Some progress on the muff

I finished cutting out the rest of the leather applique for the muff. Now to start stitching it into place. I have some turquoise silk that I'm considering using but need to test how it looks first.

Someone asked me about leather applique and if it was a period technique for apparel. There is the absolutely gorgeous suit from 1615 held in the Museo Parmiagianino (Reggio Emilia)  featured in Patterns of Fashion that is a carnation/gillyflower pattern done in ivory suede on red silk. The stitching is pink silk. It is incomplete and some of the pants do not have the sections between motifs cut out yet so the construction details are apparent.

I am doing a bit different technique. The original involves layering an entire sheet of leather over the fabric, sewing it into place, and then cutting out the void spaces. It is much more of a reverse applique technique. As I am doing a border rather than an overall pattern, cutting out the decoration and then stitching it into place in regular applique seemed more appropriate. Not to mention used far less leather. For an absolutely gorgeous loose recreation of the doublet as well as sketches POF, check out this project diary at Stimpzilla Sumptuary.