Wednesday, December 30, 2015

HSM 2015 Challenge #12 Re-do

So the piece I decided to create could be for several challenges, it is blue (Challenge #2), it is from my stash (Challenge #3), it is English Regency time period (so appropriate for War and Peace, Challenge #4) and it is an accessory (Challenge #7).  Mostly I made this piece because I really wanted to complete the blue challenge as it is my favorite color and I am still working on the actual piece I proposed to finish.  It was important to me to finish a blue piece within this year and I had a piece of blue silk in my stash.  I really needed this piece to be entirely from my stash for cost reasons.

I would really like to thank the Couture Courtesan as she was the inspiration for this piece.  She posted her version and links to originals in January and I have been wanting to make one ever since.  I just loved her version so much.  Here is my version of the little round reticule.

Originally, I was going to do a more complicated embroidery, but realized I did not have the time.  The embroidery is simple gold metal thread couched down in a spiral pattern and some left over gold spangles from a previous project.  The one thing I am really not sure about is the pearl tassels, I like the way they look but they are pretty modern in design.  I had them laying around in the stash, but may replace them with some hand made silk tassels in the future. 

The Challenge: Re-do
Fabric: change-able silk
Pattern: made up from the post by the Couture Courtesan found here. She discussed her pattern and I adjusted it a little bit due to my materials but I followed her directions.
Year:  Early 19th century
Notions: thread, gold spangles, gold metal thread, pasteboard, pearl tassels, changeable ribbon
How historically accurate is it? Maybe 80-90%?  The whole thing is handsewn, but the ribbon is synthetic and the tassels are not right.  Also the embroidery design was made up by me rather than based on an original.
Hours to complete: 7 hours
First worn: not yet, hopefully in the new year
Total cost:  none, all stashed supplies