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Monday, September 12, 2011

Renewal Gown~ Still Working It Out

With less than a month away from this event? I am still working the gown in my brainpan.


 
The Daughter of French Henri
I love this gown, this is a sketch (obviously) but we see this also in Isabel of Valois

Gods, I hope they clean up this portrait one day and show it!

Here is another gown of this fabulous lady, I love this showing the head piece and the cool neckline, and the separate picadils.  I have the pearls and I need the necklace below I think I can make that or purchase it.


Do you see the embroidery? Okay so this one I think is smaller pearls I am using embroidery to make this pop and with the pearls in the larger piece, I will need to work with finding the perfect girdle as well.
Currently I have Silk Taffeta in White, for the lining, in Lavender for the Kirtle and in Silver for the Gown.  

Do you see the pattern on the gown? I think my Husqvarna Diamond has something similar, I need to do some test pieces, I will be using silver thread to get the most impact on this kirtle.  You can also see the


I need to sketch this out which is my next phase for me and then I am going to figure out the design for the kirtle which again is lavender silk taffeta.  You can also see that this has been slashed to be very small holes.  I don't know if I want to do that but I might stamp if I can find the perfect Leather piece so that it will make a great effect.

Also? You can see the kind of Fleur de Lys near her hand that was my inspiration. If I can find the leather piece that looks like a Tudor Rose? This will be my perfect effect since the Gown will have my Fleurs the Kirtle will have the Roses!!

Okay more later!




Monday, September 5, 2011

Obsession with Gown



                                                                                                                                                                                    Here is another version of the Gown  I love the pearls on this lady and the hat veil?






What do you think of this one?
I love the buttons it is plain but also sexy in it's choice of Black and Salmon

I am so in lust with the background fabric of this portrait! Again a lovely slashed doublet and it seems to have a better necklace as well.


Do you think she just really loved this gown? Or She had her people paint her in several shades?????  One has to wonder!

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Renewal! Is Coming SOON!





I will begin adding Fleur de Lys to my fabric this week, I planning on something in the vision of Elizabeth of Valois.













 I love this gown but not red, I have been thinking over and over about this and I found Lavender Taffeta for the Kirtle, and I am using Silver Taffeta for the gown.

I am going to embroider Fleur de Lys, in silver thread. I kind of like how this drawing is simpler, her necklace looks like it will choke her! I like the head piece here as well.



























Do you see all of the embellishments with the slashing on the doublet of the Gown? I will be focusing on adding 4 inch Fleurs all over the fabric in silver threads and then adding some pearling much like these, I am searching for a lovely large jeweled cross, how I wish I 
had picked up some during Madonna's reign! LOL


Here is another close up of the front of this gown with the large Spanish Sleeve and slashing of the doublet to show the kirtle inside.  I am searching to make a lovely girdle for this gown.

Smock easy Necklace just like the Girdle, however the head piece is interesting!

Here is another Portrait of Another lady I like her necklace so I am going to replicate this one! I like almost everything about this gown, with the exception of her choice of colors! Her head gear is really neat as well!

So I am on my way, next? Embroidery, then I can think about cutting!




New Things in My Life

Well now that I can publish again I can show some of the great things and strange things that have been happening to our family!


First of all we purchased a brand new home about 4 years ago, we did not get the refrigeration I wanted...just wayyy too much money when we were doing so much at the same time.  We went from a 900 square foot home to a 3,000 one, and we had to furnish.


So kind of pissed that the fridge? Died on us after only 4 years!  Talk about the failing manufacturing issues, I mean really? My Mom and Dad still have the fridge they bought when they first got married! Okay so it is gold Harvest Gold but really? Still works.


Should I get all pissy though? Because it was not really the Fridge we wanted or truly needed with teens in the house.  It was wayyyyyyyy too small, back in May just before Memorial Day, I went shopping, the fridge was holding up on the cooling part but we did not have a freezer, however we do own a deep freezer so we had some time.


I saw the LG 28 cu foot and thought I heard the Angels singing, plenty of space and a great price!  Then my Mother became ill and we had to check her into the hospital and well? More important things to worry about.  We went back later that same week and I was told it was still on sale, I took some pictures on my iPhone of the sale price and the size of the machine, just to make sure we could in fact fit it into the house.


Hubby and myself went back the next day to finalize the purchase and was told that the price was not valid, and they had 'never' had that particular machine at such a low price.  I showed them the pictures I still had on my iPhone...  Then we set up a deal, we gave them our cell numbers and home number, they were going to call us when they found out a good sale...


Segue to just before Labor Day~ I realized no one had ever called us, so I dropped into 'Big Warehouse Chain' and lo and behold? The 28 LG was no where to be found, they had stopped selling it!!!   So I spoke with the new Manager of the section (no one of course had EVER heard of us, or our information).  We got the new LG 31 cu for the price back in May.
It was delivered that next Saturday, and it is awesome, and !!!!!  The electronic read out is purple!
More of a lavender on a silver background, the Fridge has more lights than GOD! I love it truly!


