Smocked Apron

While scouring the internet for more examples of period smocking to pin, I came across a lot of smocked aprons. I have been want to make an apron for a while now. Why not a smocked one?

This was by far the best one I came across. I loved the whole thing. I'm making that. The end.

Smocked apron from Medieval Silkwork

This one came a close second.

Smocked apron from opusanglicanum

I really liked how the first apron wrapped right around the sides of the wearer rather than being narrow and only at the front. I have a toddler and a preschooler who both get their grubby hands all over my skirts so I made sure my apron was super wide. Like 80 cm wide. Which meant I needed 2.4m of fabric (I went with a 3:1 pleating guesstimate which worked out spot on after smocking). The linen I had was 120 cm wide. My ideal apron would be about 80-90 cm long (waist to mid shin), which meant I would have been left with a random 30cm wide 2.4m long piece of fabric.

OR....

I could make two slightly short aprons?

I can't really justify not making two if I could. I might have been able to find a use for that leftover bit but then again I might not have and it would have been a total waste.

So two it is :)

Rolling the fabric around a piece of dowel. This step is essential to prevent the fabric from
getting caught in the machine. Something I learnt the hard way.

Smocking machine threaded and ready to go with 9 rows. I'm using pink thread as I will be removing these threads after I've finished the smocking

Position the edge of the fabric

Start pleating. Getting the fabric to catch evenly along the machine can be tricky. I poke it into the back of the machine using my nail or a small ruler.

As the fabric builds up on the needles, gently slide it off the ends

And then keep going

Until you've finished. Don't forget to tie your ends off.

First row of stem stitch. I'm using 100% silk embroidery thread

Followed by two rows of honeycombs and another of stem

And a wave. Half the pattern is complete

All the smocking finished. The sides and lower edge have been bound with a piece of satin bias binding using stab stitch. I used two strips of linen 120x8cm for the waistband. This gave me a good length to tie it up, but meant I have a join right at the front.

Finished apron

You can see it goes right around my sides

And there you have it. My beautiful smocked apron. And now I have another one to make :)

Smocked Blackworked Cuffs Turned Partlet

A few years ago I started making myself a nice linen chemise. I was new to pattern drafting so I used Drea Leeds smock pattern generator. Unfortunately it seemed like the program took the largest of bust/waist/hips measurements and used that measurement for the width of the body piece. My hips are significantly broader than my shoulders, and this resulted in the sleeves attaching halfway down my arms. When I adjusted the placement of that seam and moved it up to the correct spot, my sleeves were too short :(

[Note: I'm not sure if the program has been updated since then, or maybe I just had a brain fart and put something in wrong - I don't know. Now that I have a better understanding of pattern drafting I just make my own (with this pattern) so I haven't tried using it again.]

I finished sewing it up anyway (who wants to waste that much linen, let alone the effort?) thinking I'd make some cuffs or something for it later. And so it sat in the tub of unfinishedness that I've mentioned before for a fair while.

Until my mum purchased an embroidery machine that is! :D

Brother NV950 Embroidery Machine

I had never even considered the possibility of using a machine to do embroidery on historical garments. It just never occured to me until it was right there in front of me and I thought... I wonder if you can get machine embroidery patterns for blackwork?

Answer: absolutely!

And if you're really lucky you can find some for free! Emblibrary had some really nice patterns but I didn't want to pay for them until I sort of knew what I was doing. Luckily I found this page with some quite pretty period-looking designs for free! So I downloaded them and just had a play working out to use the machine and place the designs in the right spot on the fabric (which is the hardest part).

Free blackwork patterns from Thredworks

I really liked the pattern on the right, but for some reason it stitches an extra layer on the third repeat. You can see it's much darker. So I decided on the middle one on the left for my cuffs.

Here's what I had in mind...

Cuff plan

Sort of like this except above the smocking will be a plain straight sleeve instead of a puffy one (but you won't see that hopefully).

Smoked chemise cuff by Carol Salloum on Realm of Venus.
I love the gold embroidery and even the simple smocking design

I have wanted to do some period smocking for ages. I picked up my smocking machine a few years ago from a second hand store for $40. They cost $200-300 new. I was just lucky that the people who worked there didn't know what it was. 

