Two Decent Looking Elizabethan Costumes in 3 Weeks

Or, Rikke's training for the Baronial Cope Marathon

What is this?

Here's the first costumes Rikke and Randy, or, Aelianora and Renart as they are known in the SCA, ever made. Rikke wrote up the webpage, so it's written from her point of view.

First

Renart and I had been in the SCA several years before we actually made any garb. I guess I'm slow that way. When we started out, we were both late 16th C personas. He has since changed to an earlier persona, at least part of the time, because well, all those guy reasons for not wearing 16th C clothes. Peer pressure is a terrible thing, I tell ya.

So prior to June Faire 2003 we'd only worn clothing we bought from merchants. It is good, serviceable and decently made. And I hate mine.

I'd been thinking about new garb for months, and finally, after returning from England in early 2003, I found some time. And I'd been collecting fabrics. And I'd bought patterns from Margo Anderson, and signed onto her list. And I'd taken classes at Ithra from Laurellen de Brandevin on creating 16h and 17th C garb, and I'd read and read and read. I guess I was ready. The turning point came when we attended Mayfaire in Glymm Mere. It was a lovely event, and we enjoyed ourselves, but I realized I was sick of my psuedo-Irish 'leine' and dress. I wanted REAL Elizabethan clothing, or as close as time and budget would allow, and I wanted it right away.

So for a few days I repeated to myself, 'I want new garb by Junefaire'. Junefaire is the big annual event our barony hosts the first weekend in June. I told Renart, and he said, 'I want new garb for Junefaire too!' So then I started to repeat to myself, 'We want new garb by Junefaire'.

I thought about it seriously first when I realized aside from my normal duties on the farm Randy and I own, aside from the coding duties I owe to certain peoples (I am a Jill of all trades, most small farmers have to be), aside from my archaeological studies, I would have a stretch of free time in the middle of May... maybe new garb by Junefaire was doable...

And the Catch Was...

But, BUT, I'd never sewn more than a cape (over 20 years ago, and I still have it, dangit!) and a doll's dress and underthings (hey it's semi-period and I learned a lot on it!) in my life. I have a machine, a Singer which my mother gave me when we both had hopeful fits about fifteen years ago in which yes, we were going to sew all those cool home decorations we wanted. I'd had it checked over and tuned up, or whatever they do to sewing machines, recently, as I knew I was going to sew someday, just not when.

Come to think of it, the cape doesn't even really count, as I sewed most of it in my dorm room at college by hand, and borrowed a friend's mother's machine for the few bits I felt had to be sewn by machine.

On the positive side, I'd learned sewing as a child at the knees of my grandmother and great grandmother who were both very good seamstresses. My mother soaked up a lot of their talents, if not their desire ( I should say need, they sewed out of need too, most Depression Era ladies did) to sew everything themselves, and she's a good teacher, is my Mom, well able to explain things over the phone or in our weekly visits back and forth. I'd taken a few sewing classes in Junior High, and knew my way around a sewing machine. I am an expert embroideress (something I did pick up from my grandmothers), so hand sewing is really no problem. And finally, I studied engineering in my first stint in college, and am definitely a geek. I think geeks take to sewing, it's just instructions, shapes and rules. What could be harder?

So, I'm a sewing novice. Margo's patterns are for the intermediate sewer, but that didn't put me off. They are well done, with good solid instructions and I had the mailing list to turn to if anything went disasterously wrong. Also I'd read the instructions over about five times, and visualized it all in my head and I thought, as long as the fabric cooperates, that I could do them. I'd also read my encyclopedia of sewing, and my singer's introduction to sewing books several times. And of course, I'd taken Laurellen's classes. Geeklike, I'd prepared before I did anything drastic, like cutting fabric.

Enough Talking, Onwards!

What follows is a basic dress diary I did will doing the project in May 2003, updated to our current webpage style.

So here's what I'm making: a full set of men's elizabethan clothes and an almost full set of women's elizabethan clothes. The men's garb is out of a fine black suiting wool, which is very nice, albeit lightweight, and green cotton velveteen. The doublet will be the green velveteen with the suiting wool as a liner. It will be flatlined with cotton osnaburgh. The venetians are the black wool with a cotton osnaburgh lining and green velvet waist and knee bands. The trim is silver grey, and I taught my husband to do hand-made buttons (after Mrq. Laurellen taught me), so it will have handmade buttons. There will be a green velveteen cloak, and he'll have a shirt made of linen. His sleeves will be green velveteen lined with the black wool with handmade buttons down the top seam. Ohh yea, the doublet buttons are handmade too, in a slightly smaller size.

