Great Shoe Sale!!

From American Duchess:

These beautiful Devonshires are a leather 18th century shoe based on museum examples from the 1760s through 1780s.  They're made of top-grade dyable leather, with a beautiful, smooth Italian leather sole for dancing, and are hard-wearing, water- and mud-proof, for even the toughest of outdoor re-enactments.

Pre-Order the Devonshires through August 10, and get the special $100 price.  We're only making 200 of these shoes, so don't miss the chance to own one of only a couple hundred pair on the planet!  Visit www.american-duchess.com to order.

18th Century Silk Gloves

I found a photo of a pair of beautiful gloves online and decided I needed to give them a try. I found a patten for a similar pair that were cream silk lined with white leather and decorated with blue silk stitching. A triangle of blue silk on the underside of the tip adorns the glove and, when flipped back, ties together the colour.
   An awesome book, Costume Close Up, gave me the pattern I needed to start. A word to those interested... I have discovered silk is a huge pain to work with.  To add to it, the stitching it tedious and painstakingly detailed, at least for a less experience sewer. There is herringbone stitching around the entire glove as well as the detail on the back of the hand. There is also an "S" cut into the front of the glove that is finished with herringbone. This is then closed up with faggoting. The thumbs are added and then the whole glove is lined in the white leather before being finished with faggoting down the entire side.'They are beautiful, but definitely not for novices. I would say that in all, they were more difficult than the stays I made last summer. Were they worth it? Definitely. Will I make a second pair? HELL NO!