Yes, I'm bored.

[isabelladangelo]

So I was going through portraits again when I saw this one.
http://www.wga.hu/art/g/giulio/portwom1.jpg

I saw this years ago when I did my 1530's Italian gown in red silk. But I can't for the life of me figure out what's with this gown! Is it a knitted overlay? Is it just a play with strapwork? Is it patterned damask with raised velvet? Can anyone help?

Comments

[bluedoran.livejournal.com]

cording?

[realm-of-venus.livejournal.com]

It appears, to me at least, to be an overlay. As to what it's made from, I really don't know. It's got substance, so not likely to be ribbon. It looks like velvet to me, edged with gold, but them that could be because I just trimmed a gown with bias strips of velveteen which had been edged (a little further away from the edge though) with gold cord.

[msmcknittington.livejournal.com]

Definitely not knitting. I can't imagine anybody in the Renaissance knitting with scraps of fabric on needles big enough to accomplish something like that. I'm with realm_of_venus.

[isabelladangelo.livejournal.com]

That's what I'm leaning to too. But with all the braiding and twisting...why oh why would they ruin a perfectly fine pink gown with slashing and waste all the black cording?

[isabelladangelo.livejournal.com]

:-) So, it's an overlay of something er rather with pretty colors! I think I like this idea...it gives me leeway if I want to create what has been dubbed the ugliest Italian gown ever. (I had the picture up on the computer and a couple of people went away saying "eww! that's ugly!")

[isabelladangelo.livejournal.com]

Got velvet?

[bluedoran.livejournal.com]

I have one box of fabric out of my parents' house, and no green velvet. :-( I will do my best to locate the stuff. What can I say? There are lots of boxes...maybe I won't be able to find the stuff.