Basic Tablet-weaving Loom

I've been doing some simple 12-thread tablet weaving recently to make some garters (tie-ups) for my hose (woollen socks). So far I've been tablet weaving with some corrugated cardboard tablets (squares with 4 holes in that move the thread to change which colour threads appear in the pattern). I basically attach one end of the 24 threads to my belt and the other end to a stationary hook or handle with the tablets in-between (I'll put up some pictures and more if an explanation later - still working on the format of videos). I've got the hang of a basic stripey pattern and some chevrons so far which is fab!

The weaving was so much better than I thought I would be able to do with it just attached to me, but I did find that it twisted a lot, so I am now stepping it up a notch by making a simple wooden loom which I think I'll attach to a surface with a vice but I'm not sure I want to ruin the dining room table just yet so I'll see how it works without! But that's what I'll play about with this week. I want to make better tablets (maybe with playing cards) first as well but that shouldn't take too long. Here's a picture of the loom!

New 100% wool fabric to play with

Can't wait to get stuck into this new project!! New murky green wool blanket just in - I love Ebay! Instagram post

More Winter partlet-ing

Couple more pics. By the end of tonight I WILL have sewn the whole partlet together, except the bottom seam, and I will have finished these ties - of which I need 10. I've done 3 so far. Nearly nearly.

I took some pics to make me feel like I've actually done something. Sewing these ties together took forever last night. I went to bed at 2am: I was on a roll watching Kaamelott and doing sewing :)

I turned it inside out yesterday and now it's ... FINISHED!

Winter partlet continued

Despite some personal frustration over switching to autopilot, and sewing the wrong part of the partlet to the wrong part of the partlet, whilst working on the train (which I thought was a very efficient use of my time on the way to brunch)...

... I am now using my winter partlet as a break from the frightening issue of actually quilting my Orange quilt! It's taken me so much to get there and I don't want to ruin it. I think I'll sit down tomorrow night and tack it all up. No sense in rushing it.

So my winter partlet is all pinned up, I've read the Tudor tailor for guidance, not really that helpful, but at least there was a picture. We'll see how that goes... 

I need to make some nice ties to go in there before I sew up the sides too... Hmm... Not too keen on making ties - it's a bit fiddly - I can make big ties though, therefore less fiddly. Hmm... Ooh! Ooh! I can use my bright blue wool and some white linen I have left over. Ok, procrastination over, I'd better get onto doing my handstitching before bedtime! Here are a couple of pics.

N.b. Pincushion is definitely not an authentic Tudor one! ;)

Night!

Goring up the lining of my waistcoat

The Gores I had mainly been avoiding yesterday... are predominant today. You are getting sewn in and you're going to look sleek and elegant and THAT'S THAT! 

So I have tacked in my triangular gores to the slits in my Tudor waistcoat. I've fitted them so the seam is graduated so there's no bunching-up in the garment. 

I might need to put some overstitching or blanket stitching at the top which will look fine. Not sure how that'll look on the woolly exterior of my waistcoat but we'll see. At the moment the tacking looks fine - I'll go somewhere with better light to make sure I get a good, straight, hand-sewn seam so that the bottom of the waistcoat really sticks out (literally - Tudor gals need a good set of hips!).

"Gorey" stuff

The Gores I have mainly been avoiding today...

Winter partlet

Ooh I eyed up some lovely fabric whilst volunteering this week and now I am going to make a madder/pink winter partlet. Partly because the lovely fabric called to me, partly because my "gores" on my Tudor waistcoat are getting me down :)

Such pretty wool. I'm using a wool blanket (100% wool) and some linen for the lining, and some ribbons for ties, I think.

Ribbons: Might make braids but my friend said that putting pink on one side, black on the other, would make really fun linen ribbons when they're tied!