So it took me about two months to do the embroidery and another month to get it all put together. It is after this painting although my proportions are not exactly the same. I wanted a smaller ruffle and taller collar which fits my face better. That may not have worked so well. I did it entirely by hand with silk embroidery floss and linen thread. Real seed pearls on manufactured bobbin lace and linen ground fabric.

Most of the supplies I got at Thistle Threads which centers on 17th century casket construction and the embroidery that is featured on the caskets. I buy most of my silk floss there because she also carries purl that I use frequently and she is particular about carrying historical colors. All of the trimmings are accurate as well although some are modern recreations with more modern materials to keep costs down. The bobbin lace trim was no longer available in gold and I like silver better anyway so I got all trimmings in silver but also got the trim for the sleeves in gold. The red and silver cording I got two years ago and used most of the yard I had available. All of the silk threads (Ovale and Trame) were in my stash. The linen thread I picked up at Pennsic last year, Wm Booth Draper 60/2.

The ruffle is done on a singe layer of salvage so I wouldn’t have to worry about hemming it and I got it to ruffle using the pulled thread method. The base is done on two layers, of folded linen, using stitches I couldn’t name because I learned to embroider as a child. I did it all freehand without drawing out anything other than the boxes so I would get the spacing correct. I did not embroider the back/middle section of the collar because it should never be seen when I’m wearing it. The entire ruffle is embroidered with random flowers that are particular to me. When I hit the halfway point I did the same (similar) flowers in reverse so one side is nearly a mirror image of the other. I tried to keep the back of the ruffle neat and tidy because it is not covered up.

I beaded the trim and then attached the trim to the ruffle and then ruffled it by pulling a thread, then I sewed the ruffle to the embroidered collar. I then cut out and hand sewed the base of the partlet and hemmed it all the way around excepting the front opening which was cut on the selvage. I attached the base to the collar, sewed trim all the way down both sides, and cut a piece of linen to cover the back. I also stiffened a piece of organza and sewed that into the middle of the collar as well (it probably didn’t need it but I wanted to be sure it stood up without issue.

Before I seamed up the back I tried it on and it fit well but I found it underwelming visually. I decided to add some extra trimming (based on what I saw in the painting and what supplies I had on hand.)

I am very pleased with how it turned out.

I never did my updates from our trip to Spain. I got hacked at about the same time and I never did get back to it. And then I got incredibly busy with work and everything else fell to the wayside. But now I have a new project.

Several years ago (about 15 at this point) I made a replica of a Cranach gown that I still think was my crowning glory – so many pearls, six different black fabrics, fit like a dream come true. Love that dress although it doesn’t fit at the moment. I’ve always wanted to do another recreated dress, and while I had some ideas in mind, I didn’t really know which dress I wanted to recreate. Until the Calontir Clothing Challenge came along that is. I want this dress.

A few years ago I ordered the silk for this dress so I have that. That is as far as I got. I had ordered some trim to see if it would be suitable for the sleeves but, alas, I did not order enough to actually make the sleeves. I have some very lightweight wool in a creamy white to do the sleeves.

For me the biggest reason to want this dress is the embroidered collar of this dress so I’m starting there. I’m not fond of my embroidery skills (I’m far better at other things) but the little pictures I see on my computer make the embroidery look so delicate so I’m going with a very “non-patterned” just stitching on the ruffle of the collar so it has that painted effect. I have about eight inches (of 24) finished.

Italian head-covering: scored 25/30 and I was happy with that. One of the first comments was a question as to what style of footnotes I was using and I have no idea. Since this is not my area of expertise and not my culture of research, and I had difficulty even trying to find out where the portraits I was using for documentation were located. And I was primarily using portraits for documentation so I picked portraits that showed a similar head covering from Italy in the same time frame. They wanted more textile references and more process pictures, and comparisons to other headdresses from other areas and periods. Also to know how it was done in period and I can’t even begin to figure out if there is existing documentation for that. I can look at a thing and puzzle it out – I was vague on the overall puzzling.

Reliquary hood: scored 29/30 as I lost a point for “Post–period looking pin use” They really liked how my documentation was laid out as I broke it down into 15 parts – for such a small item there was really a lot going on with it and I broke it down into all of the major components. I based this piece on approximately eight extant objects which all had an analysis of the object online in Dutch. So the flaws in my project added to the authenticity of it. I liked this project and might do it again.

Treatment of a statue: scored 21.5/30 and I was told that if I had won then this item would have been disqualified. True – one of the three statues had been entered in a competition prior and it had not been fully carved at that point. I did not hide that fact – the judges could just have easily concentrated the judging on the other two statues if that was their objection. I did not talk about carving in my documentation and did not expect them to judge the carving because I was focused on the surface treatment. They liked the dog, they liked the sheep, they knocked points off in every category – including complexity which was baffling to me that I could get a 3/5 in that area. Overall it felt like the judge who took the lead on that team had a goal score she was trying to reach and the other two just let her. I immediately after judging knew I didn’t win. And while the rules state that your documentation and scores can be enhanced by your conversation with the judges, there didn’t seem to be any of that going on. Again – this is not my area of focus and even though I had lots of extant statues from the same region and time period, I’m a little agog about the scoring.

