Cuffs Finished!

...Though they are still not quite usable.  I still have to plan out and execute the smock, including some further blackwork (in white!) for the neckline.  But the cuffs themselves are all finished and only need to be gathered, trimmed, and sewn to their final resting place.

The first step after the embroidery proper was finished was putting the smallest possible rolled hem around the edges. For this I used 100/3 Londonderry linen thread waxed with some beeswax.

Then came the needle lace -- though it's a pretty generous term for what is basically a variant on a blanket stitch.  This has the double benefit of giving a nice finished edge to the cuffs (and the neckline, when that gets finished) as well as giving some strength to the linen edge, since it's basically tied in double knots every eight threads.

And here's the finished cuffs after a quick hot water wash and some pressing.  From here they'll be mounted on a mat board for competition and display until they are ready to actually become clothing.

Part of me is still just glad and sort of amazed that I actually managed to finish them.

Jane Seymore Cuffs: Embroidery Done!

In less than a year, too!  My speed seems to be improving!

That's 36 total inches, accomplished during the few bits of motivated spare time I've had since mid-January.  Next on the docket is to trim off all the extra linen, give it the tiniest possible rolled hem I can muster, and do some simple needlelace on the ends.

My previous screwup with the design ended up being perfect for learning and practicing a stitch that would work for the edges. I got the basic needlelace stitch (itself a variation of a blanket stitch) from this tutorial but added my own extra step to give it the bumpiness that exists in Holbein's painting.  It's maybe not quite exactly the same, but it seems really close and plausible.

The neckline embroidery may very well end up going much faster since the design is pretty basic, but it's something I'll have to chart out myself and execute in white...so maybe sixes after all is said and done.

LJ Archives: July 2010

July 22:  Ho. Lee. Hell

Miniature Portrait of Charles I executed in silk and metal thread:  Gobelin, tent, and couching stitches.  c. 1651

I'm speechless.

July 28:  New Project:  Late 15th/Early 16th Century Kirtle

So it came to pass that I was looking at stuff like this:

 

and this:


And I thought the short-sleeved kirtles bore a striking similarity to the working class outfits the Tudors did in the 1520s.  I'd been wanting a slightly earlier (14th-mid 15th century) cotehardie for a while (I even have all the fabrics and everything), but I was never convinced that I could make it look good on my body.  Suddenly, the late 15th century waisted kirtles are looking better and better, with a similar aesthetic but with the added bonus of being able to easily transition into later styles with basically an apron and a partlet.  Plus, it'll make great camp garb, which I seem to always need.

And I have enough time, I could probably do it for the provincial A&S championship at Toys for Tots.  I've been really excited about the potential for handsewing the whole thing with a sort of whipped felled seam (from PoF 4) which could potentially go pretty quickly.

Wish me luck!