Getting ready for Pennsic: medieval fashion accessories

I made this hood last year, based on the pattern in The Tudor Tailor book, to go with an early Tudor gown, and I just got it out to tweak it a bit before Pennsic. There are several layers, precariously pinned together.

I also got out the curling iron to reshape my Elizabethan ruff. It was very droopy, but a little starch and it's springy again.

Late Elizabethan flounced skirt

So this is the next look that I'm going for, from The Tudor Tailor:

I was hesitant about doing a flounced skirt, which would require a bumroll - it seems odd to modern eyes - but it turned out ok:

 

 

That's the doublet bodice that I made earlier; drafted that pattern from scratch, but it's very close to the one in the book, and I did use the pattern from the book for the medium bumroll.

However, I totally guessed on how to do the skirt. I measured down from the waist, over the bumroll, about 8 inches, made a tuck about 1 inch wide, and ran two rows of loose stitching to gather it. The fabric is a teal-colored wool gabardine that was left over from another project from a long time ago.

Since it's an open front skirt, I might make some sort of forepart to go under it, to hide my corded petticoat. I wish I had the time and fortitude to do something in blackwork, but that's definitely not my strong suit.

Busy as a little bee: Pennsic sewing frenzy

I am definitely leaning to Europe for my new garb. I think I was inspired by watching The Tudors and The Borgias series. I dug into that pile of recycled plaid again and came up with this:

Lady's Elizabethan Doublet

I just draped onto my toile and drafted the pattern from scratch.

I also made a leather version of the Elizabethan pouch:

So the wardrobe is coming together. I just thumbed through my copy of The Tudor Tailor and got some more ideas. I'll keep sewing until I run out of fabric and time.

I don't think I'm going to make anything new Middle Eastern or Japanese, because I have tons of that stuff. I will go through all of that to make repairs as necessary.

Elizabethan costume stuff

I ended up just making an open-front bodice out of the recycled tartan fabric that I had. There wasn't really enough to attach a full skirt.

I drafted the pattern using the finished corset as a guide.

While I was at it, I also cranked out this Elizabethan pouch, using Margo Anderson's Elizabethan accessories pattern:

 

I was one of the people lined up to pre-order this pattern, and I finally used it! I want to make a leather version of this bag, too.

And so it begins...the pre-Pennsic sewing frenzy

When I can squeeze it into my busy schedule, that is. I sorted through a big bag of wool tartan scraps that a dear friend donated to me and picked out the biggest pieces to do something with. After a long contemplation over my historical pattern collection, I decided that I'm going to bodge together something late- period. I'm going for something a bit like this:

From Drea Leed's web site - http://www.elizabethancostume.net

I have some lightweight wool gabardine in a solid color to do the kirtle (underdress) and I'm hoping to piece together enough of the tartan to make the gown. Many years ago, I attended a class that Drea Leed gave at Pennsic on constructing a 16th c. Flemish womans garb, and then she published her notes from that class as a book, which I have: The Well-Dress'd Peasant: 16th Century Workingwoman's Dress - out of print. It provides detailed instructions on drafting the patterns. However, there are lots of other resources available on her web site here - http://www.elizabethancostume.net/lowerclass/makeflem.html.

ReconstructingHistory.com also sells a full-scale pattern that would work nicely.

I'm not too concerned about mashing up a tartan fabric with a Flemish design. Wool is wool.