Gallery of In Progress Projects

[gypsylakat]

omg that's going to be so much fun

[Dinobabe]

That is so cool!

[CapnFayeCutler]

One more in progress to update on what I did today:

The light green row is sewn together, and the swatches for the dark green and blue/green are laid out how I want them. I still need to gather the dark blues and purples. I also think before I sew another row, I'm going to serge over all of my zigzag stitches for a more secure seam. Well that and I'm tired of little threads hanging around!



So far this project has been going pretty smoothly. A type of stress relief for me!

[LadyShadow]

Oh that is going to look so wonderful!!  I cant wait to see it finished 

[flidais]

What a fun looking skirt..looking forward to seeing it done.

[operafantomet]

I've had fun with trying out clipped/snipped trims for Italian 16th century dresses, or more specifically the blue 1560 dress. It can be seen in many period portraits, and also in the two extant 1560 dresses in Florence and Pisa. I have added it to the hem and the sleeves. While working on the hem, it dawned to be that there was a practical side to this as well as a decorative one.

Thing is that the hem usually got an inserted layer of a stiff fabric - wool felt, stiff linen etc. This was covered by a strip of fabric which seems to have matched the fabric used in the skirt/dress. The end was folded so a small part peaked out from the hem, and this was cut with tiny slashes, I assume to be decorative. The benefit of stiffening the hem is that it makes it easier to walk. It's like a light-light-light-light version of the farthingale, making the skirt flair out instead of getting tangled between the ankles. And it looks so decorative with the clipped hem.



Another benefit is that the train stays in place, without crumbling (I have deliberately folded it in the second picture, to show how broad the inside strip is). I first folded and clipped the blue fabric, and sew it to the hem. The stiff linen was cut into several narrow + long pieces. These were placed on the hem all around, following the shape. The transitions were zig-zagged together, to form one long strip. I put the stiff linen strip into place, and stitched down the blue fabric on top (was done after I took the pictures).

This method is based on Janet Arnold's pattern for Eleonora di Toledo's funeral dress from 1562. It can also be seen in the so-called "Pisa dress", the red court dress in Palazzo Reale in Pisa:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/extant/redpisa8.jpg

It's also what you see in the neckline of several 16th century portraits. I wonder if it had a practical effect there too, helping stiffening up the neck opening of the bodice (which was often stiffened with fabric cardboard and wool felt)? It looks like some sort of piping was used inside the clipped fabric, to achieve a rounder shape. Definitely worth trying out, it's very elegant in an understated way.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze2/bronzino1532.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze2/bronzino1541.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze2/bronzino1543.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze3/allori1580-90c.jpg

It's also on the cuffs of this one.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze3/santiditito.jpg

[sealion]

I've had fun with trying out clipped/snipped trims for Italian 16th century dresses, or more specifically the blue 1560 dress. It can be seen in many period portraits, and also in the two extant 1560 dresses in Florence and Pisa. I have added it to the hem and the sleeves. While working on the hem, it dawned to be that there was a practical side to this as well as a decorative one.

Thing is that the hem usually got an inserted layer of a stiff fabric - wool felt, stiff linen etc. This was covered by a strip of fabric which seems to have matched the fabric used in the skirt/dress. The end was folded so a small part peaked out from the hem, and this was cut with tiny slashes, I assume to be decorative. The benefit of stiffening the hem is that it makes it easier to walk. It's like a light-light-light-light version of the farthingale, making the skirt flair out instead of getting tangled between the ankles. And it looks so decorative with the clipped hem.



Another benefit is that the train stays in place, without crumbling (I have deliberately folded it in the second picture, to show how broad the inside strip is). I first folded and clipped the blue fabric, and sew it to the hem. The stiff linen was cut into several narrow + long pieces. These were placed on the hem all around, following the shape. The transitions were zig-zagged together, to form one long strip. I put the stiff linen strip into place, and stitched down the blue fabric on top (was done after I took the pictures).

