18th Century

Someone else’s very engaging sewing (and cats!)

Remember Madame Ornata, who makes gorgeous petticoats and stays, and luscious silk pet en l’aires, and who takes care of adorable geckos?

Well, while I’ve been away in Hawaii sewing un-costumey, un-historical, un-romantic stuff, she has been sewing up a romantic, historical, costumey storm.

And as her official blogger, I feel obligated to show you what she has been up to.

Among other things, she has been making detachable lace engageates for the pet that we draped together (which reminds me that I must post updates on the progress, as the pet is almost done!).

Madame Ornata loves lace, and she was able to buy a bunch of lovely patterns in bulk from the Fabric Warehouse.

This stuff has embroidery on a soft rayon or nylon net.  Not historically accurate in materials or technique, but closer in feel and drape to silk lace than most other options that are available.

Being the amazingly talented (and slightly insane) Virgo that she is, not only did Madame Ornata hand gather and stitch the lace to a ribbon…

…she is now hand embroidering tiny little flowers all along the ribbon.

Did I tell you that she has also been known to embroider the inside seam allowances of garments!?!

And she still manages to sew as fast as I do!

Sooooo envious!

At least her cats, while adorable, aren’t quite as adorable as Felicity.

Even when wearing an engageate as a ruff:

Or a tutu:

Or a veil:

2 Comments

  1. It’s not the sort of thing that usually gets me, but I had a good chuckle over the dressed up kitty. hehe. She looks pissed in the second picture.

  2. Madame Ornata says

    Hi Steph, glad you had a chuckle . The first cat, is Trilly she’s the sweetest kitty in the world and the second is her ‘adopted’ son Gremlin.
    Trilly is basking front of what we call her ‘four-legged metal friend’ aka the heater. She’s very sweet, talkative, playful and laid-back. We also call her The Mothership as she has atendency to adapot all the young male cats in the neighbourhood.
    Yep, that is definately an unimpressed look on Grem, he’s an extreme ham (his other nickname is Shatner). He’s very playful and loving like Trilly, but unlike Trill quite stroppy and expresses very clearly just how he feels. That is his “do that again and you lose your hand…” look.
    He is tiny, part persion and looks like a cat a kid would draw, but has ‘tude in bucket load. I was laughing so hard that I’m surprised the photo was focused. He soon forgave me after I fed him his favourite treat and played his favourites games with him. He then further reclaimed his injured ‘manhood’ by savaging, Trilly, the couch, his favourite rat toy, 3 curtains and then a quick slaughter of some innocent moth.

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