14th Century the Houppelande & More

So here is the Hat I am so interested in creating. This also shows her kirtle is not just a placket at her chest but one whole Kirtle.

Kirtl

Perfectly Period Feast~ Fine Dining in the 14th Century

Ahh The Prolog!

The Perfectly Period Feast is being described as "collaborative research project culminating in an immersive experience".   We are playing as guest of a wealthy merchant from 1450 to 1468, on a feast day.

There has been a guild set up for this event for the past few years, doing demonstrations and teaching classes, and lectures of the specific time period.

originedesmots.blogspot.fr

Petrus Christus, 1449. Detail from Saint Eligius

I love this fabric!  If I can find a thin chenille I think it would drape like this, however I have another fabric in mind!

From a book of Hours found at
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b9009638m/f118.item

I love the purple gown as well as her Henin and the lady in green, could be a servant?? as she is not wearing a gown but just her kirtle.

Illumination from the Histoire de Helayne; 15th century French (1460-65). Bibliotheque Royale, Brussels

Now this has such rich colors!  Notice the green kirtle under the lady in orange at the right of the screen.  I also love the blue with the red kirtle.  The lady in red to the left of the portrait has a black gown, and so does the lady being hugged by a suitor (I suppose).   

Chroniques de Angleterre, ca. 1470. Vienna, Osterreichische nationalbibliothek Cod. 2534 fol. 17r.

You will notice purple plays a huge part in this sceen as well, two different ladies are in lilac. My first version of my houppalande is purple/blue fabric I have been hoarding for over 10 years.

http://www.virtue.to/articles/poulaines.html

I am obsessed with the men's outfits with the portrait, I really love how swanky the guys are!!




So what do I want to do? And what fabric will I make it with?

The Fabric

Check this bad boy out!  This is from Sartor and it is a replica from the exact time period we are working with!  I have 10 yards of this bad boy, since I need to match the seams and I want a large train, I am now wondering what kind of fur I want around it, and if I should spring for real fur or not.

Okay for the hat I want to make a show stopper, so I am researching a couple.

The Attor de Gibet is c 1410-1440 this might be too early because I am looking at making a gown from 1450's or later. 

Reticulated Headress is another choice I am thinking the bottom right

NOBLE LADY, FROM EMPEROR, KNIGHT AND HIS LADY, 14TH-15TH CENTURY FRESCO INTERNATIONAL GOTHIC, BARONIAL HALL, CASTLE OF THE PRINCES OF SALUZZO

The Henin or Even Butterfly Henin or Escoffion at the bottom of this page.

Fettburg Yule Gown~ A La Cranach!!

Green Cranach Gow

ns, I have found in period, but I have orange and green so I have found some online

from Lands 

 

These are the fabrics I have found in my Stash, so I am not putting out any money for this outfit, it is all from my Stash!  So excited about this, I also have pearls and a ton of jewel type things so perhaps we can make I have 2 weeks I would like to make a 'gollar' as well.

The Breakdown

 

Sleeves~ 

Fiddly Bits with this gown, so I want to play with these first, to make sure I have enough trim and pearls and the like.  The base is white linen, medium weight, drafted sleeve from a couple of years ago.

Bodice~

I will need to create a bodice base from one of my basic bodices.  and then adjust to fit me.

Breast Piece~

Using part of the Silk Taffeta to pearl the Fleur de Lys

Will get photos as soon as I can!

1570's English Gown Journey~

Hello All

I have not died, but life just takes me all sorts of places! Right now I am creating an 11th Century Cote so I can be with some friends who are stepping up to the Prince and Princess of the Mists.   I don't do this time era, so I needed to create something fitting.


But before I show you that...I want you all to see what I am doing for the 1570's Elizabethan, which should premier at 12th Night.

Okay background, I don't typically take 1 single portrait and make an outfit, I like to 'Frankenstein' something so that it is truly my own.

This is a French Lady, circa 1570's Louise de Lorraine-Vaudemont, by Francois Clouet of France, and is in the Museum of Fine Art, Houston, Texas. I loved the jewels along the bodice.













A Drawing of Queen Elizabeth, with the jeweled bodice, I love the headpiece in this as well.

I love this style of gown but not french curved I like the more square necked bodice version, so I combined them.

Yep I am trying my hand at making images to fit my brain's need to see it in detail! So this is what I think the gown will look like.

It will have;
Weaved Sleeves with embroidery
Forepart of silk taffeta that is shot gold and blue, embroidered, which a bottom guard of weaved and embellished with embroidered Fluer de Lys and pearls and anything else I have on hand!
Italian Hat with a coif made from the same silk as the forepart
Fashion fabric is a basic arabesque design, used in the Victorian times and taken from the Renaissance. it is Blue and Gold.

