flag fan

The flag fan was popular in Italy and particularly in Venice. Examples can be found in Vecellio's Renaissance Costume Book, Jean Jacques Boissard's Habitus Variorum Orbis Gentium (1581), . There are few extant fans from the 16th century. Flag fans have been recorded as being made from vellum, silk, painted linen or embroidered. 

Extant example

There are several portraits also showing flag fans.

Including my inspiration portrait

For mine I am using porcelain clay and fabric. On one side I will be embroidering my household badge, on the other I will be painting my device.

A picture of the top of the flag fan

as you can see I haven't sewn up the bottom of the flag yet- I'm using a bit of plastic canvas to help the flag keep it's shape. once I finish stitching it up I will start painting my device on the back

Pocket background ifno

I had planned to do a little background on all the elements of my outfit and I have realized I have fallen a bit behind so I hope to fix that.

Pocket

I love pockets! There are lots of examples of them in period portraits

 


Aren't they wonderful?! I have fussed and worked and reworked my pattern, Some how I have been able to harness TARDIS powers. The amount of stuff I can put in them and not ruin the line of my skirts is amazing. We have hidden 2 tv remotes and a large home phone and you couldn't tell there was anything in it.

on a normal day I have: My wallet, Cell phone, packet of bobby pins and safety pins, 1-2 packs of clove cigarettes, a couple of lighters, and once in a while a bottle of water or soda. Thats a lot of stuff!

my pocket- linen with black courtesan embroidery

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