This dress, though it’s black, is entirely made of very thin linen, so it is actually quite cool on a hot day. It was also my Lacis competency for the Athena’s Thimble needlework guild. As with most of Brigitte’s other dresses, the sleeves are removable.

I’d never done lacis before, so I got an old book and with trepidation attempted it. Finding netting I could afford was  tricky, but I found it at a needlework store which was going out of business online and everything was on sale. Reading about it, I realized that it’s just counted work on a net! So simple! The only difficult is making sure that you weave the loose ends in so that they can’t be seen.

The lacis designs were all counted work from Hans Hofer’s Formbuchlein. The bodice trim was a double scroll and the brustfleck was an interesting woven diamond design I liked.

I did a pomegranate design on the sleeve bands.

I also made her a black linen snood with lacis in a wave design. All 16th century patterns from Hans Hofer. Of course we have no idea if they were actually used for lace, but I can’t imagine that they weren’t. Certainly I would have, if I had lived then and had access to them.