Navigation for this costume:
Introduction – Materials – Smock – Farthingale – Petticoat – Bodice – Skirtings – Rolled Sleeves – Overskirt – Forepart – Ruffs – Partlet and Sleeves – Jewelry making: Headdress; Necklace; Pelican Jewel; Sleeveband; Girdle; Wristbands; Fan – Finished gown – Funny Comments – Miss Starkie – Quiz
Neck- and sleeve ruffs in the portrait
I’ve had a very nice (real and old!) Victorian lace with spider webs and leaves, which I could unfortunately only use for the ruffs with the „spider web“ side to the inside, because only the other side is scalloped and therefore was much better to use on the outside of the ruffs:
By washing and then starching the lace as by the instructions given in the Lady’s wardrobe patterns by Margo Anderson I made the first step.
I then used some strong jewelry wire which was a little longer than my neck circumfence, glued some organdy ribbon around it so that it wouldn’t look like wire any more and crooked the ends so that I could hook them to each other.
On this wire I have lined up and pleated the lace. This because starching ruffled lace which is sewn to something is just a pain; but by ruffling the, uhm, ruffs to the wire I can easily remove the wire and just iron and starch them again and afterwards simply re-pleat them to the wire.
Finished sleeve- and neck ruffs:
And if I should ever think that I could need the nice Victorian lace for a different (Victorian) gown, I can always take the ruffs apart, wash the trim and then have three pieces of lace which I can use.
Take a *deep* breath now – I will take you to the partlet and sleeves, which will probably a little different than you might imagine…
Navigation for this costume:
Introduction – Materials – Smock – Farthingale – Petticoat – Bodice – Skirtings – Rolled Sleeves – Overskirt – Forepart – Ruffs – Partlet and Sleeves – Jewelry making: Headdress; Necklace; Pelican Jewel; Sleeveband; Girdle; Wristbands; Fan – Finished gown – Funny Comments – Miss Starkie – Quiz