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Some of the Details The paintings used for inspiration: These pictures are rather large so the details can be seen. They may take awhile to load.
Left to Right: Mary, from the painting of Henry VIII with his family, 1545. Shows a train, and fairly narrow silhouette ~ Jane Seymour, by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1536. I used this for ideas on the stomacher and pins, since both are clearly visible. As part of my last project, I had used the information on The Renaissance Tailor to make a basic body block. I had saved this among my patterns, and it made things go a lot faster when making this dress.
Some time ago, I purchased a large roll of paper at Office Depot for projects like this, and use it to draw out my patterns. I don't recall for what purpose it was being sold, but it wasn't expensive, and I've found it invaluable for pattern drafting. It's fairly sturdy, but still thin enough to slip another pattern or sketch underneath and trace. I spent several hours tracing a pattern using the basic body block. I wanted a bodice which curved up in the front, but was very square in the back. Also, there would be no straps, since the sleeves would be attached directly to the bodice. I didn't want the same sleeves I used for 12th Night, since this time I was going to be outdoors, camping, and would need a lot of room for movement. I had searched everywhere for a good sleeve pattern, but finally ended up drawing my own. I used a nice little pattern found on the internet, but the link no longer works. Fortunately, I had managed to print the directions, so I've been able to rewrite the instructions (and add graphics to make it easier). Click Here for Sleeve Instructions The picture below shows all the pattern pieces:
Clockwise, from left corner: Basic Body Block back ~ Basic Body Block front ~ Sleeve ~ Guide for lacing holes (I draw where the holes will be on paper, instead of trying to measure directly onto the fabric) ~ Bodice front ~ Bodice back. The fabric was from Walmart, 60" wide, and had been purchased for a dollar a yard. It had looked black in the store, but faded to a dark blue with the first washing. I had purchased nine yards, and I knew there would be plenty. Also, I had some lightweight grey fabric I had purchased the same way, which I chose to use as lining.
The gown was completely hand sewn, usually with double thread, using three different stitches. The back stitch, which happens to be my favorite, the running stitch, and a whipstitch around the hems. I've found the back stitch to be very strong, but also a bit stretchy. Perfect for seams on a curve. The one thing about hand sewing is that the world moves slower. When you're on a machine, everything is flying past, and you're doing everything you can to keep up. In thirty seconds you can put a seam in the wrong place and create thirty minutes of work removing all those tiny little stitches. When you're hand sewing, on the other hand, it takes a long time to put in the same seam, and you're more likely to notice if it's wrong. Not that I haven't ripped out long, hand sewn seams. But it's less stressful, somehow. For this gown, I scheduled amusements in the background while I was sewing. I tried to sew where people would be "hanging out" so I could chat while working. It's hard to watch TV or a movie, but at least you can listen. Music is nice, and getting someone to read to you is the BEST. Another idea is getting books on audio tape. I haven't been able to do that yet, but it's on my list, if I do much more hand sewing. The chemise/smock was easier this time, but still frustrating. I gave up on rectangular construction this round. I DO NOT like gussets under the arms. They may work if done correctly, but personally, I've had nothing but failure. The angle is wrong. It adds too much fabric right where you're trying to minimize bulk. I have several smocks hanging in my closet, which I refuse to wear, because although they look great by themselves, the moment you put on a bodice, there's fabric bulging out where you don't want it. So I tried a different technique. Also, I needed smaller sleeves, since I wasn't doing any stuffing and puffing. So I used the same sleeve pattern as the one used for the gown, and sewed it into the chemise. The fit was MUCH better. The judges didn't approve, of course, but the comfort level went way up. |
