric in a very nice shade of red. This is at a local thrift shop, they are curtains of course. It's so odd how I see other things out of everyday materials, wish they have awards for revisioning and repurposing the mundane everyday items to medieval. 

With that being said I would like to make this gown.  Though I don't know if I have enough yardage to complete it. Especially the fullness of the skirt and the way that is pleated. Though I have to say I would love to attempt this one. Even though, I have a red velvet gown made to match 1530 Queen Jane Seymour's Holbein portrait.   Especially the hanging sleeves are lovely on this one. If I can find the right material like the portrait for sleeves and inset and fore sleeves, I would be happy. Update; the fabric I have chose for this how has picture added to this blog
This was the closest representation of the fabric given modern fabric choices on the market in my area. The pattern and type of floral represented had to be the right type of acanthus. The medallion pattern in the hanging sleeve fabric from the painting was the toughest to match. Especially without  learning fabric pairing techniques of the 16th century.

3rd Embroidered Peacock

Hanging Sleeve Fabric

In the meantime I've been steadily working on my Elizabethan embroidered jacket. And I'm making a lot of progress, more so on the peacocks anything else. I am halfway done with them! I really thrilled that they're turning out so nice, been receiving  oodles of compliments on them. I think it'll be even more impressive when I finally start working on the flowers and get them narrowed down to a beautiful selection on the tree limbs along with some leaves and spangles.

I did find out that there was some ideas on how I was to finish the jacket. And that some of the stitches were a little bit too obvious, which I was formulating ways to cover over or change the stitching in the first place. I knew that it was kind of glaring and was needing covered or removed.

2nd Embroidered Peacock

Though I'm working on a series of stitches that I can go around the inside edge of each panel and really give it a finished look. So I'm going to use more of the coral wool like it did on the edges of the pattern pieces. So it all matches and goes with the continuing theme. I  have lots more work before this is all complete and wondering if I would even get close to having this done by Ice Dragon. Though it's been 2 years already, so what is a few more months.

Well that is the update for now, will keep posting progress as it continues. With photos technique posting and finishing details, as always make it a great one.

Embroidering Much,

Mairin

Pocket Paradigm

Embroidered Appliqués

     Well I had a very productive weekend, despite being on call.  I have finished my pocket and I wanted to elaborate more on all of the work that I have done. It's time to get my work on the erect projects completed to be documented.

     I started with a linen base on my pocket which was made with a running stitch. The shape of a pocket traditionally is pear shaped. Mine is shield shaped, compared to the traditional. I wanted to go with something that had a longer top edge so I have an easier time putting a drawstring it though the top to be reinforced better. Though plans changed in the end on the strings. If I was sewing two corners, I wanted to really give it a little extra support in the pattern.

Linen base pocket

     I had made the original linen sometime ago and had not picked it up to do needlework, was going to make blackwork this originally. original in linen sometime ago. After having done some research even despite the pattern being a little bit different for my pocket. I will still wanted to use the linen that I already had. So I went to look and see if there was different types of materials I could use for the outside. And I found the documentation on Italian Soccici.

     Basically there wasn't any English version of these pockets until the 17th century. So the Italians were using a decorated pocket for ladieswear in the 16th century. I was basing my pocket on the extent example still exist, as well as a reference to a Italian fresco that shows a lady laundering items and has one of these pockets while she works.

Assembled Pocket with Embroidered Appliqués 

       After I studied the period examples, I looked at my stock of fabrics and chose the following materials; orange gold silk fabric and coral velvet fabric.  I had embroidery that I made on silk chiffon blend fabric and appliquéd it to the surface of my orange silk. Then I used the same unplied filament silk embroidery thread and made a border of floral accent in orange with a green herringbone stitch, where the velvet met the silk fabric. Then added pearls to the edges blending some into look like buds in the design.

The embroidery pattern is based from the painting of the Marchioness of Northampton; Helena Snakenborg circa 1569. This is the embroidery pattern that you see on her shirt in the painting, I enlarged it to look at the pattern. The  arrangement of the roses depicted is what I used as the basis of my embroidery pattern. It's an unplied filament silk embroidery on silk chiffon backing with fresh water pearl accents then appliquéd to the  pocket.

Added Appliqués and Pearls

       I had every intention of fingerloop braiding the tie strings and accents on this pocket. Unfortunately the unplied filament silk tangled as I was trying to create the fingerloop braiding. So I opted for a handmade version of some two colored twisted trim that you would generally use for edging and other purposes with garb making. I'm not exactly sure the time period in which this was created. I do know that you see similar treatments done for strings on 16th century purses and other accessories. In this case, this treatment worked really well with the silk and allowed it to slide past one another without tangling.

