In which I become Serious about my Craft
Jun. 27th, 2010 10:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
serindeI have had occasion to burble before about my scattershot approach to historical clothing projects; I sit around and do nothing until there's a sudden need (Pennsic, someone's elevation, etc) and then I scramble around Making Stuff. This has problems:
1. It's so long in between spurts of activity (and I am not yet comfortable enough in the actual garment-making process for it to be automatic) that I end up expending 10x the skull sweat each time reinventing most of a wheel. And I get stressed out and have hysterics &c.
2. There's serious time pressures so I don't have leisure to plan it out as a proper re-creation. I go to war with the fabric and pattern and construction techniques that will get me in something that looks & feels pretty right and out the door on time. Now, there's nothing necessarily wrong with that, but I think I can move past having my entire wardrobe be of that mode. I would like to be able to say with confidence "this is an over-gown based on images from X place in Y decade" instead of "yep, sure is a Gothic fitted dress".
I'm currently making two gowns for Pennsic which are "yep, sure is a Gothic fitted dress", and that's fine because at least I shall have more than one outfit in my chosen time period this year. But I am taking the opportunity to plan out a dress (or pair of dresses, perhaps), which I shall document what I am doing and the choices I'm making, and then I will feel like I can reasonably run with the rest of the gang.
So here are the points I'm considering:
* Fabric choices. Wool, silk, or linen. Investigate weaves and specific colors (could be brocade/multicolor, potentially).
* Lining. At a first approximation, many finds seem to be unlined, but royal wardrobe accounts indicate lining in the upper classes (often fur, of course, for bling & warmth). I, of course, may need the extra layer to hold up my bQQbies. Research this further and make a choice.
* Seams & construction. There is ample documentation on how it was done, and I could do it all that way. But that's a powerful long time of hand stitching. Make a choice on whether to do the long seams by machine for speed and convenience.
* Silhouette/pattern. This includes things like neckline, sleeve length, skirt fullness, number of gores, all that goodness. We don't have lots of physical data to go on, and 14th c. art, unlike later centuries, is far less detailed. We are all making it up to greater or lesser extent, but I want to be able to defend my hypotheses.
* Fastenings. Lacing, or buttons? If buttons, metal or cloth? And why? Down the front, or under the arm? If long-sleeved, buttons there too?
* Ornamentation. We know hoods were blinged out, and so too girdles/belts. There's some evidence for sewing spangles to the actual gowns. There are images which seem to indicate embroidery on the garment (we saw gold tracery on some fellows in the Limbourg book of hours at the Met). What to do?
And I'm not going to say "this must be done for event X or Y". It will be ready when it's ready. Though if I am still working on it in three years, I should be kicked in the ass.
I have also, finally, ordered a copy of Gothic Woman's Fashion by Sronkova. About fucking time.
1. It's so long in between spurts of activity (and I am not yet comfortable enough in the actual garment-making process for it to be automatic) that I end up expending 10x the skull sweat each time reinventing most of a wheel. And I get stressed out and have hysterics &c.
2. There's serious time pressures so I don't have leisure to plan it out as a proper re-creation. I go to war with the fabric and pattern and construction techniques that will get me in something that looks & feels pretty right and out the door on time. Now, there's nothing necessarily wrong with that, but I think I can move past having my entire wardrobe be of that mode. I would like to be able to say with confidence "this is an over-gown based on images from X place in Y decade" instead of "yep, sure is a Gothic fitted dress".
I'm currently making two gowns for Pennsic which are "yep, sure is a Gothic fitted dress", and that's fine because at least I shall have more than one outfit in my chosen time period this year. But I am taking the opportunity to plan out a dress (or pair of dresses, perhaps), which I shall document what I am doing and the choices I'm making, and then I will feel like I can reasonably run with the rest of the gang.
So here are the points I'm considering:
* Fabric choices. Wool, silk, or linen. Investigate weaves and specific colors (could be brocade/multicolor, potentially).
* Lining. At a first approximation, many finds seem to be unlined, but royal wardrobe accounts indicate lining in the upper classes (often fur, of course, for bling & warmth). I, of course, may need the extra layer to hold up my bQQbies. Research this further and make a choice.
* Seams & construction. There is ample documentation on how it was done, and I could do it all that way. But that's a powerful long time of hand stitching. Make a choice on whether to do the long seams by machine for speed and convenience.
* Silhouette/pattern. This includes things like neckline, sleeve length, skirt fullness, number of gores, all that goodness. We don't have lots of physical data to go on, and 14th c. art, unlike later centuries, is far less detailed. We are all making it up to greater or lesser extent, but I want to be able to defend my hypotheses.
* Fastenings. Lacing, or buttons? If buttons, metal or cloth? And why? Down the front, or under the arm? If long-sleeved, buttons there too?
* Ornamentation. We know hoods were blinged out, and so too girdles/belts. There's some evidence for sewing spangles to the actual gowns. There are images which seem to indicate embroidery on the garment (we saw gold tracery on some fellows in the Limbourg book of hours at the Met). What to do?
And I'm not going to say "this must be done for event X or Y". It will be ready when it's ready. Though if I am still working on it in three years, I should be kicked in the ass.
I have also, finally, ordered a copy of Gothic Woman's Fashion by Sronkova. About fucking time.
