18th Century Beaded Silk Muff Cover and other trifles

It's nice to do some small projects --though I have a way of making them into longer projects.  We took our winter workshop series online in February 2021 and our projects were a muff cover with Ruth taught, and quilted pockets which I taught.  I figured I'd do another muff cover since I had some nice silk remnants.  I've always loved these beaded ones pictured below:

The on on top is my favorite so I decided to try to replicate it.  I found a similar turban wearing woman image and printed it on silk using the method described in this post.   After fusing it to the fabric, I decided to look for the appropriate beads before tracing the embroidery.  This was more challenging than I first thought.  I could find them but the weren't necessarily the correct size.  My choice would be to use different beads that were smaller or more similar beads that were larger.  The milky faceted glass beads were the ones that determined this.  I could only find them in size 8.  Size 11 would've been better.  They're glass.  I also found vintage metal flat spangles.  
 

Let's look closely at the original:  It clearly has metal embroidery and spangles which have tarnished.  The stems are couched metal thread.  The bow figure has spangles sewn flat and covered by the white beads.  The "frame" around the portrait, however, appears to be a row of beads with couched metal thread along both sides.

This motif is clearly 3 beads with one spangle.

The ruffle has the spangles stitched flat covered with white beads like the bow at the top.

Here's my reference photo:

I played around with the size of the embroidery image to get the right size for the beads I bought,  converted the image to black and white and used my light tablet to trace the exact image right onto the silk.

I started with the embroidery. I didn't not have the right type of metal thread and used a modern thread that was the right color.  Because it was stranded, I chose to do outline stitch.  Then I stitched the sequins on.

Next came the white beads.  It's amazing how much weight they add to such a small piece!

I decided to not add the ruffles.  I think the proportions would've been off and it would've been too crowded looking as the image and embroidery were larger than the original.

I also added a "strap" of 2 inch wide blue ribbon to use as a "handle" of sorts.  There is an extant muff with this treatment which also has bows at each end of the strap to make it more decorative.

I'm quite pleased with how this one turned out.  The blue matches my quilted petticoat!

The quilted pocket workshop which I taught resulted in my having 2 more pairs of pockets.  The first one is linen bound with linen tape.  I studied the extants I found and they were bound.  I raided my remnant/scrap box and found the yellow linen and decided to use a contrasting thread for the quilting.  I had found an extant quilted bodice that had yellow thread on white fabric so I figured the contrast would show up nicely.  The hippogryph image is from a mid 18th century quilted petticoat from Rhode Island.

The second pair of pockets were based on an extant pair I found for sale in an antiques shop in MI. The seller had posted very detailed pictures of the construction of these pockets.  Unlike the other extants, they were not bound.  I used the same blue silk as the muff cover.

I enjoyed making these projects as they were diversions from the quilted petticoat I need to finish.  I really need to get back on that so I have it to wear this coming winter!

Costuming Goals 2021

I start every year with some lofty goals.  I rarely complete all of them and often end up completing entirely different projects as situations arise that demand that.   I have the materials for everything here with some small exceptions.

I'll start the year with two UFOs.  

1.  I intend to complete my quilted petticoat hopefully by the end of January but definitely by the end of February.  I will also make a pair of quilted pockets, completing one before our Feb. skills weekend at the end of the month.   This is a lengthy project.

2.  Wool long sleeved Italian Gown.  I cut out the bodice and have the lining and bodice back pieces all pinned together to be seamed.  Then I put it down as I knew I wouldn't get it done for our Feb 2020 weekend.  I plan on finishing this during the winter along with a couple small accessories to go with it: a 1780s ruffled apron and a ruffled neck handkerchief.

3. 1790s Round Gown --V&A.  I really love this gown which is believed to have been refashioned from an earlier gown.  I've had the lightweight Indienne below in my stash and it seems like it would make a nice version of this gown to wear in warmer weather.

