I finally got myself into a craft store and picked up matching floss, and while I was there suddenly decided I wanted a bigger button than I had in my stash, so I picked up a small package of bigger wooden beads.
I spent a couple of hours messing around with different thread wrapping patterns, and finally came up with one that I can live with. I wanted the buttons to have a little bit of gold in them as well, so I ended up with gold ribs.
I only have two more buttons to go, but got bored doing them and moved on to the loops. I'm doing a seven stranded round braid with 4 gold and 3 red. Somewhere along the way, I messed up the cord, so the pattern shifts a bit, but it doesn't bother me enough to re-do it!
I'm still stuck on muff ponderings. Right now I'm stuck on whether or not to use faux fur, or the beaver pelt. (Below, beaver on left, faux fur on right)
I'm leaning towards the faux fur, just because if I mess it up, I wouldn't be terribly upset. The color is kind of weird, however.
Hmmmmm *ponder*
I'm going to drop by a craft store in a little while and pick up some floss either way, since I'm going to need it anyway. (I'm still a little shocked that I don't have an appropriate color in my stash, but at about $0.40 a pop, I'm not too worried about breaking the bank!)
I messed around for a day and a half with couching and different embroidery ideas, but finally settled on letting the fabric speak for itself. I’m pretty sure I’m going to do a black (or brown) velvet muff in the very near future as well, so I’ll probably save up my embroidery energy for that project.
I decided to center the muff on the oblong motif on the fabric, and as luck would have it, worked out quite nicely.
I remembered my nice, wide gold lace from my stash, and decided that it would give a little ‘excitement’ to an otherwise dull muff. Here’s the trim pinned in place:
It didn’t take too long to stitch down the trim, and I quite like how it turned out.
The only thing that concerns me is I’m not terribly enamoured of the finished size. It seems a bit long to me, hmmmm. If I can convince myself that I like the proportions, I’ll cut into my beaver pelt. If not, I’ll use some of the faux fur I have lying around and do an embroidered velvet version for the beaver.
I thought that I had some embroidery floss is the correct colors to do buttons, but alas, I do not, so I’ll have to the first (of hopefully few) purchases for the ACC.
I finally finished with the dress for my little niece. It's certainly a cold-weather/night time outfit, as it is all wool and very snuggly. I don't have any pictures of her wearing it quite yet, but here is the finished project:
Sis finished both the surcoat and roman outfits. I'm done with the kirtle, and just need to finish up the sleeves and cape. Lil Miss will be well dressed for the event!
The easiest way to get my niece to wear anything is to tell her it's a princess dress!
My sister and her whole family are going to the event this weekend, but my little niece has nothing to wear! So sis and I raided our collective stashes to come up with some quick and easy outfits.
We cut out everything, and have nearly finished a sideless surcoat out of scrap red velvet.
I'm currently working on eyelets for a Kirtle (cape and sleeves) and hopefully will have it done tomorrow early AM.
Sis is finishing up all the underthings, and a quick Roman, so hopefully by the end of the day, Lil Miss will be completely dressed for a full weekend!
“Venetian Women of Mature Age, and Dismesse”
Muff detail:
“Winter Clothing of Venetian Noblewomen and Other Wealthy Women In Our Time”
Muff detail:
~
I decided on a gold patterned brocade as the outer shell, as gold is fairly neutral and would match multiple outfits.
As I am not fortunate enough to have either marten or sable in my stash (and no, I’m not going to disassemble one of my precious zibies to obtain it!), I’m finally going to use my plucked and shaved beaver pelt*! I’ve had this fur in my stash for about umpteen million years, and have always been terrified to cut into it, but now is the time!
This fur is the most soft and plushy thing I’ve ever felt in my life, it’s delicious!
The pelt is roughly 13” x 15” in the middle, with various hangy parts that if needed, can potentially be pieced for a larger finished fur.
I need to double-check my stash, but I do not believe I have any gold or crystal buttons or beads that would be large enough for buttons, so I most likely will be substituting thread-wrapped buttons for the closures.
Both muffs pictured below have a relatively thick border around the edges – I have yet to determine what exactly I’m going to do about that.
I’m also wondering if I want to do some couching on the brocade to give it a bit more oomph – I guess it’s time to sit down for realsies and figure out exactly what I’m going to do!
*Say that phrase until you giggle!
……and it is imperative that I try out this recipe! And even more awesomely, apparently it’s adapted from a recipe in '”The Accomplisht Cook” by Robert May (1660)
1. Soak the leaves of gelatin for 5 minutes, then squeeze out and dissolve in rosewater in a cup, placed in a pan of boiling water.
2. Gently heat a quarter of the cream, dissolve the sugar and then stir in the gelatin.
3. When it has dissolved, remove from the heat and add the rest of the cream.
4. Pour into a wetted mould and chill until it sets.
5. Tip from the mould and decorate with petals or fruit.
~
I found this recipe when I went searching for something comparable to these delicious little guys: 
I haven’t found anything yet, but really all it is, is chocolate-dipped rose fondant, so really, it shouldn’t be all that hard!
And while searching for a picture online for the Beech’s Rose Creams, I found out that there was such a thing as Violet Creams. (!!!)
