Cleves updates

Firstly some headgear progress 🙂 Becase my pearlwork is so dimensional I need a flat brocade front, and then am able to have a flat but slightly more texture brocade for the haub.

Then we have the brocade for the collar and neckline. Yep, pressed the brocade into a curve! Ditto for the piece above actually 🙂

I’m super happy about the collar 🙂 I keep readjusing the neckline though.

 

I have tried it all on and I think I’ll just do some judicious padding of my inner layers as I am rather not as wide across my chest.

The skirt has a flatlining, and I kind of wish I hadn’t but it would require some serious careful unpicking because I used a triple stitch. This makes the diagonal seams as strong as if I had used a backstitch- I’ve had side seams pop a few times and the weight of this hem would definitely do that!

And yes, I have been working on her distinctive partlet 🙂 Pearling is not going to be fun but what the hey?

 

Extant Gowns I adore

 

Mantua, V&A Museum, London

• Place of origin:  Spitalfields (textile, weaving) England (mantua, sewing)


• Date: ca. 1720 (weaving)  1720-1730 (sewing)


• Artist/Maker: Unknown


• Materials and Techniques: Silk, silk thread, silver-gilt thread; hand-woven brocading, hand-sewn.


• Museum number: T.88 to C-1978


• Gallery location: In Storage


• Interactive full views

I am not sure if the petticoat and front are original, if they are it’s a lovely example of a non matching set.  There are a handful of these early mantua that are extant. The very delicate colour choices of pale blue and silver would have made this stand out in candlelight.