Elizabeth Dress Update

EXAMS ARE DONE!

This song is in my head right now, so you should read this with this song playing in the background:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEOem7U2LPE

I figured it was time for a new post, but I have nothing to post about! =(

I guess I will use this space to plan out my new dress.

I want to have it finished for Ellen's Birthday party, but that is 10 days away. I am also now working full time... I wonder if I'll make it?!

Here is the plan again: (apart from slightly different sleeves - see below)

And my red material

I was just about to start on the patterning and cutting stage tonight, but realised I needed more planning. I need interlinings and linings, which I had completely forgot about. I probably forget about that because I don't really follow a step by step pattern/ instructions that probably would remind me. I wonder if I have any suitable fabric.... will have to find some red to line my sleeves with. Which sidesteps nicely into the fact that I have bought all the "outer" fabric for my dress!! WOO!

OK, so this piece I found at Home Craft Textiles and was around $30 or $40 a meter, so naturally I wanted it but new I couldn't afford it at all. Especially considering how poor I am (because all my money is going into savings).I had a look in the remnants pile and I actually found a piece of it. Its a double width fabric, and its water stained for around 1/5 of it. In all I got around 2 meters for $10, which was all there was for cheeps. I was pretty happy. If I do end up needing more it shouldn't be too difficult. This fabric will be the fore-part (forpar?) and the bottom half sleeves - the puffy ones! (see below). Also, this is pretty close up the squares are about 3.5cm/ just larger than an inch.

I wanted red velvet for the sleeves, light the pic below and couldn't find anything cheep. I did find this (left) at spotlight, it was $40 a meter! 0_0. Its OK though! I had a pair of spotlight vouchers for my birthday. Thanks Kim, Ariane and Keenan for the expensive velvet. It looks a little bright in the picture, but its really a lot darker in "real life". I actually love this red. If I win lotto tomorrow I'll make a whole dress out of it.





I think I need to wait till Friday when I get paid to go by more things from spotlight, like interlining material and something for the actual lining. I also need black bias to get this sleeves look:


I think I decided I would go with side lacing, but only on the one side. I got really annoyed earlier in the week because I want to loose weight, and I don't want to have to re-make all my garb to fit me. Figured that It wont matter. I will make it and then make new garb when I loose weight. OK. I need to get started. Going to work on my pattern now!

Not sure if I'll get to the French Hood in 10 days... =(

Goodnight!

Study Break Plans!!

Only taking a tiny study break because I couldn't focus.

I have decided what I'm doing with my gold embroidered red silk!

I have decided to definitely make it into Tudor, not Italian. This is the style I'm planning to make it into:

This is a young Elizabeth in 1546. To make it easy I'm going to use my yellow corset and probably the same pattern as my black Turdor. I MIGHT adjust the shoulders on my black Tudor to be more like this picture. As for the underneath material I'm not sure what I'll use. In this picture the secondary material is the one that stands out, so I might do the opposite and have a more plain material as the secondary one. I think a bit like this picture: (Although I wish I could see more of her sleeves)

This is the young Mary in 1544. I think I would need to do more research but look at the waist line length difference between the two pictures, keeping in mind they are two years apart. I love the first waist line the best.

In the Mary Picture, It looks almost like red velvet. Also, her smock underneath seems to have black work of flowers all over it. *wants*.

On a closer inspection on whether this dress is a "Henrician Lady's Gown" with a placard to close the front (picture to the right), The portrait of Mary looks to be more of that style, Whereas the front of Elizabeth's dress looks rather elongated and more Italian or later period. Additionally looking at the beaded trim in close up it looks like it is on the outer layer, and there is no petticoat underneath. the Mary Picture could actually have a placard underneath as there is that red line that seems to frame her bodice.

