Gallery of In Progress Projects

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Looking good, Lady Rebecca!!!

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

This will be my next major project for TygarKat after I finish the play I am working on between Alterations...

The imfamous Elizabeth Bathory of Hungary. I will be doing as close a recreation from this only known portrait of the Countess, with some variations, still giving this ensemble a flair of its own.

[Tygrkat]

Huzzah! I am *so* excited to see how it comes together ~ and even more excited to wear it! 

Thank you, Lady Kathleen!

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

The part I am studying closer, Tygrkat, is the unique ruff around her neck. It appears to be made of Silk Organza with some kind of wiring to hold the shape. The variation I will make will be that of a medium weight Buckram, Silk Organza, Lace, and gold and buttons with pearls at the neck to close it in the back.

From what I can tell in the front of the Bodice, it's a decorated placard with buttons and trim to look like it ties. Back lacing will be easier for you.

[gem]

From the portrait, it looks as though the ruff goes straight across in front, like a big square bib, parallel to the floor. I wonder if it's more likely that those are like the points of a "collar" that are flaring out from that black jewel at the center of her bodice neckline, and that there's actually a big V opening there that we can't discern because of the perspective the artist used.

Can't wait to see this one all together!

[operafantomet]

To my eye it looks like there's been some overpaint or paint loss in the Elizabeth Bathory portrait. The collar and the girdle just doesn't make sense. Judging from the style of the painting, I would think it's a 19th century copy of an original - though I'm merely guessing. Bu there's something about the face that doesn't look 16th century.

I love the apron and the colour combination!

ETA: eureka! This one makes a lot more sense:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Alžbeta_Bathory.jpg

I won't claim the one in the link is the original, but to my eye it looks older. And at least it explains the odd girdle. It's a long necklace worn tight around the neck, going down the bodice front, and is pinned or otherwise fastened to one side of the bodice. The Z lacing also looks more period. And the collar appears to be closed around the neck. Transparent sleeves too!

ETA 2: this forum is not too fond of links which contains paragraphs or foreign letters... I'm afraid you have to copy and paste the link to see the picture.

[operafantomet]

The trim is all done! I will be adding three more hooks and eyes towards the top, which will hopefully close up that gap. There will also be swarovski crystal pieces going down the front center.

This bodice is simply fantastic!! Yay for 17th century recreations, especially when it looks as lovely as yours.

Gusjodi, I'm in love with the fabric you've used for that skirt forepart. It's so vibrant, and such a good fit to the other materials. It immediately caught my eye.

[gem]

Anea, I think you're right about those Bathory portraits. There is something a little too, well, quaint about the red version.

I have some new progress pix of the purple damask kirtle, which is moving along swiftly now, and finally starting to look like something!

Here's the fully constructed (but not finished) bodice, which as you see is indeed seamless in front:


I did, however, have to piece the back, to correct an issue with the fit:



(I'm thinking I should do a tutorial on my blog on how to match prints/patterns across a seam. I have a technique that is WAY easier than many I've seen.)

And just to show you how truly fickle that damask fabric is (four pix, and it's a different color in each one!), here's the bodice again, with flash:



And as you know, the skirt panels are also all cut out (and sewn together, since this picture):



Next up: piping the bodice, which I'll do tonight from the millionty-one yards of black wide-wale corduroy piping I made last week. Then it's decision time for the pleats in the skirt (knife or cartridge)!

Onward!!

[NoBill Lurker]

To my eye it looks like there's been some overpaint or paint loss in the Elizabeth Bathory portrait. The collar and the girdle just doesn't make sense. Judging from the style of the painting, I would think it's a 19th century copy of an original - though I'm merely guessing. Bu there's something about the face that doesn't look 16th century.

I love the apron and the colour combination!

ETA: eureka! This one makes a lot more sense:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Alžbeta_Bathory.jpg

I won't claim the one in the link is the original, but to my eye it looks older. And at least it explains the odd girdle. It's a long necklace worn tight around the neck, going down the bodice front, and is pinned or otherwise fastened to one side of the bodice. The Z lacing also looks more period. And the collar appears to be closed around the neck. Transparent sleeves too!

ETA 2: this forum is not too fond of links which contains paragraphs or foreign letters... I'm afraid you have to copy and paste the link to see the picture.

[Tygrkat]

Another reason I <3 LOVE <3 this forum!! ~ I did quite a bit of searching online, and it was very difficult to find any information on Elizabeth (Erzsebet) Bathory that seemed free of fantasy and fictionalization (as much as any re-telling can be), and yet here, within a short period of time more accurate portrait is posted  

I've only managed to find a few books about her, and most of them seem to be more novelizations or at least based in historical facts with wide liberties taken...if anyone could point me in the direction of stronger biographical works, I would be most appreciative!  



( Lady Kathleen, I'm just as keen on black as I am red for the gown ~ I'll leave that matter in your hands... )

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

The Blood Red (no pun intended)Velveteen seems the better choice for the gown, Tygr!.

Though NoBill Lurker's photo of the portrait gives me more to work with as far as ideas go... A variation of the gown regarding some of the embellishment details will still be original in feel.

[gem]

Credit where credit is due: Anea posted that fabulous second portrait.

[NoBill Lurker]

The Blood Red (no pun intended)Velveteen seems the better choice for the gown, Tygr!.

Though NoBill Lurker's photo of the portrait gives me more to work with as far as ideas go... A variation of the gown regarding some of the embellishment details will still be original in feel.

That's Operafantomet's picture...I just got it to show up on the Forums as she was having problems with posting it...

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Credit where credit is due, thank you.

[Syrilla]

I wonder about the necklace item that is worn in both paintings.  Do you think that in the red version, the artist painted the pearls then painted over them, only leaving the black spacing jewels?  See how they follow the line to the waist, a little offset, just like the one in the black dress.  Where the pearls just reappear at the waist.  hummm