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        It is not entirely clear how this could have been made. I have heard of someone using Lacis to create this partlet - and it was effective. However, I have also seen a similar pattern in drawn threadwork.

        Kass McGann (Reconstructing History) used a very similar stitch design on her Drawn Threadwork 17th century Jacket. Kass's research was great but it didn't really provide step-by-step instructions.

        Musing over Kass' work, I then had two lightbulb moments! The first saw me leafing through a needlework book that was given to me by my grandmother. This had EXACTLY the stitch design that could be used for the above partlet. The second lightbulb moment was whilst I was mooching through the internet for anything on Drawn Threadwork. I stumbled across Linda Driskell's Drawn Threadwork Kits. One of the kits available was named Victorian Drawn Thread Centerpiece! It was utterly perfect for my needs - a pattern very close to the above, with step-by-step guidance and also allowed me to create a sampler!!!!!

        I ordered the kit along with another one in November 2004. Over the Christmas period I worked the sampler!!!! And its lovely! Perfect! One pattern for the partlet drawn threadwork technique sorted!

        There is a very easy and distinctive pattern to a partlet. The only thought to keep in mind, is that you can have a fitted one or a gathered/pleated one. The latter requires a larger pattern to take into account the extra fabric required for the gathers, but in my case, it is the former that is required. I needed to ensure that most of the pattern was very "square" to allow for the drawn threadwork overcast stitch. This keeps the cut threads that are NOT to be drawn out, in their place!

        Looking carefully at Eleanora's partlet, the pattern has been turned onto the bias. I suspect this means that a LOT of fabric would have been worked on the straight and then the edges corresponding to the partlet pattern would have been overcast. I have decided that I will have my partlet on the straight - this means that I can whip stitch/overcast the appropriate edges directly onto the partlet pattern.

        I have a lovely little piece of white lace very similar in design to the one that is on Eleanora's partlet. However, I also have some delicate little bobbin lace that is the same colour as my fabric (cream/ecru Zweigart Cashel linen - 28 ct). I did not want to have a bright white partlet especially as Eleanora's is not bright white. Therefore I will use the bobbin lace instead.

        On the kit I have, there are diagonal threads woven into the design. I could keep them as the linen threads that are used or I could use gold thread. I am not sure yet. I could also add the odd sequin (spangle!) or a tiny gold bead or pearl bead in the centre of the squares, but again I am not sure. I suspect that time will dictate whether I get this far!

        As of Easter 2005, I have completed the overcasting stitch on the front left hand piece but had to extend the partlet down (bottom of the image) by approximately 15 or 16 threads. This was because I made a bit of a boo-boo but cutting the wrong threads! This meant undoing all the whip stitch on the bottom line and redoing it further down! I then continued cutting my threads and promptly snipped two that I didn't want cut on the front edge! Annoying, but it can be rectified! I can pull out those two threads and weave two new ones into their place!

This is the Left Hand Side. The edge at the top is actually the bottom edge of the partlet. Shoulder and neckline is at the bottom of the image (out of shot).

Detail of drawn threads.

Partlet Home

Many thanks for the Images to:-