I want to try these so bad…..Yum!
* I didn’t look too hard, but there are a few different recipes that call for cream & rose in some sort of boiled pottage pudding, the first more of a custardy pudding, and the second more of a gelatiny pudding. (Which is the one I would assume the modern interpretations above is taken from) I would actually like to try both of them at some point!
Beat the yolks of three eggs, with rose-water, and half a pint of cream, warm it with a piece of butter as big as a walnut, and when it is melted mix the eggs and that together, and season it with nutmeg, sugar, and salt; then put in as much bread as will make it as thick as batter, and lay on as much flour as will lie on a shilling, then take a double cloth, wet it, and flour it, tie it fast, and put it in the pot; when it is boil’d, serve it up in a dish with butter, verjuice, and sugar. (pg.177)
Boil two capons being cleansed, the fat and lungs taken out, truss them and soak them well in clean water three of four hours; then boil them in a pipkin, or pot of two gallons or less, put to them a gallon or five quarts of white wine, scum them, and boil them to a jelly, next strain the broth from the grounds and blow off the fat clean; then take a quart of sweet cream, a quart of the jelly broth, a pound and half of refined sugar, and a quarter of a pint of rose water, mingle them all together, and give them a warm on the fire with half an ounce of fine searsed ginger; then set it a cooling, dish it, or cast it in lemon or orange-peels, or in any fashion of the other jellies, in moulds or glasses, or turn it into colours; for sick folks in place of cream use stamped almonds. (pg. 206)
Holly came down to visit while Kao was away on business, but job interviews and a nasty cold has taken up pretty much every moment, up until now!
We looked at inspiration portraits and decided some design details for her ACC dress.
Her main inspiration portrait is this beauty:
She’s using blue velvet from my stash (to be traded for probably jewelry at a later date)
Because I’m still kinda feeling out of it, I suggested that we work on cording and buttons first, and do some pattern drafting and cutting tomorrow.
I kind of had a plan of how to create tufted buttons like the ones on the portrait, but I wasn’t sure if it would work until I sat down with needle and thread….And I had to figure out how to do it before I could teach her!
Here’s what I came up with, something similar looking, but not quite a copy:
1. Start as you would a regular thread-wrapped button, but with extra length. (I’m using a arm-span length)
2. This is where it gets a bit different. Tie off the thread on the bottom, then go back up through the top and use a needle as spacer for the loop, and go back down 2x…..if that makes sense. (I may still be a little loopy….)
3. Take the needle out of the little loops; now this is where the tufts are going to be anchored. I used the back end of my favorite bone crochet hook as a spacer……loop through the anchor loops as many times as it takes to get a pleasing puffiness. (In my case, 7x)
4. Wrap around the base of the tufty loops to lock in place, and plunge the needle back through the bead core. Firmly square knot, and voila! Tufty cute buttons!
5. It’s a good idea to dab a bit of glue on the end of the button to make sure that everything stays in place, then all that’s left is to sew onto a garment!
Holly and I have dubbed these “Blueberry Buttons”, as Bethaval has “Cranberry Buttons” on one of her recent(ish) gowns!
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| From Augusta Auctions - it appears the original image is no longer available online. |
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| Also from Augusta Auctions (I believe!) - also no longer available online. |
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| Women's Day Dress 1867 The Bowes Museum |
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| A third gown from Augusta Auctions (I think) which appears to no longer be available online. |
A website called “Sweet Romance” has some awesome stuff, and is currently having a sale on some pretty rad swag!
These ‘Jewel Pear Earrings’ are particularly lovely, and come in multiple colors. (Though of course, the teal/peacock is my favorite…
p.s. Be sure to scroll through pages, the “Next Page” button is kind of hidden at the bottom right; it’s kinda pinkish….
Tip courtesy of Jannean!
Bangkok Thai Silk appears to not have been hit as badly with rate hikes; their silk taffeta is mostly $9.99-$10.99.
And OMG, do I want this SO bad……it’s gorgeous!
Tip courtesy of Jaquelinne!
Sounds yummy, right?
I went looking through my lotions to find something super-moisturizing for my ill-fated pedicure yesterday, but alas, there was nothing to be found. Holly and I have been discussing doing another skincare cooking day (we are just now running out of all the lip moisturizer after many, many years!), and that got me thinking….
I didn’t have too many supplies on hand, but I managed to concoct what I’m calling “Turkish Delight”, due to the chocolatey-smelling cocoa butter & yummy rose oil. It smells so delicious, I can barely keep from eating it! It smells just like the little tray of chocolate turkish delights that sat by the register at the corner market in Pennard….oh memories!
Turkish Delight Crème
In double-boiler, melt cocoa butter & coconut oil. Add jojoba oil when melted, mix well. Take off heat (if very hot, let cool a bit before adding oil), and add rose oil. Whisk periodically while cooling. OPT: beat with mixer to make light and fluffy! (Beating also lightens the color)
ETA: I now have my feet all wrapped up and soaking in my new crème and massaged the extra into my cuticles and elbows and spread the last bits on my slightly sunburnt arms.....I smell like a candy shop! My new favorite lotion/body butter!
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