17th c Bodies....

I am finding 17th c bodies to be deceptively simple in construction. The pattern on Drea Leed's Online Corset generator is a single piece...how cool is that? The original ones were made of 3 pieces tho, each made separate and then whip stitched together to assemble. This was so that if a person's weight or proportion changed, they could simply unpick the sides, and add a different back piece, as alot of them were front closing. This front closing type leaves NO ROOM for adjustment, they must fit perfectly, and come tightly together in the front, with no space. I wonder if they laced them over a busk???? hmmmmmm.....that is an interesting thought isn't it?? In any case, Marguarite is a dollye, and hers need not be 100% accurate, which, on her smaller scale, is why I am not cutting this pattern into three pieces, I am leaving it one. Another interesting thing about 17th c corsets you all may not know, or realize, is that they are meant to give a rigid FRONT to the body, and so they are normally only boned in the front. They are supposed to be extremely comfortable to wear, if they are not, then you are not wearing the bodies correctly. They do not 'suck in' anything, no matter how tight you lace them, the small waste you see in paintings and the like, is merely an illusion created by the long extended front point.

I cut each of my 3 fabrics with no seam allowance, as they will be bound around all edges. If you are going to make one along with me, cut your pieces out on the straight of grain!

At first, I was going to use the stitching channels recommended on Drea's pattern generator, but after I got this far, decided I really didn't like the look of it. It has channels on the sides, that I have not observed at all on the Effigy or Dorthea bodies. Those both are boned in the front and very back only, so I decided to pattern my channels after the Dorthea bodies. I also realized, that 1/4 inch channels are just too large for the scale I am working at, they take up too much space, and just don't look right.

My daughter's school ruler is just the right size for my busk, so used it for reference, and as you can see, the 1/4 whalebones on the left in the picture are just way too large. No matter WHO tells you they can be easily cut, has no idea what so ever what they are talking about. You can cut them with scissors, but baleen is a brittle substance, and they crack along their 'own' grain....no matter how sharp your knife or scissors are. Trust me, I thought I would be able to cut them in half lengthwise, to use in 1/8 channels, but nope~ no can do Kimo~ Sabe! So now picture me ransacking the house, trying to think of something I could use....all my reed I have in various shapes, is all 1/4" and larger. Then I found a drawer of bamboo skewers.......mmmmmmm. I think they will work perfectly! They are tough as nails, absolutely rigid, and most importantly, small enough to give me the correct period look I am after~ note the pic of the Dorthea bodies I am modeling them after. If you enlarge it, you can see that using the larger whalebone, while being exactly period correct in substance, will not give me the correct form or ratio of boning channels per inch. And who knows, since there are only 2 surviving corsets of this era, I suppose someone could have used bamboo in one....perhaps!

This is my first draft of the placement of the boning channels, modeled after the Dorthea above. There will be 4 channels on each side of the back opening, just like the original, and 26 channels each side of the center busk. They will be shaped down below the bust cup, just like the original. Marguarite has a very flat chest, but likes very much the idea these will give, of her indeed having a little something there :)

Ink Tests & Final Fabrics for Bodies....

I will be inking my design for Marguarite's jacket by hand, with a metal nib. I'm not going to use an actual quill, cause honestly, I cant cut them at a consistent angle to get the same width of a line. They work well on a smooth paper, and in an up to down motion, but nothing else! HA! I have drawn on fabrics for years, so it doesn't bother me or make me nervous about messing up...but my normal India ink I always use, has recently been """"improved""", and is total crap as a result of said improvements. No more shellac used, and they have gone to a .....(gag) plastic base. blek I ordered a couple of bottles to try, actually the only two India inks that I could find that were being sold as WATERPROOF & PERMANENT. Well, as is normal these days, things are not what they are advertised as.....