Completed Pocket

       What project would not be complete without pictures. I'm including that various
different photos  showing the progress that I had made despite working the weekend. Now to get the rest of it documented properly on paper  plus get the documentation done for the ruff and cuff suite as well as the gold work and pearled French Partlet.

Well that is it for now, I must get back to the mundane. I will be lining and adding the tie strings to my French partlet.

Until next time,

Mairin

Partlet a la Francais

Francois Clouet drawing 

       I had made this weekend on projects. I finally completed my French renaissance partlet. It has gold and silver cord trim, purchased at Pillaged Village. I hand embroidered some gold and silver work in a lozenge pattern with freshwater pearls at the intersections. It is based on portraits of nobles from the French court from 1520-1560 by the artist Clouet.

      I have yet to write up my documentation on this project and have yet to do the same on my ruffs. It's hard sitting with  hubby since time is limited in the evening to be together. I still have work on details of this project. It needs to be lined which I do still have some linen to line it with. And I also have to attach some ribbon to the corners in order to have ties. I also need to fine jeweled clasps like on the front of this example Clouet drawing above left.

French Partlet Back

Front French Partlet

On ward to pockets now. I have orange gold silk for the top face of the pocket and I have another fabric for the bottom, most likely be cold lozenge fabric which I'm going to use also as an accent fabric for these fancier pockets. I have silk thread to attach everything together and then the inside is lined with the linen. I was also thinking of using my coral colored velvet as another alternative to make a different style of the Italian  pockets.

Hope to post more progress on the pockets as soon as I can. Have so many ideas on design it's hard to narrow it down. This is why I am doing more than one based on portraiture from the period. That will be more explained when I finally write up the research. I need to get these projects done ASAP and sent to a friend. Let's hope when they are done that they get a warm reception.

Back to the Grindstone,

Maureen

Compare Contrast

 Wanted to give a side by side comparison, I think that even with my few changes it turned out really nice and a good tribute to the outfit in the painting. I like making gowns from paintings but this was a real challenge finding a suitable fabric, which was a find when I found it locally. This dress is very comfortable and I like the colors even more now that I have worn it. When I get my new corset I know that the profile will work better even than seen here in the photos.

 

  Actually both gowns are very nice and turned out gorgeous. I also made a gown out of the cream with gold brocade fabric that was a gift from Duchess Ilish O'Donovan.  The hood, foresleeves and foreskirt being the same fabric, I used the gold lozenge fabric, which I bought for $1, to make a matching trim on the gown. Which the result turned out beautifully. I like these shades than than I thought I would. They work well with my hair and skintone. Guess when you know you know, trust in instinct.

 I finally posted a collection on the previous post of new gown photos, as featured in this post. Couldn't get my phone to take good pictures without the photos eating up all my memory on that device. So still tried and true old Sony digital camera came through. Will have to see what I can do about this, the camera will stop working eventually and I will have to find a reasonable replacement.

Anyway I hope to post more photos soon, will depend on my work schedule and free time. Need to get picture of the brocade rose accent gowns. Which one is leaf green with white trim and the other is gold with red trim.  I have hats for these too, they are more of a general Renaissance style gowns, than from a particular European country. Specifically, I will see if I can 'style' them with accessories to make them more versatile from wearing to wearing. For now got to get back to chores and laundry.

Always a Busy Bee,

Mairin

Foresleeves, Foreskirts and Hoods, Oh My!

    Over the past day I did finish the velvet salmon colored foresleeves, they look gorgeous! Now on to to the foreskirt/underskirt. I make my underskirts versatile, I along with the Tudors, are big mix and match fans. Since the skirts I make are double faced, which is a non-period technique. Basically instead of using just one facing fancy fabric with a cheaper alternative fabric on the back side of the skirt. I use two fancier fabrics, one on the front and one on the back. Now this would be considered a modern costuming convention to save from making many individual foreskirts. This way I can get twice the use out of one skirt, it also saves space in crowded garb trunks as well.

    Drawbacks, if I decided to sell underskirts I have to sell ether two gowns that match the foreskirt and foresleeves or two foresleeves sets to got with the one skirt. Though this situation is resolved with my reduced selling of premade gowns and more emphasis on custom gowns.

