Centuries-Sewing

Category: Hand Sewn

  • A Green Linen Apron and some 17th Century Goldwork Embroidery Projects

    A Green Linen Apron and some 17th Century Goldwork Embroidery Projects

    April and most of May was a very stressful month for me. All my sewing projects went on hold and I tried to take the time to put myself and self-care first when I could. I’m starting to feel like I have more energy now, I’ve gotten some hand sewing done and started a few embroidery projects that will carry me out until the end of the year.

    Hand sewn sage green linen apron

     

    First up is a simple linen apron in sage green. I hand sewed this all with white linen thread and clocked in at about 10 stitches per inch. Those hems are going nowhere. Using a contrasting thread gave an extra decorative effect and I may make another one for the etsy shop.

    The embroidered stomacher project is back under the machine once more. I took a break to keep my shoulders and neck happy and rethinking my workroom set up for when I need to spend a lot of time at the machine.

    The silver glove cuffs are on hold, because I fell in love with a much more colorful set of gloves from the V&A.
    These are also featured in 17th Century Women’s Dress Pattern Book 2. Mine will not be an exact reproduction (I’m not fond of the tabs with the houses) but will be similar.

    Bird glove cuff traced

    And finally, to get a little more practice with goldwork and working with purl I started a much smaller, less ambitious project. This is based on the 17th-century purse and pincushion at the V&A. Which features purl worked flowers, couched cording and tiny birds covered in seed pearls. There are no measurements listed so I am taking a guess at the size of the pincushion, based on others that survive.

    goldwork pincushion practice

    Some sections of the flowers and leaves I padded out with linen thread, the gold cord I twisted myself with a drill, and in place of seed pearls I am using some white seed beads I had in my stash.

  • WiR: Hand Sewn Silk Sleeves Done!

    WiR: Hand Sewn Silk Sleeves Done!

    Gold and blue silk sleeves

    16th-Century Handsewn Silk Sleeves

    This week I finished the silk sleeves, yay! The last few steps ended up being very fiddly, as I needed to change the curve of the underarm section of the armscye and take it in by an inch.

    The last few steps ended up being very fiddly. I needed to change the curve of the underarm section of the armscye and take it in by an inch. One sleeve was finished when I decided this, so I spent some quality time with the seam ripper unpicking the main handsewn seams and the prick stitching I put in to control the fraying.

    Once I adjusted the armscye all I had left was the sleeve hem. Match seams, finger press the linen down by 1/2 an inch, pin and fold silk down to match.

    Done.

    gold and blue silk sleeves with eyelets

    Everything else on my worktable has been eyelets this week.

    The Eyelet Countdown

    • 4 eyelets left on the early 16th-century olive wool kirtle
    • 12 on my 14th-century cotehardie
    • 18 on the black silk taffeta kirtle
    • 6 on the silk sleeves
  • Hand Sewn Red Linen Hose

    Hand Sewn Red Linen Hose

    manuscript-man-putting-on-stockings
    Queen Mary Psalter (British Library Royal 2 B VII, fol. 72v), c. 1310-1320

    This week I unearthed some unfinished projects while “Cleaning” aka where did I put my photo box? How could it have vanished? I’ve looked in that box three times now and I’m running out of places it could be.

    That is the problem when I clean, I put things in a safe place and never find them again.

    But, nestled happily in a plastic bag was a half finished pair of linen/rayon hose in screaming red. I think I started these two years ago when I wanted a small project I could work on while watching Netflix. I know I draped a pattern for hose at least 4 years before out of some thin cotton but never got around to the actual making till now.

    Socks have never been high on my priorities list, most of the time I wear O Rayons from Sock Dreams under my skirts.

    My memory is a little fuzzy but I think I draped my original pattern from this tutorial: http://www.faucet.net/costume/research/hose.html

    Bright Red Hand Sewn 16th Century Linen Stocking Bright Red Hand Sewn 16th Century Linen Stocking Close up of Gusset

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    I sewed the right foot up with dark red Londonderry linen thread using the backstitch. Then referencing Patterns of Fashion 4 I trimmed down the seam allowances along the foot, sewed down the seam allowance along the gusset with the running stitch and whip stitched over the top of the gusset point to reinforce that area.

    The fit is good if a little loose. By the way that’s my sleeve form and some quilt batting, not my leg.

    I still need to sew up the left foot and may make some adjustments to my pattern.

     

  • Finally Photos of the Hand Sewn Petticoat Bodies on Me!

    Finally Photos of the Hand Sewn Petticoat Bodies on Me!

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  • Petticoat Bodies Done!

    Petticoat Bodies Done!

    I’ve had the petticoat bodies done for a few weeks now and completely forgot to post the finished photos here.

    Opps.

    In my defense I haven’t been able to get photos of me in them yet, part of me wants to go out and rent a chicken (can one rent a sweet-tempered chicken for photos?) and get a semi-period looking backdrop going on, but right now that doesn’t look like it is going to happen.

    Where we last left off I had things to fix in the bodice, and after pinning sections, unpinning them, and squinting in the mirror I realized the shoulder straps had stretched out despite my efforts at steaming the bias stretch out of them. I took them up at the back shoulder seam and everything fell into place.

    Petticoat bodies and green apron Petticoat bodies front with no apron close up Petticoat bodies front with no apron full shot Petticoat bodies front with apron full shot Petticoat bodies back