IRCC3 - About that drawn thread work

I have to say that this stuff takes an incredible amount of time. Possibly the worst part of it is that the earlier steps kinda fool you into thinking it will work up fairly quickly...and then you suddenly discovered that you've done all of 4 inches in the last several hours and the horrible truth sinks in!

The pattern is pretty simple. Centering on the location of my 'seam', I pulled a vertical pattern of pull 2 threads, leave 4 threads, pull 7 threads, leave 4 threads, pull two threads. The outer two edges of are worked in a simple hem stitch in sets of 4 threads. (This is the part which goes quickly.) One of the bands of four threads is worked into sets by bracketing the edges of the square with stitching. (Four sided hemstich. Slower, but still feeling good.) And then the time comes to work the second band into sets while also attaching the ladder-rung-like groupings of threads the stitching has created together into X's. (Pea hole hemstich. Bang! It's three days later and it feels like nothing has been done.)

O.K. I'm doing a bit of exaggerating.

I started out using the linen threads I had removed to do the stitching but since I had already started into the threads removed from the sleeves before I completed the stitching on the body it was clear that there wouldn't be enough to complete the process. Rather than canabalizing the remaining fabric for additional thread, I have switched to cotton thread for the stitching on the sleeves. It doesn't match as well but gives a much cleaner finish and running out is not an issue.



Stitched with the pulled linen warp threads.

IRCC3--I'm in!

And while the counter ticks off the moments until the official start, I thought I'd share a bit of my thoughts so far as I work on the "extensive handwork" (which is allowable early work) on my camicia.

My pattern:

I decided to make the style which is simply assembled lengths of fabric with square gussets in the armpits but with a couple of changes from the plain cotton one I did about 10 years ago. (Which is still going strong, by the way.) Firstly, my new camicia is 100% linen in the body, and very sheer. I plan to embellish it to within an inch of it's life! I also plan to gather the neckline into a band this time, and to edge it with needle lace.

To begin I held the fabric up to my desired height for the finished neckline, measured and decided that I want a camicia that hangs about 36" from the neckline to hem. i then measured from the top pf my shoulder down my arm and decided that my sleeves also need to be about 36" in order to have length for puffings. I will need at least two full widths of fabric (a modern "56") in the body--three would be preferable--in order for the camicia to have the appropriate looseness around my frame. I will need another full width for each sleeve to maintain the appropriate proportions so I started by cutting 4 lengths of fabric.

I next considered the question of loom widths. I did consider cutting my fabric into narrower panels to mimick those available in period. I decided against it mostly because it seems to me that would introduce the weakness of a cut edge at the exact spot the system is meant to take advantage of the strength of a woven one. It seems to me that the system of constructing garments from basic shapes which make full use of the fabric as woven is a brilliant combination of the saving of time, effort and materials, flexibility of fitting, and using materials in such a way that their strengths are taken advantage of and weaknesses minimized. I can't imagine a Sixteenth century seamstress who needed to make a camicia for a woman of my stature cutting 45" wide fabric apart because she was used to a narrower width. I think she'd use what she had and thank her lucky stars for finding it!

That being said, I have noticed that camicie made from modern loom widths often look strangely 'wrong' to my eyes. I believe that is because the practice of embellishment at the seam lines has made the visual rhythm of those seams an integral part of the garment which we strongly notice when missing. Thus, I compromised by using the full width of fabric but introducing bands of embellishment at approximately the locations which would have been seams in period.

I believe that one period approach to my camicia could have been to supplement the traditional four body panels with half-width panels set in at each seam. I have worked my bands of drawn-thread lace at 1/4 and 3/4's the breadth of my panel to approximate the front, back, and four inserted 1/2 breadth pieces of this hypothetical approach. You will have noticed that I still need the side panels...

They are coming. After I finish the drawn-thread embroidery on the sleeves!

OMG, 17th Century polka dots!

Go look. No, really!

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/402978/portrait-of-a-lady

Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge #11 - Hmmm...A Shift!

Am I being bad? Hmm...I'm really not sure.

