I’ve got a few projects that are really inspiring me. And they all tie in to my hyper focus on Anne of Cleves and her contemporaries. Three North Rhine, one Spanish/Portugese, and one Tudor.
I then have a few more once these are sorted.
a) One of my favourite gowns from the start of my journey in actually making frocks from this era is currently in pieces. Now I’ve had a horrible few years that has lead to some self destructive behaviour, and defaulting to trying to perfect my work means undoing all the good with it. Yet this time, I didn’t have those negative thoughts, more excitement for what I can do.
I’ve always had a bit of trouble with this frock for me, even though I can prove this kind of falling off the shoulder issue, it’s not something I am happy with combined with a fairly chunky edge to the brocade trim.
I now have some lovely trim to use, nice and flat real metal, diamond al over pattern, left over from my Bruyn Anne of Cleves gown. I’ll still need to sew the trim to a strip of wool as the circle skirt is just a little too short so needs a little extension. I may need to add an extension to the front of the skirt as yes, I’m going to convert the gown into a teal version of the Holbein portrait.
The upper sleeves are still a great shape. I just need to use my fab stash of linen and linen-ramie mix canvas stash. I will need to recycle my big orange frock for this- I hope not, my heuk should be enough for half the skirt and then the other half can be pieced from a pretty generous set of off cuts. And even more offcuts can line the bodice and sleeves.
The skirt is a bit short because the velvet pile is so thick that it moved about when I originally made it. I also didn’t trust my ability to
b) The Bruyn portrait frock and accessories. I’m using the actual original portrait, which means I need to put my research up as to what the real painting is. Because I keep reading even recent works that stick with the St John’s portrait as the original.
I have though got a few authors I want to link to and to quote as I think that they are on the same track as me, even if they came to a different conclusion, and that conclusion relies on what is the original portrait.
c) My glorious crimson and black Cleves gown. I’m excited about this too. I think I’ve got the faux ermine lining cut. I had enough also for my blue wool gown as well. I need to do so much basing for both as the Faux-mine is horizontally stretchy, with very obvious downward facing fur.
d) My Mencia de Mendoza/Eleanora of Austria inspired gown. So excited. Similar in cut to my kirtles so making it from brocatelle is very exciting.
e) My Catherine Howard gown. These last two are firsts for me, but not from inexperience with cutting theory or art and other forms of research.
f) A gown in pink for a Citizen of Kleve-Juelich-Berg.
g) a pink gown based on a Cranach painting of Judith.
h) The Elizabeth I coronation robes or maybe a fictional ensemble. The later would be such an awesome mix of historic an fictional accounts.
i) My farthingale- I will need to wash my red wool hem protection, hot-pink casings and green base to really know if there will be dye transfer if I need to wash it all in the future.