Centuries-Sewing

Tag: historical patterns

  • Finally an update on the MAaS kirtle V1

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  • Part 5 of the Elizabethan Kirtle Sew-Along Renaissance

    Four videos today, this weekend I’m going to shoot some more.

    Pressing and prep for the sleeve seam allowances

     

    Pressing the seam allowance with a seam roll when the sleeve is too narrow for the board.

    Sewing in the lining at the top of the sleeve.

    Hand sewing the bottom of the sleeve shut.

     

     

  • Part 4 of the Elizabethan Kirtle Sew-Along Renaissance

     

    Marking the eyelets out for spiral lacing

    Cutting out the sleeves (the wool is from my stash and the wrinkles would not steam out)

    First pass of sewing the sleeves together.

     

  • Part 3 of the Elizabethan Kirtle Sew-Along Renaissance

     

    Sewing in the lining around the top edge

    Clipping into corners and trimming

    Edge stitching the seam allowance to the lining along the top

  • Part 2 of the Elizabethan Kirtle Sew-Along Renaissance

    Pleating the skirt down with knife pleats and a box pleat in the back

     

    Basting the pleats in place

    Ironing the pleats down to keep things from moving around when I sew the skirt to the bodice

  • An Elizabethan Kirtle Sew-Along Renaissance

    Lucas DeHeere sketchbook #71 English women
    “Yeah, we look Awesome and Swag!”

    It has been 3 or 4 (mumble) years since I was going to do the kirtle sew-along. Life, family medical issues and changes got in the way.  My skill set has improved, how I break down projects has improved, but that does not mean I’m not still learning.

    So I set up the video camera, I balanced my tripod on the printer that-may-work-but-I-really-just-use-it-as-a-scanner, shoved my social anxiety into a box and hit record.

    I’m making kirtles. I’m making several kirtles that I plan to donate to Much Ado about Sebastopol. I don’t think I will get them all done in time for this years run, but there is always next year. If they get used, or auctioned off in a fundraiser, or end up in a school theater closet that is fine.

    I have several yards of wool, pattern blocks, and a chunk of time to make something out of it all.

    The playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTne9pSn75A&list=PL-5opaHvhlOkbr8K8buX1OpZm_4kHPPgU

    The first three videos:

     

     

     

  • Margaret Layton’s Jacket Finished, with far less bling.

    Margaret Layton’s Jacket Finished, with far less bling.

    I finally finished off the jacket project I started a few months ago. Well, I guess I really started it when I made the scaling up patterns video. I didn’t make any huge changes to the pattern I scaled up, the measurements were close to mine and I wanted to see what I would end up with. I had this green wool in my stash for a few years now and I knew that was what it wanted to be. It then fought me every step of the way. This was going to be a nice soothing hand sewing project that I could take my time on and enjoy. That lasted for a few weeks until I realized I needed to unpick both sleeves and sleeve lining. I decided it could either sit in the corner until it behaved or I could switch to the sewing machine and get it done.

    Done is good, done is a wonderful thing.

     

    green wool elizabethan jacket front shot

    So this is partly hand sewn, partly machine sewn with some hand finishing. In hindsight I should have done one more mock-up of the pattern to get everything super perfect but its a jacket and it works as a jacket.
    The only changes I did to the pattern was to accommodate my ski slope shoulders and take the back seams in, and then take the back seams in even more, and raise the neckline to not quite doublet height.

    Looking at it now I should let the back seams out a wee bit, I don’t have hooks and eyes in yet so there is some puckering where I pinned it shut. The only other change I might do is bring the armscye forward a little bit more.

    The extra poof at the back of the sleeve lets me reach forward and up and back with no horrible pulling.

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  • Sewing Projects on my Plate

    I’ve been sick the past week with one of those hit you in the face colds, I haven’t been able to sew or do much else. It is finally clearing up and I can sit at the computer without a sinus headache starting every ten minutes.

     

    Stuff on my summer sewing list:

    Final bits of Steph’s test kirtle, and send it off.
    Draft out hard copy of her skirt pattern so I’m not redrawing it every time on the fabric.
    Cut and sew her wool petticoat.
    Green wool kirtle for her eventually.
    Olive drab over gown for her eventually.

     

    Things I want to make for me

    Black Velvet Tudor hood from the Queen’s Servants  – I roughly scaled it up, made a mock-up and it is huge on me.. need to do lots of tweaking.
    Finish my herringbone wool kirtle, I’m up to the eyelets which are taking forever.
    English Fitted Gown out of black wool.
    Ruffs
    Another kirtle with a video on how I make them
    Everything I know about sleeve tutorial
    Another Tudor Gown.. I have 8 yards of navy wool, but the question is do I want to line all of it or just the bodice and sleeve area?