My clothes are going to be made from a burgundy red upholstery brocade. The pattern on the brocade isn't quite period, but I don't care right now. It's what I could afford, and I wanted to start learning on something a bit less expensive than the chocolate brown period brocade I have stashed in my closet for twelfth night. The trim and my sleeves will be black cotton velveteen, the sleeves are lined with burgundy red rayon bemberg. My smock will be of linen, and I have two /* PUT IN THE LINK */ blackworked linen cuff ruffles that I intend to add to it. I don't have anything done for the neck, yet. I'll add that later. My corset will be of cotton duck and I'm using the same material to line my bodice, although my skirt will probably be lined with cotton osnaburgh (depends on how much duck I have left). The skirt will close in front, as I dont think I have time to do a forepart. I'm leaving the farthingale until last as well, I know I won't have the proper silhouette without it, but I'm willing to sacrifice that for time right now. If I do have enough time, I'll make it.

Wed, 07 May 2003

I started with the easiest thing, in my estimation, to make in Margo's patterns: the mens' cloak. I chose the half circle version, and decided it wouldn't matter if the nap of the velveteen ran in opposite directions along the front of the cloak, and thus saved myself a sewing step. As Margo says in her pattern instructions, it's period to have the nap running opposite directions.

Cutting the three fabrics was the hardest part of making this piece of clothing. I flatlined the velvet with cotton osnaburgh, and then used the black wool for the lining. Everything went together easily, but I discoved as others have before me that velveteen is a pain in the keyster to work with. The wool was difficult as well, because it's just as slippery as the velveteen. The velveteen also sheds everywhere, little fluffy tufts of green which get right up your nose. Yuck.

After three hours of cutting and sewing I had a workable, although collarless cloak. I hung it as per instructions, to let the fabrics settle out and droop if they were going to be doing so. I hung it right near my computer, so I could stare at it, and gain courage from the fact that it went together so well.

I needed that courage, because the next thing I had to tackle was what I thought would be the hardest garment of all: my corset. If the cloak had been so easy, surely the corset wouldn't be difficult, ran my reasoning.

Thu, 08 May 2003

After twenty four hours, the lining of the cloak hasn't slumped too badly. As a matter of fact it was only showing about 1/4 of an inch in one spot. I pulled up the lining at the neckline and then set about sewing the collar.

I finished the collar easily and was quite proud of it, until I realized that it didn't fit the neckline of the cloak. It was two short by about two inches. I must have cut the wrong size, or something. Anyway, I cut another collar from the scraps I had left from the first cloak cutting, and put it together. It went on easily, and I re-discovered my love of hand-sewing as I tacked it down on the inside.

I started by tracing the patterns for the corset onto artist's tracing paper. I got a roll of it from Utrecht Artist Supply for 10 bucks, a pretty good deal, I thought. Once traced, I carefully followed Margo's instructions for fitting, using my measurements, measuring the pattern and making changes. This part was scary. I'm quite overweight and I knew fitting would be an interesting challenge, as my bone structure hints that I'm a size 12 to 14, and my body is way bigger than that. I drafted the armholes down to fit my shoulder measurements as Margo instructed and then cut my pretty pattern in half to shorten it down to my underarm and back waist lengths.

I used my drafted pattern to make a new tracing, this would be my final pattern. Then I steeled myself and went downstairs to cut the cotton duck. A frenzy of cutting later, and I had my 6 main pieces plus shoulder straps. I brought them all upstairs and dutifully began marking them, only to realize part way through that I was marking both top and bottom pieces on the same sides. Then it struck me that I really didn't know which sides where which, and which was top and bottom (or fashion fabric and lining, as it were). Hence ensued a rather comical hour while I furiously marked, erased and marked again. I finally set all the pieces out flat, but as though they were on my body, and matched edges to edges, then wrote in indelible ink on each piece which one it was, indicating if it were top (fashion fabric) or bottom (lining). I'm proud to say that I managed to get all those marks inside the garment, so they are hidden. I'm putting this mistake down to unfamiliarity with the pattern. Heh.