This method is based on Janet Arnold's pattern for Eleonora di Toledo's funeral dress from 1562. It can also be seen in the so-called "Pisa dress", the red court dress in Palazzo Reale in Pisa:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/extant/redpisa8.jpg

It's also what you see in the neckline of several 16th century portraits. I wonder if it had a practical effect there too, helping stiffening up the neck opening of the bodice (which was often stiffened with fabric cardboard and wool felt)? It looks like some sort of piping was used inside the clipped fabric, to achieve a rounder shape. Definitely worth trying out, it's very elegant in an understated way.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze2/bronzino1532.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze2/bronzino1541.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze2/bronzino1543.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze3/allori1580-90c.jpg

It's also on the cuffs of this one.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze3/santiditito.jpg

This is something I want to try!

[operafantomet]

Oh, try it! It was a whole new experience to me, and I liked it so much. Would be cool to hear what others think.

If you need better descriptions, the method is well described in the "Patterns of Fashion 1560-1620" (Eleonora di Toledo's funeral dress). See also Eva Andersson's Lyon dress site: http://web.comhem.se/~u41200125/TempledeLyon.html

[operafantomet]

More on clipped/padded hem:

http://purplefiles.net/katerina/garb/diaries/Linen%20Sottana%20with%20period%20techniques.html

[operafantomet]

Absolutely not renaissance (or SCA), but as this is the garb I'm currently working a lot on I wanted to share a picture:


(the upper half is my folk costume, don't mind it...)

It's supposed to be a replica of a costume from the musical "Phantom of the Opera". It's the grand "Queen Elissa" costume used in the mock opera "Hannibal". I'm copying the ones used in America, as I've previously made an European version (opposite colour scheme). I'm about halfway done with it. Both apron and pleated hem needs more decoration, and there'll be a sumptuous backdrape. There'll also be a false bodice bottom and a large netting underskirt and hundreds of gems and sequences. Yay...

This is what I'm aiming for: http://s638.photobucket.com/albums/uu101/potocostumes/elissa/vegasboggess1.jpg

[Ambrosine]

so this is my first time sharing anything I'm in progress in. Typically I just whip things together so quickly there is no thought of taking pictures of in progress  So  my life has slowed down and I can actually take my time and enjoy the process. I've started my soon to be three year olds pirate coat. He turns 3 on May2ND (national scurvy awareness day, he was born to be a pirate!) So he's having a huge pirate birthday party and I decided to make him his first coat. So far I've got the outer shell put together except for the sleeves, came to a stopping point today though since I did not buy interfacing when I purchased everything else. its a moss green color but its hard to see in the pictures. He picked out the skull and cross bone buttons. I still need to think off trim, opinions are welcome! his pants will be black and I am using black thread on it to give it a contrasting stitch. so I'm thinking of black trim but would like to incorporate another color maybe?

[Kate XXXXXX]

Oh that will be so cute!  Love the buttons!

[gem]

I'm still working on the corded corset and the new corded kirtle mockup, but I have a WIP pic to share of a different sort of project. This is the piece I'm stitching right now, a little castle picture:



It will look like this when done:



When I finish this up, I'll be going back to work on Flora:

[Kate XXXXXX]

Those are lovely.

I working on a conversion of a corset pattern generated with Drea's corset pattern generator.  The conversion is to 18th C stays.  It's going pretty well.  The toile was OK, but a bit short, so I lengthened it above the waist and lengthened the tabs.

Toile:

 

The Real Thing is green silk dupion on a cotton inner.  It got the prettiest eyelets in the whole wide world!



It's now all completely boned and I'm binding the edges with green satin ribbon to match the silk!

  Stitching the binding is slow because it's all hand done and the fabric is TOUGH!

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Nice going, Kate!!

I have Lady DeLaney's funky Pirate coat cut out, along with her farthingale, and Underdress for her Tudor ensemble. I will be super busy the Month of May, thus referring Bridal/Prom Alterations to two friends of mine.

Photos will follow shortly.