Balancing Act

Well it turns out that organizing really makes a difference. I have reorganized all of my costuming and historical research books. As well as all of my personal novels. So my library is much more categorized and easier to view all of the titles in my collection.

I am now able much easier to find many items on hand. As well as able to reorganize my extensive costume and accessories collection. Now searching is easier in my trunks and my closet, select an outfit with accessories under an hour.

After having lost so much weight, many of my outfits are loose. Which is not very accurate depiction of the clothing of the time. so there will be a lot of time this winter adjusting the fit of my clothing to make sure that it is up to proper standards. In the meantime there is a small selection of historical clothing outfits that will now fit.

More or less the month of October has been a fall cleaning of sorts. I was afraid with all of the changes that I would not be able to attend  SCA events. However I had filled a need at the most recent event called AE war. I was able to fill in for Chatelaine, which was a great experience to try to help in a different way. I also brought some examples of period embroidery, since this topic wasnt on display this event. What was nice to be able to educate on embroidery and help newcomers that would be interested in this immersive experience.

Recently found out that my commission for having my heraldry done in stained glass is complete. I am hoping to pick this up at my next event. And looking for a safe window space to display how gorgeous this custom work of art is. Speaking of custom things, I have a few commissions I am also working on. As I find time, I also have a piece of clothing I am working on for a friend for upcoming festivities.other than alterations, and the gowns that I have spoke about over the past several months. I do not have any additions to new gowns that I want to add.

Howwever, there is always a possibility of finding a new historical portrait to be inspired by to make a creation of a gown. In the meantime I'm going to try to focus a little bit more on embroidery. There are some research projects that I'd like to complete in regards to it and just to become better versed in this skill.

I feel very blessed now to have space to safely display all of my spinning and yarn creation items. I have also found some time to figure out the inner workings of my yarn Swift. It needs some work to make it do what it supposed to do, which is measure about 80 yards of yarn and then click to indicate that there is 80 yards on the winder and a skein is full. At this time I would have to count the revolutions of the yarn winder to fix approx figure out the amount of yarn that would be on the arms. Having the clockwork gears inside carved and working properly will make this a much more functional piece. My spinning wheel is still in fantastic shape and now has a space that it can be properly displayed and used. I am noticing however that many of the working parts are fatigued when I purchased them, and have become more so since I have been using the wheel. So I am having some spindles and spools made for my spinning wheel that are going to be representative of the current equipment, but will be new and be able to put up with more use.

Tabitha has recently adopted the chair is one of her new favorite locations. Along with the new to me reclining rocker wingback chair that I was able to procure. the Jasper and Tabitha take turns sitting on the new chair. They are finding life much more calm than they did last week during all of the moving. Other than their normal running around the house at full speed playful times, things are much more calm.

So other than working my normal busy schedule for work. It is been nice to be able to come home to some very happy cats. Be able to relax a little bit and unwind in the evenings. Some days are longer than others so there is less time in the evening to arrange chores. But at least I am able to make it work on my own schedule. Now that my personal life is much more in my own control, I hope to get my work life back up to the standards it needs to be. Unfortunately I only have so much time during each day to focus on certain things.

Regards,

Mairin

Crewel Twists

It's noted in an inventory from the Victoria & Albert Museum, that there is a waistcoat embroidered in red wool embroidery on linen cotton twill fabric. Though my waistcoat is done as wool on silk, there's at least one instance where wool was embroidered on these waistcoats in the late 16th century. I contacted their textile in costume department to find out if they have a full-length picture of this garment, there was no full-length pictures showing this particular waistcoat. So waiting to see if they will correspond back.   From what I know also sarcenet is a type of silk fabric that was used also in these garments. Though the surviving examples most seem to be linen based ground fabrics. Granted it is one instance out of many garments made, were made but many that didn't make it through time. This leaves a realm of possibility some creative aspects in the design of these jackets did occur, from made of the colors to the fibers chosen did vary, a little food for thought.

It's my goal to have my waistcoat completed by the New Year. It's been far too long to let it go unfinished. I just recently acquired some spangles for the finishing touches. Over the last month I replaced all of the wool functional stitching with matching colored teal stitching. Now I am working on the embroidery all over the body of the waistcoat, with spangles after that. Then linen lining added and fastening ribbons or hook and eyes. Light at the end of the tunnel at long last.

