Mudthaw Embroidered Dress

Last year Lydia and I once again worked on garb for the Baron and Baroness of the Settmour Swamp. This time we did 12th century Bliauts. Lydia did the pattern work and most of the sewing and I did the hand sewn button holes and the embroidery around the facing for the Baroness.

 

The neck facing that Lydia measured out for me. This is what I would be embroidering on.

 

Three versions of the design that the Baroness liked. We decided to use the one on the far left.

 

I drew it out on paper first so that I could work out the turns in the pattern and make sure it was even on both sides.

 

I then put the paper pattern on a light box and put the fabric over it so I could trace through to the fabric using a pencil.

 

One thing I have learned is that making a sampler is not an option. You don't want to be trying your embroidery out for the first time on the finished piece. I actually did several different variations and this is the one we liked the best.

 

I started with an outline done in backstitch

 

Then I filled it in using split stitch.

 

The final facing

 

Attached to the dress

 

and from the back. The fabric must have stretched out while I was working on it, because in the end the facing was bigger then the neck of the dress. I tried to work it out when I hand sewed it to the dress, but I still had to put a pleat in the facing. I put it on the back of the dress and hopefully her veil will cover it and no one will be the wiser.