Lmst

New Sally Pointer video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr43b95n3n0

Very tempted to try this with the nettle I've got left.

#ExperimentalArchaeology #Textiles #TextileCrafts #HistoricalTextiles

#ThrowbackThursday teaching myself naalbinding earlier this year. Im still really bad at it, but I enjoy it. I love that textiles create such a powerful connection to the past for me. It gives me connection and context that I feel so alienated from in daily life. #history #HistoricalTextiles #nalbinding #viking #slowfashion #textiles #knitting #crochet

Hand, with yarn wrapped around the thumb and a needle pushed through the loops holding a piece of textile

Happy Saturday! Here's a quilted petticoat dating from around 1760-80, sewn by Mary Preston. Nothing is yet known about her, but research is underway!

It's made of silk, wool and linen, and is terrifying to handle because the silk is gently shattering throughout. Happily, the linen lining is super robust and is keeping everything together.

#HistoricalCostume #HistoricalTextiles #Quilting #GeorgianFashion #FashionHistory

Photograph of an aqua blue quilted silk petticoat laid out flat on a large table covered with Tyvek, a white archive-grade plastic. The petticoat has acid-free tissue sausages to prevent the sides creasing.

The quilting takes the form of stylised pomegranates and curling leaves in a repeating pattern as wide as the width of each panel. The skirt is made of 5 or 6 panels (to my shame I didn't count them) each made of the full width of the silk, from selvage to selvage. This is standard for the time. Silk was woven narrow, and skirts needed to be wide.

Object number: YORCM : 1945.210. Image copyright York Museums Trust (York Castle Museum)

Photograph of the inside of the same petticoat, showing the medium-weight coarse linen layer, which provides weight and support to the skirt. The back of the quilting can be seen, making a bobbly pattern over the surface of the linen. The linen is in great condition, which is great because the silk is not.

Image copyright York Museums Trust (York Castle Museum)

Close-up photograph of the lower left portion of the skirt, as laid on the table, showing one of the pomegranates with its surrounding bunches of leaves. This also shows the hem, which has a border with a chevron design. The quilting is worked as normal in tiny running stitches.

Also to be spotted are areas where the silk has shattered, as silk is wont to do. These reveal the wool interlining. This would have been super toasty to wear.

Image copyright York Museums Trust (York Castle Museum)

Close up photograph of the waist of the petticoat. This shows that the silk near the waist hasn't been quilted, which is totally normal, as well as showing the inside and outside of the lovely big chunky pleats that bring all that fabric together into the waistband.

The waist is bound with a lighter silk, which may just be the same aqua that's faded - this skirt has plenty of areas where the dye hasn't stuck around. The skirt can't fasten. If anyone has a spare £3000 for the conservation of this gorgeous beast, hit me up. Textile conservation is asspensive as fuck, because it's so incredibly highly skilled and time consuming. Worth it though.

Image copyright York Museums Trust (York Castle Museum)

Been playing with nettle fibre today. Processed some a little more and had a go at cordage. This is my first attempt.

#HistoricalTextiles #NettleFibre

Photograph of my first length of nettle cordage, wrapped around two fingers of my left hand (it's a very pink hand). The cordage is two shades of green forming a slender twisted thread between 0.5 and 1.5mm in diameter and is about 40cm long in total so far.

Photograph of my remaining nettles, dried, somewhat scraped, and rubbed. They're still green after a few weeks spent dying, and are on a lilac metal tray.

I visited the #VADTartan exhibition at the V&A Dundee a few days ago and was very impressed with the broad range of objects displayed as well as by the diverse stories and viewpoints expressed through the interpretative materials. Here is a small selection of garments that caught my eye.

This exhibition runs through Sunday, 14 January 2024.

#tartan #museum #exhibition #Scotland #dress #textile #design #history #HistoricalDress #HistoricalTextiles #DressHistory @histodons @materialculture

Last weekend, I examined the c.1707 mantua that will be the case study in my dissertation. It was altered in the mid-18th c. and again in the late 19th c. Design of this "bizarre silk" is attributed to James Leman of Spitalfields and the vibrant colours have not dimmed one bit!

This is the only known extant mantua of this period with Scottish provenance.

#DressHistory #HistoricalDress #ObjectStudy #Scotland #Spitalfields #silk #TextileHistory #HistoricalTextiles @materialculture @histodons

Another great video from The Welsh Viking, this time on historical mending.

#sewing #HistoricalTextiles #SewingRepairs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM0-Gcq_3KU

On a related note, this book is wonderful: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jane-Austen-Embroidery-Authentic-embroidery/dp/1911624407

Jane Austin Embroidery by Jennie Batchelor and Alison Larkin. Great projects, excellent instructions, beautiful pictures and really good info.

#embroidery #HistoricalTextiles #HistoricalEmbroidery #sewing #crafts #patterns #BookRecommendation

Thinking about #crafting and #sewing goals for the new year.

I have many WIPs I'd like to get back to, from spinning the rest of that alpaca fleece I got free off a friend and making something with it, to getting the blackwork done for the collar and cuffs of my black linen shirt dress so I can finally finish making it.

I'd also like to catch up with my #HistoricalTextiles reading.

Goals have to fit in with my inability to do anything much productive after work unless it's lapwork.

#Introduction

Hi, I'm Fred (she/they), I'm a museum curator with specialisms in architecture and historical costume, and a deeply geeky interest in the history of folklore and belief. I've got a handful of publication credits, fiction and non-fiction, and am working towards more.

I'm super into #HistoricalTextiles, especially medieval and earlier, and #HistoricalPractice in sewing.

OK so, #Introduction

I'm Fred (she/they). I'm a museum curator with specialisms in architecture and historical costume, and a deeply geeky interest in the history of folklore and belief. My many hobbies include #CreativeWriting, #crafting, #costuming, #QuiltingAndPatchwork, #HorrorFiction, and cheerleading my friends in their creations.

I'm super into #HistoricalTextiles, especially medieval and earlier, and #HistoricalPractice in sewing.

#HistoricalTextiles

Client Info