Okay so here are some of the fabrics

And here I am beginning to weave the dratted sleeves:

All done for the sleeves  & Close up of the weaving, this is grosgrain ribbon about 40 yards of it, well with the bottom of the forepart too.  It did not take a long time about 2 nights effort, then I had a pet mishap and had to redo the whole thing, cats.....  So once this was done, I ironed it onto pellon, so I could cut it and move it around.  I cut out my sleeves and then did the embroidery onto them.

          























  I always tell people I start with my sleeves, because often I will run of time and energy trying to get the whole thing done, and you end up sleeveless, this is not something I wish to do with this project as I might just make 2 different types of sleeves.

Sleeves check! Now onto the bodice!









Ouche Making!!! So I have tons of these small and large, they were on Cheaptrims like 6 years ago they are not there now, sorry, and so I have these and I can make them any color I want, with some paint and some crystals.  They go from Victorian to a little Elizabethan in a couple of steps!

So now you see the some of the pieces, I choose not to use the small fleur de lys in this gown.  and you can see the fashion fabric along with the deep dark blue velvet I only found 2 yards of this on a run to the LA Fabric District.

Now to the Forepart!!

This is the luscious silk taffeta I have in Blue/Gold. I am going to embroider (Machine) the crap out of this!

 

 First design going on!

In process I think that is number 8 being put on by my lovely Myst!

You can see our puppy Sabine checking out what I am doing, this is not sewn together as yet and I love the giant fleur but thought it too much for the whole piece, I wish I had done it all over, perhaps on another forepart!  Next step is to put a backing on this of canvas, and then attach it the rest of the forepart, I could have just pinned it to a petticoat but I like them to be ready for me to go, so I will be doing that soon.

Next? Bodice, Over skirt, Silk Petticoat and Farthingale!!

Small Rant on Nationality in the Renaissance!!!

Okay ladies and gents,

I have found and dusted off my soap box,  just because something was worn in the 16th Century? Does not make it "Elizabethan"!!

Heck? Not even "English" GASP!! I know what can I be thinking?

I have just sat through looking at some lovely gowns, only to have them ruined by the dim comment of "Elizabethan" whether a Portrait, or a modern created gown. that is Clearly not English!  France had a Renaissance as well! So did Poland, and well many other places, just as I giggle when I see someone call a Loose Gown a 'Spanish Ropa'  when Ropa means gown.  

When is a 'Chemise' not a Chemise?

When it is German it is a Hemd

When it is English it is a Shift

When it is Spanish Camisa

When it is in the Italian City States, there are a lot from Camisa, to Camcia '

Farthingale

Well it was from the Spanish Verdugado, that then became Verdingal, Verdugal, and Fardingal,  Probably due to the literate coming up with their own versions of the terms they heard. no dictionary meant people did spell from ear.

Renaissnce Faire Gown~ More Done

Okay so I only have Sunday to complete most of this gown that has been sitting in my house for more than a Year, UFOs suck, I loose a piece and it is shelved for months.

So I wanted to show you all the Italian Bonnet and coif I am going to make this this Gown.

 

As usual I don't make a single portrait, I pick several inspirational portraits from the same region and within 4 years of time and then I sketch out what I want the gown to be.  So here are  a couple of Valois ladies I am taking their hats from.  This one is in Blue and Golds.
hopefully I can get photos of this gown soon to show you all how it is coming along!

Rocking Germans

So I am German heck? I am most of the world, but I am part German. But, truly I have never really thought about making Germans.  A year ago we had a lovely lady come out and tape up people for German bodices, and I did it, just was not really that interested, then our Barony went for our Yule to have Germans, and well why not? I have an abundance of fabrics, so why not knock one out so that I can say I made them? Plus? I could use them at 12th Night as well.  I have a Venetian, and an Elizabethan so why not add a German to the whole?


So I am beginning with the Men! Awesome no? Hubby and I picked up some German shoes back in the day so that is not something I need to worry about.  I just need to play with what I have  so here are some sexy Germans from Ring-A-Ding from Deviant Art, I think Hubs will look smashing in this!

I know I am obsessed with Purple, but look at this Czech Site!

I love her sleeves, & the simple gown, that pops, I do have 8 or so yards of mulberry silk velvet, and 5 yards of silver gray, I have another of a plum, so I could really knock this out of the park.

Here is a someone's Photo, whom I met in the SCA and I hope to see him again, his photos are wondrous! From my home shire of Lyondemere.

Another Czech Costumer doing German I think she rocks this! 
The Hat Neck piece it is really a lovely thing!

This lady is from Dark Horse from Deviant Art,    She used Reconstructing History's Pattern for the Cranach and this is a version of the portrait known as the Magdalena.  I love the bold colors

I can not attribute this as I could not gain access to the actual version, this was taken I am sorry from Pinterest.  Giving a good showing of many many Cranach styled gowns!

So now to go through my fabrics, I think I might end up with my Shot Silk in Pink/Grey and Grey silk velvet, or the plum or I could go with some Silk I have in plum as well. I don't have any blue silks right now, and I want to use the stuff I have on hand to lower my STASH. 

So here is my next obsession and I will tell you all how it comes together!