Historically accurate garb for a street musician

[insidiousraven]

So I will finally be working (kind of) at faire this year.  I'm going to play the flute as a street musician.  My question is, what would a musician wear? 

The time period is Tudor. I'll be alone, not in an ensemble.  I'll be on the street, so I'm assuming I'll be of a lower class.  I was thinking a kirtle?

I have the Margo Anderson Tudor Lady's wardrobe.  I'm a little nervous sewing out of it, as I am not an accomplished seamstress.  A kirtle seems like one of those things you either get to fit really well, or it looks horrible on you.

Any other thoughts on what I should wear?

[operafantomet]

So I will finally be working (kind of) at faire this year.  I'm going to play the flute as a street musician.  My question is, what would a musician wear? 

The time period is Tudor. I'll be alone, not in an ensemble.  I'll be on the street, so I'm assuming I'll be of a lower class.  I was thinking a kirtle?

I have the Margo Anderson Tudor Lady's wardrobe.  I'm a little nervous sewing out of it, as I am not an accomplished seamstress.  A kirtle seems like one of those things you either get to fit really well, or it looks horrible on you.

Any other thoughts on what I should wear?

Kirtle with a sleeveless doublet would be awesome. Especially if the kirtle has skirt guards to match the doublet. The depiction underneath has always been a favourite of mine, and although German something similar could have been in use in England. However, doublets for women came a bit after Tudor fashion, and the depiction here is from 1586, so it might be too late for your taste?

In colour, but tiny:
http://www.weyhenmeyer.de/Bilder%20f%FCr%20weyhenmeyer.de/Stammbuch%20Anton%20Weihenmayer%20f%FCr%20index.jpg

Larger, but b/w:
http://discorem.free.fr/16_03.jpg

[gem]

Raven, have you made a bodice that fits you well? You can easily adapt that to a kirtle pattern, like I did to make my purple damask kirtle. That's Simplicity 2621 (corset pattern), which I had made twice before and already knew fit me well, with my favorite OOP peasant skirt pattern cartridge pleated to the waist. Even easier would be to take the bodice pattern, eliminate the point in the front, and cartridge pleat 3-4 yards (probably ~3, since you're small) of fabric to the waist.

HOWEVER, you already have the MA Tudor pattern, so you have a veritable kirtle sewing course right at your fingertips! Another fabulous resource is the Tudor Costume Pages, whose owner walks you through the steps to kirtle construction--which is a terrific read just so you see how to put one together, no matter what pattern you end up using. I can't tell you how many times I've read her tutorial. It's terrific!

I think easier for a novice seamstress than a doublet might be a set of sleeves, which are also accurate for your class and time period. You can see a wonderful set made by Ninya Mikhaila (author of The Tudor Tailor) here.  And here's the super-easy set (kirtle-like dress + tie-on sleeves) I made last year. (Just bodice + 3 yards of linen for the skirt + sleeves I made in a weekend! This is totally doable at your skill level.)

[isabelladangelo]

http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/fcgi-bin/db2www/descrPage.mac/descrPage?selLang=English&indexClass=PICTURE_EN&PID=GJ-435&numView=1&ID_NUM=3&thumbFile=%2Ftmplobs%2FXEHBX3UJCR51DN176.jpg&embViewVer=last&comeFrom=quick&sorting=no&thumbId=6&numResults=6&tmCond=musicisans&searchIndex=TAGFILEN&author=Master%26%2332%3Bof%26%2332%3Bthe%26%2332%3BFemale%26%2332%3BHalf-Lengths

1530's Female Musicians

They are in the Flemish style but it's pretty closely related to the Henrican style in England.   I personally like the open front style of the lady that is sitting down but you can easily adapt the kirtle pattern you have for the lady in the back - just leave the sleeves off and make the sleeves shown out of a different colored fabric.  The sleeves shown are basically a fitted trapezoid for the lower arm with a very large rectangle that is gathered to the top of the trapezoid and then gathered again at the top of the rectangle to give that "puff" in the upper arm. 

[insidiousraven]

Thanks for all of the help!  I'll get pictures up when I finally decide what I'm going to make.  I figure it will be out of linen though, since Kansas is pretty hot for the first half of faire. 

[insidiousraven]

Ok, I'm playing the flute at fest for sure, and I've been approved to make a kirtle.  The costumer suggested wool over linen.  Since it is very hot in Kansas for half of faire, should I look at tropical weight, or would that be too thin?

Heeeelp! I know nothing of wool! I'd like something that is close to a kelly green that is light enough to not kill me during September.  Any ideas?

Thanks!

[insidiousraven]

I guess Kelly green.  Any green that you can tell is green and not brown/black

[gem]

Green linen at Fabrics-store.com

I have their vineyard green, and it's a nice, bright, well-watered-grass green, with maybe just the barest hint of yellow:


Renaissance Fabrics has very nice wool for garb, including several shades of green. I have garb in their wool flannel, and it's comfortable all season. They also do free swatches. Fabric Mart has excellent prices on a variety of wools.  And Hamilton Dry Goods/Period Fabric has a wool they describe as "light-medium" weight, in your basic green green.

[insidiousraven]

Thanks for all of those links!  Is Gabardine an appropriate type of wool?

[insidiousraven]

Also, Margo Anderson's kirtle pattern laces down the back sides, and I was thinking of having it lace down the front.  Would that be difficult to change? Has anyone done this before?

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

If this is for the Kansas City Ren Faire, Linen would be a good choice too.

The Earl and I were there for a weekend the end of September 2005 and it was in the mid 80's.

[CenturiesSewing]

Raven I've made several kirtles from various materials and methods...


Very light weight silk kirtle, side lacing


hand sewn gabardine wool, side lacing



hand sewn red gabardine wool, back lacing


Pink cotton/linen blend of some sort that started off neon orange and had a dye bath in wine rit.


Cotton something or other I got off the dollar a yard table

If gabardine is a period wool or not...the name for it comes from the 19th century if I remember correctly, but it is a twill weave and those have been around for a very long time. I use it because I can get it on sale, it is light weight and is hard wearing.

When you move lacing points on a bodice you need to make sure to add seam allowances to where you move the lacing.