posted on April 24, on MySpace.com

So, after plugging away at the chemise, I finally think it's almost finished.  I have yet to put the buttons on the cuffs, but aside from that, it's done. 

On the neckline and the cuffs I did put on blackwork.  I cheated though.  I didn't want to take the time to do it by hand, so I used one of my decorative stitches on my machine.  It's a simple leaf and stem design and it turned out great!  I did take picures, but they didn't turn out the way I wanted, so I'll be taking more later. 

But....

After much research, the chemise that I've made won't work for what I'm looking for.  It will be great under my Italian gown, and the new Italian gown I'm designing (can you say....too much on one's plate?!?!) but for the Tudor style gown, I'm going to have to make yet another shift.  I've finally found the design and it's exactly what I'm looking for.  It has tighter sleeves and a lower squarer neckline.  You can find the directions here.. http://www.elizabethancostume.net/content.html under smock generator  and a picture of a finished one here... http://www.festiveattyre.com/gallery/linens/un9.html .

I've already found the material I'm using.  It's a cotton/rayon blend in white.  It will be more of a silky type of material, but it will work for what I want.  On this one, I will also be doing blackwork around the neckline and on the cuffs.  The pattern doesn't call for cuffs, but from all the research I've done, there are cuffs on a lot of them.  I'll be using a pearl button (or two) on the cuffs.  When I've got THIS one done, there will be yet another entry on it.

Now, on to this chemise.  As stated, the seams are all french seams and every seam is enclosed so there will be no raveling.  The neckline was finished by hand with a whip stitch on the inside.  Overall, it turned out excellent, but as I stated, it's not going to work for what I want.