Doublet and Venetians

Keith went to his 4 month Dr apt this past Friday, he is now 15 lbs & 26.5 inches long! He is rolling, and we have started on solid foods, so far he likes peaches, apple sauce & Hobo Beans.

My patterns for both the doublet and Venetians are based on using a body block created by his current clothing. I found a tutorial on this process and found using it quite helpful. I then took each pattern and compared it to various ones in Patterns of Fashion to adjust the look & fit.

I decided to make a mockup of each piece.  For the doublet I used a piece of linen/wool that I hope to use as a second doublet and adjusted pattern as needed. Once cut out it was fairly easy to assemble.

The venetians I did the same thing with, I cut them out of a cotton velveteen that I hope I can use for a second pair. It’s always good to have a back up pair of pants for Keith if we are going to be away from home for more than 4 hours.

And here is the prototypes all together….I must say I think this will look very good once they are all done.

At his first fitting I found I need to add about 2 inches to the doublet to get it to fit over his little tummy.

The venetians I need to take about an inch & ½ off the legs to get them at knee length. For the shirt I need to move the button bar down closer to the bottom of the neck slit, it is a little snug to get over his head yet.

Fiddly Bits!

The Devil is in the details they say. The details I chose were Passamenterie or Thread worked Buttons,

I chose a simple basket weave over a small wooden base; each one is capped with a bronzy gold bead.

Tatting for the collar and possibly the cuffs: This pattern can be found in Tatting with Anne Orr or as some may know it as “That big blue book”. I have made this pattern a variation by omitting some of the picots and adding small glass beads.

This is the half-way point!

I still need to complete:

Shirt – this is cut needs embroidered and assembled

Venetians – needs cut, have pattern drafted

Doublet – Needs pattern drafted and cut.

Cape – needs cut already have pattern.

Hat – needs cut.

The Shirt

To start the ensemble I decided to work on the shirt first. I acquired a copy of Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion4 which covers in detail smocks, shirts, and other accessories 1540-1660

For the open collar I will be basing my pattern off of the collar of the shirt worn by one of the Sture family on the night they were killed. It falls open nicely and will show off the tatting to be attached to the ruff.

POF4 PG 20Shirt worn by a member of the Sture family

open collar prototype

I designed the embroidery pattern for the shirt; here is a little less than 3x3 pomegranate to be embroidered in green and red. This pattern is loosely based on an extant example found in POF (pg 69 1585-1620 shirt-under arm gusset).

POF4 PG 69 Shirt 1585-1620

Here is a photo of the finished prototype. I was intrigued by the description of the open worked seams on many of the little boys shirts showcased in POF4, but I have come to the conclusion my hand stitching sucks, so to save time and frustration I will still be machine stitching the main seams. Hand finishing will go in to the embroidery and smaller details like a worked buttonhole bar at the bottom of the neck opening.

the prototype

The Button Bar

I have all the pieces for the “Good” Shirt cut, now just to place the embroidery motifs get those done and then assemble it.

Beads, Buttons, & Books

My Pearls arrived today for the tatted trim!
Have you ever run across that one truly nice & responsible ebay seller? I will sing this Sellers Praises unto the Heavens! www.redpandabeads.com This is Betsy's store, though she does have Auctions on ebay wich is where i first purchased from her. My Beads arrived and the ones I had ordered for the tatted trim were incorrect! After a quick e-mail she not only shipped out the correct ones at no further cost & I had them in 2 days. She also told me to keep the incorrect ones! Granted that is just good customer service, but she did it Pleasantly & was more concerned that she had caused me to be behind on a project!
So tonight I will happily be stringing beads to start tatting trim for collar and cuffs!

I found my wooden centers for the Passamenterie buttons, & I think I have the design I want to do figured out.

I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of my Janet Arold's Patterns of Fashion 4, when I realized the majority of the patterns I need are already in my copy of the Tudor Tailor!
Now just to Measure Keith and project how much he will grow by August 15th so i can begin to cut and assemble.

IRCC II... The Plan

The IRCC II

The time I have to complete the challenge in 4/15/2012 – 8/15/2012

Garb Details:

Time Period:  1540 – 1560
This past year I was unexpectedly blessed with a Pregnancy that I was told would not/ could not happen. March 1st I gave birth to a wonderful little boy Keith Thomas.

