A&S Century Challenge - Embroidery Design

After doing quite a bit of scribal work yesterday, I took a break today by working on some non-counted embroidery designs.

Embroidered Napkin - A&S Century Challenge

I took a break from secret scribal stuff & works for other people and finished off an embroidered cloth. The motif is embroidered in split stitch with two strands of DMC cotton floss.

Update

I haven't posted for a while because I haven't been well. After the pleurisy I developed costochondritis and now I have a chest infection, sinus infection, salivary gland infection and a cold! So I'm not really feeling like doing anything much. I am keeping up with the A&S Century Challenge buy doing my ten minutes minimum a day - mostly working on the huge pile of Unfinished sewing and embroidery objects (UFOs).

Last year a panel in my sewing area flooded quite badly and filled a stash cupboard with dirty water and I didn't realise straight away because it came through an access panel and through the back of the cupboard. Naturally it was the cupboard that had my long-hoarded ''special'' fabrics like silk in it. As you would know by now, my budget for fabric is low so I was absolutely devastated when this happened. I had a beautiful piece of figured silk velvet from Sartor that was a gift from friends that was ruined, and the whole event made me so despondent that it put me off dealing with the issue for a long time. The leak was fixed and fabrics washed, but I never really got things packed away the way they had previously been.

This has been something I have been trying to remedy lately. I can't do much at a time but I have been trying to sort everything out and tidy things up. I still have a pile of washed fabric to iron (a job I hate!) but at least things are looking a bit more tidy. My Sartor silk has lost it's pattern, but I can probably still use it for a pair of (much less dramatic looking sleeves.) Needless to say, I will probably procrastinate about tackling that ironing for quite some time to come!

While tidying and sorting, I found three very old unfinished chemises. They are made up in a Ren-Faire style pattern with fitted sleeves and no gussets and so not ideal (or historically accurate), but they need fairly minimal work to make them wearable. Given my deplorable lack of finished undergarments at the moment, I counted that find as a win. I also found some bits and bobs that I will need for upcoming projects, so I was very happy with that too. Maybe the old saying about hard work being it's own reward is true!

A&S Century Challenge - Simple Smock

Today I finally finished doing the seams on my ex-quilt cover, cheap test-run smock. I cut the neckline a bit wide so had to put in a couple of little pleats (which I would probably do again anyway as it sits nicely & is comfortable).
I ended up sewing the hem on the machine. I will re-do it by hand, but I need to wear it on the weekend and won't get time before then. The second hand quilt cover is nice soft fabric and feels cosy. I'm pleased with how neat the felled seams look, and I will definitely put the time and trouble in to do this again on future garments. I suspect that it will prolong the life of the garment too.

A&S Challenge - Seam Treatments and a New Sash

Lots of seam treatments this week, plus I sewed up a new sash. The sash is a simple (very long) rectangle, hemmed at both ends. I toyed with the idea of adding tassels to this one as it is longer than my others, but I decided that I will get more use out of it as it is. I am not usually a fan of orange (the camera has not reproduced the colour faithfully) but I think it will look good against a black gown. I got the fabric quite cheap at a thrift store, so I am pretty happy with this find. I still have enough for an underskirt or kirtle.

A&S Century Challenge - Seam finishing

Since my last post I have been doing boring (but relaxing) seam finishing. I am still unwell and have even had a day in hospital so this relaxed handsewing suits my energy levels at the moment.
I've also done a little bit of scroll painting.

A&S Century Challenge - Seam Treatments

More hemming & seam treatments today.
I used to hate this sort of work, but now I really like it & find it relaxing.
Which is probably great, because I think I have about a million more hours worth to go.

A&S Century Challenge - Hand finishing smocks

Two smock drafts (slightly different styles) cut out and partly sewn by machine. I need to find the time to hand finish them, so that will probably keep me busy (at least) for the next several days. Illness is making me slow and sluggish at the moment.

A&S Century Challenge - Budget Sixteenth Century Undergarments

I'm still sick, so everything lately has been extra challenging.

On Saturday I went to a scribes meeting and learnt about gilding manuscripts and made a start on a new scroll.

I had an inspiring & productive A&S/training on Sunday, and came home feeling exhausted (but motivated). Lots of follow up stuff to do after that one, including paperwork.

Yesterday I faffed around adapting patterns for a little while; a task I always find challenging.