    

Now I shall have to clean & organize the silly fridge!




Sigh!



Issues With Posting....

I promise I have been blogging away, like a good little girl er tall and shapely girl!
However Blogger would not publish a thing!


So it looks like now? 3 months of posts have gone in today and I hope to fix the dates soon!


Yeah for me getting the dratted thing to post!





Tub Fail...

So you all saw how nice the dye came out, however I still think I will from now on use the commerical dyes from Dharma Trading Company, but now that I know there are dyes that will work on poly, I will be mixing the dyes from now on.
However? I am so stupid, is it because I am mostly grey now (thank GODS for hair dyes, better living through science!), I am having blonde moments...er Senior Moments. We have a new home, only 4 years old, and I have a plastic bath tub, and I turned it deep purple with the dye, my hubby was all...um this is plastic...not the enamel tub from our old home. D'oh! So with bleach and borax in hand? I scrubbed like I was Cinderella, and I can now say it is still there...but now a light lavender and just in a couple of places not the entire tub. I think one more session of tub scrubing will get it white.
I have learned and I will be purchasing bins to dye in from now one. Even if they are $15.00 for the large size? So much better than wanting to clean my Sewing room and spending the entire day scrubbing the crap out of my tub.
But the fabric is awesome and I am happy!

Costume College Recap~

Costume College has come and gone for the year! It was July 28 to August 1, 2011, at the Marriott in Woodland Hills, CA. That is Southern California for those who have never been and I suggest you save up, because once you come to CoCo? It changes your mind space!
There is a theme for each year and we have a tract of classes that are specific to that Theme. 2011, it was 14th Century or if you have a Fantasy Piece to the Esthetics/Pre-Reaphealite Movement in the 19th Century.
I made a Cotehardie, I can't call them GFD's they are not fitted. While I can do someone else's GFD's, trying to toile myself just does not work, plus my Mom (who lives with us) just can't figure out what I mean but tight/fitted/boobs not falling to my waist. Sigh, I am now in search of someone I can get to who can help me achieve this awesomeness.
Classes I took:
Crispinette on the Cheap:
Loved this class it was easy and I did hand work.....yes don't fall over, I did hand work. If I did not have to leave class because of my food issues (Love being Diabetic) I wold have had it almost done. I need to email and ask some questions to finish this but I really think they are cute. This year ( as I say every year) I want to get my projects done, so I will be working on this piece until I can wear it!

Partlet and Gollar Class:
I know the teacher of this class so I knew it would be a great class. In the morning and in the evenings even wearing Elizabethans you can get cold on the top! I wanted something I could wear to the Store as well...I no longer do the "Elizabethan Manuver" however, men still can't get over the rack..... tragic for them. So I was excited to do this outer partlet. I even had the chance to work with purple but I made a choice to work with deep blue. It is going pretty easily together and I hope I should be able to show pictures of a completed piece by tomorrow!
Victorian Thought in Medival Research with Robin Netherton:
Again the nasty food eating thing happened so I had to run out of the class and throw food down my gullet but then? I went back in and absorbed the last hour in stunned silence. I had no idea how prevalent the Victorian thought and theory has taken over our research all the up to and including the Renaissance and Elizabethan fashions. So my eyes are a lot more open and I want to study this and perhaps (with her permission) I could do a class on what the eye has been told is historical, is not and perhaps I can find examples she did not use, so that I am not infringing with her research.
Gothic Sleeve:
This will be put into use this Sunday (After seeing Aliens Vs Cowboys) I will be making some sleeves for a lady who needs Garb.
I taught a class my Renaissance Fabrics went over well but I think I need to add the fabrics I found while in England this past March....I also want to get my dolly back so I can bring more fabrics with me, and I really need to focus more on the fabrics we had now, not just hitting the research key too many times! LOL
Cilean

English Fitted Gown~ French Hood Please!