I did both samples at the same time, on the same day, with the same pen, on the same fabric, a cotton muslin. Used the same nib. Everything was the same, except what I drew on the doodle, and the ink of coarse. After I finished and let both dry for 5 minutes, I ironed the heck out of them with a dry iron on highest setting to 'set' the ink. Let them cool and sit for half hour, then dunked them in the water. While they were below the surface, I massaged the piece in between my thumb and fingers, to see if any ink would run......well, as you can see~ it did! The one above is "Calli Jet Black India 010" by Daler Rowney. It is supposed to be both permanent and waterproof. This stuff smeared instantly , NO rubbing needed. As soon as it hit the water the ink lifted~ absolutely unacceptable. Cost for this 1 oz bottle, 5.00

Next was an ink from just up the way from me here in Golden Colorado~ Dr. Ph Martin's Black Star Waterproof India HICARB. Now when I dunked this one in the water, nothing happened....so I scrubbed the heck out of the sample, and still, nothing lifted, as you can see. So this is the ink I will be using, and its got a higher carbon content than most India inks, so is a bit blacker, much to my liking. 17th c inks had a very high carbon content as well. Cost of this 1 oz bottle, 9.00 ....and worth every penny

I have also made my final decisions on the fabrics I am going to use for Marguarite's bodies...and I am SO excited about them! Ya I'm a bit nerdy about it, I even made a little 3 min video for you to see. This is them below~ a goldenrod yellow silk shot with lavender for the outside, late 19th c 100% cotton sheeting for the backing of the silk on the front, and a FABULOUS mid-late 19th c handwoven fustian for the inner lining~ this stuff is so thick and heavy, its really awesome. I am going to stitch in the blue 100% cotton thread, and am pondering using the antique whalebone stays I have amassed over the years as a stiffener....I may use bents or reeds, haven't decided on those yet. Ill will be stitching up a sample soon.

Progress on my embroidery draft, and 17th c Bodies (corset)

Normally, I wait until I am done making something before I post it here, but when I do that, I leave out alot of details, and forget a lot too, so easiest for me is to just post a little, all the time :) I finished drafting my embroidery pattern for Marguarites inked jacket this past week....well, the reproduction of the coif pattern anyways. It was more difficult in parts, where the embroidery distorted the pattern I was working from. I ended up using the V& A Coif for the overall pattern, but filled in the details on many parts from the photo Wendy sent me, and actually, the Cowton & Tout has half a floral repeat that is beyond the edge on the coif, so I will fill that in as needed when I ink the design onto the jacket. I am keeping good track of actual time I spend 'doing' things (research NOT included), and I have 8 hr 15 min actual drawing time in drafting the coif pattern for my jacket. woo hoo!

I am waiting on more linen to come in the mail, and until that gets here, have been working on Marguarites Bodies. There are only a whopping two known extant 16-17th c bodies, Queen Elizabeth's Effigy at Westminster Abby wears a pair, dated by Janet Arnold to 1603, and then the pair worn by the Pfalzgrafin Dorthea Sabina Von Neuburg when she was buried in 1598 and is held at the National Museum in Munich. They are pictured below, and drafted in Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion.

I really like the look of the Effigy bodies, but they are front closing, and for Marguarite, I want her to wear a back lacing style, so have gone with a hybrid of sorts~ I used Drea Leed's 'Custom Corset Pattern Generator'~ you can find it online at http://www.elizabethancostume.net/ . It really is a handy tool~

(Ha~ dont comment on my recycled Dora wrapping paper~ I NEVER throw anything out!!! ) This is my altered draft using her pattern generator~ you plug in measurements, and it spits you out directions to draft your pattern~ REALLY slick. Of coarse dolly isn't totally 'proportionate like a human, so I altered it to fit her better. I wanted Marguarite's to have shoulder straps, so I added some using the Pfalzgrafin's as a guide

I also want unboned tabs, and so altered the curve up over the hip to a straighter line to accommodate them

I cut a larger trapezoid for the two on either side of the back opening, and then a smaller one for the middle, and a rectangular one that will be front most on each side~ I'm not bothering to bone them, as I don't think Marguarite will mind them digging into her hips a little...

Our Growing Boy, & eBay Specials!

Isn't Blokey getting big? Ohh he is such and absolute b*a*B*y!! His back reaches up above my chest now. (see Kate behind him in the bucket?...shes one of my goats, and this is her normal position....) He is a full Simmental bull, and has no idea he is a cow creature...I think he thinks he's a dog. He really gets your attention when he comes a running at you, legs going everywhere, cause he wants to 'play'.....my only defense, is my trusty brush and curry I keep at arms reach~ if hes in a mood or feeling a bit too frisky, I just whip out the brush and touch him anywhere with it, and he goes instantly into la-la land! I mean it, instantly!

