Teaser post

Sneak peek of my latest project:

Queen's Tea Favor

I was asked by my friend, Baroness Viennet de la Mar, to create a blackwork embroidery Queen's Tea Favor for Her Majesty Marguerite of the East for Pennsic XXXIX.

Materials:

100% silk satin (clearance from JoAnn Fabrics samples)
100% silk thread, black.

Size 11 sharp needle.

Some observations:
I waxed the thread because I wanted a very smooth finish, especially pulling through the tightly woven silk-satin. The images are taken from Richard Shorleyker's "A Schole-house for the Needle", 1632 edition, available at http://eebo.chadwyck.com/home.

Although the book edition is "out of period", the images are very similar to "in-period" examples available on extant shifts and shirts, so I felt comfortable using them.

I used a steel needle because I'm concerned about the width of the eye on punched bronze needles. I use tightly woven or very finely woven materials, and I'm concerned the eye will leave a hole too big for the material to "heal itself".


This picture is of the finished embroidery, but not the finished tissue packet. It was lined with black linen, and closed with a whip stitch.

Change of Focus

I've been away from this blog for so long because I got discouraged working on the gown. I did the typical "oh my G-D, must finish this tonight to wear tomorrow!" and the fit was ill, and so upsetting I put it away and haven't revisited it since.

Combined with grad school, both spring and summer sessions, and I just haven't wanted to do it.

And then Pennsic came, and it was Good, and I realized that what I love is doing embroidery. I make clothing as historically as I can, but that's not what I want to spend huge amounts of time and focus on.

So I now have a renewed enthusiasm for embroidery, and that will be the focus from here on out, unless it's not. :D

Washerwoman Hands

Wow, it's been a while since I updated! That's what grad school will do to one's blog. :)

I recently attended Birka, and wore my 16th German "Kampfrau" ensemble. (See new profile picture). I got stains on my apron! Apparently, the black wool I used for my guards and cuffs isn't colorproof! I had blue and pink stains from where my cuff would rest on my apron, after getting wet from washing my hands. (The dark blue was the contact point, and the pink the dye seperating out from that point).

Rather than just chuck the linen into the wash with some bleach, since chlorine bleach can yellow linen, I figured I would see what a more "hands-on" approach would do to the stains. Placing the apron under running water (even almost a week later) removed %90 of the stain. Some brief googling suggested white vinegar and salt soak, so that's happening now. If that doesn't work, I'm going to make a baking soda paste, and see how that does.

After holding my hands under hot running water, and salt and vinegar, it's no wonder washerwomen have a reptuation for terrible rough hands. I can only imagine what lye does to ones skin!

Shift-y

Oh, I went back and removed the collar and ruffle, and gathered the shift neckline more, reattached and shortened the collar, and now the ruffle stands out much more on it's own.

That is a Good Thing, and it makes me happy, although I'm not smiling in this picture. :)

*The above picture also shows my paire of bodys from the side, so there is a clearer view of the boned tabs, and the silhouette it creates.

Petticoat Junction

After much thought and many google image searches, I have decided not to wear a farthingale with my current Flanders Gown project. The Elizabethans are not Victorians- shoes and ankles are often seen in paintings and drawings, indicating that skirts were not worn long enough to "drag in the mud". The farthingale is cumbersome, and gets in the way of my day to day chores. And if I sit for a portrait, I may break out the best and fanciest clothing I had- but those hoops could be a danger if I'm working near a fire.

(I do have plans, and fabulous material, for a more "noble" Flanders gown ensemble, which will include a farthingale. But that's a project for another time.)

I found a gorgeous 2 over 1 red wool twill, perfect for an Elizabethan petticoat. Red petticoats are frequently mentioned in late 16th century English wills, (as well as Gone with the Wind. I used two full fabric width rectangles, joined with a running stitch done with waxed linen thread, and knife pleated them in a waistband. (See pic). I added linen tape ties at the waist, and roll hemmed the bottom, securing with a silk thread whipstitch.

Embroidery Interlude- The "Jupiter" Panel

The original is the top image, currently housed in the Victoria and Albert's Museum. My recreation is the bottom image, and my documentation is "cut and pasted" below.

Objective: To recreate as closely as possible the “Jupiter” panel originally done by Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland.

Background: The “Jupiter” panel is part of the Oxbugh hangings, created by Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury in England, ca. 1570-1585. This panel is thought to represent a real animal in the household of the countess. The original is worked in silk thread and and silver-gilt thread, over linen.

Materials Used:
32-count evenweave linen canvas
Splendor 12-ply silk thread. (I used 4-ply sections.)
Colors used: Black (S801), White (S802), Light Grey (S892), Salmon (S1080), Bright Blue (S862), Gold (S909), Green (S848), Brown (S851) and Cornflower Blue (S861).

Stitches Used: Tent and Cross Stitch, both worked over 2 threads.

Why this?
I was drawn to recreate this panel because of its subject matter. This was a real dog, that belonged in the household, and which the Queen saw on a regular basis, and was inspired to embroider. This helped me reach across the 5 centuries separating us- I was able to sympathize with a woman in an unfortunate situation, identifying with her over her fondness for a pet. I also enjoyed the workmanship in the piece- it is not an aesthetically perfect work of art- the dogs proportions are off, and the subject is not centered. This also helped me relate to the artist.

