Beaded and embroidered white Elizabethan skirt (restart August 2020)
A long, long time ago, back in New Jersey / the Barony of Iron Bog before it became a barony, I started my Elizabethan Assembly project (the box I packed it in says 2010, which would be the date that box was packed, not the project started). It was to include a proper pair of bodies, underwear, chemise, two skirts, and two bodices for mixing and matching. Lucet cording I made was to hold the points together. The blue skirt & bodice were to be beaded and corded, and the white skirt & bodice were to be beaded and embroidered.
It is a VERY big, ambitious project. The challenge is the beadwork and amount of cloth involved make transporting it around impossible. With the 2020 homebound (and finishing the beaded coif project), I thought now might be a good time to break it out again.
The fabric for the white gown was bought in Philadelphia, scraps at the end of an industrial bolt. As soon as I bought it, I knew I would be enhancing it with embroidery. Queen Elizabeth had several white outfits with pastel shades. I am using that as my inspiration.
Materials being used
- Fabric with white embroidery and backing. Unknown materials.
- Embroidery enhancements – Splendor Silk 12-ply Pink (S-884), Blue (S-867), Purple (S-811), Yellow (S818), and Green (S-830)
- Blue glass beads (The Bead Shoppe – 6/0).
White Fabric restarted on August 1, 2020
Right now I am going to concentrate on finishing the fabric preparation for the skirt and the bodice. In picture 1, you can see all the fabric involved, some of what has already been done, and the hoop at the very top. Picture two shows what the bottom of the fabric looks like without enhancement, although the startbursts have been worked on. Picture three, you can see a mixed of untouched and enhanced stars.
Next up and figuring out where all the materials are and getting this project set up for quick picking up and putting down.
I do plan to use a machine for assembly and likely will get find an Elizabeth outfit expert to help with assembly when the time comes – because – holy moley, I don’t want to screw this up when it comes to that point.