Ruff times

My first attempt at a ruff based on an un-set ruff in Janet Arnold, 'Patterns of fashion.
 I loved making this but I'm disappointed as it doesn't seem to be as full as the original, I really packed in the pleats too!
 However, I came across another blog about copying the same ruff and this one was as full as the original. I've sent a plea for help so hopefully the next attempt will be an improvement.
This linen is lovely stuff! I bought about 5 yards,  15 years ago before I knew anything about linen. It was the ridiculous price of 50p a yard and was being sold as cotton butter muslin. I bought it mainly to make some square cloths for my daughter to use in her Historical Interpretation of a dairy maid. It did look rather sorry for it'self, very scruffy, grubby and creased. It was only when I washed and pressed it that I realised what a treasure I'd got.

1630/40 Partlett

Another first copy, I made the mistake of finishing the inside seams thus making them bulky! The next one will left unfinished. In the extant garments I've examined, this 'unfinished' inside seam is common and the edges of the fabric have felted so the seam doesn't unravel.

Partlett

Fully hand stitched, linen fabric of a fairly low count, sewn with 120/02 linen thread

Baby's head rail? Copy of an item from 'The Tabor linens' Colchester museum

A few years ago I was able to have a day examining some extant 17th century baby clothes held at Colchester Museum. This garment had been identified as 'possibly an apron'. i took some quick measurements and then concentrated on a baby's coif/biggin. For some reason the 'apron' reminded me of a couple of pictures by La Tour, 'The newborn' and 'The adoration of the Shepherds. I took a rectangle of fabric roughly the same size as the 'apron' and put it on my baby doll's head. Apart from sticking out in a point in the front I thought 'ah ha, this is a head-rail, not an apron'. Going back to the pictures taken on the day I noticed that there was a small shallow curve cut out of the centre front. I quickly cut a similar curve from the test fabric, wrapped it on the doll and this time it layed flat across the forehead.
The paintings by La Tour do not look as if the babies portrayed are wearing head rails similar to this garment, rather they look like rectangles or squares of fabric folded crosswise. In the 'Newborn' one can clearly see the pin holding the head cloth onto the swaddling.

I love La Tour's work especially his use of light. I believe these two pictures show two versions of simple new born swaddling. 'The New Born' seems to be swaddled in carefully pressed swaddling while the Christ child in 'The Adoration' appears to be wrapped in un-pressed swaddling.

More swaddling pictures when I either have a model baby to use or perhaps a real baby!

Baby's head rail? Copy of an item from 'The Tabor linens' Colchester museum

A few years ago I was able to have a day examining some 17th century baby clothes held at Colchester Museum. This garment had been identified as 'possibly an apron'. i took some quick measurements and then concentrated on a baby's coif/biggin. For some reason the 'apron' reminded me of a couple of pictures by La Tour, 'The newborn' and 'The adoration of the Shepherds. I took a rectangle of fabric roughly the same size as the 'apron' and put it on my baby doll's head. Apart from sticking out in a point in the front I thought 'ah ha, this is a head-rail, not an apron'. Going back to the pictures taken on the day I noticed that there was a small shallow curve cut out of the centre front. I quickly cut a similar curve from the test fabric, wrapped it on the doll and this time it layed flat across the forehead.
The paintings by La Tour do not look as if the babies portrayed are wearing head rails, rather they look like rectangles or squares of fabric. In the 'Newborn' one can clearly see the pin holding the head cloth onto the swaddling.

Bib and tucker from Patterns of Fashion

First copy. Main mistake was to neaten the inside seams using a tiny hem. This gives a lumpy effect seen from the right side. The original was left  unhemmed to allow the bib to lie flat.

Another Project

Once I've finished James's doublet I'm going to make some new kit for myself. My present kit is fully hand stitched and I'm really pleased with it. My main concern is the colour which is very rich and also the same colour as one of the gentry in our group! I somehow think the cook wouldn't be wearing the same fabric as her betters!
The jacket was constructed in panels consisting of linen lining, linen canvas interlining and woollen outer with a few strips of boning down the front.
. The lining was extended around to the front of each panel and hemmed down. Then the panels were sewn together both on the inside and outside layers.
The Skirt is cartridge pleated onto a waist band. There are hooks and eyes centre back and side to keep the skirt up.
Yellow linen underskirt also cartridge pleated.
The smock, kercher, coif and forehead cloth are all made from flaxen linen. The pattern for the coif is taken from an extant coif dated 1630-40 in Chelmsford museum
I wear a blue hempen linen apron when cooking or doing work and a white apron for best.

1530's shirt, simple construction experiment

I decided to start by making a plain version of the shirt using basic fairly open weave linen but fully hand stitched using 102/2 linen thread.
 This would enable me to understand how the pattern worked and give me a rough estimate of construction time. While making the shirt I started keeping a tally of how long it took and also estimate the cost of making the shirt based on UK minimum wage, £6.08/$9.7per hour.
 The shirt took over a week and I lost count of time spent and gave up on the labour cost estimate when it reached £300/$478,2

The pattern and original shirt

uncertain which shirt copy as yet.

Long term project

I'm hoping to recreate a red embroidered boy's shirt circa 1530. Fully hand stitched using antique french linen, 100 count and crimson embroidery silk. I estimate the project will take about 2 years.
The pattern is from 'Patterns of Fashion 4' by Janet Arnold

Anatomy of a sheet

While waiting to have another fitting for James's doublet I finally got around to doing something with my 3 19th century linen sheets. They were purchased from a cute little French shop in Aubeterre sur Dronne for about 25 euros each.

The sheets had been in storage for about 15 years and had some rust spots most of which disappeared after being boiled washed with washing soda twice.

The sheet was made from two lengths of fabric both 41 inches wide and 3 yards 6 inches long. 45 warp threads to the inch.(last picture)
The two lengths were whip stitched together with tiny stitches approximately 1/6th inch long and pressed open.(picture 5)
The hems were machine sewn (picture 2)
The sheets were embroidered with  2 letters which look like M and C. (picture 1)
picture 3 shows the difference in colour compared with modern linen

Blonde moment!!!!

Whilst getting in some leather sewing practice I decided to make a safety cover for the hand turned awl that James gave me for a gift. It was only after I finished making the cover that I realised James had actually given me the awl to use making the doe skin doublet! More experiments needed.

We had gone ahead with constructing the leather outer of the doublet 'right sides together' as I was unhappy with the neatness of an over lapping seam. So now I will see if I can get the overlapped seam to look neater by punching holes along the seams and then sewing.

More experiments!

picture 1 right side showing layers

picture 2  inside of the layers

picture 3 lining lifted to show interlining

picture 4 close up of interlining showing attachment stitching