Has anyone made the Festive Attyre chemise?

[gem]

I'm sure somebody here has used Jen Thompson's instructions for an Italian chemise, right? I'm wondering how you found them to work with--particularly the way the neck hole is created as a vast empty space between the sleeves and body pieces (instead of cut out or otherwise shaped), and also the triangular (instead of diamond-shaped) gussets.

I'm very similar in size to the measurements she's given, so I think the size will work, but I'm concerned about getting the neckline to be the right size. I want to embroider a neck band for it, but I'm not sure how to measure for the embroidery.

I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts and experiences with this pattern.

Gramercy!!

[Butch]

I made two of these last year.  You're right, the necks were the challenge.  The problem was the arm pieces, if gathered the same as the front and back, were too small. 

I ended up making a drawstring channel on the inside and used a serger to finish the edges. 

I did not do the two triangles for the underarm gussets, I stuck with the square/diamond shapes for the gussets.

[operafantomet]

I made one some years ago, and it's one of the easiest patterns I've worked with. I don't remember the particulars, but I made it in a few hours, and it was smooth work. I did not use a neck band, but gathered the neck opening and attached a lace on the inside. I remember having a bit too little fabric, I think I had three meters in total, so I made the sleeves narrower than recommended. Worked well. I remember being particular satisfied about the gussets under the sleeves, though I don't remember why right now. Later on I made drawstring cuffs, so they can be worn wide or gathered. Picture:



The beauty about this pattern is that it gives you the wide, square neckline important for the 16th century, because of how the sleeves relates to the front and back panels and how the back panel is attached higher up than the front. My other chemise have an elastic ribbon, and must be pulled into place and adjusted every so often. There there's no difference between front and back either, something the new one has.

If you're going to make a neckband, what about making the chemise first, gathering the neckline, make a ca. measure for the embroidered neckband, and adjust the gathering to the band when it's done?

[Lady Rebecca]

I based my 17th c chemise on it. I know I had a little bit of trouble with lining the squares up around the neckline, since I didn't have enough floorspace to lay it all out at once, but it wound up coming together really fairly simply. I knife pleated at the neckline, which was the hardest part of the whole thing, trying to get it to be big enough that it would stay off my shoulders, but not fall completely down.

[DonaCatalina]

The square neck chemises I have made were from something I was taught many years ago in the SCA. I'm not sure if these steps would differ greatly from the pattern you are looking at except for the neckband pieces. I also embroider the neck band pieces before I attach them to anything.
1. Make 2 neck bands to go across the front;length roughly bra strap to bra strap width plus seam allowance.
2. make 2 neck bands for the shoulders length based on the shoulders of your dress plus seam allowance.
3. Gather your rectangular pieces of material to these neck bands leaving 4" of material longer than the neckband.
4. make 2 sqaure gussets 4"x4"
5. attach sleeves to chemise front by sewing together the 4" of fabric at the ends and the neckband ends.
6. attach the back of the chemise to the asembly (this piece should be identical to the front as far as size and construction.
7. fold the neckband corners into a sqaure shape and sew these into place.
8. now attach the gussets under the arms of the sleeves.
9. finish sewing the sleeves together and the sides of the chemise.

[gem]

Thanks, everyone!! Looks like some experimentation will be in order.

Anea, that is *exactly* the look I want to achieve. Thank you so much! And your idea about gathering and then measuring is inspired.

[isabelladangelo]

I use a drawstring around the neckline.  I take a long ribbon and just push it through a channel I create around the top by folding over the raw edge twice to the inside.   You can also just gather it all and encase the raw edge with homemade bias tape -ie a strip of fabric from the same fabric as the chemise.   To get the neck measurement right for the gathering method, you need to measure around your own neckline.   Just try the gathered neckline on before you incase it. 

[operafantomet]

Anea, that is *exactly* the look I want to achieve. Thank you so much! And your idea about gathering and then measuring is inspired.

Really? Wow... Thank you!

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Here are some SIMPLICITY and McCall patterns that could be used to get the same effects for Chemises in various lengths or by tweaking...Hope this helps.

http://www.simplicity.com/p-1722-misses-costumes.aspx

http://www.simplicity.com/p-1970-costumes.aspx

http://www.simplicity.com/p-2022-costumes.aspx

http://www.simplicity.com/p-2627-costumes.aspx

http://mccallpattern.mccall.com/m4091-products-3108.php?page_id=493

http://mccallpattern.mccall.com/m2337-products-698.php?page_id=494

Looks like many of the costume patterns I have from Simplicity and McCalls are Out-of-Print already.

[isabelladangelo]

Why would you use a store bought pattern that you have to pay money for when making one yourself is so simple?  Cut two rectangles that are vaguley 1 1/2 yards for the front and back.  Cut two rectangles that are vaguely 1 yard each for the sleeves.  Cut two 8" by 8" squares.  You have all your pieces.  If you want, cut a 2" by 36" (or what ever the width of your fabric is) strip for encasing the neckline and the cuffs.   It's terribly simple and you can say it's your own pattern.