I didn't really know how long a piece of fabric I needed so I just guessed (and now I can't remember the dimensions). I had a bit of trouble placing the pattern so that it lined up nicely. When I measured it I realised that the left side of the pattern is 2mm taller than the right side. So that answered that question. Free pattern I guess. I also managed to stitch the fabric to itself in one spot so it's status was changed to "test piece" rather than actual item. Later I thought I might be able to make a cute little ruff collar for my daughter. 

Embroidery "test piece"

Afterwards I hemmed all the edges and finally got my smocking machine out. Now if anyone reading this does a lot of smocking you'll know I made a huge mistake right here. Never hem the edges before putting the fabric through the pleater. It really doesn't like the thickness. I broke three needles in the process. Lesson re-learnt.

Smocking lesson 2 - you need to hold the fabric taught and straight otherwise it gets pulled through crooked. My "test piece" proves its worth again.

Pleated "test piece"

What it looks like as a cuff. I think the length I chose (and forgot) was good. 

And with the chemise on. I'll have to wear it with sleeves so you can't see the join.
Then  it should give the illusion of lots of fabric in the sleeves

Another option I just came up with for this "test piece" is to make a partlet for Grace and sew it on as a collar.

Simple partlet

What it might look like as a collar. If I were to make one deliberately as a collar it would need to be a longer piece and the pleats aren't as dense here.

Although I wasn't really sure how that would work. And I couldn't find a picture of anything similar which means it's probably not historically accurate. But I didn't want to waste it!

Basic partlet shape cut out and pinned.
It's a bit large for her but I make all their garb really big as they just grow so fast

With blackworked piece pinned on

Smocking done with gold metallic embroidery thread in a really simple pattern

Finished partlet (minus ties)

As worn at Adora's Feast of Four Winds, Nov 2014

Now I've hopefully made all the mistakes there is to make so I can get started on the cuffs. Or maybe I'll just leave that chemise how it is and make a new one? Who knows

French Kirtle Finished

When I left you here back in July I was up to cartridge pleating the skirt of my red kirtle and attaching it to the bodice.

I decided to finish the bottom edge of the bodice with some poly fleece bias binding rather than hemming in order to give it a tiny bit more length. It's just a little bit shorter than I had intended and I didn't want to sacrifice any more length by hemming. And since it is an underdress the visual aesthetic doesn't really matter.

Before attaching the bias I put the bodice on, laced it up and then tried to adjust the three layers (outer wool, canvas interlining and cotton lining) to minimise any wrinkles. I dig this by tugging and stretching and pinning. The wool layer was the one that gave the most. It's more of an art than a science and it's still not perfect but to get rid of those last wrinkles under the bust I would need a corset.

Bodice layers adjusted and pinned before attaching bias.

With bias attached

Next was the skirt.

I finished flat felling the seams

And hemmed the top and bottom edges

Next I used chalk to mark the top edge at equal intervals (i think they were an inch apart)

Then I used some strong upholstery thread to sew two rows of  running stitch using the chalk marks (only one shown)

Gather to the desired length.

Pleated skirt front

To attach the skirt to the bottom edge of the bodice, I layed the pleated skirt over the bodice, right sides facing each other, and spread the pleats out evenly. I only had a really limited amount of fabric for this dress so the pleats aren't really close enough together. But again it's only an underdress.

Using upholstery thread again, I used two or three firm stitches to catch each pleat (half way between the chalk marks) to the bodice.

View of wrong side

View of a side seam/skirt opening

View of right side

Completed dress - front view

Completed dress - back view

As worn at Rowany Yule Feast, Dec 13 2014

I learnt a lot of things that I will be keeping in mind as I make the overdress. Particularly giving myself enough length in the bodice to finish the bottom edge (the bias is really obvious in photos). It's also really really tight so I need to remember to add a little mit of ease for the over gown. And definitely need a nice full skirt.

Thank you again to Lady Christine Duvant who told me last night that half of Ireland has this amazing pattern now :)