About three or four years ago I was gifted 6 yards of grey uncut corduroy for Christmas. I had intended to use it for a Spanish gown but the fabric lurked on my shelf untouched. After the Tudor Tailor came out I started to eye the yardage with a bit more interest When I finally took it… Read More Grey Henrician/Tudor “Mockado” Gown and Gable Hood finished
I’ve been busy with not sewing this past month and have directed my energy to a great deal of online research. First and foremost the use of buckram as a gown stiffening has always puzzled me. Was it wet molded to the figure? (Rather unlikely.) How did it hold up if someone got caught in… Read More The use of buckram as kirtle stiffening and other thoughts
It has been a bit quite here, I haven’t had much time to sew. But that hasn’t stopped me from planning future projects and taking a look at what I got done for 2010. Finished for 2010
I’ve been sitting on this project for some time waffling back and forth on fabric use for Henry VIII’s era and if the fabric I have can be even called mockado. I mentally went back and forth until the project had stalled due to my indecision. But In the end I’ve decided I don’t have… Read More 16th Century Mockado Gown: Some progress
Finding the right fabrics for 16th century clothing has always been an elaborate game of hide and seek. You look for fabrics that are close to what was worn 500 years ago. The fabrics then hide from you or are so far out of your budget range you expire from sticker shock. 200 dollar… Read More Elizabethan Fabric Series: Mockado
This project came about during a small session of retail therapy and the joy of finding wool in Florida, in the summer for 5 bucks a yard. That was the good news. The bad news, there was only 3 yards of it. I decided to get it anyways thinking I could at least make a doublet… Read More A Brown Wool Kirtle: Laying the Ground Work
I’ve added a small gallery of photos depicting the different types of pleating and gathering I’ve used in various costumes. I hope this will work as a quick reference guide for types of fabric, types of pleating, and the various looks each type gives. This will be expanded on as I make and photograph more… Read More Pleats and Gathers Reference
A Pair of Bodies (Corset/Stays) Status: Finished Dress Diary: A Red Pair of Bodies Links and References: Elizabethan Costume Page: History of the Elizabethan Corset Mode Historique: Elizabethan Corsetry – What We Think We Know (pdf file)
A few years ago, ok actually make that five years ago? A drool worthy book called “Moda a Firenze 1540-1580: Lo stile di Eleonora di Toledo e la sua influenza”, hit the shelves and sent many costumers and researchers into a fit of joyous ecstasy. I was one of them, however I didn’t have the… Read More The Red Pisa Gown
A Black Velvet Tudor Gown Status: Finished Links and References: A Gown based on the More family painting The Tudor Tailor Tudor and Elizabethan Portraits: 1526-1534 Kimiko’s Tudor Women Research: 1450-1540