IRCC 2013 1st item done!!!

A ton more left to go and only two months to do it in!!

Stockings knitted with blue silk Bamboo yarn. on 4 Double pointed needles
these are my first socks ever and only my third knitting project ever, I have done 2 other scarfs. This has been a major learning experiement!!

Stockings done!

Finished!!

Linen stockings with courtesan embroidered clock (just above gussest at the ankle) with blackwork fold over welt (top).

Stockings, pocket and embroidery

So as you can see from my last post the pocket is done! I will admit the embroidery is not done by hand as my darling husband gave me a magical machine that can do some really nifty stuff and part of my challenge for this gown is to really give my machine a workout. Since I used the courtesan motif several times it is digitized so I can keep it looking consistent.

In light of the time crunch I know there is no way I could do all the embroidery by hand, take care of my 4 year old son, coach my student to the National speech and debate meet, and be a full time student myself. I have no intentions of entering this as an A&S project so I want to go for the wow, that looks so cool factor over the authentic factor. I can do hand embroidery but I just don't have the time. There will be some blackwork and beadwork done for this project but I find I can do that rather quickly.

My stockings are moving along at a much better pace now. I had to fix the elephant ankle look I had going on, and I am much happier now that it looks much smoother. The embroidered clocks are done (little embroidery above the ankle gusset for decoration and strength) and the welts (tops) are waiting to be attached.

My next step is to start work on the embroidery for the drawers. This will take a little time, but it is a large pattern and should move quickly but I am covering a lot of fabric. I am going to do the embroidery first then cut out the fabric. I haven't decided if I will do a split crotch or not. I can't find any proof of split crotch during this time but after making a pair for a Victorian gown I am not sure I could survive without them. They make life so much easier with a lot of skirts and a port-a-john.

I am also arguing about whether or not I want a linen camica with strips of blackwork to match the drawers or make a silk camica...hmmmmmm choices.

problems- stockings

so I have the gussets in and started attaching the soles- I plan to sew up the back last so I can do the embroidery at the top of the outside gusset. as I am testing my fit as I go I am noticing a lot of odd wrinkles across the top of my ankle. It makes me look like I have elephant feet. I have tugged and pulled but I just can't seem to get them to go away- Which is really odd as they are plotted of a pattern I have used before and it looked great. I must have screwed up somewhere. If worse comes to worse I will cut across the top of my foot and take it in there. Which is still a period cut- just not the one I am use to.

Stockings cont.

well both stockings are now cut out. I am putting in the ankle gores by hand and then I need to figure out where to put the embroidery for the clocks

I have been asked why I decided to start with the stockings as they do not count as one of my layers and the answer is simple I like starting from the inside out. I love my linen stockings and I have discovered I feel very naked without them. Since my first pair was falling apart I knew I would need a new pair and this was the perfect way to start. I plan to have more pics up as soon as I finish the clocks then one last pic after I sew on the welts at that point they will be done and that would be one item off my list

Stocking #1 cut out

so I have cut out the first stocking. Since I am using this blog to document everything I think you guys deserve some sneak peaks and the like

 Stocking and Welts

Close up of the black work on the welts

Stockings-History

 Stockings were generally to the knee or just above the knee and were footed, as seen in Queen Elizabeth’s Wardrobe Unlock’d

They were could knitted or made from cloth, cut on the bias to give some stretch. They are recorded as being made from linen, silk, wool, and flannel. 


Trimmings mentioned, in Warrant of the Robes, Queen Elizabeth Wardrobe Unlocked, included: welted (tops) with vellat, tops stitched with Irish stitch, stitched toppes and clockes, stitched with sondry silk colours, lace of silke, venice gold and venice silver embroidery, r18ed fringe, yellow silke worke, red with red silke worke, red with yellow silke worke, grene with sondry colours.


I have made linen stockings in the past but they are beginning to fall apart- partly due to fraying and partly due to the fact I made then out of a very light weight loosely woven linen. 


So I used my old pair as a pattern and started to make some adjustments. I plan to do some embroidery above the gusset on the outside of the foot and blackworked welts or tops. I am using a heavier weight linen. 


If you are interested in Linen stockings I suggest these sites:


Renaissance tailor

Cloth Hosen and Stockings of Late 16th and Early 17th Centuries

18th cent. hose (yes it is after our time period but they are very close in construction and she explains the math brilliantly)


If you need a pattern I would suggest this one:


reconstructing history cloth hose