Soutache braid was a common trim during Victorian times used to decorate items of apparel. I thought I would try it out on a medium black felted wool fabric panel. The easiest way to trace the pattern on was to print it out. Place the traced pattern, then the tailor's chalk paper and pinned all this on to the fabric. Use a clover tracing wheel to trace the complete pattern. Afterwards I used a quilter's pencil to fill in the lightest traced lines.
The pattern I am using is adapted from an 1860's ladies home journal. These popular ladies magazines brought the latest fashions to ladies engaged in home duties at the time. Off the peg clothing was not available at it is today. So every piece of clothing except for those with a large pocket book had to sew every piece of wardrobe themselves. So the more adept you are with needle skills the more decorative your clothes would be.
This particular braid is made from mylar woven around two cotton cores. It is fiddly to work with and you have to crease it under or over itself to get sharp corners. The motif is pinned before being placed in a hoop lap framed. Then the motif is stitched down with small back stitches.
This is the back panel from a black felted wool skirt. I washed the black wool fabric and then tumbled dried it on low to get it to shrink and felt up. This panel is 1/2 finished.
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