This fichu is my work and the photo was taken while I was finishing the embroidery. It is now finished and ready to wear. I have a nice navy linen petticoat and jacket which I intend to wear this with. I should post a photo of the finished piece. Each of the flowers was inspired by those in some original garment and combined to produce a unique design. Once I finished the embroidery, it was cut out following the drawn lines and hand hemmed around the three edges. It is linen fabric with cotton embroidery.
My work, my embroidered workbag. It is heavy natural colored linen, cotton lining, and cotton embroidery thread. Such bags served multiple purposes during the 18th century and mine is no exception. It may hold eyeglasses and personal items one day and quilt blocks or embroidery work in progress the next. Jumps, RSD Museum See front belowLACMA museum.V&A Museum. 17090-1729. Front. Linen, cord quilted and embroidered with silk thread. Pockets worn underneath a petticoat and accessed through side slits in the petticoat.Case, 18th century. Eooper Hewitt Collection.Pinner apron, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Definitely not a utilitarian garment.Embroidered and quilted petticoat. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.LACMA, Los Angeles. 1760. Silk with silk and metallic embroidery.Petticoat and caraco jacket, lavishly embroidered and obviously for a special occasion. This may well have been professionally embroidered, at any rate it was not a working-class garment.Man’s embroidered cap. 18th century.Sothebys Auctions. Silk embroidered child’s cap, ca. 1730. Lovely oak leaf and acorn design.Wallet, more than likely a gentleman’s. Mid to late 18th century. Antique Associates online.Original fichu/neckerchief, 18th century. Antique Associates online.Man’s waistcoat front. Cooper Hewitt. Silk. Mid-18th century. A sublime gentleman’s formal/court wear garment, ca. 1775-85. The Met. These intricate designs were almost always professionally done.Still considered formal wear, but not as elaborate. he embroidered cuffs are detachable. With another waistcoat and the cuffs removed this could be worn for far less formal occasions.
I write articles for various magazines and books about foods and cooking techniques. My work centers primarily around historic foods and I travel throughout the country doing cooking demonstrations at various local, state, and national venues and teaching an occasional period cooking class. I've done cooking demonstrations on national and local television, including Chicago's WGN.
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Brady's Faithful Reproductions 