coif finished
so this was meant to be a no brainer project after doing lots of complicated stuff, but then I ran out of spangles.
I have extra spangles now, so that’s all done. An ounce of spangles adds more wieght to the thing than you’d think.
except, as you can see, I was left twiddling my thumbs for a while waiting for the post, so I embellished.
I thought the thing might be a bit on the snug side, so I improvised an insertion seam. It’s based mostly on my imagination, so…
The the spangles still hadn’t turned up, so I added stuff along the edge. I had looked for a piece of lace at Kelmarsh, but the only thing available was the stuff from Tudor tailor, which is very pretty but very obviously machine made and synthetic – ok, but you don’t put in all the effort of hand embroidery and then cock it up with machine made lace, even if it’s very pretty machine made lace.
I started off with the simple one-loop edge shown in womens dress patterns of the c17th vol 2, then, as usual, went over the top and added an extra row of loops to make it look more elizabethan.
I sort of enjoyed my half-arsed messy first attempt at needlelace, even if it did remind me of naalbinding, which I thought was the most boring thing in the world even en if you include algebra and the gerund,but…I’m not too sure I actually like the coif any more.
It’s a bit frilly.
I don’t really do frilly.
opusanglicanum 
You may not do frilly, but you apparently do AWESOME.
and loud, I can do loud – its helpful when you;re a storyteller
Are you ABSOLUTELY sure there’s enough spangles? *winks*
well…I do have 5g left out fo 30?
I think it’s lovely. And it doesn’t look too frilly to me.
it think its more that the lace isn’t lying right?
I think it’s lovely, extra lace and all. Spangles for the win!
we likes spangles
Just Gorgeous!!!
thanks
I don’t do frilly either but it’s lovely (just not on me!). Looks like you had loads of fun making it.
It’s soemthing about the way the lace sicks out looks a bit more regency than elizabethan to me?
I really like the redwork, but maybe you don’t call it that when its Elizabethan? I also think it looks pretty authentic (and elisabethan fashion is one of my hobbies, but I don’t know very much). I’d say you did a good job on the coif, but the way you write about it is really entertaining! Maybe if women kept better diaries at the time you’d find something similar!!!!
you can call it black work or red work, It doesn’t make much difference. I think he closest thing I keep to a diary is this blog, so I can’t criticise
I remember my first attempt at needlelace on that sort of scale. It was going to be a runner with 15 or 18 squares. Then it was going to be a cushion cover with 9 squares. There are still seven and a half squares in a tin somewhere in my flat, 30 years later. Yes, very boring to do in any quantity. You got through yours, so well done! I think it does finish off the coif nicely, and won’t look so frilly when it’s on a real head against skin.
its not really as boring a nallbinding, cos at least you get to do different bits with this
Oooh! Sparkly! And I do like the needlelace.
And now I’m curious – how much does it weigh? And do you think it has more or less bling than an original?
erm, wieght, well its got 25g of spangles on it and the fabric and lace are linen – I’ll wiegt it when i get back tomorrow if you need to know exactly. the spangles are distributed roughly according to the original, but the original has a plain edge
I think it looks cool. Even with the lace. Not frilly at all.
I think I just need to wear it a fwe times and get used to it
I got a spotted vintage dres (half price sale, I couldn’t resist)- gf says it looks lovely, but I have the same prob as you with the lace- just not used to it. Yeah, wear it a few times. You could always take the edge lace off if you don’t, can’t you? Could it be that it’s awfully ‘busy’ with the redwork, spangles, seam *and* edging?? Your clothes are usually more about the materials than lots and lots of small details, I’ve noticed. I do love the insertion seam!
hmmm, my costumes are often quite busy, so I probably wont notice once its on. I love spots, but the vintage thing never works for me cos you need to have a waist, which I dont
I think you’ve done a good job of matching the edging to the redwork. It maybe just needs you to get used to the lace edging!
i probably wont even notice once I’m wearing it, I often dont like things much when I first finish them
Have been meaning to have a go at very early bobbin lace edgings for ages – I have a book of patterns but that’s as far as it got. It would be interesting to try to reproduce some of the metal thread lace in the Hardwick Hall collection. Fine linen thread for bobbin lace is available again, so I have no excuse really …
I’ve never done bobbin lace. When I was 14 my mums friend asked if I wanted to learn, and when I said yes handed me an almost finished c17th collar she was working on, and I was too scared of ruining it to touch it