I sewed as per instructions, easing in the side back seam, which wasn't too hard, and doing the side seams. I got the whole thing put together, and then, on the inside of the garment (wow I was actually thinking ahead) numbered the boning channels. I measured them, wrote them down, and went to bed.

Fri, 09 May 2003

Randy, my husband, cut out the boning as per my measurements of the night before. We didn't dip the tips as I wasnt sure if we'd have to change their sizes. I put the boning in the corset, and sewed on the fitting strips I had made (with cheap grommits, boy was that a mistake). Randy then laced me into the corset over a t-shirt, grommits popping all over the place, and cinched me up.

Now you must understand, gentle reader, that I am overweight. And if you have ever been overweight, then you know the panic I was feeling when Randy announced, 'It meets at the top, but it's about 7 inches apart at the bottom'. Even allowing for the male tendency to extend inches, that was way too much. My heart sank, until I looked down at the binder containing my patterns and realized Margo mentions just this circumstance in her fitting the corset section. So I followed the instructions, or rather Randy did, and we used two laces. It fit better with that, and I did a little shimmy as he laced the bottom section, and it fit even better.

I did the 'lift' and got the proper cleavage, and the corset fit even better. We had to change the angle on the straps, but I reckoned we would, and that was it. Everything else fit, if not perfectly, then quite well. When I make another corset I am going to remember to modify the back piece somewhat, as I'm a bit narrow across the shoulders, so the top lacing section still meets, while the bottom lacing section is about 2.5 inches or so apart. Still, it worked, popped grommits and all.

I removed the boning, took the corset upstairs and began finishing it. Running bias binding around the tabs was difficult for me on the machine. I finally managed to do a decent job of them by removing the pins I'd put in to hold the bias binding in place, and very slowing sewing while feeding the binding out with my fingers. That way I could make minute changes, and didn't get any bulky wrinkles from the pins. My love of hand sewing diminished slightly as I wrestled with sewing binding to the inside of the corset. I'm an embroiderer, and I'd never used a thimble before, but after my thumb began to bruise from pushing the needle through all that fabric, I went and got one, and learned how to use it.

Binding got boring, so I cut out Randy's venetians (Yes, the corset is bound with blue bias tape, and sewn with green thread. I just used what I had handy). I only had to cut two layers, as I'm not flatlining the wool for these. They are lined with the same osnaburgh I used for flatlining the cloak. I wanted the venetians to be a bit lighter weight, as those parts can get mighty sweaty.

That done, I tackled the fly on the venetians. Once again I followed Margo's pattern dutifully, and it went together quite well. I even managed to get all the pieces on the right sides, and didn't have to take anything apart because I'd made a mistake. I was happy with it. Ohh yea, I learned to use the zigzag stitch on my machine as well, finishing the edge of the fly. Little triumphs go a long ways and I'm having fun!

Sat 10 May 2003

I wanted to decorate the side seams of the venetians, and Randy picked a pretty silver grey cord to go down them. The cord was probably 3/8 to 1/2 inch in diameter, and was attached to a semi-woven 'tape'. You can find this stuff in the home decorating section of Joanne's. Little did I realize how painful it would be to work with this stuff. I treated it like piping, and sewed it to one edge of the seam, using a piping/zipper foot. Unfortunately the diameter of the cord is so big, I couldn't get as close as I wanted to the cord itself, and had to do it again. Second time didn't get much closer, so I gave it up for the moment and decided to hand stitch it later. Like how I'm making such off-hand arbitrary decisions about hand stitching still? :)

I put the seam together and found the tape sticking straight out. It's rough, scratchy, and I decided it would not be comfortable to wear that way. I tried ironing it, but the tape is mostly plastic *gag* and so much for that. Luckily I ruined nothing but the tape itself, trying that. So eventually I cut most of the tape off, then graded and folded the seam over itself, surrounding what was left of the plastic tape. I hand-stitched the folded over seam down to the lining of the venetians, and it turned out pretty good. I was starting to get a wee bit wary of hand-stitching by this point, as it always slowed down the sewing process.

I did the rest of the venetians except for the knee and waist bands. They look pretty good, even if bandless, although the cord holds out the sides of them and makes them look somewhat like johdpurs. I hope gathering at the waist and knees tends to remove that side effect.

