Tudor kirtle and gown thoughts...
I just edited my earlier post on my Tudor gown and kirtle that was in the Hanford RoK post. I wanted to keep it separate as a dress diary entry, and I added a bit more in.
On the French hood of my own use, I found that if I put my hair braids up too far forward on my head, my hood sits up too high as well. I will have to remember to put my short braids a bit farther back on my head. I do want to redo the upper billiment, as it is coming off, lopsided, and I have more beads to make it work better. I should do that before Kearney.
My whole outfit went together very well, thank God! The only issues I had was a smock that has become too big (I will cut it down later), and since I cut down my gown, I need to cut down on the placard over the front. It not only is too wide, it is also too long, as it wants to sit *at* the same level as my bodice forebody at the top, not above it like I cut it to do, so it shifted down over my waist at the front. I think I can recut the pattern based on the front forebody pieces as sewn, and put in seam allowances, and that should make it fit properly. But the placard did pin and stay in pretty well, once the great ladies helping me understood what to do. And only one of the pins poked me, and only a little. The other issue was that my foresleeves are just a tad too long. I had measured from the inside of my elbow to my wrist, but when the arm is bent, the foresleeve shifts forward more, so I will need to cut it down a half to full inch or so, so it will sit at my wrist better. I also need to hook and eye that front area, as one side ripped out from trying to put it on over my hands. So, overall, things with the whole outfit went well, I just need to make a few minor adjustments.
My gown train was up for the most part. I attached a hook at the hem, and sewed up a thread eye at the waistline in back. This worked ok, but it didn't drape very nicely, and there was no way to adjust the look, at least not without someone else to assist who knew the look I wanted. My son on Sunday ended up sitting on my skirts while being "shy", and it ripped out the thread eye, so I ended up pinning it up with a large corsage pin. Amy pinned it up flat against the back, which is just how it should look in early images I have. So I think from now on, I am going to just have it pinned up. Even so, it did have some parts at the side backs that did drag on the ground a little. But no one ended up stepping on my train like I almost did to Joanie a few times during procession, and hers is a rather short train.
I also have to say that wearing wool, lined in linen, with the silk turnback sleeves, over more linen undergarments was comfy, both in cool weather, and in the warm rooms. The faire has a Veterans building, which we get to enjoy as a "green room". Many of the ladies had their skirts up past their farthingales trying to cool off. Me, I was cold! I guess my sweat was evaporating through the linen and wool the way it was supposed to, so while they were fanning under their skirts, I was trying to get warm. Odd, huh? Odd, but nice in a way. I have to say I was the most comfortable at faire in any costume ever. I am so a convert to linen and wool.
I did get photos of my whole outfit taken, by my friend Bob Spikard, of The Dragon's Treasure. He's a really good photographer as well, with a great eye for details, although he prefers vintage cameras. Since my good camera is film, I will need to finish off the roll to get the photos for scanning. I also need to get photos of me in just my kirtle which I hope to do later this week. And then once I've made all of the minor adjustments, I am really thinking of getting a pro photo shoot, so I can put this in my portfolio, and on my wall.
On the French hood of my own use, I found that if I put my hair braids up too far forward on my head, my hood sits up too high as well. I will have to remember to put my short braids a bit farther back on my head. I do want to redo the upper billiment, as it is coming off, lopsided, and I have more beads to make it work better. I should do that before Kearney.
My whole outfit went together very well, thank God! The only issues I had was a smock that has become too big (I will cut it down later), and since I cut down my gown, I need to cut down on the placard over the front. It not only is too wide, it is also too long, as it wants to sit *at* the same level as my bodice forebody at the top, not above it like I cut it to do, so it shifted down over my waist at the front. I think I can recut the pattern based on the front forebody pieces as sewn, and put in seam allowances, and that should make it fit properly. But the placard did pin and stay in pretty well, once the great ladies helping me understood what to do. And only one of the pins poked me, and only a little. The other issue was that my foresleeves are just a tad too long. I had measured from the inside of my elbow to my wrist, but when the arm is bent, the foresleeve shifts forward more, so I will need to cut it down a half to full inch or so, so it will sit at my wrist better. I also need to hook and eye that front area, as one side ripped out from trying to put it on over my hands. So, overall, things with the whole outfit went well, I just need to make a few minor adjustments.
My gown train was up for the most part. I attached a hook at the hem, and sewed up a thread eye at the waistline in back. This worked ok, but it didn't drape very nicely, and there was no way to adjust the look, at least not without someone else to assist who knew the look I wanted. My son on Sunday ended up sitting on my skirts while being "shy", and it ripped out the thread eye, so I ended up pinning it up with a large corsage pin. Amy pinned it up flat against the back, which is just how it should look in early images I have. So I think from now on, I am going to just have it pinned up. Even so, it did have some parts at the side backs that did drag on the ground a little. But no one ended up stepping on my train like I almost did to Joanie a few times during procession, and hers is a rather short train.
I also have to say that wearing wool, lined in linen, with the silk turnback sleeves, over more linen undergarments was comfy, both in cool weather, and in the warm rooms. The faire has a Veterans building, which we get to enjoy as a "green room". Many of the ladies had their skirts up past their farthingales trying to cool off. Me, I was cold! I guess my sweat was evaporating through the linen and wool the way it was supposed to, so while they were fanning under their skirts, I was trying to get warm. Odd, huh? Odd, but nice in a way. I have to say I was the most comfortable at faire in any costume ever. I am so a convert to linen and wool.
I did get photos of my whole outfit taken, by my friend Bob Spikard, of The Dragon's Treasure. He's a really good photographer as well, with a great eye for details, although he prefers vintage cameras. Since my good camera is film, I will need to finish off the roll to get the photos for scanning. I also need to get photos of me in just my kirtle which I hope to do later this week. And then once I've made all of the minor adjustments, I am really thinking of getting a pro photo shoot, so I can put this in my portfolio, and on my wall.