Put some Halloweenies on eBay at my lowest prices e-v-e-r~ if you have ever wanted one, now is the time! After this week, they go back to full price in the ETSY store. Hope you all are enjoying Autumn's Splendor and the leaves changing....this is my favoritest time of year!

Margaret Layton & my inked c1630 jacket

I have of late been absolutely engrossed with research for my 17th c wardrobe I am making for Marguarite. I intend to make her an embroidered jacket, like the one above, worn by Margaret Layton c1620. This is a painting of her currently on display at the v&A, along with the extant jacket. You can see it here ... http://www.vam.ac.uk/ and then search by its accession number T.228-1994 . I am taking the Tudor & Stuart Gold Master Class to perfect my stitches, and help me decide which one I want to do for the scrolls...but while I am gathering my threads, and making up Marguerite's smock and bodies, I also decided that I would make her a mock up jacket, to be sure to get her fit perfect before spending a year on the embroidery....

I started out with something simple, but then thought if I am going to make up something, I am going to totally make it up right, period correct, well, as close as I can come to period correct. In my research, I came across a c1630 coif, also at the V& A, and the second I saw it, that was what I wanted my jacket to look like. What makes it so absolutely fabulous, is that it is printed...yes~ printed!!! Just the outlines have been embroidered in a gold wrapped silk. I have been totally transfixed by this little bit of cloth...I can barely think of nothing else. Here is a closeup

I had planed on taking what pattern was on the coif (a small cap that covers the back of the head), and then tiling the pattern and repeating it to fill in my jacket pieces....I didn't like the idea at all...cause I want to know what lies beyond the cut edges. I want to see the entire pattern! Being from the 17th century, and knowing that so terrifically little extant textiles from this era still exist, I figured I would never know the entire pattern (If there is anyone out there who knows of ANOTHER example of it, let me know!!)

Early last week, I was talking to Wendy Lewis, and ended up sending her the picture above, and come to find out, she knew that fabric too, but from a different piece! She sent me the photo below she took of it~ This one is also at the V&A, and is labeled as a cushion cover....but if you look close, that is a neckline center top, I KNOW it~ this is a cutting from what should have been a jacket made from this awesome bit of H*e*a*v*e*n on Earth. It is clearly the exact....exact same fabric~ WOO HOO! (click on pic to enlarge)

Now is this providence or what???? I was born to make this jacket, and there isn't a person around that could ever tell me otherwise. But the plot thickens... Wendy also told me she had a modern copy of this, called 'Animal Toile' printed by Cowton & Tout about 10 years ago or so. So she sent it to me to look at. I couldn't wait for it to get here...I thought, perfect, I can just trace it off and be on my way.....but of coarse, nothing is ever that easy.

This is the Cowton & Tout~ marvelous isn't it? At first glance, it looks to be pretty darn close...besides the scale greatly enlarged. I sat and began to try and count the repeat...but the more I looked at it, the more wicked confused I got. The design is 4 blocks of florals, each with an animal in them, and these are stacked on top of each other, and shifted over two. The first thing I looked for were the bunch of grapes, and the monkey...but hey, where are they? Nope~ no grapes, no monkey....and as I kept looking, no leopard...no death and destruction that is in the original coif. Of the 4 floral designs, only 2 of them are in the coif as printed, the other two are a smathering of this and that, of things taken from different areas of the design, and just stuck there. Interesting. What I want to know, is where did Cowton & Tout copy their fabric from??? Is there another piece of this somewhere??? There must be, as the elements are nearly exact in copy, but just all messed up in design. and NO grapes!!! grrrrrr

Here is some of what I m talking about~ in this close view of the coif, see the hawk there has killed that bird, and is chomping on its lifeless neck and holding it up with one of its talons.....but in the reproduction...

as I was tracing it off, there is no lifeless bird here. It has been extracted from the view, and replaced with a pathetic little bug. As I kept looking, all sorts of neat details like this, that makes this design so 'going~on', have been removed, and replaced with a bunch of grass, or a bug.

