Re: MR: Motley

[Robert J Welenc <rjwelenc@erols.com>]

Poster: Robert J Welenc <rjwelenc@erols.com>

At 11:45 11/4/96 -0500, you wrote:
>
>Poster: edh@ascc01.ascc.lucent.com (Alfredo el Bufon)
>
>When I told my lady wife of the many gentles who admired my
>motley tunic at the recent Crown Tourney, she chided me for
>not telling them how very easy it was for her to make.  I
>will now reveal the process she used:
>
>First, she bade me cut out a cardboard lozenge of the desired
>size, and a second one with similar angles but larger on every
>side by about a quarter of an inch.  This larger lozenge was
>used as a pattern for cutting out lozenge-shaped scraps of
>pre-shrunk cloth, that smaller one was for cutting out as
>many lozenges out of stiff paper (such as may be found in
>slick magazines or catalogs).  Each cloth lozenge was wrapped
>around a paper one and taped in place.  Then it was a simple
>matter for her to abut these stiffed lozenges and sew them
>together.  Afterwards, the paper was torn out.
>
>My lady learned of this procedure from quilting, but does
>not know if it existed in the Period.

>-- Alfredo

I don't know if it was done for patchwork, but there is evidence that a
similar system was used for applique.  I have seen pictures of a period
appliqued banner where the desired figure was cut out of scrap fabric in the
exact shape desired (as above), then glued to the back of velvet.  The
velvet was then cut out with the 1/4 inch allowance, the curves clipped so
that the excess could be turned under smoothly, and the figure was then sewn
onto the background.  (Sorry, but I don't have the reference; it was a
library book that has long since gone back.)  

Alanna Volchevo Lesa

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