Okay, so I've committe to making a last ditch effort at finishing the kirtle before I go back to uni. As long as I finish something major in every uni break I'll be done in... 4 years. Or something. Feh.
Aaanyway, tonight I finished a 13 hour shift (I know >_<) so I came home, planted myself in front of Mad Men and finishe the eyelets on the skirt section of the vent. Here's an image of the finished product! I know its poor quality but I haven't charged my camera... I promise I'll do it for next time.
I whip-stitched the eyelets using black linen Gutterman thread. It's really waxy and strange when you first work with it, more like fishing line than thread, but I found that if you pull it through your fingers a few times before you thread it to softens up a bit. I love it for eyelets because the shiny nature of the thread means its really easy to pull your lace through and I've never had an eyelet done in linen thread that has frayed or worn or pulled out.
The eyelets are 1" apart and there I've ended up using two lacing formations to get the result I've seen in period carvings (I'll find the image for the final post for this kirtle - I can't seem to dig it up now). In the bodice section I've laced using generic spiral lacing. In the skirt section I've actually switched to ladder lacing. The period example shows the visible laces on the bodice on the diagonal and the visible laces on the skirt being horizontal. It's an interesting effect but I'm not persuaded that the laces shouldn't be spirals that do their diagonal on the inside where the lacing is invisible. When I tried this the vent scrunched up and didn't sit as well But I'm going to keep at it. The main problem is that there is tension in the bodice and no tension on the skirt owing to the fullness of the panels. I'll work on it for next time, in any case.
The sides of the vent in the skirt overlap each other but on the bodice they don't. It's not a major problem, I can lace it to overlap without trouble, but it's not "working as designed". Anyone have any advice on whether this is just the way it's meant to look? I can't find a period example showing enough detail to help me!
I also started to contemplate what I should move onto for after this! I think the obvious (and most rewarding) choice would be a gown to go over the top so that I can feel as though I have a completed outfit. It would be nice to have something done in its entirety for the Barony of Aneala's XXV Anniversary on the Anzac Day weekend! So, with that in mind:
NEXT TIME: The completed kirtle! Only binding the right armscye and hem to go, plus luceting a lacing cord to go with it. I've decided that each of my articles of clothing will be considered unfinishe unless they have their own laces - I ALWAYS lose them D: The trouble will be finding a colour to suit, I think I'll try with a small ball of bobbin-lace cotton in gold to match the binding.
COMING SOON: A gown to go over the top! I have some charcoal/black wool of a similar type to the one I used here - that might be a good place to start if nothing else presents itself :) Also, a pair of hose as well as a smock suited to this period (the ones I already have are too late in period / not English).
That's it for now, it's late and I need bed! Oh wait, I found a photo of the comfortably-curved bust.
The reason I make a fuss of it is that I've managed to overcome my previous habit of having boobs everywhere - it's really pretty easy to yank everything in and leave nowhere for them to go but up (and out the top >_> ). This is the shape I've been aiming for over the course of making my last couple of things, some of which I'll hopefully post up here in time. The curve is smooth and although everything is comfortably supported there's no ZOMG BEWBS action going on, thankfully.
That really is it, now. Nini!
~ E.C. xxx
Aaanyway, tonight I finished a 13 hour shift (I know >_<) so I came home, planted myself in front of Mad Men and finishe the eyelets on the skirt section of the vent. Here's an image of the finished product! I know its poor quality but I haven't charged my camera... I promise I'll do it for next time.
 | |
| It closes! |
 | |||
| Closeup! |
I whip-stitched the eyelets using black linen Gutterman thread. It's really waxy and strange when you first work with it, more like fishing line than thread, but I found that if you pull it through your fingers a few times before you thread it to softens up a bit. I love it for eyelets because the shiny nature of the thread means its really easy to pull your lace through and I've never had an eyelet done in linen thread that has frayed or worn or pulled out.
The eyelets are 1" apart and there I've ended up using two lacing formations to get the result I've seen in period carvings (I'll find the image for the final post for this kirtle - I can't seem to dig it up now). In the bodice section I've laced using generic spiral lacing. In the skirt section I've actually switched to ladder lacing. The period example shows the visible laces on the bodice on the diagonal and the visible laces on the skirt being horizontal. It's an interesting effect but I'm not persuaded that the laces shouldn't be spirals that do their diagonal on the inside where the lacing is invisible. When I tried this the vent scrunched up and didn't sit as well But I'm going to keep at it. The main problem is that there is tension in the bodice and no tension on the skirt owing to the fullness of the panels. I'll work on it for next time, in any case.
The sides of the vent in the skirt overlap each other but on the bodice they don't. It's not a major problem, I can lace it to overlap without trouble, but it's not "working as designed". Anyone have any advice on whether this is just the way it's meant to look? I can't find a period example showing enough detail to help me!
I also started to contemplate what I should move onto for after this! I think the obvious (and most rewarding) choice would be a gown to go over the top so that I can feel as though I have a completed outfit. It would be nice to have something done in its entirety for the Barony of Aneala's XXV Anniversary on the Anzac Day weekend! So, with that in mind:
NEXT TIME: The completed kirtle! Only binding the right armscye and hem to go, plus luceting a lacing cord to go with it. I've decided that each of my articles of clothing will be considered unfinishe unless they have their own laces - I ALWAYS lose them D: The trouble will be finding a colour to suit, I think I'll try with a small ball of bobbin-lace cotton in gold to match the binding.
COMING SOON: A gown to go over the top! I have some charcoal/black wool of a similar type to the one I used here - that might be a good place to start if nothing else presents itself :) Also, a pair of hose as well as a smock suited to this period (the ones I already have are too late in period / not English).
That's it for now, it's late and I need bed! Oh wait, I found a photo of the comfortably-curved bust.
That really is it, now. Nini!
~ E.C. xxx
Looks lovely, nice sillouette!
ReplyDeleteThanks Tex! xxx Hoping I can be good enough at uni today to justify finishing it tonight <_<
ReplyDelete