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Finished Gown

8/23/2012

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On this final layer it became very evident that I needed to focus more on what time frame I wanted the gown to be from in order to determine how to construct the gown.  The shape of the gown changed over the 50 year span it was popular changing from the looser houpplande style and evolving into a much more fitted gown with a much wider and slightly rounded neck by the end of the century, leaving different methods to achieve the look.

One of the aspects I found the most interesting was the fur trim around the neckline and how it hung in the back.  Since it is often depicted hanging loosely over the belt, it isn’t attached to the gown, and yet is part of the neckline.  Honestly I found it to be a bit odd…what was its purpose?  Why not just bring the collar around the neckline?  And how do I deal with it?!

Then I came across a plate drawing showing the gown open.  I noticed how the fur was completely inside gown either lining or partially lining the gown.  Of particular interest in this plate was the fact that the opened portion was laying in the same manner as the collared portion in the portrait.  This made me wonder if the collar is actually the gown opening with the lining showing rather than a separate piece. 

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The evolution would certainly make sense going from the closed, high collared houpplandes.  Simply pulling in the upper body section a bit tighter, add lacing to the front and stopping at the chest area, the collar would fall open and expose the lining.  This can even be seen in some portraits where the “collar” seems to tent up around the neck in earlier gowns such as the one shown to the far right in the first set of pictures.  Following this theory the back portion of the high houpplande collar could have been modified into a separate piece that is adjusted and stylized over the evolution of the gown, and would explain why it’s not tacked down as a collar would be.   Another advantage is the fur section could be pulled in tighter around the shoulders and neck if needed for warmth and then released again for appearances.  This is akin to the gown being like a zip front hoodie which lies in essentially the same manner if only partially zipped.

The next issue is how to deal with the layout of the gown.  In earlier versions it has looser sleeves and body that creates gathers when belted.  In addition the neckline isn’t as wide.  By the end of the century the top is very tight with voluminous skirts and very tight sleeves.  This means body, or more specifically the ribcage, chest and sleeve area changes over time.   Another indication that specificity on the gown I want is needed.  In the end, I decided on a middle of the road gown that has tight sleeves and fitted body, but not so tight it looks painted on or has the more circular neckline.

In looking at the construction of somewhat similar loose gowns in books such as Janet Arnold’s Patterns of History 3 & 4, it appears loose gowns are cut at an angle from around the arm pit.  I originally considered making the skirt a full circle by going straight out from around my ribcage.  I realized after making my daughters that this creates flat spots in the front and back and an excess of drape at the sides.  Therefore I went back to an angled perspective and the addition of several gores to create the voluminous skirts.

As my material was a bit pricey, I only got 5.5 yards of it (it is 54” wide).  It is patterned, and has a nap.  This presented several difficulties in laying out the pattern to maximize skirt volume, maintain the pattern, being aware of the nap, and have enough for all the pieces.  Luckily the nap is very, very small so it makes little difference.  

Another thing in my favor is the fact that the medieval tailor appeared to not be overly bothered or concerned with the directionality of patterns or nap.  The few surviving patterns layouts and a surviving sideless surcoat show this.  What was important was minimizing layout waste.  Therefore, I’ve decided to go with the following layout for my gown.  (It is worth noting the length is only to where my bottom trim will meet rather than to the ground as I didn’t have enough fabric.)  I am able to use the “waste” where the fold is to create two side gores with the nap going in the wrong direction and the other two for my sleeves with the nap going the right direction.  This leaves me with very little waste.

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Going clockwise, the pattern pieces are the front, the back and the "hood." The angled straight (by upside down bear) is sewn together. The straight is then sewn to the collar line.
As far as the back portion of the collar, which I’m now calling a hood, as that is roughly how I’m treating it, I’m cutting it out of black silk, since I didn’t have enough of my main fabric for this part.  Next, I cut (actually tore) the fur, or in my case faux wool, in to strips for the bottom hem and cut out pieces for the opening, hood and cuffs.  Yes, I used straight pieces of fur rather than cutting semi circular ones.  This saved from wasting the “wool.”  With a small tucks going around, you never know the difference.  It also prevents the fur from going in awkward directions as you curve, while not as much of an issue with my choice, it would be a bigger issue if you used real or longer fake fur.   

As a note, I choose the “wool” because it has a small pile wasn’t bulky as far as fake fur goes.  I’m not a big fan of most faux fur’s for a variety of reasons but primarily since it tends to be expensive but look fake, is traditionally rather thick and bulky, and the long fibers rather make me feel like an overgrown Muppet.  However, this “wool” is very nice, super soft, looks amazing and is fairly easy to work with.

