Friday, February 17, 2012

Progress Update

Just a quick run down of what I've done/what I have yet to do for the Over and Above;

The sleeves are finished except for sewing on the buttons and setting them into the main garment.

The shoulder rolls are cut, pinned, ready to be set into the main garment when I set in the sleeves.

The applique on the collar is finished.

The applique on the front opening in half finished.

I have approximately  12? more thread-covered buttons to finish.

So I need to;

1. finish the applique on the center front opening

2. bead the applique on the front opening

3. sew in the lining and set in the sleeves

4. finish making the buttons

5. make approximately 7 more yards of lucet cord

6. couch the lucet cord to front opening

7. sew on the buttons

I have only 12 and a half days to finish!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Lots of satin stitch practice!

Its the end of day nine of the 'Over and Above' mini-challenge and I have gotten the basic embroidery/applique finished on both sleeves and have made just a little over 13 yards of co-ordinating lucet cord for couching. I'm getting alot of satin stitch practice on this project! The collar is the next piece to be embellished, and I'm estimating I have about 7 more yards of lucet cord to make. 

I had two spools of gold thread, but the cat knocked one of them off the table and the dobermans destroyed it...so I'm gonna run out soon, and don't know how soon I'll be able to get more...... sigh. 

Here's some pictures;


Unfortunately the lovely lighting in our apartment does not lend well to taking good pictures:-(  Oh well.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Over and Above update

I decided to go with the Zimarra, as you may have guessed, and hope to someday sew the cloak as well.

Its been 3 and 1/2 days since the start of the challenge. All major pieces have been cut out and the body of the both the lining and outer layer have been sewed together. I used the machine for those bits. I plan to embroider trim along the sleeve opening and front opening and collar before I do any more assembly. I've been toying with different types of trim I could do, couching, beading, applique, embroidery.... think there might be all the above by the time I am finished. I'm kinda just winging it as I go. The portrait I'm taking most of my design from is Alessandro Allori's 'Portrait of a Woman' dated somewhere between 1580-1590. 

And here's a picture of the beginning of my version;
 and a close up;
I am using the same pink flannel for the applique as I am using for the lining, and its working very well so far. This is some of the first applique I am doing without using any form of adhesive. The flannel sticks pretty good to the wool just on its own!! I am using cotton crochet string from walmart....its not my first choice but all I have available. If I'd had the time or money, I would have loved to try metal bouillon as I have been wanting to experiment with that for quite a while. But alas I am stuck with what I have. I think I have some darker peach coloured crochet cotton somewhere that I would like to use as an accent/filling colour in the embroidery, and I have some rose coloured glass beads I would like to add to this at some point as well. Any, still lots to do!! So off I go......

Oh, this is my helper....he was so helpful he got a collar of the mangled pink flannel trimmings;