Well kind of quick and semi-dirty! I am working on the French Hood first....because it always happens that I complete the outfit.....and then loose energy to complete the hat or sleeves or what have you!
So I am using Sarah Woodville's the best thing about this is that I can in fact ask questions and get answers quickly. I have several patterns but Sarah's seems the most like what they had done in the past. It just feels right? You know?
Coif~ I am wiring my coif, not that Sarah has asked that but I wanted at least one that was wired, I own a Husqvarna and I have a cording foot so it is not too tough...I only broke one needle!
Now many people have mentioned that the color for the French Hood base or 'Paste' is red, I am so not the red gurl....I never wear red it is just a thing with me, my kirtle is orange linen, and my gown is a Aubergine or deep purple (go figure!) I have not figured out my sleeves, I have some lovely shot silks, and the one I want to use is orange and purple but I don't know if I have enough fabric to make sleeves with......
I should have the coif done today, I do not have the pleated fabric in my stash, so for this coif I will not have it, I will do more I hope that will in fact have some lovely silk that I will press into folds.
Paste~ I want to make from the same shot silk I spoke of before for the sleeves the orange and purple shot silk. I do have enough for that, at least.
Veil~ I have some black velveteen that I am going to use for this and I am lining it in cream or white silk, whichever I find first!
Billaments~ I have plenty in my stash, I just need 4th of July as my day off to sew the pieces onto the whole, also? I will be painting my silver and purple bits gold so that they fit the overall feel of the gown.
Okay so next time you hear from me? I will show you all of the pieces and the end result!
Awesome! Also? My Kirtle will need to be cut out and the bodice put together so I can make eyelet lacing holes also on the 4th!

French Hood~ Done!!

July 9~ I needed the French Hood done and it is done and I wore it do you think I got a picture of me wearing it? NO!

We went to Manteca to the Investiture in Fettburg! The Feast was fantastic! I mean wonderful!
Not only was the food ready on time!

It was seperated in other words when we had applesauce, pork and mushroom sauce? Each part was in it's own and so it was easy for me not to have the sauce and still eat the food!! KUDOS to the Chefs!
So I will have a point by point of this method which I really enjoy as it is not as heavy so it did not slouch off of my head I have baby fine hair (yeah I know, I am mixed, who knew?) so even with my fake hair attached, I had trouble keeping the Hood from falling back.
Now I did have to adjust the hood a couple of times? But it was way better than the thousands of times with my other ones.
Cilean

Shoe Love!!!


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Hoping for More Italian Patterns~

I am super excited, with the success of "The Borgias", people are again checking the Italian
City States during the Renaissance, so I have to say I for one, am glad because several of the Historical Pattern Makers out there are creating new patterns that will be better than the ones we got when "Everafter" came out!
Margo Anderson is I think currently working on a set, but I am wondering which city states and what time period! I am holding on with baited breath.
Reconstructing History~ Has some really nifty things out:
I like her Pisa Gown, and of course I will be toiling that soon and taking pictures.
She also has some for the 1400's as well which encompasses the time of the Borgias.
Now I have to say? I like the Sari's being made into Lucrezia's gowns, Like this one here as an example:
Also I ador the color tones the costumer is using like this lovely orange & purple of Ceasare's love.

Costume College~ Recap

Okay so it must be Mercury Retrograde as Blogger has lost 8 posts and is now holding them hostage!
I just got back from Costume College. I had a slight snafu, I was sent to training on the Thursday before, so I had to drive up to Sacramento, and then back in rush hour traffic, and then load up my junk and child and hubby and then drive down to Woodland Hills, CA. I live in Northern California this was a 4.5 hour drive, with my youngest son and my Hubby which is always fun, even after 20 years together we still laugh, and sing, and our kids think we are tragic!


Here is my 14th Century Silk Kirtle in Orange/Violet Shot Silk & over gown in Violet Silk Velvet!  Awesome, not so awesome this photo as my friend is shorter and she did not get the lovely of my necklace! Or earrings!


I did learn so much this year!  I made a Partlet out of blue wool and black linen, I have in fact cut out another version in purple non waled corduroy and I am hoping to get that finished soon.


Spent time in a discussion with Robin Netherton who as usual blows my mind.  This time it was the influence of what we consider factual points of reference that are actually Victorian constructs!
She showed us how something began as a 14th Century drawing and then was filtered through the lenses of Victorian Artists.  They were not really trying to defraud people, but just them adding a fichu to Grandma's 1700 outfit, they filtered the past through their own versions.  Some of these filters have been ascribed to being 'period' correct or authentic.  It was an eye opener for myself and others who had the chance to learn.


Also I had a great class for Coif making and how to make a good sleeve!


So I think it was a grand CoCo, but what was funnier? Was speaking to those we knew from CoCo, like that bird from Foster's House!


Besty and I were hanging out at Ren Faire in So California, and when we met someone whom we knew from Costume College we would squawk "Co Co!" We do Co Co! And laugh, the other costumer would get it and laugh and squawk back "Co Co!"  Hilarity ensued!


Cilean







Ducal Kirtle & Hubby Outfit

Ducal is this weekend and the Hubby wants to go! I am so surprised but only for a Daytrip, this means I need to make him some pannions so that he can feel good! Not an issue I have the pattern already I need to wash some linen up and he has tons Jerkins and shirts.
I am making a Kirtle in Orange Linen to go with my English Fitted Gown, I have not started the Gown because I have not figured out which fabric to use yet!
Cilean