DIY Decorative Floral Hair Comb

I'm still in a very spring-y mood, which means - you guessed it - more flowers! After looking at all these lovely botanical photo spreads like this one and this one, I felt that I needed something new and floral for my jewelry box.

This is my DIY tutorial on how to make a lovely little blossomy hair comb.

You will need:
A small decorative comb - from Glitter
Resin flower flatbacks - from Green Papaya
Super glue (make sure its the kind that works on plastic)

Step 1: 

Figure out how many flowers you will need. I originally went with four, but ended up suing five. Just align them along the winds of the comb and see how many you can fit in there. 

Step 2: 

Put some super glue on the back of your flowers and attach it to the comb one by one. Then leave it to dry. 

Step 3:
Ta-da! The comb is ready. Add it to your French twist or Edwardian tuck for maximum gorgeousness.

Speaking of flowers, I have recently discovered Fentimans Rose Lemonade. And it is now my drink of choice. It's a lovely ginger-flavored soda with just a hint of rose. Perfect for spring picnics.  

    

Keep it Cool: Historical Fans

As we've been hit by quite a heatwave, what's a girl to do but to break out her secret stash of fans. The advantages of fans are numerous: you can keep yourself cool, add another accessory to your outfit, or let someone special know what you think about them.

Take this Horrible Histories' lady for instance. She knows how useful a fan could be:

The wonderful thing about fans is that they come in all shapes, sizes and color schemes. You can always find the perfect one to compliment your outfit.

So I leave you today with a collection of my favorite fans. I defer a post about the language of the fan to a later date.

Fixed fan, straw embroidery on green silk with wooden handle, 1740, England via LACMA

Folding fan, ivory and paper, 18th century, Spain via the Met Museum

Calendar fan, silk leaf printed and painted, wood and ivory handle, 1774, France via Museum of Fine Arts Boston

Brisé fan, ivory, paper and tortoiseshell, 1790–1820, France via the Met Museum

Folding fan, pierced and painted ivory, 1710-20, China for Dutch market via Cooper-Hewitt

Brisé fan, ivory, 1800s, China via the Kyoto Costume Institute

Folding pleated fan, only 17.8 cm tall and 33.6 cm wide, 1805-1810, France via Cooper-Hewitt

Brisé fan, ivory, metal and oil paint, 1800-1810, France via the Met Museum

Edouard Moreau fan, paper, parchment, paint, mother-of-pearl, metal, 1860–75, France via the Met Museum  

Fan, 1830-60, silk and tortoiseshell, France via the Met Museum  

Fan, graving colored with gouache on paper, with painted wooden sticks, 1830-1840, France via Victoria and Albert Museum

Fan, silk and ivory fan painted with roses, 1845 via Museum of the City of New York

Fan, paper, ivory, metal and glass, 1860s, America or Europe via the Met Museum  

Folding cockade (circular) fan, vulcanized rubber and silk ribbon. 1860s, United States via Cooper-Hewitt

Fan, mother-of-pearl, silk, gouache and metal, 1880-1900, America or Europe via the Met Museum  

Fan, wood, paper, wool and silk, late 19th century, French via the Met Museum 

Fan, painted silk gauze and bobbin lace leaf, with mother-of-pearl sticks and guards, 1890-1900, France via Victoria and Albert Museum

L.(?) Boillaty fan, paper, silk, lace, mother-of-pearl and gilt, late 19th century France via the Met Museum 

Fan, paper and wood, 1903, France via the Met Museum 

Fan, 'L'OCCIDENTALE', vellum; pochoir of woman holding flower in scene with ocean and mountain; illustrated by Paul Iribe, 1911 via the Kyoto Costume Institute

Fan, 1910-1920, France via the Met Museum

Fan, mother+of-pearl and silk, 1920, France via the Met Museum

Fan, silk and celluloid, 1925, France via the Met Museum

Fan, paper, wood and metal, 1925, France via the Met Museum

Fan, synthetic, feather and metal, 1925-1935, European or American via the Met Museum

Shulton, Inc. fan, paper, 1939 American via the Met Museum

Fan, plastic and cotton, spring/summer 1989, France via the Met Museum

Which of these do you like best? Or do you have your very own favorite fan? Let me know!  