I did more work on finishing the edge of my corset as well. More hand-stitching, and this needed thimbles and finger power. I discovered I need two thimbles, one for the thumb for pushing power and one for middle finger for that first jab through the fabric. Unfortunately I only have one right now, so the side of the middle finger is turning black and blue. This is still fun though, I feel like a 'real' sewer with these little badges of honor.

Sun 11 May 2003

Today I worked on bands. I finished the waist and kneebands of the venetians, gathered what I had to on the pants, and installed them. I finished the bias trim bands on the bodice as well.

I am getting heartily sick of hand sewing, and yet I do it fairly quickly. It just seems to put such breaks on the whole process. On the other hand, it sure looks nice when it's done.

Mon 12 May 2003

In order to finish the venetians, the sleeves (someday, haven't even cut those yet), the doublet and so on, I decided to make buttons. I learned how to do this from Lady Laurellen in one of her classes, and then bought the book she recommended to learn more styles. It's pretty easy and consists of needle weaving over a base, usually a wooden bead or disk. I taught Randy to do the buttons, and he made probably 3/4 of them, which is just as well, since I was spending the time... hand sewing.

I had 8 yards of nice linen, the kind from fabrics-store.com at 5.3 oz. I washed it and washed it, and it's lovely and soft and smells good. This was Randy's first time at cutting things out, and I wanted to 'squish' up the pattern pieces as best as possible to save some of the linen (as it was using the pattern notes we had just enough). So the cutting session took several hours. Randy wielded the rotary cutter, and I gave directions and ... heh, hand-sewed. There were seams in the venetians to finish!

When we were done we had saved 2.5 yards of the linen, and all the bigger scraps of it. I can use it for blackwork.

Tue 13 May 2003

Today we worked on Randy's shirt. He sewed some of the straight lines, and I did the harder bits, putting together the collar, sleeves, cuffs, etc. It is a lot of work to teach someone to sew while you are basically learning to sew, and I am getting very tired. I feel as though I have to do everything twice, once to learn it and once to teach it.

I started doing handbound buttonholes for Randy's venetians, and stopped after two. I realized I was putting them on the wrong part of the fly! Ohh well, I can fix that and vowed to do so, but not before I got a little rest, and recovery. Sewing 6 to 8 hours a day is really beating up my ability to plan and think. I hand finished all the seams in Randy's shirt as well, except for the hem and the side seams, where I just did a flat fell seam on the machine. At least with hand finishing you don't have to think, much.

Wed 14 May 2003

Randy trotted out his newly finished garb to show to my Mom today and disaster struck. I discovered I'd sewn one of the sleeves on inside out. The ironic thing is, I'd even hand finished the seam, and never discovered it. How embarrassing. Randy ripped out the seam, and I sewed it back on correctly, and am hand finishing the seam. This should teach me, NEVER SEW WHEN YOU ARE TIRED. I think I'm going to have to learn this lesson over and over again.

I had Randy lace me up in the corset again, this time over the main body of the smock. I'm using the low necked-smock, and I wanted to check the neck line. When we cut it out, I made sure to cut it on the size 14 lines, as I knew this was my across shoulder measurement. I was glad I did so, for the corset used these lines as well, and it worked out well. I had to cut the neckline down by perhaps 1/2 inch, is all. I redid the neck facing to match.

I put together the neck of the smock, and tested it again. It looks just fine, but while I was testing it I noticed that the shoulder straps on the corset are gaping a bit. I took a tuck at the back where they meet the main body of the corset to correct this. Somehow the error got overlooked while fitting before.

I decided to put the fluffy sleeves with the low-necked smock, although I remembered reading somewhere that they might pull the smock down. I thought I'd chance it, and carry safety pins if they start to do so. I am doing sleeves with buttons on them, and going to pull out the smock sleeve through the gaps. I might even do buttons on both the top and the bottom of the sleeves, and so wanted enough smock to do so. This little adventure might teach me a lesson, and so I'll line such sleeves next time but.. no time right now!

Anyway, I did the sleeves and the cuffs. I'm quite enjoying doing cuffs and waist/neck bands, although I find I have to think about them carefully, or I ended up sewing the wrong sides together.

Thu 15 May 2003

I sewed a sleeve onto my smock and immediately noticed I'd done it backwards. At least I noticed before I started finishing the seams, this time. I then spent a good 15 minutes figuring out which side of the sleeve to sew to which side of the shirt. It shouldn't be that hard, but having down it wrong twice in 3 sleeves, I thought I'd best check a few times. I got both sleeves on correctly after spending that 15 minutes, and, as usual, took another hour to finish all the seams. But the smock is done, YAY!.

