12th Night Dress 2.0.

Caid Coronation! WOOO!

I was asked to be on royal court this time around. I'm pretty stoked for the job and this Saturday I was sworn in. So of course this meant, time to haul out the court garb!  I just got back from Potrero War so the idea of me trying to whip up something new was laughable really. (Trust me. I only pretend to be that fast.) Since I only wore my 12th Night gown once before, I figured now would be a good time to haul it out, spruce it up, and wear it again.

I even got some decent pictures! Check it!

Sans Jazz Hands.

I tweaked the dress a bit here and there, did some minor repairs, then added the gold baubles to the sleeve ties to make it look more finished. Really, the only major thing I did to the dress was add the pearls to the trim, which instantly dressed up the entire outfit. Here's a detail shot:

I love sewing little doodads to garb. Its an addiction, really. I may add some more beads to the trim later on. It depends on how obsessive I get before the next time I wear this dress.

Here's a few more photos of the day:

 Its gettin' all Disney Princess up in here!

Lady Sabyna of Aydon (aka, Ace) and Lady Giovanna Ricci (aka, me) 

Me with The Honorable Lady Reina MacCormick aka, sexy Ty.

It was my first coronation, and even though I was sweating like a teamster due to the climate, I had a fantastic time!

And speaking of beading. I also beaded the heck out of my last 12th Night dress. I totally forgot I had photos of it!

I beaded this and wore it for Calafia Anniversary last year. I've been wanting to punch up the original beading on this. I think I managed to pull it off decently.

Next up, Labyrinth Ball! I'm starting my costume for that tonight so Progress photos to come very soon!

Cheers All!

12th Night Dress

When Caid 12th Night approached I remember saying that I was not going to make a new court dress for the event. I already had a good amount of court gowns I built in the past and I only wore them a few times.

Of course I say one thing and completely do another.

Here's my dress I wore to Caid 12th Night.

Pardon the wrinkles. 12th Night was at the beginning of the month and I just now managed to pull the dress back out from the garb laundry pile to take photos. Its made out of a lovely brown linen I bought up in the LA Fashion district. There was a linen sale. An SCA gal can never have enough linen.  The plus for using linen is this dress is now washable!

I used a different style of pattern than the one I drafted for my orange silk Italian Ren. I was trying to have a more 1520's Venetian silhouette so I changed the neckline and put the closure in the front.

This portrait was my main inspiration:

Palma Vecchio, 1520s: Woman In Blue

 I was completely taken with this portrait and wanted to create the same feel as it. I ended up only having a week to put the dress together (I caught the plague the week before) so there are parts that need refining. Overall, I think I did a decent job.

 Once again, Trim from a impulse by at war.  I KNEW it would come in handy! Do to the shape of the neckline I had to put it all on by hand. That.. was an adventure Alas, you can catch some scorch marks on the trim there. My iron was WAY too hot *facepalm*. The ties are made of simple grosgrain ribbon. the gold balls on the end are leftover buttons from some other project long forgotten. I thought they finished up the bodice nicely.

Ah yes, my "Special" moment. The trim was a bit of a nightmare to put on and I ended up with bizarre gap at the back of the neckline. So I added this little loopy bow detail on the back  I thought it was kinda a cute detail for the time I had. But I might change it out later on.

I really loved the red brocade I used for the sleeves. I lucked into a yard of it when a friend of mine was getting rid of his fabric stash. The diamonds are really pretty. 

Unfortunately I don't have any photos of me in the dress except one:

And the jazz hands in it are epic.

Happy New Year-Blue Ren Details AND Future Projects Ahoy!

Just in time for 12th Night...again!

Okay, Maybe not JUST in time actually. I finished this back in December but didn't have a chance to post photos since I've been crazy busy with the holidays. The Blue Ren was both me screwing around to make some more court garb as well as put a lil somethin' somethin' up for Calafian Winter Arts. I ended up getting some fine trinkets for the dress. Honestly, that's the main reason I enter Winter Arts...for the free baubles.
I'm part raccoon.

Anyways. Here's some details on the sucker
.

