Pink underwear with hearts

I never got around to the pink linen embroidered drawers that I was so very excited about at the start of this.  I decided against the silk Venetians with diagonal floral trim that had been my backup plan because I want to use the orangey/red silk for my Artemisian Costuming Challenge where it can actually be seen.  I still wanted drawers for comfort reasons though.  I considered just plain white ones but decided there was no fun in that, so I needed something a little jazzier.  I decided to go ahead and use the pink linen I'd originally planned to embroider on because my green stockings were decided on to go with the shocking pink and, even after using some to line a Persian style coat for Baron's War and make these, I have loads of it left.  It was bought on clearance last year for $1.97 a yard.  Pink isn't one of my favorite colors but the price was right and it has turned out to be a great purchase.

Since I was using bright pink I decided to add some hearts as sort of a joke.  I had just enough of this palmette designed wide lace to do an insert up each leg at the seam.  I put them in "upside down" so they're more like the krin motif I babbled about ages ago. The lace trim at the hem is the same lace on my chemise hem and cuffs, around the edge of my handkerchief, and on my partlet.  I got several lengths of it in some grab bags at the lace store.  I've only got about 6 inches left and they don't carry it any more which makes me sad.  I'm almost out of lace and trims of all types to be honest.  Thank goodness this is almost over since my stash is pretty depleted.

Fluffy, frilly gathers of doom

The puffy white monstrosity is done.  It took me two days to gather the fabric and only about an hour to actually sew and assemble the thing.  It looks sort of wrong in the picture, but the shape should be just right with the support the dress gives.  I looked and looked at the portrait for some sort of fastening, like the ties on other partlets. but didn't see one.  It didn't seem to have an underarm seam either.  That just doesn't work with the pointed look of this particular shape.  All I can figure is that it is pinned into place.  It sits fine now, but could easily be twisted if it isn't anchored in some way.  I might starch the collar just a little to give me more the look that is in the portrait. 

Totally unrelated tool show off.

I have to show off my new chicken scissors. Because they're CHICKEN SCISSORS.  How fun is that?  They're Mundial "Chanticleers."  I've got boring lion tails and filigree ones, but these are poultry.  They make me cackle.  Which is only appropriate with chicken scissors.


I also got this pleater in a garage sale sort of thing.  Rather fittingly, I'm working on my partlet and wishing I could just run it through the pleater rather than drawing the strings up.  If I didn't need to order needles for this and make sure it actually works, I would be so very, very tempted.  I can't wait to try it out and do some smocked things for the kid's garb (as practice.)  We're going to be so fluffy for Solstice.  That's when I plan to show off the Italian dress with my girls in red velvet kirtles and my boys in jerkins and Gandhi in his doublet.  That might even be the Christmas card picture this year.  I'm sure anyone who actually knows us will not batt an eye.

Chopines are finally finished

Loads of trim and 180 upholstery tacks later, the silly platforms are done.  At least I think they're done.  How do you determine at what point a pair of bright red tasseled 8 inch platform sandals with giant bows and filigreed gold trim goes over the edge of good taste and into too much?  They look especially crazy when worn with my green linen stockings.  I'll have to try for a picture of that later, but it doesn't work very well to take a picture of your own feet.

  I had planned to wear them with the red and gold cutwork leather slippers, but those may have to wait until after the contest is over.  Makes me really glad I decided to do a split vamp so they can be adjust to be worn with shoes or without.  The tassels are made from rayon embroidery floss.  I'm not as thrilled with them as I'd like.  I'm sort of considering making a pair of gold tassels instead, but I'm not going to worry about it until the contest is over since I need to move on to other things.

I had planned to braid silk for the bodice laces as my next project but now I'm waffling.  I even have the silk.  I did a pair for Serafina's Elevation dress.  I might skip it at this point since they're not exactly a big bang for your buck project.  They took me days to do and are strong and nice, but really subtle.  Same sort of thing as the petticoat lace.  Its nice, but not really obvious.  Another option is working on the tablet woven garters.  Again, its a time suck that perhaps I should wait on.

The only thing left on the dress itself is the sleeves.  I'm making slow progress on them, but they're coming along.  I'm couching trim.  That should keep me busy for a few days.

Chopine progress

Getting closer!  Unfortunately I ran out of tacks.  I need to pick up a lot more this evening.  But, they are covered finally and that makes me very happy.  I made my husband (who is 6'4") stand next to me while I balanced on them.  I'm a good 3 inches taller than him and get to look down on him.  That thrills me for no particular reason.  Between the shoes and the hat I should be approaching 7 feet tall.  BWAHAHAHAHAH!  I get to be the tallest person in the room.

Trying to decide if I should use more of the narrow gold cord to lace the vamps, or be silly and use fluffy ribbon and aiglets.  Big bows might be fun, but I'm worried they'd take away from the giant tassels I have planned for the toes.  Are they over the top yet?  Gee, I hope so.

A weekend of backward progress.

You ever have one of those moments (weekends) where your brain just doesn't engage?  Yeah.  That's what happened here.  I spent two days very carefully smoothing and covering my chopines.  They looked really good.  Then I put the leather soles on them and had a giant DUH! moment.  I was supposed to do that earlier and fill the overhang with putty (since my wood wasn't quite wide enough at one point) and sand the edges to shape so that my rather rectangular timber became more foot shaped.  I knew that that needed to happen, and yet there was some sort of disconnect.  So, the envelope had to be cut and peeled off.

In similar news, I cut my partlet out and gave it generous seam allowances.  Not generous enough.  Since the fabric is being gathered and ruched, the whole shape was off.  This time I'll be smarter and gather and ruch the fabric and THEN cut the pieces out.  As I said, total brain disconnect.

That was apparently a good thing yesterday though.  I suited up in armor and had my first go at heavy fighting.  I LOVE IT!  Seriously as fun as fabric shopping.  And that is saying a lot from me the crazy fabric hoarder.  I'm still giggling and smiling like a mad woman.  I had so much fun.  My instructor said I might have a back ache from the weight of the armor, but its nothing compared to hauling my kids and their stuff around.  I feel fabulous.  I'm now having a really hard time focusing.  I want to start building armor rather badly, but I need to finish the dress.  I did buy a basket hilt online last night to start making my sword.  I just couldn't wait.  The deal is that I'm not allowed to start it until the hem of the skirt is finished and the partlet and chopines complete.  I'm sanding the chopines to shape this morning, just as soon as I finish the project my kids and I are doing. 

That would involve the "still" on my stove-top pictured above.  We're making rosewater and then going to make more beads with the leftover petals.  Should be a fun project for a rainy day.