All of that aside, it is still an interesting design, and I traced it off anyways, just to keep for reference. It totally reminds me of the game we used to play in Girl Scouts, where you whisper into ones ear, then she whispers into another's, and when the message gets back around, its no where near the same? I think that is what happened with this fabric.

Responsibilities of Collecting Part 2 of 2



So what CAN you do to help protect and preserve your textiles?

A person need not make a million dollars or have a Masters degree in textile conservation to do these few really simple things, to help keep our cherished textile collections lasting way past our own lifetimes.

Keeping our areas clean is a start. Vacuum and inspect both display and storage areas ON A REGULAR BASIS. UV light can be filtered quite easily actually~ and you don't have to out and buy those horrible light blocking sunshades and live in a dark cave. I have all of my windows covered with a clear UV blocking film~ it can be bought by the roll, and easily applied. I got mine from University Archival Products, and it is relatively inexpensive, and blocks 80% of the UV. You can't even tell its on the windows. You can also buy UV free light bulbs that fit in both regular sockets, and those for spot & flood lamps. University carries a line of UV filters that actually fit over long fluorescent light bulbs that block all the UV emitted from them...you can get a pack of 6 for less than a single UV filtered fluorescent bulb, and they last indefinitely, and can be taken off and switched to a new bulb when that one burns out.

So where should you store your textiles if not in Grandmas old cedar chest???

I always recommend flat storage for any textile, over being hung. Quilts should always be ROLLED, and never folded. Acid free storage boxes are readily available, but they are quite expensive, and will still need to be changed out when they are no longer inert. Same thing with tissue~ you want to pad your garments and flat folds to avoid creasing, and acid free tissue is easy to find~ but good grief! EXPENSIVE! The reason we want to store things in an acid free environment is that acids leach out of products, and can alter the fibers, they can stain and burn fabrics, leaving holes and marks that are irremovable. Have you ever seen an old illustrated book, that the page opposite the illustration has a shadow of the image? That is from the acids in the paper and ink~ the same things will happen to clothing and quilts and blankets~ any textile. Acid free products are not acid free forever~ they all will eventually absorb the acids from the environment and need to be changed~normally at least once a year~ sometimes more often. Of coarse the acid free cardboard boxes are ideal, but if you cannot afford them, the next best thing is to use a cardboard box, and line this with an old cotton sheet, or unbleached muslin that has been washed several times. You can spend around 30 dollars for a tiny roll of acid free tissue, or trek down to your grocery store and spend around 4.00 for the same equivalent, but in paper towel form~ its true!!!! Trust me, I have acid testers, and BOUNTY MICROWAVE PAPER TOWELS are ACID FREE. You have to get the microwave kind, as their other types and printed ones are acidic. I don't use the one at the very first, or end of the roll, that have the glue on them from being attached to the roll. Pad the your hearts content with them, your pocket book and textiles will love you for it :) You should inspect your storage containers at least once a year for any sign of insects, moisture, and at that time, repack with new acid free papers.

When handling your garments and such, do wash your hands with plain soap and water beforehand. Do not use lotions or powders on your hands, or perfumed soaps to wash with, as these will all leave residues behind that can show up as a stain on the fabric over time. Some use white gloves, myself included, when handling their textiles, but one must be very careful to change them out at the first sight of grubbiness~ they pick up a lot of dirt over a day of use, and also will deposit that dirt between the textiles they are meant to be protecting. If you have textiles with metal lace or trims, be particularly careful to not touch these with naked hands, as you could leave finger acid stains on them. Every ones skin chemistry is different, so it is easiest to avoid touching these areas all together.


I feel that if we have chosen to be the keepers of these special artifacts, it is our responsibility to keep them in a safe environment~ its not hard, and once you know what to look for, and how to handle them properly, as fragile as they are, your treasures should enjoy a safe lifetime with you, and be just as nice and in as good of condition when you pass them on.

Collecting....Responsibly (part 1 of 2)


Not all people are gatherers....but for those of us who are, and who feel a strong connection to, and are driven to collect bits and pieces of our Historical past, I would like to share my thoughts on the "Responsibilities" that should go hand in hand with doing so. I have been rather surprised lately on just how many collectors have never given any real thought to the proper care and storage of their collected artifacts....not really out of any malice or disrespect, but just that it had never really crossed their mind, or they don't know who to ask about it.