Once I had my pieces, it was time to assemble.  First, sew the sleeves together and add the fur cuff.  Next, sew the bodies together, adding the gores, leaving the front open from about hip area to the top and add the hood.  Then I added the bottom trim and the trim to the opening and hood.  After that, I attached the sleeves.  Finally, I added lacing rings, which are actually #10S brass washers (a bit bigger than I used for the kirtle) to the inside and stopped just under the chest.  Voila!  The gown is completed. (Please ignore the modern belt, that's my next project...)
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Burgundian Shift or Smock

3/2/2012

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The unmentionables, like the shift or smock, are always a bit harder to accurately recreate since we don’t really know what they looked like.  It’s not often that people are depicted in portraits or illumination in nothing but their underwear.  Again, I’ve decided on this project to rely on the research of Lady Lyonnete.

I started by prewashing a handkerchief weight (3.5oz) white linen I purchased from www.fabric-store.com.  Depending on your size and how you layout the needed pieces you will need 3-4 yards to create a shift.  After prewashing, and without ironing, I carefully cut out my rectangles for the body, sleeves, what will become my gores, and a strip for the neckline as recommended by the article.

To finish precutting my fabric, I folded the rectangle for the gores in half and cut along the fold line.  Next I folded the rectangles from the upper left corner to the lower right to form two right triangles and cut along the fold line.  After repeating with the second rectangle I end up with four right triangles.  I then flipped two of the triangles and sewed the right angles together in order to create two isosceles triangles which will be my gores.  This method results in less fabric waste than if I had just cut out two isosceles triangles. 

The few extra pieces of linen that weren’t used to create my shift were saved and used to make the same style shift for my daughter.   If you don’t have a precocious child to clothe, you can still use these pieces for parts of other projects, linings, etc. 

Anyways, having several linen rectangles, it is time to turn them into some semblance of a garment.  In prepping this, I noticed that Lyonnete’s write-up says to simply sew the rectangles together, but the diagram shows that the corners had been angled before being sewn.  I tried both, the first for my daughters and the second for mine.  As a note, they both work, the first seems a bit more awkward under the arm pit, but having done this same thing and putting in a drawstring when I first joined the SCA, I can say it doesn’t really impact anything.

On mine, I went ahead and cut the corners off creating a more box like shape rather  than tube.  I then pinned the corners together and sewed everything together.  Next I pinned a gore to either side of one body piece and sewed everything I pinned.

After that, I pinned the sleeves together and the body to the free end of the gore so I could sew the entire piece at one time and basically create a T-tunic shape.  At this time I also did a quick zig zag stitch along my seams to prevent the linen from fraying with wear and washing.  Yea! Now it looks like a shift!

Since giving my husband a bunch of pins to help fit anything me scares me, I placed my shift on my form, using pins to hold the shoulders in place.  After pinning it on the mannequin, I tried it on to ensure I was happy with the fit and once satisfied, I stay stitched my pleats in place before attaching the linen strip I made for the neckline edging.

A note on the strip:  In the article it is stated that you can use bias tape or just a straight strip.  I would highly recommend bias tape simply because it stretches.  I wanted my edging to be the same material as the rest of the shift.  Since you can’t readily buy linen bias tape, I either had to make my own or go with the straight strip option, which wastes less material.  However, the straight strip doesn’t stretch the same as bias.  Therefore, you’ll have to either make slight gathers in the strip so it will curve as you want or it will stick out a bit funny when you stitch it in place.    This is just a word of caution so you don’t go screaming into the night because it’s not laying flat.

The final steps were adding the roll hem to the bottom of the shift and to the sleeves.

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Burgundian Hat

2/27/2012

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Since I don’t have the main fabric yet, I decided to get started with the parts I do.  For the hat, the first part I need to do is make the bones of the hat.  I used some cardboard which I cut and rolled into the shape for the hat I choose as my inspiration.  There was a lot of taping and un-taping, putting it on and pulling it off, moving around and other fiddling to determine the exact shape I needed.   I also learned very quickly that I have to pile my hair much higher on my head than originally thought or the hat would just go straight back and not up.  I also need to constantly refer to the inspiration piece to ensure it wasn’t too long.  The whole reason I picked the one I did was because it was short(er)! 

After making the pattern, I drew it onto my heavy buckram, two pieces each for the hat and the lid, being sure to leave enough for a “seam allowance” on the sides of the pattern in order to sew it closed.  I then did a running stitch, with an occasional back stitch to make my cone and whip stitched the lid onto the cone.  I used cotton floss that I had handy – color doesn’t really matter since it will be covered anyways.

After that I wet the buckram, since I read that doing so will act as a glue and help the two pieces bond better.  This part is officially true.  What I wasn’t prepared for as shortly after it got wet, and not right away, the buckram lost some of its rigidity and started buckling under its own weight.  I flipped it over and it helped some.

 I also found it handy to rewet it some and then place the cardboard pattern inside to help shape it.  It was also of mild assistance to place it on the foam mannequin head.  This would have been a better help if I didn’t have such a large head, but oh well.  On the plus side, after it dried, it is back to being ridged, and is actually a bit stiffer than before. 

