The hint is in the title. Continue Reading
The Killery Coat – Sleeves!
Finally! Sleeves! I’ve been really remiss about posting updates to the Killery Coat project, for which I earnestly apologize. There are Reasons, but none of those matter. Except one: Sleeves are scary. Sleeves are always scary. Ask anyone who’s tried and failed to set a sleeve! They go in wrong, they look awful, they make… Continue Reading
The Killery Coat – The Sleeves. Kind of.
Okay, I’m beyond late with this. I admit it. Why? Because sleeves are a pain in the ass. See, there’s this very, very distinctive way the Early Modern Irish tended to put sleeves onto garments. You see it all over the place, from the Kilcommon Jacket to the Tipperary Coat. The Killery Coat has it,… Continue Reading
The Killery Coat – The Gores
…and a little more about the body, which we discussed last time. So the rectangles which make up the body are now on my dress dummy. The shoulder “seams” are pinned into place. Well, I say place. We’re still futzing with it. Because in the interest of keeping this as simple as Kass thinks the… Continue Reading
The Killery Coat — The Collar
The bog was dark and desolate. The wind off Lough Gill was bitter, bringing the earthy reek of peat, and piercing through the wool of your father’s coat to chill your bones. You turned, put the view of Parke’s Castle to your back, nothing more than it deserved, built as it was on the bones… Continue Reading
The Killery Coat – The Body
No, not the body on which the garment was found, you morbid corpse-watchers. The body of the Coat itself. This week’s installment looks at the main pieces of the Coat. In the Introduction, we discussed briefly the historical data on record about the Killery outfit. To recap, Dunleavy in Dress in Ireland posits that the Killery… Continue Reading
The Killery Coat – Introduction
In 1824, a suit of clothes was found six feet deep in a bog in the parish of Killery, County Sligo, in Ireland. Before we go any further, it’s pronounced “KILL-er-ee,” not “kill-AIR-ee,” which I learned to my great shame after a decade saying “kill-AIR-ee.” Take it from me, children: Go to someone who lives… Continue Reading
A 17th century Drawnwork Jacket with Silver Spangles
My Next Insanity A Drawn-work Linen Jacket with Silver Spangles Okay… Now I’ve really gone off the deep end. You may have read my page on needlelace. All my friends embroider, but I’m really bad at it. But in needlelace, I’ve finally found something that appeals to my meticulous nature without… Continue Reading
Some Early Modern Stitching…
It was long thought that the most common stitch on early modern garments was the running stitch. Recent re-examinations have shown that this is inaccurate. Those who have tried to sew their replica garments using only running stitches will not be surprised. Even if one makes the stitches 2mm to 4mm apart, the running stitch simply isn’ t strong enough to… Continue Reading
A History of Ladies' Riding Jackets
Ever wonder why women dress how they do when horseback riding? Curious as to the history of equestrian gear? Here is a quick history of ladies’ riding habits from the archives of Reconstructing History. Continue Reading