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

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

Elizabethan Gallery

Hatamania Revisited

Well as well as working on wonderful lace projects lately, I have been revisiting one of my old projects, French Attifet style hats. Though I have heard a more appropriate description is heart-shaped coif. Which I like this better for discussing this wonderful style of hat for late period gowns.

 I have made some bun covers to go with hats for later period gowns. Though these are more like an heart shaped french Juliet cap with hair net attached.These really have alot of lace detailed features that I have been enjoying.  So far I have one that is made from floral embroidered fabric have to trim it yet, one in blue with french lace covering, one in green with battenburg lace covering, one made entirely from battenburg lace.

 I want to make on in peach with the same lace covering as the blue and one that is a floral brocade. Very excited to see how they wear with the gowns.For now here are pictures of the three I completed so far.

Focused,

Maureen

Bonnet Bonanza

Well I decided I wanted some Elizabethan Style bonnets also called a snood, and cauls. Since I have the gowns to wear, its time to have proper headgear. So I am making a few heart shaped style hats, and will see about some coifs too. Here is what I have done so far. I also bought some rat like hair accessories, to get the smooth Elizabethan hairstyle. Though I am not sure if I like them as much as teasing up my curls and spraying them to shape. Guess we will see, both methods are perfectly acceptable means to the look.

Thanks,

Mairin

P.S. This is my 150th post! Thank you all for reading the ravings of a woman mad about Elizabethan and Tudor Historical Costume.  Your insights make this blog so much more enriched.

Mad Hatter of a Weekend!

Well not mad, but eccentric yes. I had a change of pace this weekend, trying to keep from being burnt out on embroidery. The current jacket skirt combo, I completed the skirt and these 4 above. Two are snoods one woven one embroidered on the right. The hat is a modification of a 1950's hat, snood added to back trim and rose decoration on front. The feathery hat on the left was a laundry mat creation, a great use of time. One way I get alot of embroidery done is while at the laundry mat, its a a grand thing. So the embroidery project is going well, started on the second panel, though not far along at this time.  Wanted to share my mad millinery skills with you all. Now to get back to the project at hand, the wonderful Elizabethan/ Jacobean Jacket. Though I have pictures of the shell detail on the skirt below and the total look on my dress form pinned up easier for a photo. The same shell detail is on the hat, so its going to be a very interesting ensemble when done.

Though I will be working on another french hood, I have a commission via Etsy. Super excited looking forward to getting it all together and done this week or so. The wonderful lady is good with
time for this project but I want to get it done in a timely fashion. No pun intended.

Well best to get back to all the work before I get to sleep. Hope to make some major progress over the next week.Millinery Madness will continue from time to time before all is said and done with this jacket project.

Back to sewing,

Maureen

Hatimania with Fancy Hat Pins

Hi all,

Well I am still working away at the french hood, its looks adorable. I need to find some thicker gauge wire to reinforce its curved shape at this point. The stuff I have is not cutting it right now but does give some stability. I have to finish sewing the trim and putting some beads on it and I will post some pics when I am done. I can't wait to make some matching foresleeves trimmed in black satin, its just looks so sharp.

Though on Saturday I did get some sparkly awesomeness completed. I made 12- 6" hat pins for my renaissance riding hats. I hope to add a peach riding hat eventually but its taking some time to get through the french hood right now. I realized my stock of stiffened felt is running low, So I will have to stock up on that and thick wire for more millinery insanity ;-)

I made a fold over piece of brocade fabric two Saturday's ago and had no idea what I made. Just sewing during a roleplaying session to keep awake, I was especially tired that day. When I was driving home after getting some take out earlier this week, it hit me like a bolt of lightning, I just made a fold over hat pin folio. Lol I must be getting really good at sewing and such. After all foreshadowing my own needs to making things even before I know that I will need them is a really awesome talent.

I am putting out local one page ads at all my local laundry mats, libraries, and grocery stores for my costumes and seeing who bites. More wedding money is always good plus folks get some awesome costumes out of the deal, great way to spread the Halloween love. Well that is about it from here, hope to post more hatimania soon.

Tata for now lovelies,

Maureen