Reformation Day 2013 · Dress Details

These dresses were lots of fun to "design" and deduce! :-)  It's a bit like an episode of "Spot the Differences" when we wear them, and I'll point out the differences in this post. :-)  Here's the first post of the series, and here are the "portrait recreation" shots.

For the dress fabric, I wanted something with body so that the skirts weren't too limp, but I also didn't want something too bulky to make the sleeve puffs on my dress.  I also felt that a subtle stripe was a necessity, and under $10/yd was an added difficulty.  We had absolutely no success finding a fabric with colors like the portrait, so we settled on looking for a brown.  After searching around a lot, Mom ended up finding a brown corduroy stripe online, on sale. :-)  I never knew there was a fabric like this- it has stripes of corduroy alongside stripes of plain twill.  I am very pleased with the weight, hang, and overall look of it! :-)

I was able to find 40 yards of black velvet ribbon on eBay for much less than I could find anywhere else.  I figured 40 yards would be enough that I wouldn't have to scrimp on anything; the dresses ended up using about half of that, so if my calculations are correct, I'll have enough to add 3 rows of ribbon to the hem of the skirts next year.  As long as the ribbon doesn't get commandeered for a different project before then.... ;-)

Gretel slaved away figuring out and making these hairnets!  After studying the portrait, I knew that a cloth caul was out of the question, since the cording used to tape their hair is visible.  There isn't a wealth of information out there about daintier hairnets out there, and I knew I wouldn't have time to do all the research and make them so I handed off my preliminary findings to Gretel and let her figure it all out. :-)  After watching the process, I'm completely in awe!!  Silkewerk.com and AnneLiese's site were the main resources she used.  We couldn't source the right kind of silk, so she used cotton crochet thread which was alright, but has definite drawbacks.  Each hairnet is comprised of 1200 knots, and took 12 hours to complete!  She's amazingly perseverant, especially considering that her first net didn't work- so she essentially made 3 hairnets.  Mom beaded the edge with gold seed beads, and Gretel made the beaded headbands, which we sewed into place.

Gretel has a coral necklace with shaped beads, and her partlet has a wide collar trimmed with cotton lace.  We weren't quite sure what the triangular cording was in the painting, but we interpreted that as a braided cord, strung through thread loops in the partlet and secured on the horizontal lace strip.

Her sleeves are a gentle leg-o'-mutton style, with 2 rows of ribbon chevroning in the center.  We ran into a bit of an issue when deciding on her trim placement- the picture seems to show 2 different placements for the trim, with the farther sleeve having a much wider "V".  We ended up coping the most visible sleeve and replicating it on the other.   The dresses close on both sides with hand-worked eyelets and spiral lacing.  This was the first time I've made a dress that closes like that, so it was something to cross off my bucket list. ;-)

Gretel's long coral necklace is worn tucked into the neckline of her dress.  Her waistline is trimmed with 1 row of velvet ribbon and a loopy bow and she has 2 rows of trim on each shoulder.

I used the Eleonora de Toledo pattern from Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion 1560-1620 as it had a remarkably similar look to the portrait.  The fact that they were both Italian and from the same era sealed the deal. ;-)  That also gave me an idea of how to make the back of the dress since the portrait was less than helpful in that aspect!  The skirt pattern also came from there- it is flared, with the center front smooth and pleated on the sides and back.  My dress also closes along the sides, near the trim lines.

If you think about it hard enough, you can make out my gold hair-taping on the right picture. ;-)

My coral necklace is worn like normal, and my dress has 3 rows of ribbon on each shoulder.

The fan in action! :-)

I was able to find an amber bead that was a similar shade to the painting, even if not the same shape.  The black glass beads are spaced with bronze-colored pearls.

