I’m hard at work on the green kirtle, amongst other things, but I don’t have much to show for it yet.  Here’s a couple of teasers: This is not how the pleats work.What didn’t work was a pleat grid of 1/2".  I rethought, and divided each half into four giant pleats, which will then be stitched under the bosom – since that wouldn’t change beyond the capabilities of the laced front closure to handle – and I’ve come up with a belt-loop-like device to make the bottom end of the pleats adjustable by the day, with no sewing. That yellow … Continue reading Green Kirtle – bad pleats

So I have 5.75 yards of chocolate brown 100% dressweight linen.  What dress shall I make?  I need helpful suggestions from YOU. It must be a working class dress, because my raison d’etre is to figure out what ordinary people have forgotten from our ancestors, but because this is such dark fabric, it might be a Best Dress.  It would look wonderful with red wool embroidery. Also because the fabric is so dark, it must be a Winter Dress, because (all together now) ‘I live at 30dN, same as Cairo’, and it will be a solar heater.  It may match … Continue reading Winter Dress Suggestions Sought

So Joann’s is having an end-of season sale, and marked all their linen 60% off.  Mel made sure we all knew about it. I was skeptical of buying anything, because, after all, my green kirtle isn’t done, I have another shift’s worth of handkerchief linen left, and should I want to emulate a Renaissance Italian prostitute, nearly a dress’ worth of saffron linen left from Spoon’s Saffron Shirt.  I don’t like to keep a Stash. But I thought since it’s so easy for me to swing by and check, I’ll swing by and check, and tell everyone on list. At … Continue reading Brown Linen score!

I’m struggling along through Drea Leed’s Elizabethan Corset/Bodice/Kirtle instructions. I’ve gotten as far as the bodice – which fits fine, though I really wish I had someone here to help me get in and out of the back lacing.  Good thing (1) I’ve got Civil War corset experience; (2) I’m up on my yoga practice.  Otherwise I might strain something, and it wouldn’t be the damn sloper. Now.  How on earth do you get from "cut up your bodice pattern like so" and "measure from your waist to your ankle (40")" to the following curvy pattern pieces??? I suppose this … Continue reading Gored kirtle frustration

I’ve been spinning with a drop spindle more than Maude these days, but TJ sent me the following advice to keep Maude healthy: Can anyone give me some good ideas on helping remoisturize and refinish a very very dry old wheel that’s obviously been sitting in a very very hot dry old barn? Lots of small separations and splits but nothing unsurmountable functionally speaking. Not sure of the wood type, some finish still showing on spokes and very slightly-cracked hub. Pretty sure it’s still sound, but want some advice before I go scrubbing it down or oiling stuff up. For … Continue reading Wheel restoration