With a petticoat underneath it would suggest there is no corset, as the petticoat would be boned. Also, the forpart is part of the petticoat. However, with the petticoat style you can usually see it quite clearly in the picture. There is a picture of Jane Seymour in 1537 where you can actually see the pins on the right hand side where the placard closes, suggesting the petticoat version. You can also tell by the neckline there is an underneath layer that is the petticoat.

In the picture above of Elizabeth, she is on a similar angle and you cannot see this close. However, It may just be on the other side. I still think the neckline of Elizabeth still doesn't show any sign of there being a placard or a petticoat underneath. Thus I'm just going to go with the corset option here. I also would assume side or side-back lacing. (Please leave me a comment if you have a different opinion or actual research about these things).

All right! Decision made. I will go about this much the same as with my black dress, but use the sleeves pattern from the Tudor Tailor. Mary's sleeves are still my favourite here so I might contemplate getting some red velvet and white patterned material of some description.

In Addition to all of this, I think I am going to need to finally make a bum roll for both this dress and my black dress. I'm also going to make a matching French hood! there is NO WAY I'm not! =D

I might have to find some pretty exciting beads for the dress like these black ones

I wonder if these would work.... hmmm

Summer Planning

HELLO INTERNET!!

WOW I had another amazing weekend! This time It was the Baronial Championship camping weekend thing. It was so much fun I had an amazing time! There were soooooo many drama's getting there and thanks to a certain someone (Lachlahn) who fixed all my problems I managed to actually get there. I had someone drive into my car last Wednesday so the complete lead up to the event for me was very dramatic. Then half my tent was missing and I had no where to sleep and again the most amazing friend came to my rescue and said I could use his tent, and he slept in a dorm. So, that meant I got to sleep in a period tent! Not some actual camping tent but a medieval tent! =D

I forgot half my things at home and there were a few drama's but we managed to circumvent a lot of potential dramatic situations. I entered the Archery competition and shot better than I have, in a competition so I was pretty happy with myself, even if I didn't place at all. I beat myself so in my book, I WON! =)

Since this amazing weekend I have come up with a new to do list! Top of my list? A period tent! Now, I know I have talked about a tent before, but I realised on the weekend that the kind of tent I want is far too large for most of our small camping events. It would have a seriously large amount of rope and if I did scale it back, I would find it too small. Decided I want a square tent! I want a white square tent and I want to paint black silhouettes of wolves on it. Or have a black tent and paint white wolves on it, either way. Although I think a black tent would heat up far too much!

SEWING!
Here is my list:
1) Re-do my purple petticoat.
2) Finish sewing up my maroon Kirtle.
3) Red doublet and skirt.
4) Red and gold Tudor dress. (I'm thinking maybe slightly earlier than my last Tudor, but I want to find a picture to model it on first, to have appropriate research and stuff)
5) Actually go through with my heart shaped bonnet. I made a mock up out of linen but never did the real thing.
6) other hats and accessories
7) Fix all my broken garb
8) do something fancy with my red wool - Maybe a red Kirtle with sleeves.


TENT!
As for my tent, I will need things to go inside. My first plan is a clothes rack. I maaayyy just pinch the one my awesome friend has and copy his! =p
I also would like somewhere period to store all of my things. I'm thinking chests. Nice wooden ones. If I can't actually find any, I'm sure I could make some. What a lot of people don't know is how handy my dad actually is. There are A LOT of things in our house he built I'm sure he wouldn't mind the challenge. Not to say I wouldn't help, I have actually always liked wood work things, but it was not cool for me to do that sort of thing in school....being a girl and all...
Eventually I would like a bed. I think a few people around have rope beds. But I'm sure Clan Mum Tex can help me with these things! =P

Ideally I would love to document most of these things. It would be so much fun! It looks like I have a busy summer ahead of me. Already starting my prep. I wonder if I might even have a bed warmer this year... That would be awesome. Still think I've been friend zoned. Must not over think all the things!

Time to get my tax law study on! Exams in 3 weeks and then I will start on all the plans!!! =D