Once again a chance image on Facebook throws me into a frenzy of charting. The Friends of Sheffield Manor group posted this image of Elizabeth Hardwick, Countess of Shrewsberry. attributed to the school of Hans Elworth. It’s accession 1129165 of the UK’s National Trust collection.
Obviously what struck me were the sleeves. I tried and tried to chart them on the diagonal, but the geometry worked out much more cleanly if done straight. Now sewing, especially historically accurate construction is not my strength. But I ask folk more versed in it than I am, was it possible that if embroidered linen was used for those sleeves might they have been cut on the bias and not with the grain? The motifs look grain-wise at the collar, but are clearly sitting “on point” on the diagonal for the sleeves.
In any case, I’ve added the graph to the on-site free collection here. My rendition of it is approximate, but as close as I was able to achieve. I’m fuzzy on the exact shape of the free floating rondels occupying the empty areas where the chain rosettes meet. And their color is also problematic. Some are brown, some red, and some a pale indeterminant color – it might just be fading of the paint.
I lay no claim to the design itself – only my graphed rendition. Like most of the pieces offered here on String, this is available for your personal use. It’s Good Deed Ware – if you work it up please consider paying the kindness forward, assisting someone in need, calling a friend or family member who could use a bit of cheering up, or otherwise making the world a tiny bit more pleasant. And please note that my representation of this design is copyrighted. if you are interested in using it commercially or for larger distribution, either incorporating it into a pattern for sale or other dissemination, or if you want to use it on items that are made for sale or donation, please contact me.
And as always, I love to see what mischief the pattern children are up to out there in the wide-wide world. Feel free to send me a photo or a link. And if you give permission, I’ll add your work with or without your name (as you desire) to the growing Gallery page here on String.
String-Or-Nothing 
I did a version of this in my card set #11…. that was back before digitial stuff, so I’m trying to find a copy so I can take a pic!
Thank you so much for resurrecting and sharing all these beautiful designs.
IIRC, before knitting was common, stockings were made by cutting the fabric on the bias. That would allow some give for fit and for movement at knees and ankles. So I could see sleeves, especially if they were fitted to the arm, to be cut on bias. Though these don’t seem *that* fitted…artistic license perhaps? On the other hand, the painters of the royals did seem pretty proud of getting them shown pretty close to reality. On another other hand, It’s quite possible the pattern in real life had some “quirks”. Possibly they were hidden in areas like under or back of arm that wouldn’t be the focus while wearing?
Maybe how to do this pattern so the fabric is cut on straight of grain, but the pattern looks on the bias, is one of those things that someone will wake up at 2am and say “Aha! It could be done this way”. If so, I hope they wake up enough write it down, or stitch it, so it’s not lost by morning.
Very pretty pattern, thanks for sharing it.
Your design is lovely, however I kept seeing circles in the original pattern that I didn’t find in yours, so I gave it a try based on your previous recommendations.
The result is pretty different, and solves the bias problem
Feel free to use it as you please
best regards,
I’m afraid that the blogging software doesn’t allow posting pix. If you have your version at an accessible link, I invite you to post that link (at least in text). All interpretations are valid.
I saw the original when I went to the UK last year, although I would have said it was at Chatsworth House. Maybe they move it between houses? She is older in the portrait at Hardwick, and wearing an ermine cape.
Bess of Hardwick was an amazing woman. I also saw Hardwick Hall, which was fascinating. She was a great collector of tapestries, and they are still hanging on nearly every wall of the House. I had no idea they could be so large.