Yea! - I have made some progress!!

Managed to get a strip of silk bamboo braided for the entari

AND (drumroll, please....) The pants are almost finished!   Had a bit of an issue with the silly britches - I reduced the pattern a LOT, but still ended up with 20 pounds of fabric bunched up around my hips (used a casing and just gathered it together - per the pattern) and it all went POOF

Not an acceptable outcome.

So, I am pleating the front of the pants and probably using a hook/eye closure on each side.  (I may also pleat the back)   This particular combination may not be period with these types of pants, but frankly - I don't care.   They look MUCH better this way

;o)