Once in a while...

... A lady needs a new handbag. Or a new jacket. Or new lingerie. Or everything in one (slow) go.

As my sewing doesn't really follow a firm schedule, it can take quite a while until I finish a project. This one here took its beginning back in 2014 when Sabine made a delightful workbag in pale green. The little flame of desire was kindled, and I set off to create a base in cardboard, covered it in silk, and decided that I wanted knotted decoration, thus started knotting.

Fast forward two years, after having stashed both the knotted trim and the workbag-base so well away, that they were seemingly lost forever, they re-surfaced. A bag was made from white silk, sewn into (ouch, sewing through cardboard is NOT recommended if one has already slightly damaged joints), the trim attached.

 

The medaillons are copies from one of my books (l'ami des femmes, a wonderful book about female health and beauty written in 1804 and dedicated to Mme Bonaparte) and as no copy shop wanted to print on my lovely paper, printed on modern paper and stained with black tea. (Two times Venus/Venere/Aphrodite. I'm usually more on the team Artemis/Diana, but the Kaufmann print wouldn't have fit) 

During the same spree of productivity I finished another ufo: a new pair of 1790 stays, based on an 18th century stays what don't fit too badly. It features front and back lacing, is constructed of two layers of sturdy handwoven linen, one layer of silk taffeta, stitched with silk thread, boned with reeds, and bound in leather (what also re-surfaced in the same corner as the half finished workbag)

 

...And a new little transitional jacket. I used an old caraco pattern for the lining and drafted the silk taffeta shell onto it. The jacket is fully lined in old handwoven line, with the exception of the basques, and has some valenciennes lace around the neckline. It closes with drawstrings and a little belt in the front, the sleevils were set in while travelling with friends.

The pleats are freehand, I've just checked that it's more or less even, but I didn't really measure.

A picture of the free hand pleating of the back, somehow I don't have pictures from the front, but surely there will soon be some. The odd thing is: this jacket only fits over the early stays, the later more rounded shape makes it ride up :-(

Bag and stays and jacket in use, at the Ligurian cost: 

Picture by R. Dumke / J. Bennett.
Shortly after, the water nearly got me, and I decided to forgoe shoes and stockings, and have a splash. 

Other friends like lovely B. followed, and suddenly we've had a crowd of photographer snapping pictures, while we were laughing, chasing ripples and giggling like children :-)
Picture again R. Dumke/J. Bennet 

we can thank Roberto Fusconi, one of the official photographers for this one. Suddenly I've heard someone shouting "Alé!" - and he was waving 

Here a picture showing the coastline, J. and I standing with wet feet, wet petticoats and huge smiles :-)