Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

My proposal generated some follow up questions and I had an opportunity to meet with a lacemaking Laurel from the Fian to talk about my project.   We took an afternoon to further refine the idea to identify learning opportunities for skills and material experientation.  We moved from five larger samples made in linen to five smaller samples each worked in linen, silk and metallic floss (I chose to go a metallic DMC pearl, as opposed to a real gilt thread, for these samples as a cost measure.  I will be experimenting with the good stuff as a bonus piece).

I identified mutliple patterns that could be used for edgings, insertions or even surface decoration.

Below is a summary of changes to my proposal submitted to the Fian in late June.

After discussions with Siglinde this weekend, I am making the following changes to my proposal:

I will work up a minimum of 5 samples in different materials (linen, silk and metallic thread) to play with the differences in work-up and texture.  Also, I will have to play with pattern scaling as not all of my threads are the same size (downscale for thinner silk thread, upscale for thicker metallics).

The patterns I have selected from Le Pompe are a mixture of edgings suitable for trim, insertions suitable for smock or apron decoration, and one surface decoration pattern.  I have also selected a pattern that is meant for surface decoration that is not from Le Pompe, but from Gillian Dye’s analysis of the portrait of Christina of Denmark.  This portrait and pattern is outside of the time period appropriate to my recipient, but I’d like to recreate it because of the spangles – it’s more of a practice opportunity for me, bonus round if you will.

 

Patterns selected:

Le Pompe Book 1
Pg 2, pattern 3 – Insertion
Pg 16, pattern 5 – Insertion (practice for support pins on curves)
Pg 25, pattern 3 or 4 – Edging (sewings will likely occur here)
Pg 26, pattern 3 – Simple edging
Pg 28, pattern 1 – Edging (bonus, if I have time)


Le Pompe Book 2
Pg 4, pattern 1 – Surface decoration

Bonus, just for me:  Gillian Dye’s analysis of Christina of Denmark portrait – Surface decoration

Skills to focus on:

Sewings

Joining threads together (purposefully winding too little thread on a bobbin pair to force myself to learn how to add new thread in)

Support pins for curves

Metal thread considerations and SPANGLES!!!
 
Materials:  For the samples I have Bockens linen thread 60/2, Gutterman silk thread (not sure of weight/size) and DMC Metallic Pearl for the metallic thread.

For the Christina of Denmark piece, I have some special materials on order – Benton & Johnson’s Elizabethan gilt and silver twist (actual metal wrapped silk thread) and reproduction 3mm spangles.