Beginning on Aethelflaed herself. Again.

Sigh. When last you saw Aethelflaed, I was about to start unpicking the back of her riding dress.

It’s done now. As regular readers of my blog know, I don’t unpick unless I really can’t avoid it and I’m sure I can do better. If I have no idea what to do differently, I leave well alone until I can come up with a Plan.

Well, I have a plan now. I’m changing up which silks I use, going for something redder and with less blue in it. Here’s hoping that the border still works, but that would be a serious trial to unpick (as though a panel of straight split stitch weren’t already a trial!).

You can tell I’m not entirely sure of myself, however.. I have worked her gauntlets first!

You may recall I designed them as mittens, rather than gloves with fingers, because I could not imagine that fur lined mittens weren’t a thing for a noblewoman riding, and besides, it let me escape doing her hands. I will have to do hands for Rahere and Julian, but until then, I’m ducking it.

I gave the gauntlets a narrow border of yellow, thinking of a silk or metal braid that might have been used as a trim.

Then I decided to make sure she was shod. Practical brown ankleboots, with extra reinforcing down around the heel. I’m not sure whether stirrups were in use at this point, and in any case, I think it’s a detail I don’t need to add at this stage.

And now I really can’t put off that dress any longer!