And this is my Dress Diary…
6/6/02
Ok, I decided to do something constructive and make my own dress diary since I like everyone else’s so much.
I need to make everything. I want it all to fit well and be a nice upper – middle or noble gown, 1560s/1570s.
-
Farthingale (already in progress)
-
Forepart (maybe)
-
Skirt (attached?)
-
Partlet
-
Sleeves (probably to match the partlet)
-
Hat (I may buy it, headwear seems to hate me)
-
Fan on girdle
-
Shoes (purchased these already)
I know I can’t start on this for a little while, but I may steal moments here and there.
The links are to the patterns I’m going to use.
6/21/02
The other day I looked at my sewing room and at my bank account and decided not to buy any fabric that I’m not going to immediately use for a project. And I’m going to use at least 50% – 75% of the fabric I currently have before I buy more (unless it’s wool at a great price, good inexpensive wool is so hard to find). Things are going quickly, as t-tunics are getting done and covers for chairs and such for the upcoming camping event (my first camping experience not in someone’s back yard).
So what is a woman who has plans to make an Elizabethan gown to do? Hope she has enough of this really pretty (not period, but will do) purple velvet fabric with a gold print. Lemme see if I can find a picture here…
Ok, this is my absolute favorite color combination, royal purple and gold. *sigh* I think I have enough, I had to buy it in a few yards at a time. That’s one of the things I have to do this weekend, is get it all together and measure how much of it I have. I’m pretty sure I can get at the least a bodice and split skirt out of it.
Here’s along the lines of my idea.
I still haven’t started on the corset yet. I think that’s what I’m going to work on this weekend (after I get all of this purple velvet together and help Reid move, and also try to work on my husband’s doublet). I know I don’t like working with velvet and it’s going to be a nightmare, but it’s so pretty! The flowers almost look like Tudor roses to me… but that could be just wishful thinking.
Next weekend I’m going to go to the Siege of Talonval (at least that’s the plan). Maybe I’ll be able to get some good hand sewing time in, although I’ll probably more likely be working on some blackwork pieces for my husband’s shirt.
Oh! Just happen to think. I’m very pale (lots of German, I don’t match either of my parent’s skin tone, mom’s olive and dad’s golden) and dark colors wash me out sometimes… (I hate light colors though) and with this being so dark, I’ll have that great pale Elizabethan look going! Coolness! In an age of the perfect tan and skin cancer, I’m trying to not get burnt (I get burnt, I don’t tan well at all) and stay pale. Yes, I think that makes me odd, I hate following trends.
6/26/02
Just a quick update. Absolutely nothing got done for the dress over the weekend 
. And since the Siege of Talonval is this weekend, it’s not looking good. Chris needs another tunic for this weekend, so that has priority, but I think tonight I’m going to draft the corset pattern up while doing laundry at my parents. And check it out! It’s so cool, Jen put my Flemish peasant dress up at her page, A Festive Attyre, as the Featured Attyre! That is so cool! I feel loved! Maybe I can find the velvet tonight after I get home… wish me luck.
6/28/02
Even quicker update. I have slightly more than 8 yards of the purple velvet with gold print. (Finally!) This had better be enough to do a simple Elizabethan. Chris’ extra linen tunic is finished, don’t ask where the first one is. And I have a really nice, thin linen cotton blend under tunic for him 90% done. Now I need to find that original one… dangit. We leave for Siege of Talonval after I get out of work today. I’m stressing. I do that. But man does a deadline like last night get things done (I also finished these simple chair covers).
7/1/02
Siege of Talonval was fun, but Mother nature is out to get me. I was unconscious for most of it from Benadryl because I’m allergic to what seems like everything outside. I think I may have to try camping events later in the season like fall when everything is dying.
I got to work on my corset last night. I had drawn up the pattern on the 26th, but I added the lines for the boning and I got it all set up to cut out the pieces, but I haven’t done it yet. I’m going to use 3 layers of this sturdy linen (I think) and a layer of this pretty red cotton brocade. I hope to sew the boning channels between two of the layers of linen and have one layer of the linen on the inside and the brocade on the outside.
Note: I need to wear garb more often. Like to regular meetings. When I was in garb at the event, many people who I often see and say hi to at regular meetings had no clue who I was. I guess I do look a whole lot different in a loose polo and jeans than a chemise, kirtle, apron and head thingy. I’ll get photos developed later this week hopefully (Dad took his cool digital camera with him to the Grand Canyon, D’oh!).
7/15/02
Ok, I didn’t get much done. What I did do:
-
I convinced my mom to dress up when she goes with me to the Michigan Renaissance Festival this year! Yea!
-
So I took my blue bodice from Simplicity’s 8249 (pattern cover image bottom), and put boning in the front center lacing part so it doesn’t gap as much (old picture to the top right).
-
Then I went back and looked at the puzzling skirt from this same pattern, that I never did figure out what I did wrong. Well, it hit me on the way home from work on Friday (Telegraph road is so terribly exciting) what I was doing wrong. So I took it, looked at it and fixed it. Only took me little over 3 years…
7/31/02
This is another entry that the server ate. GRRR.
