Officially August!

Worked on my sock mockups lately but discovered the other night that they will end up too small as I did not allow enough for the flat fell seams I decided to put in for strength.  I also did not lay the fabric out on the bias as I was using a small piece of fabric for the mockup.

'Ankle' gores

Flat fold seam pinned and ready to stitch.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Back seam stitched and foot piece ready to add. 

Even though they will not fit well, I am going to finish one sock to work out any other fitting issues.

After all...that is what mock ups are for, eh?

July...then some August too!

I did work on my project during July but unfortunately have not posted anything here yet.  I did add progress photos to my FB albums becuase it seems more people check that out before they look at this blog...me too!

My 'drawers'...

The crouch gores in but waiting to have the flat felled seams topstitched.

Front opening with a small facing. 

Will do eyelets in the waistband and eventually down the rest of the placket...maybe?

Full look at the drawers...before and kind of decorative materials added.

The beginning of the embroidered bands!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

June Updates

Weeeelllll...here I am again...but late!!!

A 12th to 14th century stocking pattern.  Judith helped measure me and draft the pattern.

 I cut it out of my mock up muslin (below) to sew and see how it fits my legs...The muslin is wrinkled so i will have to IRON MY STOCKINGS!!!

Sleeves

I cut the cap from the same fabric as the bodice...Posted below...

The bottom  of sleeve is cut from the green tunic. 

I saved the embroidered wrist trim but decided not to use it.

Better view of the fabric texture of the upper arm.

I have been wracking my brain (and my puny stash) for ideas for the lining of the lower arms...

dare I?

I did dare and decided to line the bodice too. 

Did some more brain gymnastics and think I see a plan coming in

without purchasing any other fabric???  It's a mock up right?

A little progress...very little!

Ok, I did finally make a mock up bodice from cotton to try out my pattern measurements.  I think I may have it ok to begin an outfit. 

Front with one sleeve pinned on.

Back showing detail of where sleeve will be tied.

Since I decided to cut up the green tunic as a sacrifice, I needed to find some fabric to work with it.
Not intentionally, I found an interesting cotton pillow sham at Good Will a few weeks back.  I needed something for a bodice and sleeves or part of the sleeves.  Today, I cut out the bodice and have enough left to do a upper sleeve piece to attach to the green sleeve parts.  This will be fun!

I left the funky scallop on the bottom but will cut it off when I attach the skirt.

This is the front piece and will be cut down the front and laced up.

Close up of the texture...I will do some embellishment on this I suspect?

I drew up an idea of where I am going with this last night so I am anxious to see how it will look all together...?

Optimism prevails!

After a day of moping around and kicking myself for waiting until the end to turn my entry in, I decided that it probably was for the best that I did not make it in...

#1 I really don't need the extra pressure to work on this project exclusively.  I do tend to become preoccupied when I am on a mission.  There are some things coming up that I need to spend time on such as preparing for another art show in the fall and several events in the Barony including being the Hellsgate autocrat.  (Does this sound like justification?  It is!)

#2 There are some things I will probably need to 'alter' to fit me comfortably or be able to move around easier that may not fit the contest rules.  (Like no corset or boning...haha)  Now I can do it at will...well sort of...I would like to use this garb for future competitions in our Kingdom and those rules are probably stricter...

#3 Maybe this should be #1?  If there is to be another Artemisian Costume Challenge, I would like to participate in that and encourage my friends to join too.

That being said...I did cut out a bodice and sleeve from the #41 Period Patterns last night )that Ygrainne purchased) so that I can experiment with enlarging the areas I need to add on to.
(Another plus for not being in the competition...Ygrainne and I can work together on our own time!)

I was debating about what fabric to use for my mock-up but will probably just use some muslin I have.  I have been trying to decide what to do with an earlier cotton tunic I made.  I have a lot of time invested in sleeve trim but the rest was pretty basic.  I have already cut apart the sleeves and taken off the trim (to be used in the future on something else I hope?) and will experiment with making sleeves with holes for poofs to show through.  I am sooooo clever, eh?  No I think it is called frugal!

Found some cool old lace I have been hording so I will play with it too. 

That is one thing I have not learned to do...make lace. 

Found some information on Point Lace that I may be able to use for small edgings.

My Inspiration

Portrait of a Young Woman, 1508

by Girolamo di Benvenuto

It seems a lot of the other photos I gathered are very similar to this style.  I would like to have some kind of loose overdress/coat type garment with detachable sleeves for dressier wear. 

A couple of examples...

This photo has several of my exmples together...it is kind of small though?

More!

I found most of these photos in some books that my Laurel HE Dame Annys lent me.

I will post the information on who, what and where the paintings came from soon.

I guess this was the best way to get a new blog started?

I wanted to join The Realm of Venus competition this year but due to a HUGE time difference, the entry closed on Thursday night and I thought I had until today Saturday the 14th...in Montana!

That is twice since the first of the year that I have been done in by the cursed Time Zone daemons!!!

Anyway, since the main reason I wanted to do the challenge was to 'encourage' me to finish the outfit, I have decided to proceed as if I was entered...

I have been doing a lot of reading and research and I am soooooo excited!!!

So on with the adventure...