HSF #3 and #4 -- the "Meh"tticoat and sleeve ruffles

Yeah yeah, I'm behind on Historical Sew Fortnightly. I actually had #3 done in time but have been too lethargically stricken by the boring common cold to feel like dragging myself on here and collecting my thoughts and photos well enough to post.

#3 is something I already posted a picture of, and I'm not going to do an in-detail photo series on it because it bored me to tears just making it:

The Challenge: #3: Under it all (boring petticoat)
Fabric: Lord knows...it was some kind of very large ivory tablecloth, most likely a linen blend by the feel and look of it, but I couldn't find a tag.
Pattern: No pattern, just winging it like I have ever since making my first petticoat based on the lovely Koshka the Cat's tutorial.
Year: 17whatever, it's kind of hard to pin down a specific date for something so basic that I don't think changed much.
Notions: Thread
How historically accurate is it? Very, as far as I know...it looks like most museum petticoats and is entirely handsewn. Also I think the fabric is natural.
Hours to complete: 3-ish
First worn: my birthday
Total cost: Nada, I raided my stash!

There's really no point in taking a dozen pictures of it, haha. It's just a boring off-white petticoat that I felt "meh" about when I finished it. Just one of those things that I needed but didn't really want to make.

And then much more fun (to me, anyway!):

The Challenge: #4: Embellish (Sleeve Ruffles aka engageants but I gather we're not supposed to use that term, unless we're French? Who knows.)
Fabric: None! Bet that threw you, haha.
Pattern: Eyeballed it
Year: 1740-1780, we'll say
Notions: Lace, ribbon
How historically accurate is it? The materials aren't quite right, but I think the construction isn't too bad. Plus they're completely hand done.
Hours to complete: 2 1/2, if I hadn't gotten distracted by tv a lot
First worn: Not yet! Looking forward to putting them on dresses, taking them off dresses, putting them back on...you get the idea! I wanted them to be easily interchangable with gowns.
Total cost: I think about $14.

 I started out by trimming the lace a little so the ruffle would be a little narrower where it hits at the inside of the elbow/fore-arm, but in retrospect I could have trimmed even a little more off to make the contrast greater with the length of the back of the ruffle.

My hand sewing is definitely getting better little by little! After I gathered the lace, I bound the top with grosgrain ribbon so I'd have a good sturdy surface for when I stitch these into gown sleeves and then take them out later.

 

 They're very ornate, and probably not quite the thing to go on a middle-class "Sunday" gown, but I just really, really loved the lace.

 Tada! All ready to be sewn (or even safety-pinned) into a gown's sleeves! I felt very elegant just making dismissive hand motions at the dog when his drooly jowls got too close to my superior person.

Eventually for a challenge I'd like to make an entire lower-class ensemble from some delightfully clashy colors. Don't judge me for my 70's berber Thanksgiving-themed basement carpet.