     I do on occasion find that my thinking is inline with period techniques, which alot of methods are common sense. Others such as, meanings of words and other terminology; as well as translating old english language are a bit confusing, with the 500 year time gap and all. Though I surprise myself, with my similar Tudor thought process. In some respects, more than folks really give credit, we are closer to the Tudors than one thinks. My use of foreskirts is not a huge stretch from what they did in period. Everyone back then wanted to look as close to a higher class as they could get away with, which meant buying expensive fabrics and adornment. Though some lesser nobles had to choose carefully with the restrictions of sumptuary laws put out by the crown and the church. So today we can go and wear as we like, which is really a freedom they did not have in the 16th Century. I guess making gowns that have a similar color palate to back then is fun. Though modern reenactors/recreationists get to stretch the envelope so much more than Tudors ever could with our 500 year time advantage. Then there is accuracy and debates on technique, which I will leave for a another post.

    Formulating a plan of attack on making the French hood just like one in the painting for the teal gown. Though I am not going to use colored stones if I can help it on the biliment, the back edge of the hood. If I use just pearls and gold accents I can wear it with more sets of jewels than if I match it with specific colored gems. I have some beads that match the foresleeve beads and plan on using them to tie the French hood together with the foresleeves and foreskirt as a complete set.

    Sets are nice since you can match a hood, foresleeves and foreskirt and use them with more than one gown. The set I am making is also going to also be use with my Cream with Gold Brocade Tudor Gown, that I am working on simultaneously. The Cream with Gold Brocade Tudor gown does have pinkish with gold stones on it and will work great with the foreskirt set.


     Normally am not a huge color pink fan but I find that it suits my skin coloring well. If I go with more salmon, mauve, and shades of peach it really looks good on me. If I go to pale in shades it really washes me out, so I do pay attention to the shades I choose.  Its been fun to work with more unusual colorings in my wardrobe. If variety is the spice of life, bring on the spice!

     I am almost up to 20,000 views, thanks so much for the support over the years. If you are new consider following my blog, to get updated on the latest topics and pictures of my gown making adventures. Will post more pictures of my progress, plan on making a Tudor Garb Gallery with these two new gowns soon.

Sew Crazy,

Maureen

Fabric Jewels Gallery

I recieved more fabrics to inspire my Tudor pallate. Some were gifts others were dollar finds. Oh my the stash is going to grow ;-) Well since I was showing the one fabric, I wanted to show the other fabric jewels from the past few events I have been to lately. Its amazing how fabrics just follows me home like a lost puppet. Those find their way to my house too, on a good note none named Jigsaw
 ;-) My friends do give me pieces they cannot use themselves for garb. Lady Aibell Diamarta keeps an ever watchful eye for handmade lace in its many forms for me to use with garb. I have used her various forms to make lace partlets, hats, and bun covers.

I love battenburg lace, its a tape lace and they are period but not woven into the shapes battenburg lace is done. Though its one of my few Anacronisms that I readily give. Though I do look to make my own lace soon. I have a lovely Mistress in the Barony of the  March Debatalble Lands (BMDL) to teach me bobbin lace. Which I should use for my projects, but just have not taken the time to learn. Was invited to take my supplies to her area at Pennsic for an impromptu class, sadly I am not going and have not gone to Pennsic for many years. Getting back to fabric, here are some shots to get a sense of the stash I am recently accumilating lately.

I have all my class information completed and ready for photocopying. Really excited also I received confrimation forn Sylvan Signet that my scroll will be delievered to AEacademy. So I will bring my scroll case to make sure that it can be protected, will have to locate a frame worthy of its maginificence. Which knowing Aethelmearc scribes oh yes it will be magnficent! Will post photos of it here just like I did for the Ice Dragon scrolls.  Keep this up and I will run out of wall space, but that is not a bad thing.

 With the comisson complete and mailed, I am working on more garb for me again. Am pleating a skirt for the teal and coral, cream and gold, and burgundy gowns. I am renewed and energized to make more Tudor gowns and French hoods. So I am going to roll with it and to figure out a plan of all this wonderful fabric.

Sewing Bee,

Maureen

French Renaissance Portraits

Wanted to show some French Renaissance Portraits that inspire me, they may not being exactly the time and coutry my SCA persona is located. Though I love well tailored gowns, hats and hairstyles of the 1550 French. I wanted to share these jewels of clothing, jewelry, and hairstyle mastery with my readers.