There are different rules and guidelines for different objects, but I am focusing on textiles. Most everyone has some family heirloom in a textile form that they would like to know how to properly take care of, so that whatever it is, will last for future generations.

I am not going to get into 'Professional' grade storage and conservation, as it is ridiculously expensive, and I'm sure most everyday folks will not want to turn their house into a sterile Industrial environment. The key to responsible collecting is to be able to enjoy our treasures, but at the same time keep them safe from certain environmental factors that we do have easy control over.

Antique textiles are the most difficult of all objects to store and conserve, as they are organic, living, breathing things. Most people have heard the common "myth" that their family heirloom clothing and linens should be carefully packed in a cedar chest.....when in fact, this is about the worst thing you could do. Any wood storage container will create a micro environment(as will plastic), and since wood gives off tannic acid, not to mention attracting bugs, storing your textiles in a wooden chest of any type will age and discolor and weaken them faster than if you left them out on a shelf. Cedar does repel insects, but it still gives off acids, and should not be used to store early textiles. Textiles are very fragile in the way that too much humidity and they can mold, if they get wet they can water stain...metal fasteners and buttons can rust, celluloid based trims will dissolve. Too dry, too hot, and they can become brittle and can turn to dust. The thing to remember, is to keep whatever space they are in clean, dry, and at a constant temperature. Do NOT store things in the attic, or basement, or where the temp fluctuates from hot to cold extremes.

Things to avoid around your textiles, both in storage, and on display are....

****FOOD! Crumbs, little dropped bits, oils and smells are just a hint of what is left behind from foodstuffs. Besides the horror of actually spilling food or a beverage on an antique textile that cannot be cleaned, it attracts bugs, and little verminous creatures like mice. It is best to not allow ANY food or drinks in your storage area or displays.

Along the food line, you don't want to display your textiles near a kitchen, or place where food is prepared. Even if you use a hood over your cook top, there will still be particles of grease in the air, that can penetrate your textiles and absolutely ruin them.

*****BUGS!! Ohhh these critters are the worst! Flies don't munch on textiles, but they do leave their droppings, known as 'fly spec', that look like little brown dots. Carpet beetles and silverfish will eat textiles, and their shed skins as they are growing also attract other bugs, and before you know it, you will have an all out infestation....not to mention microscopic eggs from the little buggers multiplying faster than rabbits.....
You don't need to go rushing out to buy a bunch of chemicals, and unless you do have an infestation problem, I don't recommend buying insect traps either~ the pheromones the traps are baited with can actually attract insects. The easiest things to do, is to be clean. Clean Clean Clean, and clutter free. Inspect your storage area and displays often. Vacuum often. A clean area, is a safe area for your textiles.

******SMOKE! I clump nearly all airborne particles into the smoke category. Grease and food particles can be in the air from cooking dinner, carcinogens from a fireplace or an actual person smoking....if you can smell it, it can penetrate the natural fibers of a textile, and cause irreversible damage. Keep your air clean...and that goes for aerosol cans of bug killers, hairsprays, room scents~ all these are chemicals that can alter/stain/destroy fabrics! Keep your air clean.

****LIGHT! Most people know by now, direct sunlight can reduce a textile to dust....and if you didn't know~ it can! ultra Violet (UV) radiation breaks down natural fibers~ we see it first as fading of colors...but it also causes the fibers to become brittle and break. So keep your storage area DARK, and make sure your displays are not in front of a window. Do not use the daytime or UV bulbs in your lamps, and keep spotlights to a minimum~ you can get JUST AS MUCH UV light from sources inside the house, as you can from the sun

*****WATER! Water has NO place around antique textiles. none none none! Do not store, or display things, next to say, a sink, or a water pipe, or next to the water heater...be aware of the sources of water in your home, and keep your textiles away from it, then you wont have to worry about a pipe breaking and soaking everything. Dyes and colors of early textiles are not always colorfast, and you could really be in for heartbreak if things get wet. Water can cause irreversible damage

****PETS. Now I love animals~ we live on a farm~ but they have no place around my textiles, and are not allowed anywhere near the gallery. Disaster is easily avoided but keeping pets away from your displays and storage areas.

In part 2, I will touch on some easy things you can do to protect and prolong the life of your collections