Smock #2--Embroidery

So I'm the worst costume blogger ever, since I never post pictures or descriptions of the finished projects. One day, I'm just going to have J. take pictures of every finished piece of costume I've made and post them all in one fell swoop.

Until then, next project!

I'm making another high necked smock for this season. I only had the one last year, plus the low necked smocks I'd made years ago. They work fine, but the high necked one is easier since I don't have to wear a partlet with it. But only wearing one smock per weekend is G-R-O-S-S, especially early in the season when it is still hotter than two rats getting it on in a wool sock. Plus, an excuse for more pretty period embroidery!

This smock is based on a late-period one detailed on page 119 of Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion 4 (the color photos are on page 62). The shape, anyway. The embroidery pattern is my own, based on popular flowers and fruits during Elizabeth's reign--roses, pomegranates, and carnations (or pinks). I'm only embroidering the sleeves.

Here the sleeve pieces. They will be joined at the top seam with a knotted insertion stitch. I want to use this one, but I have to wait for my copy of the book it's from to get here. Sigh.



The embroidery is done with a medium terra cotta colored floss to give the feel of the pink embroidery of the original without being PINK. The pieces have been hemmed, but not ironed, and the copy lines need to be cleaned up, obviously.



So until my book comes, I'll be doing the rest of the smock--cutting and hemming the side gores, underarm gussets, neck gussets and collar, and sewing most of it together. Sleeves will go on last I guess, once my book comes and I can figure out my stitch.