I basically said here that I was going to try to work on my corset and get it done by the weekend… but little did I know at the time that I’d get a severe allergic reaction from work in the next two days that would put me out for a few days.
8/5/02
The server ate this original entry, but it basically said that I haven’t been able to work on the corset much since I’ve been drugged up after getting the hives because I’m literally allergic to my workplace, or rather the stuff the new cleaning company there is using. Worked on it while I was in the emergency room… hand sewing is very calming.
8/6/02
Ok, I’m still not quite done with my corset. I’ve got that running backwards in a race feeling with this thing… but as promised, here is what I do have…
I’m going to sew the trim down flat to finish the top edge, then I’m going to try to make some lacing holes (not cutting the fabric, just moving the threads with a knitting needle), put metal grommets in, then going over them with embroidery thread.
8/8/02
Now I’m irritated. Really irritated. Somehow the server has eaten several of my entries… GRRR. And I finished up the corset last night (didn’t cover the grommets tho) and I found out it’s too short at the sides. See the first corset I made was too long at the sides, and so this one is a little too sort, but it’s still useable. *sigh* It’s just not working with me. I’m going to see if I can do something with my old corset (finally) make tabs that will make it better. Wish me luck, I need it.
8/15/02
I finished adding the tabs onto my first corset. Well, I didn’t really -add- them, I just sewed and cut them in. Here are pictures! Ok, so it’s really one image, but I made it small. I also added one there with my hair down so you can see how long it is. I’m just wearing my store bought purple peasant shirt and black jeans. This thing is pretty comfortable. I just need to show my mom more about spiral lacing…
8/28/02
Corsets are wonderful things. I wore my white corset under my Chivalry Sports bodice. It looks so much nicer that way (see picture from Saturday). It was pretty comfortable too, just remember, stockings and shoes go on BEFORE the corset.
Tonight I’m going to a funeral, but tomorrow I continue work on my farthingale (that’s the plan anyway). I used Sarah Lorraine Goodman‘s idea of using tubing for the boning of the farthingale, but trying to get that stuff to lay flat…miracles are involved, and Mom. After letting the tubing sit flat for two days and have it curl right back up on me, Mom suggested to put it in the dryer for a minute then lay it out flat. It worked pretty well. I finally have a mostly flat (not curly) piece of tubing. Now to find my zipper foot to sew the stuff directly into the channels as I make them…
9/4/02
Farthingale &(%#@%$*. I fought with it most of the weekend, then I realized, I needed more tubing. I finally got it done Monday night. It’s not a thing of beauty, but, it’ll work for the time being, until I have more patience and actual hoop boning. It’s a big one, I think I added a little too much to the length, but it’s ok. It’s got 4 rings and based on the Alcega farthingale (see Drea’s page). And if something really bad happens to it, I’ll just use my modern one and to #3!! with it.
I also made a bumroll. I’ve got to see how it works out, but I think it will do nicely. I based it loosely on Drea’s pattern but, I didn’t measure it, I just kinda eyeballed it.
Another thing, I picked up a pair of white gloves at a yard sale for a dollar. They’re just regular stretch satin gloves that go to the wrist, but I found some hand made lace that I got from my grandmother when she passed away last year (a small roll of it about the size of a large softball), and I’m going to make them into small box pleated ruffs that go onto the bottom edge of the gloves. It should look very cool. I’ll still have enough to do a small neck ruff, or a larger ruff, if I attach the lace to the edge of some thin material, starch it, add it to a band…
I’ve also got to start thinking about headwear. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Headwear hates me.
This portrait from Drea’s Tour, is kind of along the lines of what I am thinking (except I’m not skinny).
I also need to mention here, Gevalia has some great coffey and well, I was just about weaned on coffey and so caffeine usually doesn’t affect me much, but dang this Kenya blend sure does get those costuming juices flowing…probably doesn’t help that I didn’t measure how much I put in the filter…
9/6/02
Remember those pair of white gloves I picked up at a yard sale for a dollar? I finished putting the old handmade lace, box pleated on the edges and they look really cute. I used my tankard to keep the bottom edge of the glove from contracting too small while I added the lace so I could get it on over my hand.
I’m working on a coif right now that I’ll probably have Mom wear to the Knowne Worlde Costuming Symposium tomorrow. She’s going to wear my Journe gown from Sofi’s Stitches with the French hood I made for the 16th C. Women’s Dress Class I took, and the coif underneath it, if I get done with it by then. I’ll be wearing my Bruegel outfit.
I’m thinking of just doing a simple flat cap for my court outfit over my coif. Headwear hates me. Wish me luck.
9/10/02
The Knowne Worlde
Costuming Symposium was a TON of fun! I got to meet a bunch of people and I’ll be putting up pictures somewhere, as soon as I can upload the files.
