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

Kitty Plague

Tabby on the left and Jasper on the right

Well no progress made on Tudor/Elizabethan gowns due to illness, not mine or Justin's though. Been nursing two sick cats that caught themselves a virus, which manifests itself like a cold.  Symtpoms: clear mucus from eyes and nose, sneezing, some tiredness due to cold kicking their butts.

Basically given them some steam treatments in the bathroom, some robitussin very minute amount to get rid of phegm once a day, a drop of nasal spray in morning and night with steam treatment to keep air ways open, vicks on nose as needed to keep them breathing through nose at night, and wiping eyes and nose when discharge has appeared. So sort of like treating a human cold but the patient is totally unwilling for meds, assistance, and can't blow their nose.

Tabby caught this first and she had it rough but kept drinking water and trying to eat a little. Jasper ate for the first three days mostly liquids and then stopped.  I have been assisting feeding and watering him every few hours in addition to medication for the cold that I administered just the same intervals at Tabbitha. My schedule between work and nursing the Jasper is exhausting and no sewing has occurred

Got little sleep last night since I had to wake up and administer meds and vicks, when they feel especially crappy they sleep with me and I wake up and monitor their breathing. Said to Justin that if this is any indication, I think I got what it takes to be parent.

I do get breaks and go out do things, this allows Jasper to sleep and rest between medication and food. Went to the gaming store and got sleeves for a new Magic the Gathering deck, which match the nifty deck box I found at Books a Million.  Though the deck itself needs some modification, I will look and see for good replacements from my sideboard. Did sell one gown and had alot of interest in the other, hope it goes too.

Well got to get back to it,

Maureen

Elizabethan Jacket- Panel 3 Finished

Well I have the major parts on this embroidery laid on this sleeve. Now on to the next one! This one I was able to leave some more space but and planning on filling some areas with leaves and more detail. Though I think it is turning out really nice so far. The next one is more cramped with spacing due to the gold work, so I will have to get creative on some of the size and copy some flowers on this one to the next sleeve. Though I am very interested in seeing how this all goes, will have to roll with it.

Thought you would be glad to see I didn't forget with all the happenings and holiday, about this project. Well back to getting the next sleeve done.

Embroidering some more,

Mairin

Learning Something New, Lessons Anyone?!?

To further more elgant persuits, I am learning some new crafts. One is learning to play the lute, though I have the grand instrument, I need to find time and get the lessons from local friend. Though my theory is its like a guitar but different. Which I already play guitar, so this should be challenging. Mine came in this nice hardcase to protect it and store while not in use.

Second is learning to tablet/card weave, always wanted to learn to do this to make trim, garters, and belts. Guess we will see how it all goes, here is my progress so far. This loom I made last week with the help of my good friend, Lady Aibell. She has been doing tablet weaving for sometime, we wanted to make a simple learner rig for people to get a grasp with, been lots of fun to work with.

I also wanted to let folks know that I am available to give sewing lessons to the public. We can start with an small easy project and work to make challenging crafts. Contact me if interested, we can discuss ideas and cost:  faerydustcollector@gmail.com