Lady's Accessory: History of Handkerchief

My theater group was working on a play and for one of the scenes we needed a blood-soaked handkerchief. So, I set out to make one out of bit of linen I had lying around.

And it got me thinking, where did handkerchiefs come from?  Modern Woman magazine wrote this about the origins of handkerchief in 1940:

"Historians credit Marie Antoinette with the invention of the pocket handkerchief. She was so broken up at leaving her home in Austria that she cried all the way to France and wiped her eyes with bits of lace torn from her dress and lingerie. Anticipating future tears, she made it a point always to have a piece of lace tucked in a pocket of her dress. This, say the historians, was how handkerchiefs were born." - via Bobby Pin Blog

This is a lovely, sentimental story, but it's probably not true. Marie Antoinette must have spent quite a bit of her time crying, but she was not the first person to use pieces of cloth to wipe away her tears.

Rose Bertin, La Galerie des modes, 1770s 

Some believe that the handkerchief was invented by King Richard II of England (1377-1399). His courtiers noted that he used square pieces of cloth to wipe his nose. But it is very likely that handkerchiefs existed as far back as the Roman times. Poet Gaius Valerius Catallus (84BC) mentions something that could be an equivalent of a modern napkin or handkerchief in his writing.

Linens whose loss affects me not for worth
But as mementoes of a comrade mine.
For napkins Sætaban from Ebro-land
Fabúllus sent me a free-giftie given
Also Veránius: these perforce I love
E'en as my Veraniólus and Fabúllus. - The Carmina of Caius Valerius Catullus

Handkerchief were not only practical items but also wonderful keepsakes that people would give each other as presents. Much of Shakespeare's Othello revolves around a misplaced handkerchief.

Iago Nay, but be wise: yet we see nothing done;
She may be honest yet. Tell me but this,
Have you not sometimes seen a handkerchief
Spotted with strawberries in your wife's hand?
Othello I gave her such a one; 'twas my first gift. - Othello by William Shakespeare

Othello and Desdemona, Daniel Maclise, 1859 

Handkerchiefs were usually made of fine linen, cambric or lawn cloth with rich embroidery or lace along the edge. During the Renaissance they were used for hygiene purposes, but they also gained popularity as fashionable accessories for the wealthy. It is possible that the fad began with the court ladies in Italy and slowly made its way to Germany and France.

 A Woman Holding a Handkerchief, Paris Bordone, 1530s(?) 

They eventually reached the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England, and judging from the portraits of the time were used to signify the prosperity and status of their owners. Elizabeth herself had quite a collection of handkerchiefs which were mostly New Year gifts from her loyal subjects.

Portrait of Lady Diana Cecil, William Larkin,1614

Handkerchiefs were often perfumed to ward off unwanted smells or revive their owners should they faint from fatigue or excessive sensibility. It is very likely that Mrs. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice utilized a handkerchief during her bouts of nervousness.

Alison Steadman as Mrs. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice (1995)

Fashion plates of the 18th and 19th centuries abound in pictures of fashionable ladies clutching pieces of cloth in their hands. However, when reading sources from this period, it is not always clear whether handkerchief refers to a pocket handkerchief as we now it today or to a kerchiefs that covered a lady's neck and bosom for modest day wear.

Costume Parisien, 1824

Henry Tilney from Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey knows a thing or two about ladies' dress. He suggest that muslin could always be turned to good use if it is made over into caps, cloaks or handkerchiefs.

"But then you know, madam, muslin always turns to some account or other; Miss Morland will get enough out of it for a handkerchief, or a cap, or a cloak. Muslin can never be said to be wasted. I have heard my sister say so forty times, when she has been extravagant in buying more than she wanted, or careless in cutting it to pieces." - Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen  

Yet from the context it would seem that he is talking about kerchiefs rather than pocket handkerchiefs.

Evening dress, Ackermanm's Repository, 1818 

Ackermann's Repository of Fashions from 1829 has this to say about a new fashion involving a pocket handkerchief.

