Empire Kit

Ok, so I didn't go to Empire due a number of things (largely because I'm too chicken where large events are concerned).  However, I have friends who did and one of them gave me a black velvet doublet to play with for his kit!  The only rules were no wings and no pink.  Sadly, he knows me too well...

Stupidly I didn't think to take before pictures, but when I was first given it, it had skirt panels, sleeve caps and the sleeves were zipped on.  Oh and horrid plastic toggles!

I swapped the toggles for some shell buttons, took the skirt panels off (they became my test panels), took of the sleeve caps, and got rid of the zips.

 I picked out a selection of ribbons and eventually we decided on the green and silver look.  The other thing I did, which really pleases me but no-one else will ever know about is I took the lining out and replaced it at the end so the stitch lines don't show.

The little beads are seed pearls.  I used 3 packs and they are hand stitched on. Excellent work to do under a blanket in front of the telly when it's cold!

I felt it needed something more at that point so I found the larger beads and experimented until I liked the look of the sunbursts and instead of a centre ribbon I did a line of beading instead.

 The sleeves were reattached by the simple addition of eyelets (I now have my own eyelet punch which I love!) and a narrow silver ribbon.

So there you go.  One pretty league doublet!  It went to Empire and I'm promised it (and it's owner) had a fabulous weekend!