Pretty in Pink.....Well Light Red

There has been many a long debate amogst the costume community if pink was considered at period color. The term Pink is modern and only goes back to the late 17th Century as a description for a color, we hear of the term rosy or rosa in an early poem to describe the dawn sky by Lucretius as a pink hue.
  It is a name for cutting small slashes to decorate fabric in a pattern known as "pinking" which dates back to the 14th century.  It also date to the plant, garden pinks which is a form of Dianthus, a more wild relative of the modern carnation. Pink was a form of yellow hue in painting and mixed with other ingredients to make the yellow various shades in paint during the 17th Century. So that is the history of the word but what does that mean to us?

Some folks like to use light red as a reference to pink usage in costuming pre-17th Century. Modern reenactors, costumers, seamstresses and tailors will refer to the rose color of the gown, and yet others skip over the color all together. I have known some folks to opt for more coral orange based hues, and yet others to embrace the color in certain shades shown in paintings. Still more debated due to age and light fading the paintings may have shown another hue all together different to the depictions we see know of renaissance paintings. I myself try to keep the shades depicted from the actual paintings and sometimes hunt for hours finding the best resolution photo.

  I collected a few example images of paintings in this mysterious hue, many of these I am interested in making gowns just like the paintings. A few gowns are in progress and others are a figment of my garb making imagination. Enjoy my mini Pink gallery of gowns.

Thanks for looking,

Lady Mairin

A Novice No More

 

Well its offical, I won the Novice Pentathalon at Ice Dragon this year. Also recieved the Baroness's Choice Award, plus captured 3 out of my 5 categories. They were Toys for my String Marionettes, Needlework and Heraldic Display for my Elizabethan Embroidered Gloves. I am suprised how well I did, though later I found out there were few enterants compared to years past. Found out that my score if put into the Singles Pent would have garnered me a 4th place over at least 3 people. So all in all I am still pleased with my standings even if I was the only Novice to enter the Pent. Looking at the score there were lots of folks who entered single items at novice that I really completed well against. Next year I have to enter as a Singles Pent enterant, since I won this year.

So its offcial I am a novice no more! So I recieved a scroll for the Baroness's Choice for my Marionettes and Overall Novice Pent, dragon medallions for the category wins. Hey I will take a win anytime. Also looked Elizabethan Fabulous in my Spring Green Crewel Embroidred Gown, garnered many compliments including Her Royal Majesty. So all in all a very wonderful time at Ice Dragon and happy I did decide to enter this year.

On the shopping front, I found many wonderful things to purchase for a late period persona this year compared to years past. I bought a whole fox stole to be made into a zebellino flea fur, a black work pin cushion and tape measure, a brooch with black stone and pearls, a teal cabachon brooch with pearls, teal brocade fabric and teal velvet fabric to match for a new gown, also off site bought some books on medieval life, theater and puppets. So yes, a good shopping year and everything was well priced, so haggling was really not needed. It is a nice option in case you are short on cash though.

Also got to see my good shire mate become a knight, a long standing persuit if his. Which was a wonderful sight to see his total suprise when we sprung it on him. As well as giving back some profit from our event FFF to their Royal Majesties. I had to wait for Baronial Court to get my awards, but also collected for two other shire mates who left the site early. So all in all it was a great day for our shire.

In the process of finding frames for the Baroness's Choice scroll which need a 11x17 frame  I am using a 10x10 shadow box to show off the smaller Novice Pent scroll with the medallions. Using a paper background to hold it in and not glue anything to the scroll, want to keep it free if to be reframed for later in case. So I will post pics when done, though I know they will look great.

Unfortunately back to the Mundane,

Mairin

Elizabethan Jacket- Panel 4 Completed

Well just finished Panel 4, all the sleeves are now done! Super excited and happy with the progress so far. Am using more filling stitches and less other decorative stitches to make more progress faster, though I look to add more detail when I assemble with some herringbone stitches, some more finishing stitches and such. So more things to come.

So total for this project I have all the collar, sleeve tabs, gussets, and sleeves all embroidered. Now on to the body panels. Right now I decided to work on the back and see how it all turns out. I still have assembling and lining the whole outfit yet to do, that will be a feat all in itself. So a few down and lots more to go! Though I am happy with now fast and unique each panel is and now awesome I know they will look when put together as all one unit.

I am thinking some of the cohesive colors and panel assemblage will make this very challenging and unique project, beyond me putting my own personal spin on the flowers, edged pattern pieces, color choice, and design decisions for individual pattern panels with nothing repeating from panel to panel expect trailing vines. Yeah its based on an Elizabethan Embroidered Jacket, though its taken on a life all its own in the embroidery process.  

Well time to get to bed for another exciting day of work, its been a busy night. Hope to make more progress tomorrow. Beginning to see the light at the end of a very long tunnel.

Dreaming of stitches,

Maureen