Part of the overall problem with the documentation standards is that they make NO allowances for how in-depth you want to get into a field of study, the ADA federal standards, or how much is actually known already in that art, time, and region. The fact that I know all those basics should be apparent based on the conversation and I shouldn’t have to put basics in the written documentation for an advanced level project. I don’t know how to fix that issue. I also don’t think the style of footnote or bibliography should be as big a factor as the books or sites that you’re citing. Especially when the end result of your labors is supposed to be the work of art – not the research you used to produce it. I expect those standards for a research paper – not for a physical item.

Not sure if I will do it again – would kind of like to do a project when I do the documentation as a photograph of the project work space once a week so you can see the progress, see the references I consult, see the materials I use. And see how long it actually takes to create the project itself! And I think I would like to make more critters for the shrine.

Because other people have difficultly doing the looking-then-making of things, I think they expect that everyone uses a pattern, or has several trial runs, or cheats the system in some way. Who creates patterns for other people to use? I kind of assume that it would be done by people who can translate or deconstruct a thing – the people who can make a thing by tearing a thing apart and making a pattern (or people who want to make several things the same and pattern it out as they go.) I do not use patterns – I kind of just eye-ball everything.

So I’m still mulling over my A&S results and why I had such a disparaging difference in scores. The one that did the best was the one that I broke down into all of it’s various parts and documented each step in the process. I don’t think it was because it was the most work – but it was the one I was most transparent about when it came to the work I did. It did include a good variety of different arts but nothing that I documented too in-depth. The Italian headdress was a lot of trial and error in my head so it took more work but I wonder if it would have gone smoother if I had just created several different headdresses and then created one final project. I want to redo it now that I know what does work. And then there is this picture I think I kind of want to make this headdress and yet I don’t think I will ever make or wear the dress that matches it.

So way back last summer I showed you a picture of the unfinished studio space and told you all about what I wanted: I wanted a place where I could host fabric and fiber based arts things with spaces to handle a bunch of different project types. I wanted a big cutting table (which hasn’t been constructed yet) and some tables and soft furniture. A sewing area, and a place for all the fabric and cashmere that I had accumulated would also be required.

This is the finished studio – a calm and peaceful atmosphere with some tables and the sectional and even the bead cabinet is here. It looks exactly like I envisioned it all those months ago and I get to debut it this week to the local crafters.

I spent the day moving them to the floor of the coop and getting them situated with food and water and shelter from the rest of the chickens. About half way through that adventure I realized that today is the chickens’ 7 month birthday so that was pretty special as well.

As far as breeds go – I’m leaning toward the darker one being a silver-laced Wyandotte and the lighter one being an olive egger. I’ll have to see how they grow up but the lighter one came out of a blue egg so depending on the roo involved, it has a chance of being an olive egger. Since I only have two roos, it would be a 50/50 chance.

We got up at 6am so we could get ready have breakfast and see the sites.

First off – the Hotel Arts is awesome when it comes to breakfast – there was a room full of assorted foods – I could have eaten for hours. The pastries were heavenly, the fruit was awesome, and I don’t eat eggs or I would rave about those as well. I jammed a stack of prosciutto in a croissant and grabbed a bunch of olives – it was so good!

We headed off to our walking tour of Barcelona which took the whole morning. We got to see the old town and this little regional village (reminded me of Epcot) where all the regions of Spain are represented in the form of little shops. We saw a monastery on the top of a hill and went to the old town where there were many bead stores I couldn’t stop in – probably a good thing. And we got to see the outside of the cathedral.

We took a taxi to the museum – Museu Nacional D’Art De Catalunya. I took pictures of everything I thought someone I know would be useful – like fabric fragments from the 1100s, paintings of hairnets, a foot-high statue of George killing the dragon that is ARMOR in miniature. And of course many period paintings.

After the museum we went to the Flamingo Dance with dinner which was very good.

So – bright and early on Sunday morning we drove to the airport and hopped a flight to Miami. I think the weather was rather pleasant. We caught the shuttle to our hotel and mostly lounged around for the day as we had no real plans. We caught lots of pokey monsters and then we returned to the airport Monday afternoon to catch our flight to Barcelona, Spain.

Our flight left about an hour behind schedule and arrived only fifteen minutes late. Since we didn’t leave Miami until about 7pm, I was truly hoping that I would sleep the whole way but that was not to be either. I watched a movie, I finished a book, I tossed and turned for awhile – we were in luck because on a nearly full flight we had the three seats to the two of us. Still we didn’t sleep much.

We arrived Tuesday morning, caught the shuttle to the Hotel Arts in Barcelona and took a nap. We went pokey hunting. We found food. We returned to the hotel. We got to bed early. It was a good start to this adventure.

The rest of my flock is represented in the pictures. I think at six weeks (Twoy is eight weeks now) that I have exactly two roosters – Emperor and General Tzo (who is an Easter Egger) – which means 15 girls! I have three BCM (Black Copper Marans) so one is pictured twice – Pretty sure Twoy is a girl and the little one, still unnamed, is a girl, the middle-sized one is almost the size of Twoy so it might be a rooster but I’m leaning toward not-a-boy.

Friendliest breed goes to Plymouth Rock – I have a head-sitter in that group that always feels a need to be on my head or shoulder. I’m trying to keep her on the shoulder because she’s already heavy enough to be a pain when she tries to get firm seating on the head. All of the rest of the chickens are mostly friendly – taking turns to get in close when I sit in the coop with them but the Plymouth Rocks are always the closest. The Columbian Wyandotte take a good second though.