Musketeer!

[radcliffe]

Jason has always wanted a Musketeer tabbard. Apparently he had gotten started and collected photos of them before, and in relationship moves the progress was lost. My continuing goal is make sure he gets the costumes he has always wanted. Next up- a Musketeer! (yum!) (did I mention yum

Comments

[radcliffe]

Oh yes- I have been fascinated by the using and reusing of fabric. My stepfather is a professional handweaver, and will do repairs on old coverlets, et cetera as well as repairs. Between that, and costume research in college the brilliant solutions of seamstresses past has always been great fun to discover.

I will never forget seeing a lovely civil war era dress that was donated to KU. We could see where the sleeves had been retooled several times, and it was lined in a flour sack- that still had the brand printed on the side. Fantastic!

Kimono are wonderful for that too- I had one when I was in my teens that was made by a friends mother. It was entirely hand stitched, with the idea that it would be unstitched for cleaning and then put back together again.

Then there is the brilliant phrase- turning your skirts. Fabric looking faded- turn it inside out! Ha! I also like the idea that clothes were so valuable that they could be pawned.

Nope, that sort of thing doesn't interest me at all, lol.

I didn't know though, that it started so early. But then- of course it would have. In my head the farther back we go in time the more valuable cloth was.

Mind if I ask what couching down a cord means?

Thanks!!!!!

[grnvixen]

I was lucky enough to get in on the beginning of the cataloguing of the costumes at a museum in Leavenworth when I was in college. We had an expert in to try and give us some training and it was fascinating to start on the inside of the garment to learn it's history. The more variety of stitches, the more times it had been redone. Sadly, the worst stitching was the youngest, as home sewing seemed to be loosing ground.

Couching is a type of laidwork embroidery where the predominant fiber is laid on top of the fabric and then 'couched down' with space stitches from a thinner, usually matching/blending thread. About 90 % of the Bayeux Embroidery is laidwork/couched work :). It is used a lot with goldwork as it frays rapidly the more you pull it through the fabric. Here is a wikipedia bit on it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couching_(embroidery) You see a lot of couching in Japanese Embroidery on their goldwork. And a quick stitch-dictionary site: http://inaminuteago.com/stitchdict/stitch/couching.html

Yes my pretty, come into the stitching parlor......

[radcliffe]

Yes please!

I agree on the 'hand sewing losing ground' point. It is one of the reasons why I question my embroidery for costume wear- the skill of the work done in the original was incredible. My goal then becomes to try to capture the spirit of how it was done, I suppose, while working on quality.

I was thinking yesterday that it is the marketing job that has given me this resurgence and new interest in hand work. It is the first time in ten years that I can think of a time consuming project without having a wave of panic about not making rent. yay!

So yes please save me a seat in the parlor :> I am loving it!