You'll never guess what I've been doing today...

Between bursts of cleaning the house in preparation for Mom and Bob's visit next weekend, and laundry, and reading fanfic, and catching up on some blogs, and watching episodes of Clarence's new show-to-watch "Teen Wolf," and cooking, and scouting the Internet for bloggers working on fancy dresses for Teslacon I've been...

(drumroll........)

Sewing my IRCC project!

Yep, back at work at last. :)

Today I've just been turning and finishing the edges of one of the hanging sleeves for my loose robe but it looks like I'll be ready to start putting on the gold trim soon. Maybe tonight!

The bug skirt continues

So my Clarence gave me a new iPad 3 for an anniversary present (our second) because, as he says, I needed a better camera for my blog. :)

Oh how I love that man!

I did my typical thing of waiting until after dark before deciding to take a picture. And my second usual thing of taking said picture in the totally inadequate lighting of our living room, and yet...

Well see for yourselves.

And isn't the hem on my soon to be finished bug skirt cute?

Steam punk musing continue...

I follow a lovely blog by Wilhelmina (http://wilhelminamarquart.blogspot.com/2010/10/tea-time-with-1870s.html) which is a marvelous source of pretty pictures of dresses and ladies from...well pretty much any time period which takes her fancy. The author doesn't tend to note details on her postings (rats) but the eye candy is fantastic!

I've been on the look-out for some visual sources for ideas for day dresses and I happened on the posting of this charmer

I think it has my name all over it, and I already own the perfect striped linen too.

Thank you, Wilhelmina!

I Did Promise...

Today I was looking at The Purple Files and I ran into another example of a sheer dark colored partlet and headscarf combination.

I've been unable to find it's location (the image is from wikimedia) but the painting is credited as

Guilia Gonzaga in mourning
Cristofano dell Altissimo, 1535









In it's present state I'd hesitate to call the partlet and veil black--they are really more 'dark'--but the transparency of her zebbillini calls into question the changes to the original color that may have occurred due to the deterioration of the paint over time. I hope I get the opportunity to see it in person someday so I can make a better judgement. For now I can quite comfortably assert that it is not white! :)

So that makes two images with a Florentine connection of some sort. (I haven't looked into the connection so I'm not asserting anything, but...) Interesting.

IRCC II - Bodice drafting quandary

I have been looking at patterns and blogs, ect. to gather my ideas and gird my loins (as it were) for the big jump into patterning a more period gown using a minimum quantity of fabric and in the process I've developed a burning question:

Has anyone tried making their shoulder straps with the fabric cut so they head diagonally *in* toward the center of the body (which I see in period tailor's guides) rather than out (which is consistent with modern practice and thus could be an example of 'seeing what we expect to see.'

It occurs to me that a strap cut as a bias strip would be pretty comfortable...but would it be able to stand the stress at the intersection with the bodice? Would it lay funny on the body? Would that strip solve the problems I have of bodice straps which seem to fit while in the sewing process stubbornly falling completely off my shoulder during wearing?

If some period bodices were cut that way, was it only to conserve fabric or is there an underlying logic that we are failing to realize?

Or have I simply missed out on the great resource which discusses strap design in detail?

Your input is invited. Should I try it?

IRCC II - Tasty Nibble #10

A peek at the printed linen for my 'test dress' (which, by the way, I am finally almost comfortable enough to call a sottana.)

IRCC II - Heeelllllllooooooooo out there!

Have you noticed that we are just not as chatty this year?

I wonder if it is the heat. Or we have been struck with a collective case of competitiveness that is keeping us from interacting. Or if we are all just too busy, or antisocial, or something...

Perhaps it's just my imagination.

Anyway, although I still have yet to finish a single item on my list--and thus have moments where I seethe with jealousy toward you more prolific types--I'd just like to say that I am following along with interest as we all work on our projects and ...

YOU ROCK!

Nice work. Now to get back to my own. :)