So I went back on weight watchers recently and I ended up losing about...oh...5 pounds and a couple inches since I made this. needless to say It was a touch large for me compared to the rather perfect fit I originally had with it...not that I'm knocking the weight loss but damnit, I had that bust PERFECT before the diet.

Bodice detail...more or less. You still can't really see the beading I did on the trim. Feh.

You can see the beading a LITTLE better here. I was trying to go for subtle but honestly, next time I bead I think I'm going to make it a bit more bold so it reads better.

Side button closure again...Its flattering and I'm a one trick pony.

Detail of my orange sash with the tassels. Yup..Orange. I love me the orange.

The main reason I left the sleeves off this go around. I wanted to show off my first round with black work embroidery. I'm pretty happy with my first go around. So far, that leaf stitch is the only stitch I know. I'll need to hunt down some black work books soon to learn more. I'm hoping someday to to another chemise detailed with black work.

So that's it for the Blue Ren. Going to be taking a break from the Rens for a while *GASP*. I figured I made enough to get what I wanted to learn out of this pattern. Lined up a have a few fun things coming. SCA wise I need to make myself a couple of short (and quick) Persian coats to wear to Estrella war. It tends to be a muddy war and the calf length coats are perfect to wear in that weather. Hopefully i can slam out a couple soon.
I also plan to work on two big UBER projects which I want to document heavily. First off is the German Cranach gown. aka...one of these.

I bought a fantastic pattern of one from Reconstructing History and I've really been drying to try my hand at it. There are a LOT of techniques I'm going to have to learn to make it, but I'm willing and hopefully will have the resources to learn from.

My other project is a full Victorian bustle dress. A steampunk con is coming up in my neck of the woods around May and I wanted not only my zombie hunter costume but also a Victorian lady costume as well This picture is heavily influencing my design... especially the middle dress. I want to make the under garments and the dress. Its an ambitious project but one I've been wanting to do for years now. Honestly It has me a bit intimidated.

Wish Me Luck!

Another Adventure In Italian Ren Land!

Yup...I'm at it again.
The original bodice pattern I made when I first started the blog ended up getting lost in the move. So I had to start from scratch. I made a few mock-ups then FINALLY managed to get something that fit relatively well. Took forever though. It also took me forever to realize I could have just ripped a pattern off my orange Italian to get it back *forheadsmack*.
Live and learn.

Anyways, Here's the beginnings of the new Italian. Still the same idea as the orange Italian, just tweaking a few things here at there. Pardon the crappy cellphone pictures.

I'll be raising the waistline to be more under the bust than my previous dress. The neckline is now lower cut which will show off a chemise more. I also cut the bodice a bit larger so I can wear a chemise comfortably under it all. The second shot is a close up of the trim. I'm slowly hand beading it. Not sure if I want to add anymore to it. I like the print on the trim and I don't want the beading to over power it. Still keeping the side closures. Its more comfortable than a lace up back for me.

I'll be adding on the skirt sometime this week. I'm hoping to do a sort of mock split skirt with a panel of the cream down the front, just to give it something extra. I'm still debating sleeves. I'm considering doing split sleeves maybe with the top and bottom open to expose the chemise. Still debating it.
I'll try to post some quick pics of my new Chemise soon. I did my first venture into black work on it and I'm pretty proud of it for my first time out.

Been too Long...so I made more garb.

Wow, Its been FAR too long since I updated. My excuse is the hubby and I have been busy moving into a house for the last..oh...3 months it seems. We bought a nice fixer upper so a good chunk of my sewing time was taken up with painting and installing floors. But now things have finally settled and I managed to get myself back on the sewing train! The best part is now I have a studio space to work in instead of sewing in the bedroom!

So I've been wanting to work on a viking apron for a long time now. I was a bit reluctant at first mostly because I'm a big busted gal and I was afraid the whole thing would make me look pregnant. Then I realized that most women I know who wear this style ARE big busted gals and I was being stupid.
My LJ friend sabre0link sent me some excellent links on viking garb for both men and women (if you're interested in seeing them, let me know! I'll post them up here!). They were a HUGE help and I found any different ways to put an apron together.

Click to Enlarge these pics.