The partlet is made and lined in linen, with cotton lace on the front inset, and a smaller collar than Gretel's.  You can just make out my thread loops for the cording.  My speculation is that the lace-trimmed portion is the upper edge of their smock- that would undoubtedly be much easier to wear and keep in place than what we did!  As it was, we had to make do with what we had and pin the strips in place.  Room for improvement next year! ;-)

My waistline is trimmed with 2 rows of ribbon, and has a slightly different "bow".

I've wanted sleeves like this for so long! :-)  Since I don't have an appropriate smock to wear with this dress, the linen showing at the sleeves is an added strip of fabric, basted in place.

Thanks for all of your enthusiasm about these dresses- they were such a fun challenge! :-)

· As always, photos by Kathryn! ·

· Sofonisba Anguissola Painting Recreation ·

This was a very fun project to work on, and it was so fun to see the culmination of 3 years of admiration and planning. :-)  Here's a back-story on what lead up to the project.

My sister Gretel agreed to help out with these costumes so that they would be completed on time.  I'm pleased to report that astonishingly, they were completed in time, with 20 or so hours to spare. ;-)  Since she isn't terribly fond of sewing, she undertook the task of making the jewelry and the hairnets.  She was also very involved in the design process, and helped out with the decision making. :-)  

One challenge that I wasn't expecting from this project was the difficulty in working with 2 sets of eyes.  When interpreting a painting, the perceived garment really changes depending on the perspective!  For example, I was interpreting the dresses as being trimmed with black velvet, whereas Gretel was interpreting it as blue.

We attempted to make the dresses as close as our time and budget allowed.  I'm rather pleased with the result, though there are a few things that we either couldn't understand, or didn't have time for.  In the high-res version, you can see something over the older sister's right ear- I thought it was some sort of tassel or ribbon, while Gretel thought it was a flower.  I didn't have time to research similar-era paintings to get a better clue as to what it is.  Do any of my readers have advice?  Also, the partlet of the elder sister looks to be made of some sort of embroidered fabric or lace.  Does anyone know what kind this is, or how to recreate it?

Since we don't have a younger brother or a dog, we couldn't fully recreate the painting.  However, we substituted the next best things- our dad and our cat, Bingley. ;-)

There are lots more detail shots that I'm excited to share with you all next week! :-)

· Pictures by the fabulous Kathryn! ·

Accessories Challenge · Feather Fan

The Accessories Challenge for November was fans, which happened to fit in quite nicely with my Reformation Day project!  The painting features the older sister holding a feather fan, so this was a perfect excuse to make a frivolous fan. ;-) 

 My first plan for the handle was to buy some wooden spindle pieces the approximate shape and glue those together.  Spindles the correct shape proved to be surprisingly difficult to obtain, so we wandered Hobby Lobby looking for a suitable alternative.  Inspiration struck in the Christmas isle- we could use a similarly shaped ornament!  

 Hobby Lobby and JoAnns didn't have anything quite right, but we found a great ornament at Jeffrey Alans; I was so thrilled that we found something so very similar and the right proportions!! 

Before- flat and sad.  After- fluffy!

I found very inexpensive ostrich feathers on eBay, which was a "must" since I ended up using 20!  They were rather flattened, so I lightly curled them with a curling iron to give them a little body.

 Cutting off the top of the glass ornament was rather nerve-wracking, but using a Dremel tool worked very well, and with no shattering. :-)  I taped all the feathers together with black tape.  I spray-painted it with a semi-gloss black, and then stuck the feathers in!

