So, I’ve been neglecting my blog. But I’m ready to start posting lots of new stuff! To prove that I truly have lost my marbles (I’m quite certain they’re under a heap of fabric somewhere), I have just today entered the Artemisian Costuming Challenge. The challenge would be challenging enough if I had joined when it first started back in July, however, it will be even more exciting to try now that there are only 51 days left for the challenge. The idea is to create an entire outfit, using under $100 and whatever fabrics you have on hand, within the given time frame. It must include an underlayer, a main garment, an outer layer and an accessory. You can see the website for yourself here: http://coteduciel.org/challenge.html
For my challenge, I”m going to create an early 16th C. German middle class woman’s outfit. It will include a Hemd (German word for a chemise); a blue, wool Hausfrau gown with black velveteen guarding, similar to the dress above; a Gollar, which is similar to a Flemish partlet; and a Steuchlein (German cap) and veil. All fabrics come from my rather large stash, except for the blue wool for the gown, which I purchased on sale for $85.
I already started the gown, which I’m very excited about. The bodice has a simple, square cut neckline & a front closure. The skirt is hand pleated with rolled pleats & then hand sewn to the bodice. The entire gown is lined with muslin to strengthen and protect the garment. I’m so very excited about the rolled pleats. This is my first try at making them, and I’m quite pleased with how they’re coming out so far. When I was researching the gown, I read several articles that speculated on the type of pleats used. The most common theories I found are that they are either cartridge pleats or rolled pleats, due to the way the skirt puffs out at the hip. I used cartridge pleats on a houppelande I made last spring and my experience is that they do not leave the same full length drape that I kept seeing in paintings of the Hausfrau gown. With that knowledge in hand, I decided to try the rolled pleats, as I had read on several sewing sites that these pleats do drape the full length of the fabric. I’ve already sewn two thirds of the skirt in place and the pleats look amazing! I tried to share my excitement with my husband, but I received that sort of blank look that indicated he really didn’t understand what I was talking about, although he did attempt to be encouraging.
The only other part I’ve started is the Steuchlein, which is made from a lovely striped linen. The main part of the cap is finished, but I made the stuffed roll at the back too short to create the “halo” effect desired, so I’ll have to remove it and try again. My steuchlein will not be nearly as large as the one in the above painting. I’ll add more examples later, along with some photos of my work so far.
http://coteduciel.org/challenge.html
