Three words: SHEER BLACK PARTLET

Haven't you always secretly wanted one?

















Portrait of Victoria Colonna
Cristofano Dell'Altissimo, 1552-1568
Polo Museum, Fiorentino

Inventory of 1890 Item #204

I'm poking about the online inventories of the Uffizi in Florence today. It's a bit confusing because they maintain their info based on the cataloging event, which means you have to search each group seperately.

I found the search engines through: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.uffizi.firenze.it%2Fmusei%2F%3Fm%3Dcostume

Click on "Digital Archives" in the menu on the left. Searching the inventories has been working for me.

And Whooppee! They have another shoe!

Zoccolo Zoccolo. Calzatura formata da una parte in legno composta da un elemento orizzontale lanceolato sorretto da due rialzi di forma triangolare. In una delle due estremità superiori è fissato con tre borchie metalliche su ciascun lato, un tessuto, Gros de Tours a pelo strisciante, di forma romboidale con piccola nappina dello stesso filato a decorazione. Accessori
XVI-XVII 1580 1620 fine/inizio

(Per google translate "Socket socket. Footwear consists of a wooden part consists of a horizontal lanceolate supported by two triangular elevations. In one of the two upper ends are fixed with three metal studs on each side, a fabric, Gros de Tours sleeping creeping, diamond-shaped with a small tassel of the same yarn decoration. Accessories")

OK, carving and covering cork chopines kinda scares me but I think even I could probably make these!

OMG. I apologize.

For years I have been muttering inside my head about people who inserted permenent puffs into their clothes rather than pulling out their shifts, smocks, shirts, camicias, or what have you.

I though the static puffs were a modern costumers' convience.

I stand corrected.



Maniche Su fondo ocra piccoli motivi di tulipano marrone disposti secondo teorie di fasce parallele sfalsate. Ai gomiti e all'attaccatura della spalla "sbuffi" di raso di seta bianca. Piccoli lacci nella parte alta della manica. Abiti (which Google translates as "Sleeves on small ocher brown tulip motifs arranged in parallel bands staggered theories. Elbow and shoulder to root of "puffs" of white silk satin. Small laces at the top of the sleeve. Clothes"}
XVI-XVII 1580 1620 fine/inizio
Ca' Mocenigo Centro Studi di Storia del Tessuto e del Costume

Clearly, I don't spend enough time doing research.

I just discovered that many of the Venetian museums have pooled their artifact collections together into a single, searchable, database at: http://www.archiviodellacomunicazione.it/Sicap/opac.aspx?WEB=MuseiVE&LNG=ENG

I searched for "tessuto" and found this!


"Arte spagnola
Tessuto Velluto chermisi tagliato ad un corpo con applicazioni in raso di seta prodotto dall' orditura di fondo in seta gialla e da una trama di fondo verde Tessuti
XVI 1500 1599 inizio
Ca' Mocenigo Centro Studi di Storia del Tessuto e del Costume "

It's very like the applique work I am doing on my pavillion and it's giving me some great pointers for how I can use the couched thread for detailing overall.

I'm such a happy camper!

Macrame Sample: What do you think?

I noticed while I was working on my test sample that the pattern for the points in the extant piece is clearly a few threads larger than the blocks-and-knots section, and the original blocks are proportionally larger (wider) than mine. Maybe 12 or 16 threads wide instead of the 8 threads I use.

Still the sample is finished and I'm pretty happy with the result.






















I'll probably try crossing the threads at the top and bottom of the knot sections to help the illusion that they are loops of cord and I might make the crossover in the center of the point shorter by 1 square knot. I'm generally not interested in making exact copies of anything so I think I am content with my symetrical pattern. It will certainly be easier for me to work!

It looks like I will need to fringe about 18" of my fabric to get enough free thread to work the macramé and tassle. I'll end up cutting off about 5" of thread in the end but I think I'll need that much (plus the 4" from the tassle) to be able to manipulate the threads.

Providing that I can lay my hands on a 4 yard piece of sheer-ish linen fabric I think I've found my Over and Above Mini-Challenge project.

Extant Italian Capes

For those who are looking for ideas for the Over and Above mini-challenge.

At the Los Angeles County Museum of Art:





Man's Cape
Italy, last 1/4 of the 16th Century








Man's Cape 1480
Italy, Florence

Over and Above, It's a go!

The Realm of Venus "Over and Above" mini-challenge is officially going forward so I guess I'd better decide what I'm going to be making.

I've been working on a test version of a macrame pattern using the thin crochet cotton I'm using for my partlet project. It's a bit thicker than the threads of my linen fabric would probably be, so I think it will be a pretty good gauge for figuring out how much of the fabric I would have to fringe to be able to work the macrame, as well as if my looking and pondering and counting and planning enabled me to come up with a reasonable version of the pattern.


Image #377 from Ricci's Old Italian Lace, Volume 1, 1913


As you can see the pattern is basically a series of tasseled knotted points depending from a band of alternating blocks and knots.

I've gotten the band portion finished in my sample but I'm not quite happy with it. I think it needs more of a gap between the blocks of Diagonal Hitch and the knot. Maybe if I crossed the sets of starting threads on the knot? Hmmn. Something to ponder while I work up the point and tassel section.