Catching Up

Catching up! I finished the earrings for my outfit. I needed a bunch of real pearls so I bought inexpensive freshwater pearl earrings and “harvested” the pearls—which already had pendant settings.

Using gold plated jump rings, I attached the pearls to the previously made chandeliers. I then finished with the gold ring for the ears. I need to tighten up some of the silver wire, but I am pretty pleased with them.

I’ve also finished my petticoat/underskirt, except for waistband hooks (on order). I used softened box pleats to attach the skirt to the waistband. Hubby once again helped level the skirt. I had to do so at the top as there is a decorative hem already. It is a bit shorter than I like, but that will help the pretty silk to survive the dust.

I continue working on the darn camicia...

And this necklace (not IRCC)...

Layer 4: Partlet

In the portrait, the partlet appears to be one of the more simple types, similar to a scarf, placed around the neck and tucked into the front of the neckline. The inner edge is trimmed with a gold gimp. The fabric is very sheer, white, with gold stripes about two inches apart. A bit of extra fabric from the partlet spills over the dress’ shoulders.

I have some very fine silk gauze with metallic stripes. The stripes are less than an inch apart, but it still has the feel of the partlet fabric in the portrait. I also have gold gimp, cotton from an older collection, which will do nicely. The fabric is only a 1/3 of a yard, so I may not be able to get the exact way the stripes run in the painting, but they should look right from the front, and since we can’t see the back, the issue is moot.

I used waxed cotton thread to trim the partlet and roll the hem. The fineness of the fabric is a bit scary! While very soft, the silk has a bit of tooth, nice as it stays in place.

It looks good, but I won’t know if it works until I finish the dress.



Little Things

Finally a day off to work on my outfit! What do I do? I don’t work on any of the layers, but on the jewelry instead. I received the silver and gold findings that look the best. I had played with other pieces, but just didn’t work.










Using 34 ga silver wire, I pulled the findings together by wrapping and twisting. The wire is very fine, almost looking like cobweb when it catches the light. The pieces still flex, but they are firmly connected. Now, where the heck did I put those pearls?

Not too bad, eh?

Here are some of my other items that I will be using for this project!

22k gold plated...

Silver-plated...

Gold hoops...

Smoky quartz beads...

Gold gimp braid...