I have the materials for my "Peasants and Pioneers" project, but not the inclination so I've started on the project I do have inclination for: Squares, Rectangles and Triangles. I've been thinking for awhile that I wanted to try a highly embellished camicia--from scratch. And as the days wind down to the commencement of the IRCC3 my mind has wandered to embroidery patterns, and needle lace edgings, and the 10 yards of sheer white linen (IL030) I bought when it recently went on sale at fabrics-store.com.

I pondered. And I thought. And I mused, and I pinned. And then I took up my scissors and started cutting!

And now, about 8 1/4 hours into the beyond-the-cutting-phase part of the project I am well on my way to my first completed bit of embellishment. Details will follow later but for now let's just look at my pretty pretty pulled-thread work!

Embellishment challenge update-1880's hat finished

Ah...that's better.


And the details:

The Challenge: 4 - Embellishment

Fabric: 100% silk dupioni, Plaid

Pattern: NA

Year: 1883-85-ish

Notions: straw hat, black cotton lace, purchased floral spray

How historically accurate is it? I'd say medium. I was inspired by a few particular hats but the proportions aren't quite right for the period. I'm having a hard time going for tall rather than round.

Hours to complete: started by shopping at about noon on Saturday, finished at about 9:30 pm on Monday. Maybe around 12?

First worn: Soon, I hope!

Total cost:
$ 2.99 USD for the hat and $3.99 USD for the flowers. All the rest is from the stash.

Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge 4: Embellishment

Phase 1

Purchase cheap costume hat and remove 'embellishment' begin to unweave rear portion.




Phase 2

Re-weave rear portion of hat to shape around read of head/back of neck. Attempt to finish much more nicely than original. I tried being lazy and just re-weaving dry but I was getting too much breakage at the edge so I wet the straw. It was so thin that I just had to run the faucet on it for a bit. I think it's easy to tell which strand was done by each method. :) I also wove the extra bits into the existing crown to cover the four eyelets which had been part of the original design.








Phase 3

Paint the hat.




Phase 4

Line hat and bind outer edge. I lined the hat with leftover scrap silk from the bustle dress I hope the wear the hat with, then realized that committing myself to silk meant that I couldn't edge or trim the bonnet with the polyester ribbons I had been planning on incorporating. They just look too cheap and thick and clunky in comparison! I'm going to have to find something appropriate to introduce on the hat so it doesn't look to matchy-matchy but a good start is to use my plaid fabric in a variety of ways to play up the inherent differences. Thus, the inside of the brim is a band of black surrounding a band or gray, the interior of the hat is a band of stripes surrounding the original plaid, and the edging is a band of alternating black and black and brown stripes. Whew!






Phase 5

Touch up paint on the hat!

Phase 6

Trim. And trim. And trim some more!

When I cut up my scrap fabric to get material for the edge binding I also cut out the straw-and-black striped section I planned to use for trim. I used my new scalloped pinking shears for the very first time and...wow! I have hoards of tiny black cotton lace that has yet to be used on the dress which I think I'll use to trim the edges and give the bows more body. You can't really go wrong with adding more trim to an 1880's hat!

Hmmm, however, you can go wrong by adding too little!




It just looks a little skimpy on the sides...

Historical Sew Fortnightly #3 - 18th Century Blue Linen Stays

The Challenge: #3 - Underneath it All

Fabric: blue linen body, white cotton canvas interlining, white cotton lining

Pattern: adapted from the mantua makers 18th century stays, back in about 2006 when I was clearly a different shape.

Year: mid to later 18th century

Notions: purchased bias tape, twill tape and gros grain ribbon, metal boning

How historically accurate is it? Low to moderate. I was more concerned with getting a smooth line, fast (ha!) so I went with machine stitching and metal boning...however, the eyelets and the binding of the tabs on the bottom edge are all done by hand!

Hours to complete: I just don't track time...at all...but something like a final rush of about 17 hours work at the end of a very long wait. And now it's done!

I have proof!

First worn: February 12, 2013

Total cost: I have no idea of the cost overall but I spent about $4 on ribbon to lace it closed.