Tudor Gown Adventure

[Rowan MacD]

To be honest, by the time I bought all the pieces for the latest corset that I made, I could have gotten one from Sofi's for about the same amount of money.
BUT the corset I made is fitted for me, not made by someone 1200 miles away from measurements.

I dont' think I will ever buy another ready made corset online, unless it is for outer costume.
   My last corset was a Sofi-While it was very well boned and constructed, my only complaint was that it was very long in the front.  Even the models she uses on the website illustrate this issue.

http://www.sofisstitches.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=154

   It's not a bad corset, just not one you want to use as an undergarment unless you are very long waisted (she features this same corset in her 'underpinnings' page)

http://www.sofisstitches.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=175 

I think I measured the wooden front busk at 13-14", which put it about 2-3"  above mid bust, and that with the busk bottom point matching the bottom point of my un-shortened MA Elizabethan dress bodice.   It stuck out beyond the top of the bodice by 1-2".
   A proper pair of bodies is supposed to top out about armpit level.
  I recently had Lady Kathleen make me a very comfortable version I will be using for many years. 

[Raelyn Fey]

Wow. This is certainly a lot to take in. Thanks everyone for the pointers.

[Orphena]

Good for you for taking on this project! Speaking from experience, there is no greater thrill than being able to tell someone that, yes, you did make what you are wearing!

Make the chemise first. 100% cotton or 100% linen are my personal favourites. Anything with poly will not breathe as well. The chemise can be fancy if you like, but honestly, all of mine are very plain, and no one seems to notice that. If you tend to go to faire for a whole weekend, make 2 right away.

Once you have the chemise, then tackle the corset. It is the most intimidating, but once you have a well fitting corset, you'll understand the bodice so much better. Make a complete mockup, bone it, and take pictures. We'll help you with the problem areas! For the mockup (and I've not yet looked closely at the parrern), you can either do 2 layers with the boning sandwiched inside, or one layer of stiffer fabric (I use cotton shoe canvas!) with boning channels made using wide seam binding.

Farthingale happens next, and THEN the gown. Farthingale could be done before the corset if you want to improve your skills - it makes no difference! 

We will help you! This is a great community who have done this before!

[Rowan MacD]

  You will find all the advice you need here!  Pictures are very helpful if you can post them with your question.

Advice:  Make your own Bumroll.  They can be made in under an hour, from scraps, with a total cost of about $2.00 (including stuffing).  You don't even need a pattern, though they come with most Tudor gown patterns, and I haven't found a single one online under $30.00.   Even $10.00 is too much for such a simple thing.

Farthingales:  After pricing the supplies,  you may be better off buying one ready made online. 
   I may eventually make one (I have the MA pattern) but when I realized I didn't have any materials on hand that I could use for this, and the hoop stiffeners nearly always have to be ordered online, I went with Sofi's.   I paid $60.00 for mine and I don't regret it.   The skirt is 100% cotton and the hoops are easily removable for laundering. The waist is drawstring, and one size fits up to about a 40" waist. 
  Hints: Purchase one with at least 5 hoops about 6" apart, not much more than that, and make sure it's long enough. 
   Check the dress  pattern requirements to be sure you are getting the correct circumference. You can fluff out a too small Farthingale with petticoats or in some cases, crinolines; but you can buy a hoop skirt that is too big.  There are some civil war sites who sell the huge ones for the antebellum ball gowns, so make sure you get the right dimensions for the Henrican and Tudor gowns. 
  When you wear the overskirt, you should not be able to detect the farthingale.     Hoops should not be visible (like ribs on a starved horse) from the outside of the over skirt or under the forepart.  If the outer skirt  fabric is not thick enough to hide the hoops,  wear an extra petticoat.
   The farthingale also needs to be long enough to support the bottom edge of the dress hem without breaking the vertical line of the skirt.  6" of hem dangling off the bottom hoop looks sloppy.  It should be almost the same length as your overskirt, not 1/2 way up your calf.
   I have been guilty of all of the above in the past, but learned to wear the gowns correctly.   It makes a world of difference.


   

[CalliopeCC]

My best corset making tool is a dritz see thru ruler with line guides - it has half inch and 3/5 inch line guides in the middle of it. 

I don't have a picture of it, but if you shop the notions aisle, you're bound to see it in the measuring tools. It's thick plastic ruler with lines cut in it lengthwise.

Using the line guides on this ruler and an invisible ink pen, you can quickly draw out your boning channels.

TIP - draw your channels, then sew them up...but don't put the bones in until you've sewn ALL of your channel lines. You may even draw more than you think you might use, and choose not to fill all of them with boning. Better to not use them all than to have to go back and add more once you've got all the bones in and almost done with the piece.

Well, yes....I know that tip sounds really obvious, but as a novice seamstress, my first corset was a nightmare because I was trying to sew each bone into the corset one at a time. What did I know back them? 

Oh, those dark days before the RF board was here to rescue all the budding seamstresses from doing really stupid stuff.   

[stonebiscuit]

My best corset making tool is a dritz see thru ruler with line guides - it has half inch and 3/5 inch line guides in the middle of it. 

This this this! I love this tool and use it for just about everything.

I don't know if this has been covered, but make your boning channels just an eeensy bit bigger than you think you need them to be. There's nothing more frustrating than sewing all those beautiful channels and then discovering you can't get the *#%(%$*%@Y^$#(@#&%^& bones in them!

[gem]

Is this the one?



Looks handy!!

[Rowan MacD]

^^on my shopping list^^^

Oh, those dark days before the RF board was here to rescue all the budding seamstresses from doing really stupid stuff.   

Amen.  It would have saved me another gowns' worth of money and materials.


Stonebisquit-I hear you.  Of every 5 channels I sew there are always one (or two) that are too small.  Don't know how that happens.  I use the same duct tie boning in all the channels, and I swear I use the same measurements....

[isabelladangelo]

^^on my shopping list^^^

Stonebisquit-I hear you.  Of every 5 channels I sew there are always one (or two) that are too small.  Don't know how that happens.  I use the same duct tie boning in all the channels, and I swear I use the same measurements....

It's because you need to add a small amount of room for the volume.   If you just trace exactly on either side, the duct tie, you are only getting width, not height.  Duct ties tend to be a bit thick as we all know.  :-)  Therefore, as you are putting the duct ties into the channels, the fabric stretch to cover them - but can only stretch so far.  Hence, you'll have some that are "too small" - when, really, if you make the channels just a hint wider so as to include the height, they'd all be fine. 

[CalliopeCC]

Is this the one?



Looks handy!!

Yes Indeedy!  I love that thing...

I tend to alternate between using the 1/2 inch metal boning and 1/2 inch plastic cable ties, so I use the 5/8 inch slots - Like Stonebiscuit said -- the channel needs a little ease so the boning can be inserted easily. 

I have made this error too... and much cusssing insued.

Just remember when you use the invisible pen, you have to sew your channells the same day...the ink is gone in 12 hours (or less). I got sidetracked once, and didn't get back to the corset till the next day, and ended up having to draw all my lines again.    of course, with this tool, making lines takes NO TIME at all.