Yesterday I stayed home and worked on my dress… I made up the toile and fitted it to myself, by myself and got knotted into my corset for a few hours before I gave up and cut the cord. But the muslin fit! I made up the bodice on the “French Cutte” style. See Patterns of Fashion, the drawing on how the Phoenix bodice pattern was presumably cut (thank you helpful ladies from the discussion with Margo at the K.W.C.S.!). So I’m thinking, I’m going to have a nice thick bone down either side of the front opening, and do that large, fancy hook and eye thing down the front. I’ve got a linen (I think) lining and the velvet right on top of it, and I’m just going to fold the edges down and sew it flat. I hate sewing velvet by sewing machine, so I’m taking my bodice everywhere with me to work on. Time seems to be slipping by so quickly, but my hand sewing speed is really getting pretty decent. Right now I’m just trying to sew the two layers flat together.
I figure I’m just going to use my modern hoop skirt. I’m just frustrated with the d@mn farthingale. *sigh* They’re just a inch or two different in diameter so I’m really not too worried about it. I like BIG skirts anyway *wink*.
No pictures yet, sorry.
9/12/02
The bodice is almost done. I did all the edges by hand (if someone told me I’d be doing this much hand work on an Elizabethan 6 months ago, I would have laughed at them). I just need to do the front closing (lunch project), and attach the skirt. I haven’t pleated the skirt all together yet, I plan on doing that tonight. I love box pleats.
It’s looking like the skirt is going to be closeable in the front…so I can keep it closed during the demo on Saturday, and just open it to show my pretty purple satin petticoat.
I got some cotton eyelet material last night. Yeah, I know it’s not exactly period (neither is my purple velvet), but I just didn’t want the smock to be really plain since it’s going to be more of a high necked shirt. I figured out a really easy pattern to make it too.
I love that purple velvet. *sigh*
No pictures yet, sorry.
9/16/02
I still love that purple velvet.
Thursday I worked on attaching the skirt to the bodice and I showed Mom what I wanted done with the girdle, and she finished it for me. Friday I did some work on the dress at the department picnic, then I went home, made the smock from the eyelet material and went to bed. In the morning, I hoped for the best and hemmed the sides of the front opening part of the skirt. I got dressed in the new smock, a pair of footless leggings, socks, my corset, my green bodice, the Simplicity peasant skirt, coif, and my plain black boots which look remotely period. *Remember to put your footwear on before your corset unless you have a very kind significant other.
I finished putting on the last set of hooks and eyes while I was at the demo, and I then took off the peasant skirt & green bodice, put on the farthingale (modern hoop skirt), bumroll, purple satin gathered petticoat that I had made for Halloween last year, my gown and my gold chain girdle with purple satin ribbon laced through with lavender colored glass beads. I got a lot of “Oooh”s and “Ahhh”s. It made me feel like a real 16th century lady (except for the part where my leggings kept falling down).
I still need to make the forepart, sleeves, shoulder treatment, and get some kind of better headwear. But for right now, I’m good. I need to work on some of my other projects…
There are some pictures, but they are on a camera somewhere in the house with undeveloped film… I plan on finding it tonight, taking a bunch of other pictures and getting them developed as soon as possible.
9/17/02
Finally I have pictures!
10/08/02
I forgot to mention I have the Underpinnings photos on the Renaissance Costuming part of my website too, here they are: <MOVED>
01/08/03
At the end of October I got laid off from work, and so I had been working on other things such as Halloween costumes (Count of Monte Cristo) for my husband and I, and his Elizabethan outfit.
So now that I have a doublet (I don’t think it turned out too badly for my first attempt) and short circle cloak for him, he needs sleeves. Frankly, so do I. So I decided to make a set of sleeves for myself first, to make sure that when I do my husband’s, that they will work.
I’m making these sleeves that open in the front. I figured it would be best considering I don’t have much left of that purple velvet. I’m using this really great purple & gold jacquard for the lining and I’ll be using it for my forepart as well. I’m using the wide curved front opening sleeve from Margo Anderson’s “Elizabethan Lady’s Wardrobe Package”. Partially because I haven’t gotten the Men’s patterns in the mail yet. I’m not going to do it exactly to the way she has it, I just couldn’t bring myself to cut the patterns out, so I just got the basic shape onto an old sheet and used that. We’ll see how it turns out. I’ll try to take some interim pictures if I can.
01/21/03
I made the sleeves, here’s a picture of Chris & I in our Elizabethans. I need to add more points to them to keep them on the shoulder well. In the picture one of my points has come undone… It’s just not the greatest picture…
01/05/04
I just realized I have a better picture of me in the dress from when I went to Bristol this past year. I also made a little pillbox type hat, actually I covered a hat form from the bridal department where I work… you can’t see it in this photo, but it’s little and there. That’s me on the left.
I found a photo online from Annika the 9th Valkyrie’s website: http://www.9thvalkyrie.com/ that shows my hat! I’m the red-head with the purple hat in the 2nd row, bottom right, watching the costume contest.