In the meantime I've been doing other sample embroidery with silk to get used to its characteristics.  Some of the projects to try out will work with some new stitches from an Elizabethan stitches book. I'm also looking into some gold work stitches to make some smaller projects like a set of cuffs for gloves, an embroidered polychrome coif, a monochrome coif with gold work and other projects.
So lots of stitching and my future and looking forward to many a unique project to be made.

On a different note the First Annual; Lake Augusta Renaissance Festival was a success. There was a lot of compliments on how educational and family friendly this event was for the public.  It's different this Renaissance Festival is compared to commercial festivals. I think we had a very good crowd the weather was nice, I spent most my time embroidering and  helping out in the arts and sciences tent.

Regards,

Maureen

Work Hard...Play Hard

Found gold organza gold embroidered placemats on Ebay, been eyeing up these for a while. I figured a partlet was possible but didn't realize there was enough for a matching bonnet. These have some Tudor like embroidered flowers, gold seed and bungle beads on gold embroidered leaves and swirl edge with scalloped edging. This was a lot if fun to make, though it was a lot of assembly and careful stitching. Organza is not very forgiving on fraying, so had to negotiate the gorgeous gold shiny fabrics carefully. These were made from placemats, as seen by the photo below. Took an evenings worth of hand sewing to complete.

It's ironic that once I bought this and started assembling it, into a new to me partlet/bonnet set, that one later gown I purchased would match it. A couple weeks after buying the placemats for my birthday, bought two Elizabethan gowns in partial completion for a steal of a deal. It had a small amount of binding tape the same color as the burgundy in the partlet flowers. I found a merlot burgundy fabric to line the sleeves, which there was enough fabric to complete the sleeves and guards. I have to add the burgundy trim that I have, which was from an SCA auction in large quantities. Figure I can try a few different combinations of laying trim and see what looks nicest.

 Here is what the fabric looks like.  The bodice was complete but needed to add a back panel, sleeves, skirt and eyelets. It comes out as a similar to side back lacing on me.  So I will have more control over the fit and not squeeze into a gown too small.  The picture to the left is a good photo of the color and damask pattern variation.  It's very beautiful in person. Lining with the burgundy fabric really punches it up, all because I followed the same color binding tape on the gown bodice. Right now besides setting sleeves and laying the trim. Looking into laces for these but still lots of finishing to be done before looking to lucet laces and points.

I have a second gown with puffy sleeves and yardage for a skirt. It's burgundy with gold lozenge pattern. Though there are laces on the front, maybe to attach a placard. I have to set a back panel to make this side back lacing to fit. Sleeves fit and length is good. Looking for pleating the skirt, attaching it to bodice.  I need to figure out if I can find hundreds of freshwater seed pearls to accent the lozenge fabric. Not sure if I want to make an open from skirt or keep it closed.  There is black binding  on the bodice and the black laces. So got to figure out this war puzzle of fun.

So collecting real silk for A&S projects.  Finishing off these partial gowns and accessories for something new to wear. For now just keep up working on these and thoughtfully plot my next A&S project for the coming months.

Regards,

Maureen

Time to myself

I did a wise thing when planning my vacation in January.  Took the day before and the day of my birthday off.  Which makes me happy because in the middle of the summer being as busy as I have been with work, it is nice to take some time for myself. Which I plan on this being a lovely sewing/ embroidery extravaganza at home. I may just plan it again this way next year as well as plan in some long weekends to disburse out my vacation days.

In the meantime, I have one panel of my embroidered waistcoat full of flowers, spangles to be added

soon. So progress be at slow is being made, photos to come. My research continues more into these garments. I definitely can say no more now about these garments that when I started this project. I had mentioned about not making any more large scale embroidery projects. But with my knowledge that I have now,  might actually change my mind. Though nothing is certain at this point I have a few projects in mind but nothing that needs to be started right away. With the anniversary of my birth soon approaching, been trying to figure out what I want to get for my birthday. I'm not exactly sure at this point but fabric is always on the list.Actually books are also on the list of items that are great for birthday gifts. I acquired two new ones on embroidery that I find really fascinating. Thereby the Glasgow Museum one on 17th-century embroidery, by Rebecca Quinton and another book by the same author in regards to samplers..