Randy started cutting out the pattern for my attifet. I'm not sure how this will work, as it's got some tricky gathering in it, but he's going to give it a go. We also traced out the patterns for his doublet, and will cut it out shortly.

Fri 16 May 2003

No major construction today. I finished the hand sewing on my smock, and I'm rather proud of it.

Sat 17 May 2003

We finished all the garments so far (but the attifet), completely. No more seams to finish, no more buttons to put on, or buttonholes to be made. The cloak still needs some decoration, and we are putting that together later on tonight.

Sun 18 May 2003

After looking at Randy's measurements, and the patterns, I decided we'd better trace them out again, and do some drafting. He's got a big neck, regular sized shoulders, long back waist length, and he's not fat, although because of his height and chest size (He's 6 foot 1), he's just into that size where the waist measurement jumps 6 inches. It's really confusing to him, what we are doing, and he's impatient, but he holds it in and lets me fuss. Finally, I'm satisfied.

It was all too much, and we are getting tired of sewing, so we lay off for the rest of the night, and go to bed.

Mon 19 May 2003

I traced out my bodice patterns onto artist's tracing paper. We cut out the flatlining for the doublet (we are using, surprise surprise, cotton osnaburgh) and Randy sews it up for test fitting. Yes, I making him use the sewing machine now.

The muslin fits pretty well, but we made a mistake. We didn't fit it over the shirt, this will later create problems in the collar area.

Downstairs I laid out the fabric for my skirt. I don't have enough to do it according to Margo's pattern, so I use the knowledge I gained in Laurellen's class. She swears you can make a skirt up with 4 yards of fabric, which is what I have. She cuts 3 panels from selvedge to selvedge by the length she needs from waist to ground. I did the same thing, figuring it'll give me over the 3 times waist measurement needed to make good full pleats. We cut the panels and then did more from cotton osnaburgh for the lining.

Tue 20 May 2003

It was another cutting day. Randy sure does like to work with the rotary cutter. This is just as well, I'm left-handed, and the thing scares me, as the blade is uncovered on the wrong side for me. Never did like running with scissors either.

After Randy cut the green velveteen and the wool lining for his doublet, he sewed the velveteen and the flat lining together. This is the easy part! When he's finished, I sewed the skirt fashion fabric together, and then sewed the lining together, creating two very LONG pieces of fabric.

Wed 21 May 2003

Today I made bias binding... tons of it it seems. I followed Margo's directions and sewed up a continous 'loop' which I then cut and ran through a bias maker/folder gadget at the ironing board. The velveteen fuzz (I'm making the bias for piping out of black velveteen) is really annoying. My nostrils are coated with it, as is the ironing board. But boy, it sure looks nice. Only problem is, I made the binding too small to do piping. I misread the instructions and thought I needed 2 inches wide (before folding) binding, not 2 inches wide (after folding) binding. So I guess my bodice will have to be bias bound and not piped. This is probably a good thing, as it'll be a bit quicker to do, perhaps.

I also made black velveteen strips, like ribbon, with the bias tape maker, but cut these on the grain. I've got this scheme in my head to do beading on them, and whipstitch them down the front of my bodice, when it's finished. I made enough to put this down the front of the skirt as well, so I applied it and then sewed the fashion fabric and lining together at the waist line and front seams. I'm pleased with the result, which you can see (all rolled up into a convienent roll) below.

Randy started sewing his doublet. There's a picture below to prove it, yes, those are his hands doing it! And he's already learning to hate hand sewing, poor man.

Thu 22 May 2003

Today is another day of hand sewing for me. I cartridge pleated the skirt, and am quite please with the results. My grandmother always did say I had nice, neat even stitches and so I didn't use any measuring, just eyeballed the stitches. They turned out pretty even.

I think I'll do something fancy with buttons on my sleeves. I'll need two buttons for each fastening point (we are doing the narrow sleeves open down the top seam for each of us) and so I got right down to making buttons. I'll need twenty four total, yikes!

Randy continued his doublet, cursing and fussing whenever he has to do hand sewing (like when he had to attach the wings to the doublet shoulders). I think sometime I'm going to have to sit down and actually teach him how to do these things, maybe he'll get into the zen of sewing then.