In the end, I went with the very simple two rectangles and two gores on the side look. Above is the finished product. I originally had the gores too high, where my bust line ended, and the apron looked really sloppy, not to mention it looked more like a MuMu than anything else. So I hacked it apart and lowered the gores. I think the result is much nicer. The wool came from a thrift store buy years and years ago. The brooches I bought...what can I say, I love the shiny. The festoons I made myself from some lamp beads and other finds I had in my stash. I think I'll have to strengthen my knots on the festoons though. I don't really trust my knot tying skills...hence why I married an ex sailor.
Overall, I'm really happy with it. I will be wearing my orange kirtle I bought a few wars back under the apron. Its not not pictured since I was being ADD and working on two garments at once on my dress form.

And yes, I am working on yet ANOTHER italian Ren!

Click to Enlarge.

Once again, I'm feeling the need to experiment. I ended up losing my pattern from my first Italian Ren during the move. So I've had to start from scratch. So far its not too bad. I've been wanting to make an Italian Ren out of washable material. Both the lining and the outter fabric is cotton. The pearls are only on there because I was futzing around. I'm not completely sold on them yet. I still need to buy buttons or something to use for the side closures. Then the skirt will go on. For this one I'm hoping to make some detachable sleeves that actually WORK. I'm considering a contrasting color but I'm not sure if I want to go blue. I've been going a little crazy in the orange and blue department.

ALSO, I went fabric shopping with some gal pals un in the LA fashion district recently and picked up some shinies!

Fabric Goodness!
Okay, that first red fabric was from a few trips back. That will be turning into a doublet for the hubby. The teal silk is for me. I want to make another Italian Ren out of it but something a bit more ornate than I usually do. Currently reseaching that. The black was bought for a good friend who has been working hard helping us get the house in order. So he'll be getting a doublet as well.

And now that I'm more or less unpacked I finally found my period hat making book. So hopefully I can make a few coifs and perhaps a french hood. I've been really eager to try my hand at a french hood.

I'm really happy to get back to sewing again, I missed it! Hopefully I'll have some more pictures of new experiments as they come.

Finished Italian Ren of the Orange

Myself and my beautiful friend Ty at Caid 12th Night.




I finished the sucker!
No, I'm not suddenly short armed. Those sleves are so voluminous that you can't see my elbows bent. I was hoping for that;)
Its ment to wear with or without a chamise. It was so dang hot yesterday night though that I opted for no Chamise. Not very period but MUCH more comfy while I sweated like a teamster.
The hem still needs to be taken up one more inch though. Its a bit long for my taste.
The dress involves 8 1/2 yards for orange silk. I was a large orange puff ball.
Here are some detail shots.


I bought this pin off a jewelry resaler and it was perfect to finish the dress off.


The side buttons I found at Joann Fabrics. Usually I don't have much luck finding good buttons there and I pick buttons up at SCA events. I Lucked out this time around.


My cuff on the sleeves...which you can't see under all that yardage. I think I may finish off the cuffs with a button to cover up the hook and eye I have there currently.

I'm extremely proud of this garb. Its perfect court garb for my SCA persona and it was very comfy. It will look more complete when I find a metal belt to go with it.
Next entry will probably be my husbands Raiper fighting coat and random persian coats for war....unless i get completely distracted by shiney things.

Orange Italian Ren IS GO!

No time like the present, right? That, and 12th Night is this coming Saturday.



Want to see the progress I made in one night?



I only work half days on Wednesdays so I dove on in after I got home. I just came to a finishing point a couple minutes ago. I desided to go more period and pleated the skirt and the Sleves instead of gathering them. Overall the look is far more elegant and finished.
I went with side closures again since I didn't have decent grommets and I also found some great buttons for slide closures.
I gotta admit, Silk shantung? Drapes BEAUTIFULLY! It pleats like a dream and gives plenty of volume.
The fit ain't half bad wither. The bodice pattern Is slowly getting better and better. Its still not perfect, but then neither is my body so it seems to all work out.;)
All I have left is:
Sew buttons on the sides
Close up the side seams on the skirt
put the cuffs on the sleeves
Hem the skirt
Hopefully finished product pictures come Friday night.

