I just made a quick and easy apron for festival, but am now drooling over an apron in this style:


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I'm rather constrained in my doing abilities at the moment and need to clean up the craft room, so I'll do a costumy things post instead.

I'm fascinated by some of the partlets I see in French portraits. I don't know whether these sorts of partlets also appear in other countries - I haven't got enough pictures to judge. But there are many French ( Read more... )

I've buggered up some sewing and am therefore procrastinating by pondering on French hood colours. Specifically the brims and the falls.

The crescents on the hoods (where they exist) are all sorts of different colours and often have jewelled decorations. That's what makes these hoods so pretty. The fall (ie the veil at the back) is always black. ( Read more... )

Having just cleared one very longstanding task from my task list, I'm turning to the next - making a corded petticoat or a farthingale. Haven't decided which yet. There are patterns for it in a couple of books I have so it shouldn't be a complicated task. Except that I want to make the farthingale that would give me the french-style skirts. I don't ( Read more... )

Some of you may remember my "Headdress conundrum" post a little while ago, trying to figure out a particular type of French headdress - http://alliette-d.livejournal.com/46998.html. With some help I came to the conclusion that the headdress was a bongrace, with a really long, double-folded veil, pinned at the top of the head.

Well, now I want to ( Read more... )

OMG, OMG, OMG - mittens are finished! REALLY! Over 700 hours work and I'm never doing anything that insane again. And by never I mean not for a few months. But I hope someone will kill me before I make that decision :-)

OK, I'm going to have a snooze now. I'm supposed to be sick after all.

Most photos are up on facebook, but here are a few.

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The second cuff is complete and is now off the embroidery frame.


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I'm trying to figure out the construction of a French middle class head-dress, quite common in the second half of 16th century, although I have seen an example in a drawing from a first half-century. It is always black and has a weird flat top, squared at the front and usually has a black fall/veil at the back.

Any ideas would be very much ( Read more... )

I need to make sleeves for my blue/teal kirtle. Am considering two styles.
One is a pretty usual style for second half 16th century French gowns - namely, slightly puffed up at the top and a strip of trim running along the sleeve, such as this:

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Rescuing asylum seekers from a sinking boat or imminent danger or sending money to help refugees, for no financial gain at all, could land people in jail if the Rudd government has its way: http://www.theage.com.au/national/people-smuggling-proposals-blasted-20100427-tq3n.html

Not surprisingly, not a squeek of protest from the opposition - you ( Read more... )