Five Foundations Challenge

I have decided to join Mistress of Disguise's Five Foundations Challenge this year.

Unlike her awesomely impressive project list of doing five items in each category, I will aim for doing one in each category.  I know my speed, capabilities, and need, and one per category is sufficient for me at this point.

Challenge 1 - Shifts and Chemises

I have been working on embroidery for cuffs and collar for a high-necked smock, and hope to finish that in order to apply it to this challenge.

Challenge 2 - Stays and Corsets

My stays are about five years old, and don't fit well due to weight fluctuations.  I'd like to make a new set in order to make my wardrobe more versatile.  I have several boned kirtles, but that only goes so far.

Challenge 3 - Petticoats

I desperately need more petticoats.  I only have one, and it's getting pretty ragged.  No excuses other than laziness.  I have fabric in the stash - it's time to make it happen.

Challenge 4 - Skirt Supports

This one is a little tougher as I'm in no mood to redo my farthingale as much as it needs it... perhaps a remodel could count?  I need to remove the bones and bleach the living hell out of it, and re-insert the bones as well.  I may also make a corded petticoat - do we think this could count?

Challenge 5 - Finishing Touches

A new pocket needs to happen, and I'm also making several partlets (or at least plan to!)

Napkin Largesse

Or serviette, whichever you prefer.  I've spent quite a bit of time pricking my fingers lately, working on a largesse project.  I started by making a couple of embroidered medallions, which are done in satin and chain stitches. All materials came from my stash, so the embroidery was a mix of silk and cotton floss.  I then appliqued the medallions to hand-sewn linen napkins, made from 14"x14" linen scraps.

 

The gold embroidered napkins were given to Their Royal Majesties, Raven and Sajah at Solstice Court this weekend, within gift baskets full of goodies from the household I belong to, Sable Sun.  

Each napkin was carefully turned and hand-sewn, with mitered corners.  Of course, we couldn't leave out our Esteemed Barons and Baronesses of the Kingdom in our endeavors.  This happened to be an investiture event, meaning the Baron and Baroness of Loch Salann, the hosting Barony, were retiring, and the newly chosen Baron and Baroness were invested (the ceremonial term for receiving their coronets and taking their station).  The outgoing Baroness has a thing for dragonflies, just like me, so their napkins included some dragonfly appliques from my stash.  They are iron-on jobbies, for which I am ashamed but simply didn't have time to hand-embroider them.

Each of the Baronages in attendance received a gift basket including two napkins, and we also donated a basket that included four napkins to a silent auction.  This was an easy but time consuming project.  I could have done it much faster by machine, but there's something charming about little uneven hand stitches. It was also a great way to use up some of my scraps of fabric.