4.  Mrs Izard's 1776 sacque and cap.  I like that this is a later sacque and I think this ensemble would be a good one for one of the impressions I do.

The photograph doesn't really show the color.  It's a shot silk with tan and turquoise so the color changes as the light hits it different ways.

5.  Mrs. Coffin's mourning ensemble--sacque, cap and jewelry.  I've always loved this portrait.  I copied Mrs. Coffin's neck handkerchief in 2018 and I have everything to complete her gown, cap and jewelry.  

6.  Short sacque.  I've had the striped silk for about 5 years so it's time to get on this one.  I want to keep it fairly simple and I like this one though I think it needs a different stomacher.   This will most likely warrant a new silk covered hat to go with it as well.

So I don't find myself stuck in the 18th century all year, I decided to upgrade my Edwardian wardrobe.

7.  Truly Victorian 1903 S-bend corset

8.  I've been saving this image for a couple of years.  I love the gown in the middle.  I found the fabric quite by chance when shopping at a local fabric store in Pittsburgh.  It couldn't be more perfect.  The challenge is determining the architecture of this gown.  Edwardian gowns are deceptively complex which is what makes them so fascinating.

9.  New princess slip and drawers to wear under the above gown.  My current princess slip and French drawers are simply too full to be worn under a hobble style skirt.  So in my usual vein of constructing things from the skin out, those will be made before the gown.

10.  Edwardian white gown.  Here are 3 extants for ideas.  I have a sizable stash of antique insertion lace and it's time to use it up.  I lean toward something with a lot of shaped lace insertion like the gown on the right.   I'll work on the design when I'm ready to make this.

Other stuff to be made:  18th century mitts--white leather with fagotting, white silk with fagotting, white silk with embroidery;  Caps--1790s large ornate cap TBD, mid 17th century winged cap with lace;  Aprons--2 1780s ruffled aprons.   

Various vintage fashions are on the agenda but I don't count them as "costuming" since I wear them as my contemporary clothing.

2020 Costuming Year in Review

It's that time of year --where I take stock of what I accomplished and what I failed to accomplish. Normally I'd wait until the end of the month but since I'm doing Christmas sewing from now until then, I don't anticipate getting anything new made.  Here are my costuming accomplishments for 2020:

1, 2.  Two silk hoods:  One taffeta and one silk velvet.  To be honest, these were started in 2019 and the finishing details were done on New Years Day.  The silk taffeta one is copied from a New England example in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  I created a downloadable pattern for these which is available on the blog post.   Blog post here.

3.  Fur trimmed velvet cloak:  Detailed blog post here.

4,5,6.  Mrs. Russell's outfit:  1760s brown silk gown, antique linen with lace handkerchief, lace trimmed lappet cap.  Detailed blog post here.

7,8.   Yellow Silk Damask gown with petticoat and lace pinner cap.  Blog post here.

Inspiration images

9.  1760s Indienne gown:  Detailed blog post here.

10.  Garnet silk hat.  Blog post here.

Based on this hat in the V&A

11.  Black silk tulle mourning handkerchief trimmed with lace.

12.  Moretti masks.  I almost hesitate to list these but they were quite labor intensive so I figured I would.  They are based on period images and a research piece by Phillipe Halbert.

13, 14.  Lambskin mitts of purple and claret.  Detailed blog post here

15.  Sultana with petticoat and sash.  Detailed blog post here.

16. Sheer linen cap trimmed with lace.

17 .  Long term project carried into next year:  Quilted petticoat.  Series of blog posts here.  I hesitate to list this but the time involved so far exceeds that of making of a number of gowns.  Here are a couple of progress shots.

Reflecting on what I accomplished, it occurred to me that everything was 18th century.  I really focused on studying different decades and what distinguishes them from others which made me feel that I had a good amount of variety.  The past couple of years have also had some Regency and Edwardian projects but not this year!  I'm planning though!   Next year will have more variety!