Blackwork Waistcoat

I have created an English Blackwork Waistcoat.  It is Linen, embroidered with Black Silk thread, Silver Metal thread, Silver Paillettes in two sizes.  It is lined in White Silk.  The entire coat is hand sewn.  Only the Black Lace and Black Silk ribbon ties were purchased.

When I began I knew this would be a long term project.  The prep work would take about 6 months.  The actual embroidery took at least two years.  Assembly, hand sewing the coat together, another 3 months.  It has been finished about 6 months now, but I have been saving it for the King and Queens Arts and Science competition. ( march 30, 2019)

Process of making a Blackwork Waistcoat.

One.  Make a Waistcoat.
I first needed to make a waistcoat, which fit.  I used two main sources to create my pattern.  Reconstructing History pattern, and The Tudor Tailors book and chart.  My first coat was made out of  yellow linen.

I had difficulty fitting over the breast area.  Not unusual for women.  I had too much bubble in the center.  Needed to cut that down.  So a couple of reconstruction solved that problem.  The lining was also a problem.  Where the linen was will to "give" the poly lining underneath stayed too tight.  My solution for this test coat was to simple unsew the center back seam, and finish them off as.

Started the second jacket out of nice white linen.  I had learned important construction tips.  The gores are best done surface stitching on the outside.  This coat fits much better, and I have worn it often.  

The coat was too long in the back.  This is a regular problem for me.  Even when I measure and cut correctly I get ripples.  Again the Lining was tight, and the linen looser.  But that is the nature of these two different fabrics.

2  So now you have a pattern ..  What next

Research.  What Pattern.  There are several extant examples of Blackwork coats.  What did I want to do.  

English embroidery was evolving with time.  Earlier Jackets were monochrome with simpler patterns, as time past you see Polychrome jackets with more and more use of metal enhancements. So what period did I which to do.  

One inhibiting factor was, I can't draw. But in period that was not a problem.  I came across patterns by Laura Mellin.  She studied extant Coifs, and recreated patterns for them.  One was created from a small extant piece in the collection at the Bath Costume Museum in Bath England.  That this has been drawn out onto a copy able medium worked for me. In period there were pattern books, and pattern drawers at Broidery Shops.  Having my linen sent to a Broidery's shop was common.  To test out the pattern I made the coif first. 

I decided to enhance this coif by substitution silver Paillettes for the buds on the branches, and the peas in the pea cots.  This added a touch of sparkle to the piece.  Also added to the level of who would have worn such an item.  The use of silver showed wealth.  For stitches I used stem stitch for out lining the leaf, and the stems.  The pea cots were buttonhole stitch. Then I decided to shade the leaf with speckle stitch.  This added to the piece big time, and to the time required to complete it X2.

3)  Transferring the pattern

So I have a patter.  But it's in the shape of a coif.  I needed to transfer the pattern to a medium that I could then use to transfer the patterns to the coat pieces.  I took a square from the pattern, and painstakingly move it from place to place along the pattern material to create a embroidered coat in transfer material.  

Transfer material on left, transfer material with pattern on right.  

   

Brown Wool Fitted English Gown

Next up is a Brown Velvet trimmed English Fitted Gown.  On this gown I decided to try my hand at pad stitching.  I had purchased the Modern Maker Books to learn how to make my upper parts of gowns more authentic.

The pad stitching is done to reinforce the shoulder area of a Doublet or Gown.  Since I had never done this, Had known of it for many years, decided to up my game and give it a try.

A lot of stitching to do the pad stitching.  It's hard to see because I used the first thread I reached, which was a pale gold color, so does not show up well.  I had some cream colored wool felt in my stash, which I used for the interlining.  The brown wool was a medium weight (not heavy weight) which did not have a lot of structure of its own.  It worked well for the skirts, flowed.  But the combination worked OK together for the upper.  I also added a layer of linen canvas, which I pad stitched the wool felt too.  

I lined the gown with a cream colored silk (poly) lining, with a tone on tone fleur-de-lees embroidered into it.  

What I learned.  This does give a lot more structure to the top of the coat.  Not totally happy with the front edges of this Gown.  With the padded interlining it seems too thick.  The lining is blooming at the inside edge, and shows much more then I like.  If I was to do this again, I would shave down the edge of the interlining, so it would not be so thick.  Or I may use a wool fabric which is stiffer and not as thick.  Material choices are always important.

Pennsic wardrobe

Working on 12, yes 12 new Linen Kirtles to wear.  After going thru my stash, I had enough Linen to make these, and still have Linen left over.  For the last several years I have been buying this linen and adding to stash.

Getting the back right is the problem.  The black is too low in the back.  When I add sleeves, they pull the shoulder straps right off.  I have very narrow slopping shoulders (and I lift weights).  So finding a back style was important.  I finally settled on the one from the Tudor Tailors book.  This works.  The length in the plum one is too long, I have shortened the back pattern piece.  Now that I have the fit I want, I am off to the sewing machine.

12th Century Bliaut

This years 12th night event was to be set in 12th Century France.  I decided to make a Bliaut to wear.  I did it from my usual, this will be easy, point of view.  After doing fitted English clothes, this should be easy, it's only rectangles.  As usual I Was Wrong.
The first rule was, the material had to come from stash.  Everything but the brown silk come from it, so a Win.  Some items have been in stash for 15 + years.
I chose a very light (tropical) weight yellow wool for the gown.  This had a nice flow to it. To give more structure to the neck line I used a heavy weight silk.  This was perfect.  I used this silk for the lining of the sleeves also.  In my stash was some old trim to make the sash. The base color of the trim was blue, but the brown from the silk was in it.  This added a third color, and blended/contrasted nicely.
Fitting was a case of measure me, measure the material, back and forth.  I did not have a pattern, just a diagram as to parts.  Mostly it was rectangles. The sides I did not close, but folded the material in to pull in the waist, added lacing holes (had to reinforce them with a strip of linen inside the folded material).   I did set in sleeves, as I look terrible in square sleeve tops.  The wool was almost sheer, so I made a sleeveless linen chemise to wear under it.  I tried to add a blue silk sleeve to the chemise, but won't work, so added them to the gown.  Thus fake under tunic of blue silk.  Made the look.
Added a veil, had a silk one in my collection and jewelry.  Made a head piece to wear over the veil with the sash trim.  The sash trim was sewed onto belting material, had enough to cover both sides of belting material.  Added three heavy gold beads for weights at the end of each sash, to make it hang properly.
Was very happy with results.

English Fitted Gown Fall2018

Made this outfit in Fall of 2018.  After a successful diet, I needed new clothes.  Wanted to work out a new pattern for a Fitted English Gown.  Made a new sized Black linen Kirtle to wear under.  And a Fancy Jeweled Placard.