Project of the Day-- Tudor

[mandie_rw]

Well, I did say I wanted to be more sewingly productive, didn't I? I think the fact my entire room is now covered in black fuzzies counts as productive (thanks so much, black velveteen). It was kind of funny, actually: for the first half of the day I sat in front of the television (not something I do often, actually, besides when it's background for handsewing), then I decided to go off and be productive. (And start something else, but whatever. I want to have this gown done for our annual Ren Faire outing in October...I'm pretty sure it'll be done by then, at this rate!)

I dug out all the stuff for my Tudor gown, which was actually a bit funny, because in the Bag of Tudor Goodness, I found a bodice muslin I draped God-knows-when. I actually have no memory of draping it, nor if it fits, and I decided I don't care, because I already draped one last night anyway, before I went digging in the Bag of Tudor Goodness.

Cut out the panels for the skirt, which was fun and neccessitated lots of triple-checking that the naps were all going in the same direction. I actually did manage to sew them all the right way round the first time; believe me, no one was more surprised than me at that happy occurrance. Also sewed the lining of the skirt together - it's yellow cotton (the same as the lining for my medieval gown actually), not because I thought it would look spiffy with the black velveteen (though I do kind of think that!), but because it was the only thing in the Stash that I had enough of to line the skirt with (besides 12 yards of silk taffeta, but clearly I'm not going to use that...)!

The bodice pieces are all cut out, corded, and put together, and now have the lining pinned to the shell and interlining. I decided to put a bit of cording in the gown bodice, even though the kirtle bodice is fully corded, really just for the hell of it and hopefully to minimize wrinkles. Oh, and to add that faint outline of the cords that always shows through the outer fabric. That always adds a lot to a gown. *eyeroll*

I'm making the gown front-lacing, with the lacing in front covered with a stomacher, mainly because I like to be able to put on my own dresses. (And I've seen so many different ways of making Tudor gowns, I can't remember who's done what, nor do I have books on 16thc fashion besides Norris, who is not exactly the most reliable. I'm ignoring him on this; he says Tudor gowns laced in the back. Personally, I think it makes a lot more sense for the clearly front-opening gowns of the second half of the 16thc to have evolved from gowns that were already front-opening, plus there's that one sketch of pregnant women shown in gowns that lace up the front - it's not much of a stretch to think that a piece of fabric could have covered the lacing on a non-pregnant woman.

But maybe that's just me. Anyway, /babble.)

And yes, the sewing done today has all been done on the machine. I was sewing the panels of the skirt lining together earlier, when I thought of all the seams I would have to do, and how long it would take me. And I realized that would not be fun for me. Then I felt guilty for not handsewing the entire damn thing. I had to sit myself down at that point and ask myself who I was sewing for; myself, or the theoretical people who would be more impressed if I hand sewed 250 inches of skirt panels (wait, with the lining, that's 500 inches). I've been hand sewing the pet en l'air because I wanted to, not because I think it's So Much Better To Handsew Everything. I need to not let myself get into the rut of sewing for other people for myself. Not a good thing.

Okay, then! I'll probably continue sewing on this tomorrow...but no guarantees. We all know how large I like to let the My Attention Has Wandered to More Interesting Things Pile get.

Comments

[heidilea.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah--that sketch of Thomas More's Family.

But wow, you got a lot of work done. Here I am, in my new apartment, with barely a new pincushion stitched. I need to get my 18th repaired and finished and 19th accessories started, and hear I am daydreaming about early 20th century (20s & 30s to be specific).

And you got almost a whole gown put together. I suck.

[greeneyedtengu.livejournal.com]

Yeah... I have yet to bust into the handsewing whole garments thing. Nt because I'm not interested, but because... well... I'm lazy. I'm made coifs completely by hand and put trims on completely by hand, but I doubt my poor hands would hold up long enough to do the handsewing required of the Ren-faire crap I make. Blah.

But major points to you for hand sewing the pet en l'air.

And I do agree. Sew things the way you want, not because other people judge sewing machines as somehow inferior.

[rose-bertin.livejournal.com]

My expertise in the 16th century is in early Elizabethan (as in pre-barrel hoops), not Tudor, but I will tell you that where your dress laced up showed off your rank- if it laced in the front it meant you had to dress yourself, lacing in back meant you had people to do that for you and were therefore rich. So if it's an upper class dress it's going to lace up the back. And to my knowledge stomachers didn't come in until the very end of the 16th century when the barrel hoops came in (if even then). The more open bodices at the end of the period could have developed from a doublet-like bodice that women could wear (in the early Elizabethan period that is), which buttoned down the front. I don't think that style was popular in Tudor times, the preferred look seems to be a bodice which laces up the back and has an uninterrupted front (of course many were decorated with trim and things but you know what I mean). But as I said, that's not my area of expertise.

Here's a great resource for portraits from 1500 to 1610:
http://entertainment.webshots.com/album/557253511xAShgE?start=0
(And here's the main page with albums for all periods- amazing!:
http://community.webshots.com/user/gogm1)

BUT, I don't mean to be a costume nazi. If it's being worn to a Ren Faire than stomacher or no you'll probably have a way more accurate costume than 99% of the people there.