FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
Ellundril Chariakin’s waistcoat
(click images to to enlarge)
Outline the story …
When the competition theme came out, I instantly know who I wanted to do, and in which outfit. Ellundril Chariakin, from Pierre Bottero's Les mondes d'Ewilan" (Ewilan 's worlds) serieS, is a marchombre, a shadowwalker, Chevaucheuse de brume (mist rider). "j’ouvre des chemins, et le destin se plie devant ma volonté (I open paths, and destiny is powerless to my will)". While she mostly wearS a leather armor in the books, I immediatly imagined her in a raw silk (which in French we call wild silk), very fitting here, in the colors of the moon and the mist. Another haiku of the marchombres also inspired me into realising this outfit, which is
Crocs brillants,
Reflet de lune exubérant,
Noir retour.
(Flash of fangs
Exuberant moonbean,
Dark return.)
As a complete beginner in the world of sewing (the shirt was my 2nd sewing project, the waistcoat the 3rd, though I do embroider), that was quite the project. Of course I didn’t have a pattern for the waistcoat, so used pattern for a XVIIIth century riding jacket from Janet Arnold pattern of fashion 1 (the jacket of a riding habit, 1730-50) and tried to adapt it, using as a reference several portraits dispaying women in riding habits of the period. For the shirt, I used the basic pattern from Bernadette Banner’s video, and referenced several shirts on the Met’s website.
Outline the construction…
Both the shirt and the waistcoat were entirely sewn by hand. The shirt is made of irish linen, and was quite simple in construction (and in the non-existent fitting). For the waistcoat, things were a lot more challenging for my beginner’s brain. First, the mock-up stage, where I had to fit myself, while doing a fitting exercise for the second time of my life, wasn’t easy (it shows). Second, while the embroidery pattern isn’t the traditionnal one, I wanted the construction to be as authentic as I could make it. I used Zack Pinsent’s 2 videos on XVIIIth waistcoats, and imitated the construction, which can be seen on one of the pictures (the broadcloth seen on the picture was only used on the button side, on the buttonhole side there is only the linen double folded strip. I however added a layer of cotton to the raw silk, as it was rather loosely woven, and the glazik embroidery (inspired from Pascal Jaouen’s work) in silk would’ve bunched the fabric even worse. The back is linen and that same cotton, and the thread used are either linen thread, of a kind of cotton thread we often use in bobbin lace to imitate silk (thicker than the usual cotton thread, and shiny).
This is amazing! I especially love the embroidery and the silvery color of the silk, so good!
Thank you so much ! I fell in love with that raw silk as well =D
Intriguing, thoughtful and magical…
Then my goal was achieved…. =D Thank you so much Jane !
Your needlework is inspiring! the attention to detail is magical!
Thank you so much for your kind comments !
Mais ouuii Les Mondes d’Ewilan quelle bonne idée !!
C’est vraiment réussi en tout cas, et les broderies sont superbes !
Ouiii super quelqu’un qui connait ! =D Ce monde et la chevaucheuse de brume sont trop poétiques pour ne pas inspirer….
Merci beaucoup !
Great stitching and details! I love that shirt.
Thank you ! I love it too, and am already getting a lot of everyday wear out of it 😉
The embroidery detail is just lovely!
Thank you ! Those silk threads embellish everything they touch indeed !
the details are so beautiful, really well done ♡
Thank you for your comment ! It’s a labor of love =D
Beautiful work, the embroidery adds a lovely and unique flair!
Thank you ! If you want more examples of this kind of embrodery (though colorful instead of monochrome), you should check out Pascal Jaouen’s work ! =D
The Waistcoat looks stunning! And your Embroidery is beautiful.
Thank you for your comment !
Wow! That embroidery! And the topstitching. This is just stunning all around.
Thank you so much !
You have such a talent with embroidery. It’s wonderful
Thank you, I love this kind of embroidery from Brittany =)
To me the simple construction of the shirt, when done right, as you have here, is stunning! That waistcoat is beautiful! If you call this beginner work, I don’t stand a chance! Thank you!
Oh my, thank you but don’t say that ! I’m somewhat handy with a needle, but there’s a lot of fit issues XD
Wow! Truly stunning workmanship. Lovely details!
Thank you for your comment, I appreciate it !