The gown itself was actually not that
difficult, after a practice run. To be safe, I had made an
identical gown of $1 yard fabric from Walmart, but I don't know if
I'll ever wear it. It fits fine, but I made the mistake of using
fabric that had lycra in it. If you haven't learned the hard way on
this one, take my word for it, don't do it. Not only does it stretch
where you don't want stretch, it melts in strange, dark splotches if you iron
with too high a temperature, and smells bad while you're working
with it. I wasn't paying close attention when I purchased the stuff,
and paid miserably for the oversight.
For
the basic bodice pattern, I used
The Renaissance Tailor's drafting guides. Basically, I used the same methods as for the
corset, but I did machine sew this one. I skipped the boning, hoping
the corset would keep things straight. I didn't want the boning
showing through the velvet, but after wearing this dress several
times, I'm not sure that's such a good idea. The point of the bodice
tends to turn outward and work it's way up the stomach into a cluster
of wrinkles at the waist.
If you do the bodice
correctly, you will notice the waist feels high. Don't worry, this is
normal. If you make the waist longer, it will dig into your hips.
However, it makes for an awkward fit if you're wearing a separate
skirt. I use hook and eyes to hold the two together. I've been told
it's a period practice, but I have no idea how to document it. I'm
guessing the bodice and skirt were actually one gown in the period I'm
trying to replicate, since they were always the same color and there
was no reason to have separate garments. However, if you do what I
did, and make them separate, I highly recommend adding hooks and eyes.
I put the hooks on the bodice - one at the center front, two on each
side, and one on either side of the lacing in the back.
The
next step was sleeves. After studying dozens
of Tudor portraits, and paying close attention to the sleeves, I came
to the conclusion that they were attached directly to the
bodice, with absolutely no strap. I used ideas from Clare's
website for the basic design, and I was amazed at the simplicity
of it.
Note:
Click here for some instructions on
a basic sleeve pattern.
For the false undersleeves, I was given a photocopy of
a pattern from a book that I believe was called, The Evolution of Fashion: Pattern and Cut
from 1066 to 1930. It didn't include any instructions, but I kinda
guessed at it - not terribly complicated. It took less than two yards
of cotton decorator fabric, a remnant that I picked up at a craft store some time ago. The biggest challenge
was hemming the raw edges. In the end, I chose to using piping, which
worked fabulously.
For the skirt, I used
my old Simplicity pattern (#9256, which is no longer available). Basically, it's three trapezoids sewn to a
waistband. Actually, I used four for the overskirt. That's why all the
extra fullness. Furthermore, both the petticoat and the overskirt are
lined. I highly recommend doing this, even though it uses more fabric.
The gown flows better, and you'll never see those horrible hoop lines
through the skirt. Better yet, you don't have to hem the bottom. You
just make two identical skirts, one of fabric, and one of lining, and
sew them, right sides together, along the bottom. Then you turn it
back, wrong sides together, and baste them together at the top,
concealing all the seams. To adjust the length, gather the waist and
put it on over your farthingale. Use a belt to hold it on, and have
someone help you arrange the skirt to the desired length. Mark the
excess with chalk, at the top instead of the bottom. Then, when you
take the skirt off, trim the excess (but don't forget to leave a seam
allowance), re-gather and stitch to a waistband. To keep the lining
from showing on the overskirt, I turned the edges under about two
inches and tacked them down with an invisible stitch. Works great. The
Elizabethan Costuming Page has more detailed instructions for
lining skirts under petticoats.
It took around eight yards of 44" wide cotton
velveteen for the gown, which I managed to get at a moonlight madness
sale at Jo-Anns fabric. Believe me, it's fun to go into the store with
a 50% off one item coupon, and ask for "nine yards of black
velveteen, please." It was originally $10.95 a yard, but with the
coupon, it cost more like $5.50 a yard.
The forepart and sleeves were made from several yards
of cotton drapery fabric (the pewter gray brocade). I special ordered
it from Hancock fabric, on one of their 30% off decorator fabric
sales. Both the black velvet and the pewter brocade are machine
washable.
And
it's a good idea to fake the forepart. In other words, only the front panel is
brocade. The rest of the skirt, which is hidden by the overskirt, can
be a different (and less expensive) fabric. I used
plain cotton broadcloth from Walmart at $1 a yard. Since I was concerned
about the wind blowing my overskirt back and revealing the faked part,
I made the front panel very wide. I have not regretted this, as the
wind DOES blow your dress open if you're walking into it.
Accessories are the most
fun - and not terribly expensive. Click here
to see more
Getting Started - Research
- Undergarments - Accessories
- Paintings
See also how this gown faired at the 12th
Night Costume Competition