My birthday wish is to learn to be more historically authentic with all of my garb. It definitely have crating the historical silhouette but I believe that to really achieve the next level in my historical tailoring, it is now time to work with all period materials, as much as possible. Focusing on more authentic materials, techniques, and finishes in my garb.  So I've been looking for silk at good prices that either I can dye or find ways of using in smaller amounts. I do have some wool that was gifted to me that I have to put to some good use. These are huge yardage amounts maybe 3 to 5 yards but it's definitely something I can use and work with. I know that I will need to stock up on the following: some silk organza, silk taffeta or dupion, and medium and tissue weight of unbleached linen.  I will need to also stock up on buckram, cotton wadding, and some millinery wire to make some hats.

It's not to say that any of the interesting synthetic fabrics that I already have, are not to get used. Though used in projects that are not to be arts and sciences based. When I use the synthetics for garb, there definitely just garb, not arts and sciences related.  I have some synthetics purchased recently that are going to make great Italian gowns for warm weather events and maybe Pennsic in the future.

Finding out more about the portrait that I'm interested in replicating. There is a portrait of Mary the I that has these beautiful coral silk sleeves done with goldwork and a matching fore-part skirt that is just gorgeous. So I have enough silk, I believe to make the four sleeves the skirt and a strip enough to do make a hood too. This is one the projects I want to get a good start on during my birthday break. The only item left that needs to be found in some sort of goldwork needlelace that seems to be on the edges of the fore-sleeves. I also need to get it hold of about 3 to 4 yards worth of black silk velvet.

Have the black silk fabric and the coral silk fabric at this point so I have about half the materials collected. The beautiful embroidery on the collar which house is believed to be copied on wrist cuffs underneath the fore-sleeves would be easy to replicate. So this is the next gown to be made,  unlike the rushed predecessors I think this is going to take most of the year to make.

In the meantime on another crafting front, made a hand strung, hand-knotted freshwater pearl necklace. I'm looking for some nice closures for it and more findings to make a pair of earrings as well. The other pearls I have leftover are going to be made into an awesome looking snood. Looks very regal.Well that's pretty much it for now, little things to keep me amused and out of trouble. Besides working a very busy schedule at work.

Keep Looking Up,

Mairin

So Many Pretties and So Little Time...

 
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

Greetings from the Twin Cities

You know you're in a really posh hotel when...,they have ducks in the lobby. Not only is this a beautiful courtyard styled hotel but there happens to be a waterfall with little ponds in the courtyard, it happens to be some ducks to live there.What a fantastic place to spend a relaxing week of study.

 The flights and were not very long but I found out that the pressurization of the cabin is something that I can't stand. It makes my head feel like cotton and turns my stomach. I did get sick on my connecting flight unfortunately, not pleased at all. I liked my lunch very much where it was, in my stomach.

Other than that I was able to meet one of my other district teammates to here for

training. It is good to get to know one another, he's newer so to try to help him as I can. I will still have a week full of classes and plenty of training for myself to do so we will see how this all works out. I don't know what it is going to look like in the evenings but other than studying, I do hope to get a little bit of embroidery time while I'm here. I did manage to bring all of my supplies with me on my carry-on with no issues. Realized I forgot my non slip work shoes. They are at home in the living room, some good they are doing me at home. In the mean time, I have black satin slip-ons that fit the uniform standard.

After getting my clothing ready for tomorrow and getting settled then it's a time for a long nap. I will see if there is any crafting based things I can find or historical items I might be able to repurposed while I am out here in St. Paul. They will have to fit in my carry-on bag and fit TSA criteria but you never know what one can find.  I just hope that after visiting the mall and things like that, I will be able to get everything in my bags. I know that I have a three ring binder with information I get to take with me . And a 3 ring binder with pest ID to got to put in my bag as well. I think a lot of these things will have to go in with my embroidery.

I can see Ecolab corporate office from my balcony, very neat! Lots of studying and information to learn . It's gonna to help me be a better employee. Went to the Mall of America, nothing like seeing  an amusement park in the middle of the mall. There was a lot of interesting things that you got to see, do other than shop  and lots of different stores. Found out the entire loop of the mall was about a mile and a half . I walked the whole first floor than headed to some shops I wanted to see.  I found out that the craft stores about 7 miles away from where I'm staying. To get to them would take a lot of time and effort in the evening,  they didn't seem to be any uniquely interesting fabric shops a lot of them are your general chain stores.