Today I grabbed a couple of minutes to cut out a test run fitted smock from an old cotton quilt cover. I have always made Italian style camicias, but sometimes they can be a little bulky for more fitted styles of late period clothing. I'm always nervous when cutting fabric, but I'm not worried today because I got this quilt cover at the op shop for $3. I should get 2 undergarments from it.

I'm looking at making a modified version of (g) - smock with simple hemmed neck and sleeve.
Image from The Tudor Tailor, reproduced at https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/a6/9f/58/a69f582207ca2d77815540ae11de6988.jpg

A&S Century Challenge - Purple Sash

A quick & easy project for today; I whipped up a new purple sash (which for some reason looks blue in the photos). It is just a long rectangular tube hemmed at the ends, very handy for changing the look of an outfit.

This type of sash goes well with the style of Italian clothing that I like to wear.

Portrait of A Woman with a Book of Music by Bacchiacca
Image from: http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/668/bacchiacca-francesco-ubertini-portrait-of-a-woman-with-a-book-of-music-italian-about-1540-1545/

A&S Century Challenge - Embroidery and Trim Sewing

Today I sewed down another edge on one of the ribbons that will decorate the sleeve of my next chemise. I also found a mostly embroidered chemise sleeve, and did a little bit of work on that.
I hope to get time later on to do some illumination. My energy is very slowly starting to return as the pleurisy improves.

A&S Century Challenge - Gold sleeves

This challenge has been a wonderful motivator to plod along and do those little jobs that are not exciting & that are easy to put off.
Today I'm spending some time on a pair of sleeves. I usually zigzag stitch the edges, but I am trying out pinking the edges with shears. I am stab stitching the seams open.

Cotton Chemise- A&S Century Challenge

I spent my time today sewing some ribbon onto the sleeves of a cotton chemise. I couldn't do much as my hands are very painful at the moment.

Embroidered Chemise Band - A&S Challenge

I got a little bit of embroidery done today. This will be a simple gathering band for a chemise. It is done in double running stitch (Holbein stitch) in DMC floss. The loose running stitch is a temporary marker to indicate a fold line.

A&S Challenge - Viking Clothing Class

On Sunday I went to an information session on Viking clothing & accessories. I also had the opportunity to do a small amount of embroidery.

A&S Century Challenge - Chemise Band

Today I marked out a simple embroidery design to go on a chemise band.

I used Frixion marker which disappears when ironed.

A&S Century Challenge

Nothing hugely exciting has been going on with me for the last few days; I'm still sick with pleurisy and a chest infection. I finalised an embroidery design, did some hemming, and pre-washed and ironed some fabric.

I'm finding the A&S Century challenge very useful in motivating me. Previously, I did some A&S work on most days but found it difficult to get to the little jobs because if I "only" had ten minutes it often didn't seem worth it to dig the resources out or make the space to get started. The satisfaction of ticking the Challenge off the daily To Do list has meant that I am bothering with small projects in snatched segments of time- and really starting to see results. One eyelet a day is much less intimidating than twenty in a block.

A&S Century Challenge - Embroidery Design

Today I spent my time working out a non-counted embroidery design. I am quite pleased with the result but I can't share photos until it is finished.

A&S Century Challenge - hemming

Today I turned up a hem. When I'm tired and/or sick (which is most of the time!) I start slouching and  end up tripping, so hopefully this will help. It certainly is making the gown hem stand out very stiffly.

A&S Century Challenge - Seam treatments

I haven't posted for a few days because I have been quite sick with pleurisy and a chest infection, but I have tried to continue the A&S Century challenge.

Today I wasn't up for more than some very simple seam treatments.

Yesterday I helped to judge some A&S competitions.

The day before that I did some hemming and sewed some sleeve ties on.

The day before that I sewed hooks and eyes onto skirt openings.

All boring and slightly tedious jobs that are easy to put off. The Century Challenge has been great because it is encouraging me to get lots of little jobs finished - usually the ones that I tend to put off.

A&S Century Challenge - Simple Tassels

Today I made simple little tassels to go on pouches.

The first step is to take the thread you want to use and wrap it around your fingers. I used three fingers because these tassels will be small. Four or five fingers would make bigger tassels.
I used crochet cotton for these tassels.

Take a longer piece of thread (about 25-30cm) and thread through the centre of your loops. If your thread is extremely fine, you may want to use a thicker thread in a similar colour, because this thread will become the attaching thread that secures your tassel to the project you are making it for (e.g. pouch, clothing, hat, sash etc.)