Next, I used cotton batting – doubled – to wrap around the bottom portion of the hat since the buckram would snag my silk.  It will also provide a nice comfortable edge for the hat to rest on my head and keep it from poking me.

I also cut a single piece of cotton batting in the cone shape of the hat with no seam allowance to give it smooth lines without appearing fluffy, like a poly batting would.  I then cut three pieces of the batting for the lid, again to help cover the raw and rough edges of the buckram.

After ensuring a snug fit of the batting, I cut out my silk giving it a small but consistent seam allowance along the top, sides, and along the lid.  I gave myself a generous seam allowance along the bottom so I could tuck it up inside the hat.  I then cut out another piece of cotton batting for the inside and the same size pieces from my linen lining as the black silk.  The additional batting is more to have an easier surface to knot and sew on then for appearance.

Before continuing with covering the hat, I cut a coat hanger wire, covered the middle section with some cotton batting and then a small strip of black silk (both for comfort and for appearance).  This was then bent into a U shape which would help hold the hat on my head once the hat is finished.  Once I determined the appropriate length of the wire, I cut it down and rolled the edges.  This was then sewn in place to the buckram hat and frame.  The raw edges of the silk and the wire will be covered by the lining.

Going back to my batting, I whip stitched it in place on the hat, being careful not to pull on it which would cause it to stretch and become loose for both the inner and outer parts of the hat.  After sewing the lining and the outer fabric into the cone shape with the lids, I took the lining and tacked the lid portion to the top.

Next, I carefully slid the silk outer fabric over the cone hat, making sure I had snug fit.  I tacked the bottom of the silk to the underside of the hat to ensure the silk was smooth, pushing the inside batting and lining out of my way.  This ensured that the silk was smooth and taunt and covered the area under the wire frame that will help hold the hat in place.  Using very small stitches I tacked the lid in place.  I then added some more cotton batting to the area just over the wires so they don’t push uncomfortably into my head.  This will be covered up by the lining.

At this point, I decorated the hat with pearls and coral beads, being sure not to catch the lining but going through my batting.  To be honest, I did this, and decided it needed some gold thread to help pull the pattern together.  When I went to add the gold thread, it looke awful.  So I pulled off all the carefully sewn on pearls and beads, added my gold thread and reapplied the pearls and beads.  Finally, I tacked the gold trim in place.  Once satisfied with my decoration, I pulled the lining into place and tacked it along the bottom of the hat. 

The final step is the veil.  I used very lightweight silk chiffon for the veil.  Ideally, I would have used organza, since it is sheer and has a stiffness that will give it body as shown in portraits, but I didn’t have any readily available.  It is simply a large rectangle with a slight rolled hem to hide the raw edge.   It is then pinned in place along the front part of the hat, the upper crown section to create the folds and along the back.

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Inspiration – Burgundian gown

2/6/2012

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While in search of fabric for a project on making a 16th century German Saxon gown (Cranach gown), I come upon some perfectly period in black, yellow and chocolate brown with “gold leafing” creating a diamondesque pattern.  For as wonderfully period and obnoxious as it is, it doesn’t go with my main fabric for the German, and quite frankly isn’t really appropriate for the German anyways.  However, I just had to have it!  But what to do with it?

Reluctantly, I left it behind while I pondered.  It screams Burgundian gown, but do I really want to do a late 15th century gown?  I toyed with this while looking to get some other pieces and looking into the portraits and other documentation of the gown.  While at one of my favorite places, JoAnn Fabrics, I found some lovely cotton fabric in a rust color with yellowish/golden leaves in the same diamondesque pattern,  that would make a great version of the gown for my 15 month old daughter.  So back to my question, do I really want to make a Burgundian gown?  Of course I do!

 So I have now called my source to get me the fabric I had left behind and have started on completing this latest project.  (I should really work on some of the others I have planned, but this is too tempting and on the scale of my others, relatively simple.)  I hope to document this for others who are interested, and am hoping that by doing so I’ll be motivated to complete it in a timely manner, as I often get distracted.  Since I’m also going to be working on a similar dress for my 15 month old daughter, the progress will be a bit slower, but I’ll try my best to post the progress of it as well!

To start with, I needed a better idea of what the gown looks like, construction ideas, etc.  A great place to start, and my main point of information for my whim Burgundian dress is the following http://cleftlands.cwru.edu/BurgundianCostume.pdf  I know both Mistress Milicent and to a lesser degree her sister, Lyonnete, who penned this wonderful article.  They are both wonderful people who take great care in their research, and while normally I would go all out and do my own, sometimes it’s just nice to go with it.  Lyonnete also took some time to discuss this with me, so I feel confident in following her lead on construction and the various parts.

After getting some ideas on construction and the parts needed, I Googled several images and picked the ones I found to be the most inspirational for me, shown below.

Another great site with pictures of the various layers and the transition is http://www.uvm.edu/~hag/sca/15th/

Now, it’s time to get started!
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