Long story (if you like, skip ahead to the photos because I like to talk...
):
First off, let me preface these photos by pointing out that for some reason I don't have any mirrors in the house currently other than to see from the neck up. So, I put this on with help from my husband who does fine with men's clothing of the period but has no clue how women's is supposed to look. So.... some parts aren't tied correctly or laced up the best or pushed down and tucked in like they should be. I apologize. I also got dressed in 10 minutes because we were in a hurry and then I shoved everything into a car three times before we got around to taking photos. Also... it was raining, so the bottom of my skirts got soaked running through puddles.
This fabric was a PITA to work with. It has a thick nap that makes it near impossible to add anything on top of it... like the trim I had planned. Bah. I'll fix it eventually but it didn't get finished in time for the Halloween party. And yeah, I was hand-sewing and hemming 10 minutes before we left the house.
Typical right?
Anywho, down to the nitty gritty. I started these outfits on October 1st when my husband came home and said there was a costume party at work for Halloween he wanted to go to. Budget is a HUGE concern at the moment so I mostly worked with what I had in my stash (which lends to not so much being period correct assembly-wise but looking moderately so with the finished product). With the short time frame I didn't get everything done either and had to make do last minute. For example, the farthingale I started making wasn't appreciating my cheap efforts at hooping materials (aquarium tubing) so I had to forgo that for a store-bought hoop skirt.
But anyway, enough of my rambling... here's some photos:
These show the true colors of the red velvet, the ones with the flash make them much brighter than they really are.
Breaking it all down....
Milord's Outfit:
Pieces Constructed:
1) Knee Breeches
2) Sword Sheath
3) Sleeved Jerkin
4) Flat Cap
5) Embroidery on Shirt
Pieces Bought:
1) Boots
2) Sword Belt and Holder
3) Small Pouch
4) White Shirt
5) Sword
My Outfit:
And my "haughty bitch" pose
Putting it all on (which since we were running late is actually a backwards - "taking it all off"):
The Smock (basically, my underwear... in Elizabethan times I would've been branded a whore showing it off like this...
), Woolen Stockings (soooo warm and comfy!!), Garters, and shoes:
The Corset (not tied up like it should be... stupid gap):
The Spanish Farthingale (a store-bought hoop skirt, so I'm not showing it here) and Kirtle Skirt with Forepart:
The Partlet:
The False Front w/ rabbit fur trim (really helps keep the girls warm!!):
The gown and removable sleeves would come next (missed a photo of that part for some reason). Here's a detail shot of the sleeves because I love the pearl/ruby accents:
Pieces Constructed:
1) Woolen Stockings
2) Garters
3) Smock
4) Elizabethan Corset
5) Kirtle Skirt
6) Partlet
7) False Front
8 ) Gown
9) Removable Sleeves
10) Flat Cap
11) Biggins/Escoffion
Pieces Bought:
1) Hoop Skirt
2) Medieval Shoes
The only patterns I used were for the farthingale, the hats (my first attempt at millinery, wasn't about to try that without a pattern) and the partlet (although I had to alter it because it was wayyy too small for me)... everything else is drawn up myself.
Oh, and here's the sketch I drew up before I started work on them:
Well... there they are. My first foray into Elizabethan Noblewear. Even with all the "mistakes" and things not turning out *exactly* like I had envisioned, I'm still rather pleased with them. I hope to figure out how to get that trim on them though when I have the time as well as finishing up the farthingale that's waiting for real hooping material.
ETA: I keep forgetting to mention this stuff... lol.
Dress diary:
http://elizabethancourtgown.blogspot.com/Fabric: Mostly from large stash. I bought the white for the smock and farthingale though... perhaps $10 for them from a remnant bin. I also had to order the grommets for the corset because I didn't have the time to do hand-sewn eyelets like I did on the last corset. The red velvet is reconned from movie theater curtains.
Yay for recycling!
