Anglo-Saxon Collar and Cuffs

I decided to do a hand out of embroidery patterns for clothes. The first one I chose to do was Anglo-Saxon. I decided to use one of the patterns from the handout to make a collar and cuffs for my new wool tunic. The tunic is maroon so I found a mustard wool for the background of the collar and cuffs (the wool as salvedged from a skirt from the Salvation Army - $2.50 for 100% wool skirt, with enough to do two sets of collar and cuffs).

I outlined the pattern using stem stitch and filled with split stitch. It worked, but I will use thicker wool next time. I am going to put pattern around the hem and I am going to use tapestry wool for that.

I am working the collar in Appletons crewel wool. I have basically finished all the embroidery, and didn't take progress pictures. I was sewing to enter it into a WCoB competition and didn't have time to do progress reports. However, it wasn't completed in time, so I will try and get some progress pics as I work on the cuffs.

One problem that has emerged is that there is puckering in the curved parts of the pattern. I think this has occured by packing the stitches too tightly, while using a very fine thread. Also, the pattern could be too curved. I am hoping that some of the puckering will go once the front slit is cut and the collar is sewn down. If it doesn't work, I may have to do the whole thing again. I am going to work a variation of the pattern in a more open style.

16th August, 2004

Last night I put fray stop down the front slit of the collar. After drafting the patterns and after I'd started sewing I realised that I had forgotten to leave room down the front slit for hem! Duh! So I am going to have to be very careful sewing that in place. I am thinking of sewing another bit of material down the front and turning the back. I will see how it goes. I was going to start the cuffs straight away, but I think I might try sewing the collar down first, incase I decide to re do it. That way, if I do change the pattern, cuffs will match.

5th Sept, 2004

I bit the bullet and got the iron nice and hot and steam pressed the stuffing out of it. It flattened the puckers out quite effectively. So I kept going. I marked the shape, cut it out and tacked down the inner and outer edges. These were then pressed. I then cut the slit in the front of the neckline. I was planning on turning a tiny seam and then sewing that down, but once I cut it, with the fray stop down each edge, it wasn't fraying, so I decided to just over sew the edge. This worked really well. Then I sewed down the inner and outer turned seams. Pulled out the taking. It worked perfectly. I need to clean the cat fur off the dress and then I will take a proper photo. Only problem is that now I have no excuse not to do the cuffs!

15th Sept, 2004

I have started work on the cuffs. They are much easier to work with in relation to framing up on the scroll frame. I can have both cuffs on one small, easily transportable frame. Below is the progress at 6 hours. This shows half the cuffs.

24th Sept, 2004

The embroidery on the cuffs is finally finished. A total of about 60 hours. I ironed them out quite hard and overlocked the edges. Not very period, but I don't want them to fray. Now I just have to finish by putting them on the tunic.

27th Sept, 2004

The tunic is now finished. Only took about an hour to sew the cuffs on. Yeah!! (I will get a better picture later).