Method:
I began my attempt at recreation by ordering a high-resolution photograph of the original from the Victoria and Albert’s Museum website. Using this hig-resolution photograph, I was able to chart a reasonable facsimile of the original. Using this chart, I embroidered my copy.

Learning Opportunities:
I had difficulty creating the chart in the area around the dog’s head: the original black threads had dissolved over time, making it “guesswork” to determine their exact orginal placement. Also, I began the work using a tent stitch, as indicated on the Museum website- however, subsequent conversation with Mistress Cellach of Athena’s Thimble revealed that the work also contained cross stitch, and upon returning to the original photograph, I was able to see evidence of cross-stitch. I did contine to use tent stitch, as I felt it conveyed the feel of the original, but I did incorporate cross-stitches, particularly in the letters of the banner.
I also changed the monogram from “MR” to “AR” since I was copying the original, not creating it anew.

What I Would Do Differently:
Not take things at face value. Had I examined the high-res picture with an eye to discearning stitches used, I may have discovered on my own the cross-stitch evidence, instead of relying on the Museum website’s analysis.

Overall:
I am happy with my finished product, and need to find a place to hang my Jupiter.

Sources:
Victoria and Albert Museum Website: http://collections.vam.ac.uk

Bath, Michael Emblems for a Queen 2008 Archetype Publications Ltd., London.

Private conversation with Mistress Cellach of Athena;s Thimble, Spring 2009

To Farthingale or not to Farthingale?

As I mentioned previously, I'm working my way through the creation of a complete Mid-16th century Elizabethan outfit. The end goal is an as-accurate-as-possible "Flanders" gown ensemble. I am particularly inspired by Lucas de Heere's drawing of "Three Gentlewomen and a Countrywoman" from the streets of London. (Shown upper left.)

Janet Arnold in Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd classifies the Flanders gown under the grouping of "loose gowns"- i.e. gowns wore over a kirtle. These can be loose from the shoulders, fitted at the front and side seems and loose in the back, or fitted around the torso to the waist. One of the defining features of the Flanders gown seems to be the high neckline, and the short, poofed sleeves. de Heere's Gentlewomen are wearing gowns which fall into this category.

I've already completed the shift and paire of bodys, and now the question is "Farthingale? Or no farthingale?" A spanish farthingale is a cone-shaped skirt with stiffened "hoops", designed to hold the weight of skirts and provide the correct "fashinonable" silhouette. Some of period portraits, like the paintings of Lady Anne Penruddocke and Margaret Audley, Duchess of Norfolk, clearly show a Flanders-like gown with the wide, cone-shaped skirt created by the spanish farthingale. But the skirts in de Heere's drawing are much narrower, as are several of the gentlewomen's skirts in Hoefnagel's "Fete at Bermondsey".

I suppose one can rationalize that the women would wear their best when sitting for a formal portrait, and that would include the full spanish farthingale, to enable the lush skirts to be seen to full advantage. But when going about their daily business, on the streets of London or at a village fair, the full farthingale would be somewhat excessive, and they would instead use petticoats to enhance their skirts' fullness.

Hmmm....

Paire of Bodys

The paire of bodys is mostly finished. I used 1/4" flat oval reed for the narrow channels, and 5/8" flat oval reed for the one wider channel. I've been told that two pieces of the reed inserted flat sie-to-flat side mimic the elasticity of baleen, which was used in the original.

The edges are bound with 3/4" and 1/4" linen twill tape. The eyelets were worked with a bone awl, and then whipstitched with rose-colored silk sewing thread, doubled.

I need to make longer, narrower shoulder straps. The originals are triangular, but I need less width at the base, and more length.

I also returned to the shift, which behaved this time. I knife pleated the ruffle between two collar pieces: although we have extant men's shirts which have gathered collars, I felt that the knife pleating gave it a thickness that is representative of the artwork of the time. I may go back and add an interlining of buckram or another stiffener, as the weight of the ruffle causes the collar to collapse on itself. However, the overgown I will be making to wear with this shift has a high collar, so that may support the weight of the ruffle without need for interfacing.

I also added smaller wrist ruffles. The wrists close with hook and eye, and the collar closes with two linen fingerloop-braided ties.

Foundations

So, in order to have the proper Elizabethan shape, one needs the proper Elizabethan undergarments. And the most important is the "paire of bodys". This is a garment worn on the torso that shapes the midsection, and would today be called a "corset". The pattern I am using is based off of the "Effigy" bodys of ELizabeth I. This bodys was examined by Janet Arnold in 1995. It is comprised of layers of fustian fabric with baleen stiffening, bound with thin leather. Each of the three pieces was finished individually before being whipstitched together.

My bodys is made of two layers of medium weight rose-coloured linen. I chose 100% linen because it was immediately available, as well as being a common 16th century undergarment fabric. I hand-sewed the boning channels with waxed linen thread (Bockens 40.2) and used a running stitch. The boning channels were set approximately 1 centimeter apart, to accomodate 2 back-to-back pieces of 1/4 inch reed. Although machine stitching would have certainly been faster, I wanted to maintain more control over my boning channels. I still need to insert the reed, bind each piece with 3/4 inch linen tape, and then whipstitch together, and complete the eyelets.

It's slow going, but not nearly as tedious as I thought it would be. I was averaging about 4-5 minutes a row of stitches, although there are somewhere near 100 rows. I am debating on whether to attach the binding first along the tabbed bottom edge, and then inserting the reed, because the fabric will be much more malleable if it is loose.