Saturday, January 31, 2009

Distracted yet again...

I wanted to see if I could make buttons. I think I can.


(1- 5 rib double wrapped, 2- 7 rib spiral basketweave, 3- 8 rib over/under, 4- 7 rib spiral basketweave)
I have no idea if that is what they are actually called, I'm just calling them that. :D

Friday, January 30, 2009

I want to make pomanders and little perfume beads!

http://www.elizabethancostume.net/paintedface/index.html

Holy mice-n-cheez! - closing in on the finishline....

I severly underestimated the time it would take to finish this project! I am completely done with the verticals and all the beading. Now all I have left to do it go through the horizontals. I think this portion will go faster, since I'm not beading as I go. I'm kind of bummed that my thread is fraying so much, it's looking 'fuzzy' up-close. *gah* But still, 'twill be teh awesome when I'm done. (at least in my mind!)

I am still wiffling on how to finish the edge. I am slightly leaning towards the solid band.....make it as narrow as possible, and bead gold and pearls at the edge, maybe? I can't face embroidering the band as well right now.



IN OTHER NEWS:
I really need to start working on some of my actual clothing projects soon, not just the accessories. I've washed and dried the linen and the wool for Kao's tunics. I have the black linen thread for the wool tunic, so maybe that will be my next project. I just need to come up with an acceptable pattern.

I am having a serious time coming up with Hospitaller clothing documentation. Everything on the net seems to be based on the same picture in the book I have (the only one I've found so far that touches on Hospitaller clothing), which is a modern artist's interpritation of what they may have worn based on written accounts. I'm not a research-guru, but I like to have some sort of visual basis for what I do. And I have a hard time just making a black tunic, slapping a white cross on it and calling it a Hospitaller's tunic. I'm also kind of weirded out about the whole cloak/hood thing.

Bleah, why couldn't he have chosen something 'easier'??

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Cutwork Caul Update...


Close-up of the caul. I am about 1/4 of the way through the vertical.



And here is the whole thing. If I were to ever do this again, I would use a stronger thread. The linen thread I'm using keeps shredding and I have to start the row over. It's a big 'ole pain in the bootocks. The beading is working well, however I wish I had used my next size up bead. The ones I am using now are teeny, and don't show up that well.

The whole structure is amazingly delicate. I don't think I've ever worked on something that had such tiny, delicate structure. That being said, the pieces that are completed are quite strong, and I think when the whole thing is completed with the horizontal, it will be even stronger.

At this point, I am pondering how I'm going to finish off the edge. Do I want a solid band caul like the previous one? Or do I want to do a casing, and use it more like a hairnet? Hmmm. I am unsure at this stage how I will proceed. Any suggestions??
My adorable sister in her 18th century underthings!