Friday, December 17, 2021

18th Century Trifles

My friend Ruth and I like to refer to small projects as trifles.  I guess only one of these really fits that term as three of the four were fairly involved.  They're small accessories so I thought I'd include them.

First--Sleeve links!  I had lost one of my fancy ones at an event so I decided to just make my own.  I picked up several sets of fancy silver buttons at Joanns along with some heavy craft wire.  I bent the wire, two pieces at a time, into S shapes and joined pairs of buttons.  The ones on the right are very similar to the one I lost!


Next up is a workbag I've been eyeing--an extant from the National Trust dated 1803.  


The flower petals are made from marquis shaped spangles which are difficult to find so I decided to embroider them with silk then add tiny metal spangles to the centers.  The embroidery was done on white silk duchess satin which I prewashed and ironed.



Finished embroidery

I lined the bag with burgundy taffeta.  I wanted white ribbon for the handles but didn't have any white satin ribbon in my stash so I used burgundy.  The original looks like it has bobbinette or lace netting as the ruffle trim--perhaps in a tarnished metallic. Since I had white French cotton bobbinette on hand, I decided to use that.  

Here is the finished workbag:


The next "trifle" is a lovely "big hair" cap that I made as a pattern tester for Virgil's Fine Goods.  It's different than any other I have in that the "ear" part is much larger.  I really like it!



The last of the trifles is another pair of leather mitts in French blue lined with white silk taffeta.  I made them according to this post with slightly different stitching on the hems.  They are my 5th pair of leather mitts.  I love them!

Finishing up the 2nd mitt but want to get a pic in before the end of the year!


I will have a separate post on my masquerade masks which could also be considered "trifles."

I love small projects because they bring such a sense of accomplishment.  They're also great for practicing one's skills without a major commitment.




1 comment:

  1. Sometimes I find new accessories more fulfilling than a whole outfit, because of all the possibilities for mixing and matching with the rest of your historical wardrobe! The cap and mitts are particularly lovely, wow.

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