Gallery of In Progress Projects

[Betty Munro]

JoAnne's in the uphosltery section.  Get it with a coupon, because it is about $15.00 a yard.  But with one yard I can make 2 bodices.

[LadyShadow]

Thank you. I think I will be sneaking off to the store this weekend 

[gem]

I finally have more progress pix of the nearly-finished (!!!) purple damask kirtle &c. The pix look a little wonky, since I sort of just threw the dress onto the form to check out how the hem was falling (she's not even laced up on one side, let alone tugged down properly in all the right places! LOL):



I used 2" wide black cotton belting to stiffen the hem, and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. The paned sleeves are reversible:

 

I should be binding the top of the second sleeve right now, but my fingers are a little sore! 

I also made a beaded escoffion from the sleeve fabric, but it hates me (the beadwork turned out beautifully, the hat construction... sigh.). Happily, I am working with Joanna Alexander at the Scots Dragon to make me something else.

[Serenity]

OMG Gem.  WANT!  That is absolutely beautiful. 

[Kate XXXXXX]

Lovely work.  Well done.

[amy]

Oh yes, Gem.  that is really turning out spectacularly.    Beautiful work.

[Betty Munro]

Gem, Gorgeous!!!  I'm trying to educate myself, and I seem to get more confused when I try to look online or look at historical portraits.  Is the style H/A?  From what time frame / geographic region?  Do you have to wear a hoop with it?  (It looks like no hoop, and that is part of why I like it!)  Did you use a "public" pattern, or self drafted?  (ie - I like it, and I'd like to think about making one - if I have somewhere to where it ... )
Thanks about the tip on stiffening the hemline!

[gem]

Thanks, all!

Betty, to answer your questions...

Kirtles are period, for most of the Renaissance in most places in one form or another. Stiffened hems are also period. Paned sleeves are period. Whether all of those things were ever combined exactly as I have done so, I cannot say, although I don't see why they *couldn't* have been.  So while this doesn't represent a specific garment of a specific era or region, it's passable as H/A for casual inspection, and can serve as the basis for an Italian or English 16th century ensemble. (And I have various plans for doing just that. Frex, the purple sleeves, a partlet, and a jewelled hairpiece will make this nicely mid-16th century Florentine, while a fitted English gown and the gold sleeves would work for a middle-class Tudor-era look.)

As for the pattern... the short version is I took the Simplicity corset pattern (2621, which is pretty darn H/A in terms of silhouette for western Europe in the 2nd half of the 16th century) and added a skirt. (And a million other tiny alterations that took what ought to have been a Very Simple Project and stretched it out over months.)

The materials are more modern: cotton-blend damask tablecloths, cable ties for boning, and then the cotton belting. Anea (operafantomet) has a good page on hem stiffening on her website. Oh! And thirty hand-sewn eyelets for lacing. Ow.

[Betty Munro]

JoAnne's is having a Simplicity pattern sale this weekend - $1.00  I just put 2621 on my list!
Your work is beautiful!  Some day I want to step up from non H/A Pirate / Ren Wench to merchant class H/A.  I'd love to wear nobility for a day, but I'm not sure I could sew it ... or even afford the fabric and trim!  LOL  You inspire me!

[Kathleen MacLeod]

Gem, that is beautiful! Thanks for posting the construction/pattern info; I want to make one, too 

[Betty Munro]

All I have to do is grommett my bodice and it is done.  I hope to be posting in the gallery of finished projects this evening!  Then on to make a medieval surcoat or gown ... I haven't decided yet ... but I think a surcoat would be cooler to deal with the 90* temps and nearly 99% humidity. 

[Rowan MacD]

  My first full garb project!    I think It turned out OK for being a novice.
The basic sewing on the new Doublet, pants and hat is done!  I am stumped on what trim would look good on this....Milord does not want gaudy,  I want to do chevrons in a V pattern on the front, perhaps in Black velveteen or a burgundy chenille...

The 3 pieces (doublet, pants and hat)


Doublet


Closeup of fabric

[Betty Munro]

Love it!  I can't wait to see how you trim it out.  I'll be watching the finished projects thread!

[gem]

Rowen, I love it!! It's going to look *spectacular* once you give all those edges a good pressing. Huzzah!!! Did you use a pattern?

For trim, my first instinct would be narrow gold jacquard trim... but if your DH doesn't want anything with too much detail... what about a very dark brown bias tape? Wide-wale corduroy looks fantastic as bias tape--really neat diagonal texture. Alternately, how about the reverse of the burgundy fabric? Or maybe a gold twill tape?

[Syrilla]

Looking good!  Make sure to get a picture with him in it!