Short Gown Sample Embroidery 1
(Crossposted from the original blog post, http://www.kimiko1.com/blog/?p=106)
Now that you know what I am working towards, I can now share the embroidery sample I made up today.
My plan is to use dark gold passing thread instead, onto a black silk of some sort. The embroidery will be done on my slate frames, in a bias direction to allow for some flex around the curves of the sleeve and skirt hems (it can pivot a bit in the joins between motifs). The two areas at the top of each sleeve will have to have a specific design worked out just to fit, and that will be done last.
Here is the embroidery sample I did up...
This photo shows the first sample of the embroidery pattern I'm using, in the smaller size (roughly an inch wide). The design will be done in two sizes, the larger will be 1.5" wide. Embroidery seen here is light gold passing thread in a twist (home made), couched onto a white silk organza since I don't have black to test. Penny is for size scale (it is that small). Photo taken over black velveteen - and the pile didn't push through the organza.
The gold metallic thread above is a light gold passing thread (#371 that I bought from Hedgehog Handworks.) I took two long threads (6 yards roughly), doubled them and then attached them to my Lacis cord twister that I bought some time ago for this very project. The other end was strung to a clamp attached to my dresser. It was a mess dealing with the long ends, so I will do up shorter lengths, and I must remember to recharge batteries first. If I had a good budget, I would just buy cords, but the one source I found for gold cord in this size, I would need a few hundred dollars to buy enough cord - ouch. (checked CheapTrims.com, and they only had silver cord of the right size). This may be annoying and slow, but it is a cheaper method and the cords actually look similar to period cords.
I have to say I do like working on silk organza. I could actually see what I doing when I traced the pattern (using a micron pen on the wrong side), where to place the needle, and the fabric wasn't shifting much. The fabric itself is fairly strong and while there is space between the silk fabric threads, the stitching isn't intense so other than the tiny backstitches I use to start and end a couching thread where threads may show, it went pretty well.
The drawback is that when I sew this down the raw edges will be seen underneath the sheer fabric. I can also see the couching threads quite clearly under the fabric - not a problem from any distance, but really up close it is there. I'm also not sure how flexible the bias sewn fabric will be, as I didn't sew it down in this test piece that way. So I will do another sample, hopefully tomorrow, and will remember to do so on the bias line.
If I go with another silk, I'm thinking of trying a silk twill as I have some I can dye black (it is currently dark purple-blue). Silk taffeta is now nearly $20/yard. Other silks are close to that price, or they are not period fabric, or they are very slinky and hard to work with. DharmaTrading has a selection of already black silk fabrics, but no twill, and their black silk organza is only $4.50/yd. I also have the light shot teal silk taffeta that will be used on the sleeve lining and skirt facings, but not sure I want a lighter color at the edge of the gown.
Things to ponder.
Now that you know what I am working towards, I can now share the embroidery sample I made up today.
My plan is to use dark gold passing thread instead, onto a black silk of some sort. The embroidery will be done on my slate frames, in a bias direction to allow for some flex around the curves of the sleeve and skirt hems (it can pivot a bit in the joins between motifs). The two areas at the top of each sleeve will have to have a specific design worked out just to fit, and that will be done last.
Here is the embroidery sample I did up...
This photo shows the first sample of the embroidery pattern I'm using, in the smaller size (roughly an inch wide). The design will be done in two sizes, the larger will be 1.5" wide. Embroidery seen here is light gold passing thread in a twist (home made), couched onto a white silk organza since I don't have black to test. Penny is for size scale (it is that small). Photo taken over black velveteen - and the pile didn't push through the organza.
The gold metallic thread above is a light gold passing thread (#371 that I bought from Hedgehog Handworks.) I took two long threads (6 yards roughly), doubled them and then attached them to my Lacis cord twister that I bought some time ago for this very project. The other end was strung to a clamp attached to my dresser. It was a mess dealing with the long ends, so I will do up shorter lengths, and I must remember to recharge batteries first. If I had a good budget, I would just buy cords, but the one source I found for gold cord in this size, I would need a few hundred dollars to buy enough cord - ouch. (checked CheapTrims.com, and they only had silver cord of the right size). This may be annoying and slow, but it is a cheaper method and the cords actually look similar to period cords.
I have to say I do like working on silk organza. I could actually see what I doing when I traced the pattern (using a micron pen on the wrong side), where to place the needle, and the fabric wasn't shifting much. The fabric itself is fairly strong and while there is space between the silk fabric threads, the stitching isn't intense so other than the tiny backstitches I use to start and end a couching thread where threads may show, it went pretty well.
The drawback is that when I sew this down the raw edges will be seen underneath the sheer fabric. I can also see the couching threads quite clearly under the fabric - not a problem from any distance, but really up close it is there. I'm also not sure how flexible the bias sewn fabric will be, as I didn't sew it down in this test piece that way. So I will do another sample, hopefully tomorrow, and will remember to do so on the bias line.
If I go with another silk, I'm thinking of trying a silk twill as I have some I can dye black (it is currently dark purple-blue). Silk taffeta is now nearly $20/yard. Other silks are close to that price, or they are not period fabric, or they are very slinky and hard to work with. DharmaTrading has a selection of already black silk fabrics, but no twill, and their black silk organza is only $4.50/yd. I also have the light shot teal silk taffeta that will be used on the sleeve lining and skirt facings, but not sure I want a lighter color at the edge of the gown.
Things to ponder.