An eyelet for an eyelet

Finally reached the point where I could stand to touch the Maciejowski gown again, and I've restocked my supply of gold buttonhole silk, so the last of the hem embroidery and finishing micro-stitches are under way.  I had gotten about halfway around the skirt when the first spool of silk ran out.

While I was making a supply run, I also picked up some 1" wide twill tape to make reusable lacing strips, which I hear are very helpful when trying a new pattern for a fitted garment.  As I have several on my "To Do, Sooner Rather Than Later" list, I figured it would be worthwhile to get cracking on the strips.

Some of the stash

Clockwise from the top left:
Dark brown and Kermit-the-frog green linen for a sleeveless kirtle
Cream linen for a chemise (already cut), apron and new Cheater Birgitta
Red and black linen for a parti-colored cotehardie  Gleann Abhann ... Awe Hail!
Red wool/wool-blend hood, in progress
Natural linen for another sleeveless kirtle
Olive linen for a cotehardie/GFD

Shopping

JoAnn recently opened a new store, so I paid them a visit yesterday.  Didn't hurt that they had linen on sale for 50% off ... Not a fantastic selection compared to the last time I went fabric shopping at Hancock, but since I'd been dropped off and didn't want to try walking through the traffic and sketchy weather I stayed put and picked up 3.5 yards of mid-weight natural linen and some matching silk.

Productive failure

I've spent a good portion of the day testing an experimental dye I boiled out of althea blooms.  The dye turned out a slightly-darker-than-storebought-honey color, so I figured it would take a long soak for any textile to show much of a change.  I soaked some scraps of unbleached muslin, slightly off-white linen and white fisherman's wool in an alum solution last night, since flower pigments are supposed to be rubbish on unmordanted fabric.

In my own backyard

Last year I was reminded that I have pecan trees in my yard.  Several of them.  And they're very mature and very productive, by the look of things.  I picked up a nut that had been prematurely knocked off the branch, hull and all, and started to play with it.  In the process I got quite a bit of hull juice on my hands, and I later discovered it is not an easy stain to remove.  Thus began my mild fascination with dyes that can be made from materials that can be found in the garden (or the grocery store, for cheats) at little to no cost.