Last two weeks I have been doing things mostly not for me but for the gift and award basket. As I told last time Elsa made a blackwork pattern for Aarnimetsä wolf and she embroidered some handkerchiefs for the gift basket. Last weekend we went to Elsa’s and made more things together. I once again have problems with my hand… the hand didn’t like tablet weaving (stupid hand).
Here is a picture of the handkerchiefs and a pattern. We wanted it to be as simple as possible.
The next thing is starting to make the wedding dresses for us. The easiest part I thought was to start with headdresses. Elsa was visiting us this weekend and we tried to make a wulsthaube type German renaissance headdress with veil. We found some links also and this was one of the best we found: http://www.in-nova-corpora.ch/naehstube/ma_15_unterkleidung_text.htm .We managed to make a prototype of it and it looks very good. I am not going to reveal all the details of the wedding dress project.. other wise it could spoil the surprise :D but I can reveal some small things. This makes the blogging quite challenging but let’s see what will happen. I can reveal that I am going to make blackwork stripes to the veil and the veil is going to be quite long so lots of blackwork to do :D.
I also taught the basics of blackwork to Elsa this weekend (well I actually think that there wasn’t anything new that she didn’t know already). As a very creative person she designed a blackwork pattern of our Barony of Aarnimetsä’s wolf and she have already embroidered three handkerchiefs with the wolf this weekend to give away as gifts. I also started to do some simple blackwork to one of the napkins (or handkerchiefs…). As I told I need to do couple of handkerchiefs for me also. The handkerchiefs are not done yet.. but when they are I can (if I get her permission to do so) send a photo of them here. But now.. I can’t wait to start making the veil. I have to go to cut the linen and start making the blackwork and I know already the pattern I want to use.
I have been as I assumed very busy lately… for obvious reasons. Our Investiture is now over and I can start concentrating to other things that are important. I had some misfortune with my Investiture clothing. First I realize that there was not enough time for make the type dress I wanted to. I had to change my plans. I was going to make a kirtle underneath the gown and the gown was supposed to open at front. I was going to make a fartingale underneath the kirtle to have hourglass effect. Also I was going to make a new partlet but at the end I got inflammation to my hand and I couldn’t make one. Also I was going to make silk detachable sleeves. So instead I managed to make a corset (to which I got help making it) and quite simple black woollen dress with waist seam and black woollen detachable sleeves and a white linen smock with ruffled cuffs and an Elizabethan coif. (I am already dreaming of Elizabethan coif with blackwork… I’ll make one as soon as possible). I wasn’t that satisfied with the result of the dress and smock but that doesn’t mean that the dress and the smock wasn’t ok.. I just don’t want to make things in haste. Anyway the corset is the only piece which has made using machine..
The Investiture was as I wrote a memorable event with lots of big surprises. I have always thought that it’s not very easy to me to feel very emotional like almost crying if something big will happen. But I was wrong with that because there was more than one time at the event I felt that it was a mistake not to bring handkerchiefs to the event :).
Lord Rakonczay took couple of pictures of us just after our Investiture, here are some of the best shots … Lady Katariina Juhanantytär made UlfR's jacket and pants and lady Sahra made his coif.. the shirt is made by me.
Our Investiture is now over.. I’ll try to write about the event soon.. I’m very tired but more than happy.. The event was .. I think that I don’t even have words to describe how wonderful it was... it was magical and there were some surprises that I haven’t seen ever at Aarnimetsä event or anywhere else.