Once the thread is in the centre of your loops, tie it off securely. I do it a couple of times with a double knot at the end to make sure it is very secure.

Next, smooth the loops out and make sure they are all lying together and there are no big bulges. Take a smaller piece of thread (15-20cm approximately) and tie off the loops. The distance you tie off down from the first knot will be how big the ''head'' of the tassel will be. Continue to make sure all the threads are laying nicely and nothing has got caught up or is bulging out. I tie off and then wrap and tie off again to make sure everything is nice and tight and strongly secured.
Cut the loops.

I thread the ends of the tie off threads through a needle and thread them back under the horizontal wrapping so that they end up sticking out with all the other thread ends.

Finally trim off the ends of the threads so they are neat and the desired length. I tend to trim the edge ends a little shorter so that the tassel ''skirt'' has a slight bell shape rather than being cut straight across. This is a matter of personal preference.
If you wanted to decorate the ''head'' of the tassel, you could do it now.

The finished product ready for attachment.

A&S Century Challenge - Split-stitch Heraldic Patches

My hands were too sore to do much today, but I did get the final split stitch heraldic patch sewn on to the Championship cloak.
Now it can be passed on to the next Champion.

Happy Mother's Day

A&S Century Challenge - Split stitch heraldic badge

I'm still sick and not to be trusted with anything remotely complicated, so finished off my heraldic split stitch patch today.'
It just needs to be sewn onto the cloak now.

Yesterday I woke up sick and had to cancel all my plans, so I worked on this project too.

Extant Redwork Unicorn Embroidery

I saw this piece posted on a Facebook embroidery group and just had to share. It is c.1588 and is embroidered in silk. I am going to make something using this as my inspiration.

Image source: https://digitaltmuseum.se/011023682952/orngott?aq=time%3A%22%2F327cd97d-7dd2-4ba0-9016-da73c8628a49%22+text%3A%22broderi%22&i=5

A&S Century Challenge

I've already lost track of what day I am up to in this Challenge!

Today my time was spent doing paperwork. I did a little bit of stem stitching and a little bit of scribing. I also got one of the heraldic badges sewn on to the A&S Championship cloak. I think it looks good.

Yesterday I made a pattern and cut out a couple of pouches as my fingers are a too bit sore to sew.

New format?

Well, it is getting close to two weeks of the new format with daily updates. What do you all think? Are you sick of hearing about projects in dribs and drabs? Did you prefer a write up of a finished project, or should I continue with the new format?

100 Days of A&S - Split stitch Badge

Today I finished the split stitch badge for a friend.
In my SCA Barony, we have cloaks that the Heavy, Rapier & A&S Champions wear. They are decorated with the devices of the Champions & this is what these split stitch badges are for.

100 Days of A&S - Seam treatments and split stitch badges

Today I worked on seam finishing inside a camicia (chemise). I have three cut out and assembled to a basic level. When I have a bit of spare time (e.g. in front of the telly) I can pick one up and do a bit. I'm getting there (very) slowly.

I also did some stem stitching on another heraldic badge for a friend.

Days 8 & 9 - 100 Days of A&S (Hemming and Split Stitching)

I couldn't post yesterday, so you get two day's worth today!

Day 9
Boring old hand hemming again today.

Day 8
Spent a good part of the day adding spangles to an embroidered caul at an SCA demo, but also managed to finish off the split stitch championship patches.

Day 7 - 100 Days of A&S - Hemming

Today I have been hand-hemming table linens.

Day 6 - 100 Days of A&S - Cartridge Pleating a Renaissance Skirt

Today I spent my time setting cartridge pleats. I made bigger pleats than normal, setting them at about 1cm apart. (Sometimes I do 0.5cm.) I cheated and drew the pleats up with a single thread of crochet cotton because I wanted the job to go faster. The 'proper' way to do it is to use 2 parallel rows of very strong cord/thread, and draw your pleats up. The big risk with the single crochet cotton is that it will shred and break and you will have to start all over again. Luckily, that didn't happen to me today.

Chalking out the 1cm markings

Adding the crochet cotton 'draw thread' (the smaller white thread is a tacking stitch to secure the top hem of the skirt panel during pleating and not related to the cartridge pleating process.)

Pleats ready for adjustment

The skirt panel ready to sew to the bodice. I divide my skirt into quarters and divide my bodice into quarters. Then I tack the points together and adjust the pleats evenly in each quarter section. It makes the job much easier and results in nice even pleat adjustment.