He is my Inspiration to dust off my sewing skills and start costuming again. My plan is to create infant garb based mainly on two portraits by Angelo Bronzino for the Medici Family.

Giovanni de Medici

Don Garcia de Medici

While little boys typically would be kept in skirts for ease of diapering, these portraits seem to indicate that some boys were moved in to breeches fairly young, I am guessing by at least one year of age. Here is another Portrait, this one by Bernardino Licinio:

These two boys are in what many call "Punkin" pants, I am considering an easier construction approach and opting for Venetian Slops, smoother and tapered to below the knee. Like the ones this fellow has on Below.

by Cornelius Ketel

For Materials I went "Shopping" In my stash and came up with a color palette of Fawn/Brown & Green.

The following are my initial ideas for each of the layers needed for the Competition, therefore they are subject to change :)

Layers: 

                Shirt –

Fabric:   White Linen/cotton blend fabric.

Treatment: White work on collar and cuffs, tatted trim w/ pearls.
Pattern Inspiration/technique: http://www.renaissancetailor.com/demos_shirt.htm
Janet Arnold – Patterns of Fashion 4 1540-1660

Trim prototype- pearl beads would go where the picots are on the top rings. 

I am debating on a Pomagranet pattern to embroider on to the cuffs and collar or to do it                in whitework...

                Braes – These may not get done, as an underwear layer they are not required since I am doing                                      the Shirt

Fabric:   Same fabric as shirt

Pattern Inspiration/technique: #6 of the Pants section

http://www.renaissancetailor.com/demos_rectangles.htm

                Doublet –

Fabric:   Brown Velvet &Brown with Vines Brocade

Treatment: Green & Gold Trim, Silk Piping, Passamenterie Buttons (similar to these by Gina Barret) 

                Slops –

 Fabric:  Brown Velvet &Brown with Vines Brocade

Treatment: Green & Gold Trim, Silk Piping, Passamenterie Buttons

                        Pattern Inspiration/technique: Janet Arnold – Patterns of Fashion 1560-1620 pttn. 21 a

                         pair of Venetians

               Cape –

Fabric:   Dark Brown wool, Fur trimmed.

Treatment: Couched Braid decoration

Pattern Inspiration/technique: Janet Arnold – Patterns of Fashion1560-1620 pttn. 31 & 33 Semi Circular cloaks

                Hat –

Fabric:   Dark Brown wool, silk lined

Treatment: Green and gold trim for hat band

                Accessories –

                                Pacifier Necklace

Finally a New Project

It is official I am entered :D
http://realmofvenus.renaissanceitaly.net/challenges/IRCC2012/IRCC-II-2012.htm

The Schola

The Shire that I am Seneschale of had its event this past Saturday The Dark Ages Schola & Viking Holmganger was a great sucess. We had 85 participants that was 20 over what we had planned on.

I was Chief cook & bottle washer for the event, as usual I was a nervous wreck for weeks ahead of time, and as usual I didnt need to be. I can not say enough about my shire & kitchen crew, there were bumps & wobbles but they really came through.

Our menu for the day was:

Beef & Barley soup
Veggie soup

Bread(this bread was Amazing!, the wonderful woman who made it did up about 30 loaves for us)
Butter, honey butter, herb butter, pear butter, apple butter, Peanut butter
Jellies: Peach, Pear, Apple, & Wild Grape

One of the young Children in attendence was in awe that we "had 4 diffrent types of Butter, someof them he had never even heard of!"

Onion & Mushroom Quiche w/ bacon & w/Out bacon

Rice, wheatberry, lentil Pilaf

Hard boiled eggs
Cheese/ Monteray, chedder, Hot pepper
Sweet hot pepper mustard dip

Apples, Grapes, Cherries, Oranges
Sliced apples with Toffee crunch dip
Veggie tray w/ ranch dip & Hummus

Try-ems
Pickled eggs w/ beets
Pickled Red cabbage
Zucchini Pickle
Peach & pepper preserve

Fruit salad, Spiked & regular

Pear leather
Pear cake

Fruit pies, Strawberry, Pear, Blueberry, & A raisin walnut.

Drinks were Coffee, Tea, Fruit Punch, & Home made grape Juice.

It was a very long day, & I am still tired:)