Italian Ren Experiment - Part 3 and Bonus

Not too bad for just an experiement. It helped me determine where I need to tweak my pattern. The shoulders are a touch too big for me unfortunately. This creates a weird problem with the detachable sleeves (which I've made, but are in dire need of tweaking).
Overall I'm pleased with the results. But when I do this again with my beloved orange silk I'll be doing some more teaking of the bodice. I also plan to raise the waist line more.
Here are the new buttons. They're far more durable:


And while I was working on this experiment, I felt the need to make other garb. Here's a Linen Tunic Dress I made for random SCA events:

I really love how this came out. I especialy love the color scheme.
Sorry about the blurry pic.

And the trim is nice. I salvaged it off an old piece of garb I made horribly years ago. I'm glad I was able to save the trim.


Next Entry will probably involve my next Italian Ren or Steampunkery.:)

• Mood:accomplished

Italian Ren Experiment - Part 2

Okie Doke then!
Made a large amount of progress so far!
I fixed the not enough fabric problem by...well..buying different fabric. I managed to find an interresting Taffeta that is the same green as the old fabric but in a paler shade (and on sale as well. WOO!). I like it better than the original choice. The texture on it as well ads a lot to the bodice as well.



I took away the added stripe of trim on the top. With this new fabric it looked to busy. I like the choice to let the fabric speak for itself and just use the vertical trim lines




Here be the Skirt! The sides have yet to be sewn up. Its not as patchwork looking as I thought it would be with the bodice being a different color which is good. I know I should have pleated the skirt for period reasons but I didn't since I was just experimenting. My Orange Ren will definitely have the pleates.
It look me a couple tries to get the waist right. First it was too long and it looked like an 80's prom dress. I shortened it and it became a Disney pretty princess dress. I ended up hacking off a good inch and a half of the bodice. Now I'm a lot happier with the look.


I put a pannel of the green in the back of the dress too just to keep it all tied together.

The sleeves are in progress so far:

I have them cut out and I plan to make them detachable and reversable (one side green and the other side brown).

So far So good! I just need to finish the following.
-Sleeves
-Replace the buttons (I found out the current ones are really crappy)
-Sew up the skirt seams
-Hem the skirt
-Make the chemise

So far this is coming along a lot better than I anticipated.:)

Italian Ren Experiment

First Entry! WOO! Hope this doesn't bore you.

Okie Doke then.
So I've been experimenting with building Italian Renaissance. I figured since my SCA persona is Italian Renaissance, I should dress the part.

I found this most excellent page on construction and such and figured, eh, what the heck.
http://homepages.wmich.edu/~rowen/renbk/rendressbook.html

Its been years...and I mean YEARS since I drafted my own pattern. Usually I buy commercial and tweak. But I figured that since I'm slowly getting more into period construction I should broaden my Horizon. And since this first dress is nothing but an experiment, I don't mind if it comes out a little wonky here and there. Gotta learn somehow, right?

So here's the basic sketch I came up with for the experiment design.



Going with the Green, brown, and gold pallet simply because that's the fabrics I happen to have. Originally I was going to have a brown bodice and then a green skirt. I'm pretty sure the two tone thing is not period (If it is, Let me know! I couldn't find any documentation on the net). The Bodice is longer, more along the lines of this style of garb.


I started the bodice and so far its coming out alright.





Its not a stiff as I'd like it. but I think that is due mostly to the really awful interfacing I used. I'll need something stiffer next time I think.

I am pleased with the side closures. I may change the buttons out depending on if I feel this is wearable outside my bathroom. *L*


And I'm happy with how freakin' pristine I was able to get the trim to look so far. I bought that trim a couple yhears ago for some project I can't even remember now.


That Chemise? Not what I plan to use under this dress though. Going to construct a less bulky one with a non-gathered neckline so it looks more smooth.
My one SNFU I have hit is I do not have enough fabric for the skirt. So I may toss the whole two toned idea out the window and try to find something that matches the bodice more closely. The bodice fabric is much prettier in person. Has a lovely green irridecent sheen to it that the camera doesn't capture. Too bad it was just a random Remnant I picked up a Joann's one day.

Anyways...thoughts?