Though I was able to fine are few unusual things, like a llama for example. I found a stuffed animal made from a skin and from wool of a Llama.  Sales of items are used as direct donation to lama herders to provide them ways of affording what they need.  Such wonderful store, great items out of wool. Wish I could afford a flock, these are the llamas really cute. So i took opportunity for some charity.

Most the stores I went to visit happened to be ones that were already closed or were not available the time that I visited. So there's was a bead store in the mall; bought some unique cloisonné beads I can't get anywhere else. On my list was an European import store was closed, one another is going out of business.  So as you can see my visit to the mall was pretty short.   They did happen to be Lego world and amusement park in the middle of the mall but I was not really interested in those particular. I was looking for some interesting and unique, which there were several stores.  Definitely a lot of territory to cover. After my visit to the mall a few things, I went and to my company store to get myself polo shirt and other branded items. Around other items I can use for work.

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

Pretty, Pretty Peacocks

Making some major progress on my embroidery project. I was able over the past week to outline all of my peacocks which there are six. Outlined in embroidery stitches and get their wings in progress. I currently now have three of them filled in with the darkest teal color. Eventually those will also have accents colors stiches to the body and a lighter to green and then seafoam green for highlight.

The crown on the head will have glass beads as will the eyes of the many tail feathers. I will use the three colors in conjunction to create textured tail feathers. After these are done the work on the flowers begins.

Slowly coming together,
Maureen

Beaded Pearled Blackwork Partlet

  Completed the blackwork partlet with beads today. Here are some photos of the completed project and matching theme with the other items I completed recently.

Debating on wearing these next weekend for Kingdom 12th night. I .have my peach Elizabethan gown I want to wear with pouch,  partlet, bonnet with peach pearls. Will give it a trial run for fit and make sure it looks right. Want to post photos but will see if time allows.

I have some embroidery to complete for someone at this event. Will show it later when completed, though I will have to work steadily on it this week to get it completed on time. Though I like a good challenge, will get my things done first before the mailed project comes.

Crafting Storms

      Not that I am powering powerful have to craft up some amazing weather. Even though we've had

some wonderful snow to make it a very festive December. In Central Pennsylvania we got about a good 6 to 8 inches worth of the white stuff have enough to shovel. Heavy enough for me to only get a part of a days work in over the weekend. Was a little worried considering it was my on-call weekend the case I was going to have to run out to customers.  Luckily with all of everything else going on no calls really came in.  More snow is supposed to be coming in tonight. I know that it's going to be a real challenge to get all of my stops completed before the holidays. I do have a majority of my work to do this week, praying the weather holds.

In the meantime I have been crafting like a mad woman. At this point I am in the process of making a blackworked pouch with beading on it. It is in the same pattern as my black worked chatelaine from previous post. It is all drafted from the same piece of fabric with black embroidery, believe it or not was a short skirt. And unfortunately did not fit me so I found better uses for the fabric. I didn't find very many black embroidered type of cotton fabric,  it's was a great find.

     Besides making a pouch and working on the other blackwork

pieces to go with it. I have also been making stands for my linen ruff and cuffs. These are to help me better iron out my ruffs as well as for display purposes when I take them to competitions. What I did is I took wooden loops, there were letters from a craft store. Sewed a pouch of cotton fabric, inserted the wooden ring, and then stuff it with polyester batting. Proceeded to sew the back closed, glue them to the base piece of wood. And then glue that piece of wood onto the top of the wooden candlestick. I am going to paint the wood a beautiful gold color..

For more interest in not having a plain piece of white cotton fabric on top. I sewed the  heraldic patches on, from my peacocks as well as my heraldic shield to give it a unique look. Looking to see if there's some edging that I can do around the side with other needlework pieces. Though I have to be careful, because there's edges really are going to be used to help hold the ruffs to the stand. So more decision-making to be done though as you can see there has been some major progress

In my crafting moments, I been working on assembling the sleeves to my 16th-century embroidered

jacket. I have the sleeves pretty much completed this point and assembled with the guards on the top and a little bit of the shell beading.  I was planning on using some extra peach pink pearls with the gold spangles. I'm wondering whether not I want to make on the teal edges some very pretty snakes or salamanders out of these pink pearls to give it some extra interest I would only maybe put one or two. I don't plan on doing too much with the real edges. They already have coral stitching to keep them together and I do not want to hide all of that work.