He wore his costume, well everything but the doublet, to an SCA teaching expo at a local school (He teaches the kids about illumination). He reported that his pants kept falling down, so I decided we needed to add points to his doublet, at least. More work!!!

Fri 23 May 2003

I finally started work on my bodice, tracing out the patterns first and then fitting them to me over the corset. I basted it together, but let Randy use the sewing machine more. He's making the customary beginning sewing mistakes like sewing things on backwards and such. Was it just a week or so ago that I was doing the same thing? I don't think I cursed as much as he does though!

We cut out the bodice in the fashion fabric and the lining. I'm not going to flatline it, as the fashion fabric is very heavy and the lining is the same cotton duck/denim from which I made my corset. We also cut out sleeves for us, in black velveteen with burgundy bemberg lining for me, and green velveteen with black wool lining for him. No flatlining for these, as I want them to be somewhat cool.

Also, while listening to Randy swear over at the sewing machine, I beaded a few strips of velvet and make pearl and bead chains to pin to my bodice.

Sat 24 May 2003

I basted the bodice lining together and found out the pattern fitting we'd done didn't go as well as I thought. The back and side waist lengths are correct, but it gaps badly at the back armscye and the straps are way too long, and it's too big around (how is that possible!?! Honestly never thought I'd find something too big around for me). Randy pinned it all in, and I basted it again. This time it's better, but I took too much off the straps and it's still gaping in the back arm area.

I'm frustrated and worried, and Randy absolutely hates pinning things to me, he's so afraid he'll stick me. So I decided to 'wing' the next fitting. I used the well fitting corset we'd made to redo the back side seams, pulling them in a bit and reshaping them slightly. I let the straps out, and we tried it on me again. Hey, at least the corset is getting a chance to settle into my curves. Mind you, sewing with the corset on is not easy. The guessing turned out correct, and I started sewing the bodice together 'for real'.

Once that's done, I took the miles and miles of velvet bias tape I made, and turned the sewing machine back over to Randy. He's learning but needs to remember to keep to the proper seam allowances (he tends to cut make them too narrow, as I did when I was starting). He did well with the lining, although sewing the lining around the neck area was problematic (he sewed it wrong 2 times in a row). He also managed to put the loops for the doublet buttons on wrong once, leading me to discover that I really needed to make my instructions clear, shouting them up the stairs from the cutting table (the dining room) didn't work.

Those miles and miles of velvet bias tape got sewn onto the bodice after Randy went to bed, and I spent a few hours finishing it off by hand. Now even the soft velvet was agony to sew without a thimble, and I used two, one on my thumb and one on my middle finger. The pad of my middle finger had a deep gouge in it, which goes at least an 1/8 of an inch down towards the bone. When the end of the needle inadvertently slid into that gouge, the pain was sharp and excruciating.

Sun 25 May 2003

We fit the now finished bodice over the corset. It fits! No gaps! I was, of course, deathly frightened that it won't fit, that somehow I'd gained 500 pounds overnight or something... but it does fit. I immediately took up the next worry, would it fit over the skirt?

Randy finished his doublet, and tried it on excitedly. He looked GREAT. But his pants keep falling down and he has a ton of buttons to make, and some hand sewing to finish.

I sewed the skirt to the bodice, using upholstery thread. I used Laurellen's instructions and hints. She locates the back center of the skirt and cartridge pleats out from that, creating two sections of pleating, one on other side of the skirt. Then she fastens the skirt to the back center of the bodice and arranges the pleats, etc. This is fairly easy. I make the flat part of the skirt at the front a bit wider than called for in Margo's pattern, about 6 inches wide. This is so the pleats start more to my side, rather than over my belly (which I'm pretty sure would look unflattering).

I made the skirt go straight across at the front waistline, and didn't have it follow the lines of the bodice; this is another reason I kept the front flat, and didnt start the pleats until the curve of the bodice arrives at the natural waist line. In the picture below the front edges of the bodice are roughly aligned, you can see that the waistline of the skirt comes in quite a bit above the bottom of the bodice at this section. This does create a line when I'm wearing the dress but it's such that only I know it's there (you have to touch it to find it).

Mon 26 May 2003

We put the whole outfit on me, chemise, corset, bodice and skirt. Heart in my throat, I fastened the hooks up the bodice and.. it fit! Even where the skirt adds bulk, it's not too tight. I feel like a Princess! Randy, bless him, then spent some time on his hands and knees carefully pinning up the hem. I left far too much fabric there, and will have to do some trimming. At least the lining (which I will hem seperately) isn't too long.