An attempt is making to bring into fashion pocket handkerchiefs very richly embroidered, the centre of which, by means of a riband, passed through a row of open work, forms a purse. The idea is novel, but in very bad taste; as yet it has been adopted only by a few merveilleuses. Those used by élégantes of acknowledged taste, are of two sorts ; the most elegant have a very broad hem, close to which is a row of open work of about an inch in breadth, each corner is ornamented with a butterfly most beautifully shaded; or else a bouquet of flowers coloured after nature. The other sort which are pretty, but not so expensive, have a broad hem, and a border of open work, close to which is a coloured Grecian border from an inch to an inch and a half in breadth. - Ackermann's Repository, 1829

It would seem that some Parisian fashionista were trying to style a sort of reticule out of a handkerchief, though the author of this review seems unimpressed.

Some beautiful examples of pocket handkerchiefs:

An imperial fine linen handkerchief, 19th century, Russia via Christie's  

Linen handkerchief, Venetian needlepoint, 1700s via Gathering the Jewels 

Handkerchief, Convent of Notre Dame de Visitation, 1865 via Met Museum

Today handkerchiefs have been replaced by napkins and paper towels; though they are still used in men's formal wear. However, we should endeavour to bring back these elegant and useful pieces of cloth. You can find real beauties from the 1930s and 1950s in vintage and second hand stores.

But if you want something a little more refined, make one yourself. Here is a simple tutorial that shows you how to sew a pocket handkerchief by hand. You can spice them up with some lovely embroidery. Whitework looks especially lovely. Monogrammed handkerchiefs make lovely gifts and if you start now you will have a few dozen ready by Christmas. And this lovely tutorial will show you how to make a scented handkerchief.

More on the topic:
A Brief History of the Handkerchief in Europe during the Late Middle Ages through the Renaissance by Margaret Roe
An Intimate History of the Handkerchief by THL Genevieve de Valois
Vulgar Things by Hannah Carlson, Common-Place 
Handkerchief Heroes
Bobby Pin Blog

DIY: How to Make an Elizabethan Ruff

This is it! The week before the big Halloween Party. Which means I must finish my costume forthwith.

And I am in need of one very specific accessory - an Elizabethan ruff collar. These collars look quite beautiful and are surprisingly easy make. All you need is some patience and a whole lot of ribbon.     

First things first, you will need a good tutorial. After looking over countless Elizabethan ruff how-tos, I have found this great video

Materials:
- Ribbon
- Needle and thread
- Scissors
- Ruler or measuring tape
- Pencil
- Matches

Start with the ribbon. I used about 5 meters of 4 cm wide satin ribbon. It looks quite nice, but it's very slippery when you work with it, and if you want a wider collar it may droop a little. If you prefer something more solid, a grosgrain ribbon would probably be better.



Make sure you have enough thread. If you run out in the middle of the sewing project, it's going to be a real pain to tie it off and add another one. When you start sewing the dots together, keep in mind that the ribbon will bunch up. Be very careful and make sure that you do not  miss any pleats. Once you miss one, it's almost impossible to go back.

Adding the neckband ribbon was a very long and painful process. But I'm very happy with how it turned out. I think I'll start making these ruff collars for fun and profit.

 

Sorry about the lighting. I took these pictures in the dead of the night.  

Next week I'll have a longer post about the party and my costume. Stay tuned! 

DIY Flowers and Lace Ring

After I have made the floral headband, I had a few flowers left, which naturally made me think of what to do with them. And as I hate to see good flowers just lie around doing nothing, I decided to make another DIY project. This one is a flower and lace ring.    

Here is what you'll need:

• Ribbon flowers 
• Lace 
• Scissors 
• Wire cutters 
• Needle and thread 
• A glue gun  
• A metal ring base 

Step 1: Take the lace and fold at one ends. Make another fold and sew it on to the first fold. Continue folding and sewing in a circle until you have a lace rosette like the one above.  

Step 2: With wire cutters cut off the stems of the ribbon flowers.  

Step 3: Arrange the flowers on the rosette and glue them into place with the glue gun.

Step 4: Using the glue gun, attach the ring base to the back of the rosette. 

And you're done! 

This is a really fun and easy project. It makes for a pretty ostentatious ring, but if you are a fan of statement pieces and have a soft spot for lace, this is definitely the ring for you!