First, Kathy has managed to secure us a larger room for the December session – December 11-14. (YAY, Kathy!) That means we can have the full complement of 12 embroiderers. So far I have 10, and a couple of those are tentative, so is there anyone else out there who would like to come to Plymouth in December? The living history sites will be closed to the public by then, but the gift shops in the Visitors’ Center will still be open. We’ll also have some of the special programs that the first two groups have enjoyed so much.

 

Aha, you sharp-eyed readers caught me there: a full complement is now only 12, not 13 as it was a few weeks ago. One of the frames has “gone out of service”, meaning that as much work as can be done on it has been done. It is waiting for more threads to be made; more colors of the sparkle thread and the gold thread for the curling vine. Likely that number will go down further as we finish what can be done on the other small frames – the gussets, the wings, the collar & cuffs. The collar & cuffs especially still have a bit to go before that happens.

 

Thanks to Wendy who reminded me to THANK TOM for rescuing us Friday night. At the end of each session the work room has to be broken down and everything moved back to the building where the Colonial Wardrobe office is. Wendy and Tricia offered the use of their big cars so we needed to make only one trip, but if Tom hadn’t shown up to help us load everything, we might still be there carrying. Thanks again, Tom.

 

So, one of the questions that invariably comes up when looking at the partly embroidered pieces is, “Who gets to wear it?” The jacket, of course, isn’t intended for even occasional wearings, it’s meant to be on a mannequin in the adornment exhibit. But a piece of clothing has to be worn at least once, I feel, or somehow it won’t be whole. We’re making the jacket to the dimensions of the original, not to fit anyone in particular. The pieces look little but in reality the finished jacket shouldn’t be impossibly small. In fact, one of the historical interpreters currently on staff ought to be able to fit into it. Paulette is of medium height and slender and her measurements match the measurements of the garment pieces. She may have even tried on the muslin of the jacket while it was being proved this winter. So Paulette will get to wear it, at least once, maybe more, who knows.

 

What other items of clothing will go with the jacket is a puzzle for another day.