Ideas for Sleeves

[DonaCatalina]

I have spent the last year embroidering and beading the bodice, cap sleeves and peplum skirt. I have the fabric for the underskirt.
But the longer portion of the sleeves are just not telling me what they want to be.
Ideas?

[gem]

What kind of fabrics have you used? I think that might help me more than just a sketch of the silhouette. That peplum skirt is so unusual; I'm wondering if you don't want to go really simple so the sleeves don't compete. I like the striped narrow sleeves of your blue gown; maybe something similar with a textural detail like slashing or pinking?

I will ponder & do portrait research, but in the meantime I've bumped the Sleeve Eye Candy thread in case that sparks any inspiration!

[gem]

Found this on Pinterest:



1628 jacket:

[DonaCatalina]

OK,
I'm lazy about taking photos, sorry. The cap sleeves are 8 inches long from the top of the shoulder, maybe not quite as long as the sleeves on this dress..

Link to the album here
The salmon color of the long skirt is actually very close to the metallic copper embroidery.

[isabelladangelo]

LOL! I think that store dress in the link should come with a warning.    



Anyway - I don't think you need sleeves for the dress - the bodice already has so many different elements that sleeves may further confuse the eye.   

However, if you want to go through with sleeves, do you have enough to make the sleeves and the skirt out of the same fabric?   I think that might blend it altogether nicely.   

[DonaCatalina]

Yes, I have plenty of the skirt material. But I used up all of the green fabric. I can do a straight sleeve with pinking.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Your color combo is outstanding, Dona! Cannot wait to see your finished product.

You do have the eye for fabric.

[gem]

I just saw this on Pinterest, although I can't find the rest of the portrait:
Elizabeth of Valois (detail), Juan Pantoja de la Cruz, 1605



You might not want to commit to that much more beading (plus your damask already has some nice texture to it), but the color is dead on, and the slim fit and slashes would complement the cap sleeves... and check out the tabbed cuffs that echo your peplum! Such a small but excellent detail.

[isabelladangelo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Isabel_de_Valois2..jpg

Full portrait.  :-)

[DonaCatalina]

Surprisingly, the Wikipedia file doesn't work for me.
But I believe that this is the portrait of Isabel de Valois.

The pinking I can probably do. Thanks for the idea.