Way too much fun with wool

[liadethornegge]

Hah. Well, I made a second half, repeating the pattern of intarsia, to make up a pillow of somewhat normal size. I like it - the colours are gorgeous, it's got the seeblatter. Now I just need a back, and a pillow to stuff inside it. I'm not sure if any exist in the right size - if not, then I'll have to make one for myself. A bit of fluff for stuffing and some cotton scraps should do.

A now question for Bess: how exactly is your suit of ruffs constructed for the Blue Silk Gown? Did you do them yourself? What is the edge decoration?

Comments

[myladyswardrobe.livejournal.com]

Coo, thats a mind stretch back all the way to 1996!! Ok, lets see - what did I do???

The neck ruff is a double ruff but the wrist ones are just single ruffs.

The neck ruff was a length of linen with NO raw edges showing at all (hemmed all round). I MAY have interlined it as well as the original was more of a fine muslin (UK definition of Muslin).
I think the ruff was about 2 inches wide and 2 inches deep (one set of figure of 8s was 1 inch and there are two on this one).
The "8's" I think were made with half inch increments.
The WHOLE length was formed into the "8s" on both sides and when finished, the ruff is then folded in half lengthways so one set of "8s are on top of the other set.
The neckband is the stitched to the "top" of upper set of "8's" and to the bottom of the lower set of 8's.

The 8's themselves are kept in place with tiny stitches which have a tiny pearl bead stitched in place.

In hindsight, I would have made the neckband extend down below the ruff so it could easily sit inside my collar. It wasn't TOO bad as I had pickadils on the collar of the partlet so could pin those to the ruff. The wrist ones refused to stay put!

I don't even know where that ruff is now actually! The fabric for the original one wasn't brilliant and I think the interlining was a light weight iron-on interlining so not authentic!

Does that help?

[liadethornegge.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for the reply, although I think I only half understand...

Have you seen hleleanor's ruff handout? Did you construct them in that manner, with stacked pleats, like this page: http://www.vertetsable.com/demos_ruffs.htm

Or did you construct standing figure eights, like http://www.reddawn.net/costume/ruff.htm that page shows?

I don't understand how you folded it in half to double the neck ruff. I try to visualize but can't.

I was going to ask for close-ups of it, but if it is lost that can't be done obviously. *sigh*

[myladyswardrobe.livejournal.com]

It would have been constructed more like the standing figure of 8s as per Page (http://www.reddawn.net/costume/ruff.htm)

It *MAY* be around somewhere. Just with moving house about 2 years ago (nearly) it could be anywhere! Let me have a mooch around for it and also, I'll go through my photo albums as I am SURE I have a close up of that ruff which will help.

I think when I folded it over, I sort of gathered it down the middle a bit before folding over down its length. The 8's matched up perfectly giving it the double ruff effect.

I would say this was NOT authentically made in any way and now I would do it differently.

Anyway, let me see if I can find it or a close up of the original ruff for you.

[liadethornegge.livejournal.com]

Hmm, well it looks good on picture. But you say it's not authentic. What method would you use today? The doubled box-pleats method?

I think I like the mental image of the two rows of figure eights one above the other.

Again, thanks :)