I still have a lot of embroidering on the body of the particular piece. I've been working a lot of pattern

issues with this project. It's been a real challenge to make sure that everything is going to fit right and the gussets are going to lie flat and be the way that it was designed. So if all works out it's going to be one very stunning jacket. unfortunately my documentation on this is firm but I did not follow the period materials as much in making this. So I'm afraid that if I do put it in arts and sciences competition it is not going to score very well. Though I did learn a lot from making this particular project and that might be the only saving grace my documentation. To make more progress that I can post on this soon.

For now I got to get back to what I do best work, 

Maureen

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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

Lucy Locket's Pocket

Puff of Ruff

       Trying to find time to make projects tasked to me at coronation, a challenge is always a healthy endeavor. Needing to show more variety in in my SCA projects, so trying to keep it Elizabethan practical so here it goes. The first of three projects to get some variety sparking. Making a set of embroidered pockets, an embroidered partlet, and a suite of ruffs. So when I get these done, will post pics as I am today.

Front and Back

Still working on 16th century references to embroidered pockets, not much success that is English pockets. Some continental versions that are made from fancy fabrics and couched embroidery. Which is on the trail! There are period examples of separate pockets but they are mainly Italian and some Spanish references. Turns out in Italian they are called a soccacia, who knew. There are English references in Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlocked to pockets she had made;. though they are period listings from her household and not much great detail is given other than fabric and color. No reference to decoration or use, which I am sure to an Elizabethan would be obvious. With the change vocabulary in our language its a bit murky. Some pockets referenced are matching fabrics from gowns also listed. Others are listings of many pockets made with no corresponding garment. My hypothesis is these separate pockets are made to go with many outfits separate of garments. I know from the foreign examples that the embroidery period extent pockets are a form of couching. Got to start from somewhere, so working on the historical origins of pockets to get a 16th century grasp.

This is the coif I want to embroider.

Found a nice pattern from an extant coif I want to emulate, it's really beautiful. I love the colors and pattern arranged on the coif. This one pictures to the left is in Patterns of Fashion 4. Its lovely!

Now to find time to make it;-) wish I could sew at work but between stops while driving is not advised. Plus my vehicle is a dirty utility work truck, would not want to put any light fabric in that vehicle. Let alone put any fabric at all in it for that matter.

Regal Ruff Pose

Work has been busy as expected, though adjusting. Plus getting speedier at my tasks which is making things simpler to complete. Now that things are completed, I should have more time to make  projects.

On the ruff front, I got the suite complete except for the closure. So here are the pictures. This is not starched or ironed so please forgive the unorganized look of my sets. I wanted to get something to a patient audience, since its been a long time since I posted. 

Lozenge Pattern Inspiration

In the meantime, working on a French Partlet with gold and silver embroidery. Taking a drawing by the French court artist Clouet, and using the gold-worked partlet lozenge pattern base with some trim and pearls. So here is to patience since working with metallic threads tangle so badly. I will have to work it all in small sections of thread to save the bunching.thinking backstitch is what will make a smooth delicate line on the linen. 

Will post progress as I get along in the projects. Maybe sometime before I post again. So I wanted to thank everyone for the support of the blog over the past few years. My readership has grown more than I could expect for the narrow topics covered. Another milestone 200 posts in this journey of costuming discovery!

No pictures of me from Fall Coronation, that is what I get for being fashionably late ;-) Youth activities went well, spent time breaking up arguments mostly. Felt like Judge Mairin most of the day, lol. Near by game room was a happening place all ages could work together to learn the many games shared. It was a bit chaotic at time but for the most part everyone just needed some chaperoning to keep younger ones in check. I want to plan more things to do for next time. FFF will have more than just playtime, got some good ideas for that one.

  I was made a seamstress of the court with my limited help with making items for their Majesties. They are so generous, and it was totally unexpected. The items made worked out well and are still loved and used, that was my goal. I received a little scroll that is beautifully calligraphed, no illumination but its not needed. My teacher Duchess Ilish was made on as well, though she did far more work and labor. Made their Majesties Coronation garb, it took most of the night before the big day. A very talented and dedicated tailor, and Their Majesties look perfect!

Well that is about it for now,

Mairin