The Tudor Revolution

While working on my projects for the Realm of Venus costume challenge, I decided I wanted to try a different way to make buttons for my new muff. Vecellio mentions gold and crystal buttons being used to keep them closed. My digging and research through the Elizabethan Costume Page on Facebook  lead me to this lovely piece of documentation.  6/30/14 Note:  Katrine De Saint Brieuc was the original poster of this image to the Elixabethan Costume Page on Facebook. Thank you for sharing your knowledge! My next step was the bead store where I found decorative headpins and settled for gold plated beads. Rock crystal was not in stock and ordering it was starting to look expensive. After gathering tools I was able to produce something very similar to these buttons, but the holes in the beads did not allow me to insert the wire back in so deeply. Beaded Buttons Materials: - Decorative headpins for jewelry or non-decorative pins and fancy "caps" - Large bead of your ch...

Beads completed and sewn to kirtle In August 2012 I started a project to replace the brass beads on my Anne Boleyn gown with wooden beads covered in metallic threads. Because I did not have a solid timeline I needed to finish these by the beads were put aside for other projects. Now I have the deadline that I needed I have been working steadily to finish covering the beads. New research has also encouraged me to place all of the embellishment on the neckline of a supportive kirtle rather than the edge of my gown as I had done before. This kirtle will also replace the corset I had been wearing under my gown. The first kirtle had varied amounts of success. It was supportive improved the silhouette, but the "cups" of the kirtle were too small for my bust. This version is more accommodating. The kirtle also laces under the arm on both sides to allow for more flexibility and an unbroken neckline under my gown. Progress of embellishing the kirtle. Kirtle bodice is made...

Its been a while since I posted any updates, but the stitching never stops I promise. Over the winter I participated in the Realm of Venus Fabulously Fashionable Fur Competition. While I didn't win, I gave the other extremely talented ladies a run for their money and I am very happy with my end results. Here are some brief snippets of my documentation. Please enjoy and go visit the competition page to see the work of the other talented costumers. Fabulously Fashionable Fur Competition Sofonisba Anguissola  (Italian, 1532–1625) The Artist's Sister Minerva Anguissola , ca. 1564 Oil on canvas Layton Art Collection, Gift of the Family of Mrs. Frederick Vogel, Jr. L1952.1 Description and History of Renaissance Muffs The earliest documentation on muff comes from Italy around 1550. By the late sixteenth century, muffs were becoming a popular winter accessory in Europe. From Italy to England women of means were embracing these fur or silk lined envelopes to war...

Miniature of Anne Boleyn. While this image has the best detail of any of the French Hood  portraits there is still debate over the portrait being painted within her life time. So do you all remember the dress I made based off of Anne Boleyn's miniature? I chose the miniature because it seamed to have the best detail. Well, I was never fully satisfied with Anne just having gold brass beads on her neckline. They gave the idea of what the gown had, and I was asked to do this on short notice. All of that aside, now I have been allowed the time to go back and do it right. so I plan to. Detail from the beading on Anne Boleyn's Bodice. After some research and digging around I stumbled across a few extent garments from The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. amazingly they have thread covered buttons made with gold thread, and on one example they are purely decorative. Any avid costumers out there can imagine the excitement I got from this discovery. Copyrigh...