Quickly I made some 2 inch wide velvet tape. It's cut on the grain, not the bias because I dont want it to distend too much. Randy took the day off from sewing, although he's made some buttons for his doublet, and I (gulp I know, it's a sin) machine sewed the hems of the dress, and the lining. Then I pinned on the 2 inch wide velvet strip and machine sewed that to the hem. I broke two needles trying to get through the thick parts where all the material overlaps at the front, and ended up doing that by hand. But the rest came out fine, and the time saved by using the machine was, I feel, crucial.

When Randy went to bed I quickly threw together my sleeves and put the metal rings we decided to use as points into my gown.

Tue 27 May 2003

We have to help set up the site on Thursday night, so I better be finished with the sewing by Wed.. gulp.. tomorrow.

Crisis! Randy doesn't have enough buttons finished, and his doublet doesn't quite fit around his neck. Well it fits, but it doesn't have enough overlap to make a proper buttonhole for it. Even a loop won't work very well. So after trying several things, including a placket which looks pretty awful, we decided to leave it unfastened. I started making buttons for Randy, who is cursing his sleeves over on the sewing machine, but getting them done. His slowest part is hand sewing, so after I finished sewing up the front of my skirt, I started attaching buttons to his doublet. I also tack down the lining around the collar. The collar was hard for Randy to sew, and the lining was 'funny', but tacking it down helps a lot.

I made, and decorated, a french hood in the early morning hours. The attifet that Randy was making for me has been lost in the storm of sewing, and sits forlornly on the sewing table in several pieces. I'll finish it one day soon.

Wed 28 May 2003

Buttons, buttons, buttons! We finally finished Randy's. I sewed mine onto my sleeves, and then did his. His outfit is completed! But I still have decoration to go on mine. Sadly I decided I probably wouldn't get it done.

In the picture below, the sleeve is laying atop the dress. You can't really make out the detail on the buttons, unfortunately. They are finished off with little glass gold beads at the top. We did Randy's with black glass beads, which went well agains the silvery grey of the button.

Thu 29 May 2003

We did a bit of hand sewing and hemming, but are so tired, we went to bed early. We have to be on site by noon Friday, as we are working gate and those working gate have to be in garb. So we get to wear it all tomorrow!

Fri 29 May 2003

I got up early and sewed my beaded velvet trim onto the bodice. To heck with sleep! The picture below shows the trim on the dress. Then I fooled with the fastenings of the skirt, and put in 3 hooks and eyes in the hopes it will lay well and not gap at the top. I'm not worried about the rest of the skirt, as it's whipstitched solidly down most of the front.

The metal ring points we use tore out during the day. Ohh the stitches hold, but the stupid metal rings just bust. So much for THOSE. When we get home, we each spent 20 minutes (or more in Randy's case) sewing on ribbon points. We'll tie the ribbons on the sleeves (and venetians) around ribbon loops on the bodice and doublet. Randy's pants are GOING to stay up! The fastening of the skirt bothers me, the hooks and eyes keep coming undone. So I sew edthe skirt closed higher. I'll have to wriggle into the dress, but no gaping!

Sat May 30 2003

My father took a picture of us! Here we are, in all our finery at Junefaire!

Epilogue

Here's what I'd do different: I'd shape the waist line of the skirt so it follows the bodice better. I'd give myself time to make the proper underskirts and forepart. I'd wear the corset more before fitting things so it stretched and molded to me better. I'd make sure the collar on the doublet fit with plenty of leeway. I'd remember to put the sleeves on the smock and shirt in right, the first time! I'd definitely give myself more time!

Here's what I have yet to do for these outfits: I want to put beading on my sleeves, and around the neckline of the bodice, as well as down the front guards of the skirt. I'll do a forepart of black velveteen with couched gold cord and beading. I'm going to do more decoration on Randy's garb, probably couched silver grey gimp and cord. You can't see his cloak because it was much too warm for it, but that has silver grey gimp trim and it looks very nice. I have to take in the corset because I'm losing weight! (Go Margo's weightloss!).

Discoveries: We've both discovered we love sewing. I faced the 'fat people don't deserve beautiful clothing' demon inside me and beat her. I wonder if I can do so again?

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