Elizabethan Burgundy Gown: More Undergarmets

I worked on my Elizabethan stays pretty much all day today. I began with the Online Custom Corset Pattern Generator, once again, from the Elizabethan Costume Page. I made a few changes: I deepened the point in the front a little bit to allow room for my wooden busk, added a little more material under the arm, as it looked really small there, and I added some boned tabs to the waistline, as I've read tabs make Elizabethan corsets much more comfortable.

I was going to make a mock-up of this corset out of some material from a thrift store couch cover, but I went a little overboard, and pretty much made an entire separate corset. I cut out the corset, and decided to sew a few boning channels and bone them with plastic cable ties to check the fit. By the time I got the front of the corset finished, I decided to go ahead and bone the whole thing.





So now I will have two corsets. The process for Elizabethan corsets is very easy. You pretty much just cut it out, sew the sides together to make a fabric sandwich, turn it inside out and start sewing boning channels. I did them by machine, and each is about 1/4 inch. I sewed the first one, then lined the previous stitch with the edge of my sewing machine foot to sew the next channel - resulting in boning channels the perfect width for my cable ties. I read about using cable ties from another costumer's blog. They work very well from what I can tell so far. They're pretty flexible, while still being supportive. I got them at a hardware store ($7 for a pack of 100) cut them to size, and slipped them in the boning channels. I have a wooden busk in the center front, and I used metal grommets in the back. I offset the grommets so I could spiral lace it. It worked well, but it was really difficult to get into by myself (You have to contort and reach and twist, and 20 minutes later, you have it on, but you're all hot and sweaty.) I still haven't yet finished binding the top and bottom with bias tape, and I ran out of cable ties in the back left section, but other than that, it's finished.

There's such a big difference between wearing an Elizabethan corset and a Victorian corset. The Victorian corset pulls in your waist and ends up in a nice hourglass shape. The Elizabethan corset is conical. It just flattens everything as much as possible. The bust is flattened and pushed up, creating that distinctive Elizabethan decolletage. Or should, when it fits correctly.

I'm glad I did make be mock-up, because after trying it on, I discovered it was a little too big in the bust, and I kept slipping down inside it. For my "real" corset, I cut the top back down by an inch and a half on each side, which will hopefully fix this problem.

The "real" corset is made from an off-white linen tablecloth (at least I'm pretty sure it's linen - if it's not, it sure looks and feels a lot like it). It's also stitched with burgundy thread, and will have a wooden busk down the center front. This one will be boned with reed rather than cable ties. In the interest of authenticity, I'm also planning to attempt hand-bound eyelets, if I can figure out how to make them. Because the metal ones are just not period at all, even if they're easy and relatively fast. I've already sewn all the boning channels, and will start putting the reeds in tomorrow. I was planning to add shoulder straps to this one, but only remembered after I had already cut the fabric.



I'm afraid I'm going to be seeing lines of burgundy thread in my sleep. More tomorrow.

Elizabethan Burgundy Gown: Undergarmets

Well, here we are back at the beginning, starting from the skin out. I have a smock!



It's made from approximately three yards of a white linen/rayon blend. It's a basic square-neck, T-tunic shaped smock, and the pattern came from the Elizabethan Smock Pattern Generator at the Elizabethan Costume Page (link here: http://www.elizabethancostume.net/smockpat/index.html). This pattern worked out perfectly for me, and I didn't need any alterations. I could use another six inches of length, but I ran out of fabric. I also wanted to met the look and feel of period Elizabethan blackwork embroidery on the neck and sleeves, but I don't so much embroidery. So I found a couple of stitches on my sewing machine that looked like they would work (and I don't have a fancy embroidery machine. These were just two of the 30 or so stitches it came with) and ran those around the neck and sleeves in plain black thread. You can certainly tell it's not period, but from a few feet away, I think it looks fine. Here's a close-up of the neck and a sleeve:



I've also begun work on my stays. I began with the Corset Pattern Generator, once again from the Elizabethan Costume Page (that place is an invaluable resource). I cut out the shape I came up with, and it looks awfully small, but with lacing and the squish factor, it will probably work out. I'm probably going to make some changes, by adding boned tabs and straps, as it just sounds like it would be more comfortable and supportive.



I'm also struggling with whether to make this corset front-lacing or back-lacing. Front-lacing stays have the advantage of being able to get in and out of them more easily, but really don't allow for any fitting mistakes or weight fluctuations like back-lacing stays do. Also, I bought a wooden busk that I want to use in the front center, which wouldn't be possible in front-lacing stays. But I'm not sure I can get into back-lacing stays by myself. I'm definitely going to go buy an old curtain or sheet at the thrift store tomorrow for fabric to make a mock-up and make sure everything is going to fit before I do the real thing.

Next Project: Elizabethan Burgundy Gown

So, I've been itching to start my next project. I've wanted to do something post-medevil for a while. I was originally planning something more Tudor, but when I moved here, I discovered that my new town has a (small) Renaissance Faire every summer, and it has an Elizabethan theme. And so, I shall make an Elizabethan court dress. The Renaissance Faire is this August, so hopefully it will be done by then. Here's the basic plan:



I can't really draw, but I find it helps to sketch my designs. Basically, a burgundy gown with a square neckline, partlet and ruff, padded shoulder rolls, a fitted under-sleeve, and open over-sleeve, and a split skirt with a kirtle showing through from underneath. Underneath layers will include a smock, Elizabethan style stays, Spanish farthingale, bumroll, and possibly a petticoat. I may change the sleeves a bit; the gown that inspired me might have been a romanticized version rather than completely historically accurate. I began looking at period paintings, and I can't find anything that has a square neck with padded shoulder rolls and an over-sleeve. In fact, most of the portraits of gowns with oversleeves have a high, doublet-style neckline. But I kind of fell in love with them. And I've since found some period portraits and sketches with similar styles, such as:




Here are my fabric choices, explained from left to right:



At the far left is a white linen/nylon blend for the smock. Linen was used at the time, but it's terribly expensive, and I found this blend on sale. It's over 50% linen, so I thought it was a good compromise. The next, slightly off-white color is for the stays. It comes from a thrift-store tablecloth. I'm planning to sew it with burgundy thread, and bind the edges with burgundy bias tape. The navy is a wool/nylon blend for the Spanish farthingale. From some of my research, I get the idea that in Elizabethan times, they didn't make all of their undergarments out of white, so I thought I'd throw in some color. The next five fabrics will compose the dress. The green (from a bedskirt and shower curtain from a thrift store) will go into the under-sleeves, and create a border around the sides and hem of the skirt. I was originally wary of the stripes, but after some research, discovered some period portraits with stripes, and decided it would be okay.



The embroidered stuff is from a comforter set found in a thrift store and seam-ripped apart. It will compose the kirtle which peaks through the front part of the skirt, and the lining of the oversleves. The burgundy velvet will be for the bodice and skirt, and the burgundy silky fabric will line the bodice and skirt. Both these fabrics were purchased from a fabric store (expensive; that's while I like to recycle thrift store things). The green and cream-colored trim also came from the thrift store comforter set, and will be applied liberally. The last piece of off-white will form the partlet. It may also make up the ruff, or I may make the ruff out of gross-grain ribbon. The gold beads and pearls will also be eventually sewn into the bodice and around the sides and hem of the skirt.

I've spent so much money on this already. I have such expensive hobbies. But I now have all my materials gathered up and the plan formulated. Sewing to begin soon.