I'm super pleased with how well the project came together successfully!  Stay tuned for the reveal of the complete Reformation Day outfits next week! :-)

The Accessory: Feather Fan

Historical Period:  1550s

Outfit It Accessorizes:  My Sofonisba Anguissola dress for Reformation Day, 2013

Materials Used: Glass Christmas ornament, Dremel tool, Black spray paint, Black ostrich feathers, Curling iron, Hot glue

Techniques Used: Glass cutting, spray-painting

Reformation Day 2013 · Starting Things Off

Our church hosts a Reformation Day celebration each year and, of course, we always use it as a perfect excuse to dress up!  There is usually a different theme to each year, but since I like to re-wear my costumes as much as possible and don't have many other opportunities to wear renaissance clothing, I don't worry too much about fitting into a particular era or country.  The theme this year is about ancient celtics, and really, I don't have any desire to wear a sack to Ref Day. ;-)  Years ago, I came across the painting "Three Children with Dog" by Sofonisba Anguissola and was smitten!  I love the idea of sister-dresses that are so similar, but with their own personalization.  Gretel easily agreed to the plan, and volunteered to help with accessories and hand-sewing.  We'll be making some adjustments, and while I have the inclination, I just don't have the time to make them perfectly historically accurate so we'll be cutting some corners there.  

The first part of the project was making on my "pair of bodies" (corset).  I'm not sure if I technically need to make a boned undergarment, or if it's more accurate to just bone or otherwise stiffen the dress.  After my minimal research, I'm inclined to think that going the Pair of Bodies Route wasn't the most accurate, but given my frustrating prior experiences over the years, I really prefer the way everything behaves and the ease of adjusting the finished dress when there's a separate "corset" and dress.  I got my mock-up successfully made and fitted but I was a little stumped by how exactly they're supposed to differ from 18th cen. stays, as they're remarkably similar in shape?  I'm still not sure, but I decided to just go ahead and make them anyway.  We've decided to save time by not making a pair of bodies for Gretel, since she has stays.  Here is the completed pair of bodies- except for running out of cable ties halfway through, it was entirely a stash project!  Yay! :-)  It is made from 2 layers of duck, boned with heavy-duty cable ties, the busk was made from a paint stick, and the eyelets are done by hand.  I used the Tudor Tailor Effigy pattern, except with a busk in front, and the lacing in back.

After spending so many years sewing 18th century, calling these a "pair of bodies" instead of "stays" feels so strange.  Not to mention awkward when someone asks what you're working on... "oh, I'm just sewing a pair of bodies!" :-P

Past Projects · Mid-1500s Flemish Working Class

Three years ago, I wanted to make a new outfit for our church's annual Reformation Day Faire.  I wanted something that fit into the 1500s, but didn't have any more specific requirements for myself than that.  I came across Jen Thompson's great write-up about her mid-century Flemish working-class outfit and was enthralled.  I needed one!!  I was making costumes for the security guys at the Faire that year too, and there happened to be enough wool left to use for my gown, although the skirt lining required extensive piecing! :-)  I relied on Jen's information (which I'm having a hard time finding now!) and Drea Leed's research almost exclusively.  One of the aspects I loved about this project was being able to understand all of the layers involved, so that when I look at Aertsen and Beuckelaer's paintings now, they make so much more sense!  It's always so neat to see how each era has it's own quirks and to try to discover the secret to getting the garments to look like the paintings.

The gown (brown and tan) is made of wool, and the kirtle (green), smock, partlet, and caul are made of linen.  The smock is the first layer and can be seen at the sleeves and peeking out of the neckline.  Next is the fitted kirtle, which is sleeveless and laces down the back.  After that comes the gown which laces down the front with hidden eyes and twill tape.  Finally, the bodice is topped with the partlet which fastens with hooks and eyes at the center front, but also has ties under the arms.  Additionally, I made detachable sleeves which attach by eyelets and lacing, but since the weather has never been cold enough the past 3 years, they haven't had an outing yet. ;-)

The front half of the skirt is a half-circle, whereas the back is a pleated rectangle.  The entire skirt is lined in wool and then the front flipped up to expose the lining and the kirtle's skirt.  The front skirt is held in place by a length of twill tape tied securely around my waist.

Pleated frill on the partlet

My hair is twisted around the head and then braided and taped.  The caul is just big enough to fit over the taping securely, but I like to use a few judicious pins for ease of mind. ;-)

·Pictures by Kathryn·