Getting started

The 2014 IRCC started on June 1 and I realized that I can't update my entry because I haven't even posted about it.

Here's a link to the competition and the rules:
2014 Italian Renaissance Costuming Challenge

I'm planning on a late 15th century Florentine gown.  My additional challenge is that because we're building a roman house trailer for Pennsic this summer, my husband asked me to please please please keep the challenge piece as cheap as possible.  So I'm trying to make do with what's in my stash.  We'll see how that goes.

I found some red and gold brocade, some white brocade and some rose red velvet.  Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot of the white or the velvet, so I'm hoping to piece together my gamurra and have it look like there's very ornate trim, rather than crazy quilt.  Fingers crossed.  The red and gold will become the overgown, whether it gets sleeves or not will remain to be seen.

Layer 1:  Chemise
Layer 2:  Gamurra
Layer 3:  Cioppa
Layer 4:  Hairpiece, knitted stockings (are stockings underwear or accessories?  have to ask), maybe shoes, maybe a fan or a flea fur.

Some assembly required

In the last week, the embroidery machine has been doing a lot of this:

It's had a serious workout.  There are 24 designs on whole outfit and I'm at #23.  It's been a lot of thread changes and staring mindlessly at the needle (it's kind of like watching laundry spin in the dryer).

But I think it's been worth it.

Bodice Right Front

Overdress hem (three designs merged)

Bodice back (three designs merged)

Underdress sleeve and Over Gown sleeve.  The panes were three images that were pulled out of larger designs to create the moon cycles.  The cuff is an antler feature.

Starting to come together

I have to bone the bodice and put in the interlining and lining, attach the skirt and shoulder straps and then do the final touches.

A little fantasy

With Pennsic and Pennsic sewing over, I really wasn't in the mood to work on anything.  Actually, a week ago I moved everything that had been piled around the house back up to my sewing room, which looks like a bomb was dropped into the middle of it.

But then I woke up Sunday and wanted to make something completely non-historical.  We're going to the Sterling Renaissance Faire in a few weeks and I was excited to just...play.  Make something that hasn't been researched to death.  Embroider something without trying to scour pictures for historical justification.

Actually, I wanted to be an elf.

We were having a lazy Sunday though and didn't want to drive to the nearest Joanns, which is almost an hour away.  So I made do with Walmart.

I found this pattern (Simplicity 1773): focus on Dresses C and D (or the red and cream one)

Some plain white muslin

And some cotton with a slight pattern to it:

which I tossed into the washer with two bottles of dark green Rit dye.  Perfect shade of forest green.

Sunday I started the embroidery on the under dress.  I used Urban Thread's Elven Court designs:

The sleeves are a simple leaf cascade:

And the hem was two bands of leaf border and a leave cascade centered in the middle.  It turned out so well, it almost looked like I knew what I was doing.

The fabric got a little puckery under the embroidery because it's just muslin and that's some pretty heavy stitching, but I keep telling myself that this is a no-stress dress.  NOT a big deal.

Next:  sew underdress together and start embroidery on the overgown.

Finished!

Because my model lives a few hours away and we have conflicts for the next two weekends before the end of the Iron Dress, I finished up this week and yesterday we had our photo shoot.  Kat was awesome, trooping through Ten Mile River in a velvet gown in 80 degree temperatures. 
I have a few more detail pictures to take and my final write up before I'm truly done, but some of my favorites from yesterday:

Courtesan:

And rogue:



Iron Dress Update

Not waiting until the last minute this time!  Proof that two months into a three month competition, some work has been done:

The chemise was completed, the underskirt and forepart were made, and the overgown is finished. 

Hem detail on the forepart

Gown shoulder and sleeve

The veil edging was beaded with pearl and garnet

And today I made a necklace:

and finished the fan:

Back into the Fray

My sister called me Sunday morning. She said that she wanted to talk to me before I donned the Crazy Pants yet again, and lost touch with reality for awhile.

What she means is- Iron Dress 2012 has started.

Here are the rules:

The competition runs from April 1 to July 1. The winner will be announced on July 15.

The outfit must be made using Margo Anderson's Historic Costume Patterns. The outfit must be made using only what is in the contestant's stash plus $25 for "extras." So anything that is needed like more trim or fabric or embellishments has to come out of the $25.

Underpinnings like a corset, smock, bumroll, ect do not count for the competition, but must be worn.

Pattern may be modified for another country, like Italy or Germany.



The Plan:

Honestly, the hardest part was not the stash diving, but choosing a model. I didn't want to sew for myself because the inherent difficulties of measuring and fitting a dress from the chair just make competition sewing that much more insane. My sister, who is my ideal renaissance model, lives five hours away and is busy with school right now. And I was interested in trying to fit for a new body and new personality. So my choice fell on Kat, Morwin's girlfriend. It was an interesting conversation to call up my best friend and ask if I could borrow his girlfriend's body, but it went pretty well and she's excited and I'm excited, which is a good way to start off a major project.

The next step was design. I knew that I wanted to go Italian courtesan. Not only because I love the look of the v-front dresses, but also because the opening in the front of the dress allows for a little wiggle room when fitting someone who lives two and a half hours away and isn't around at the drop of a hat for fittings. Kat also works at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire on the pirate ship, so I wanted something that she could potentially wear to work as well. Apologies in advance for any SCA-ers who are currently cringing at the thought of a Pirate Courtesan. If you've been to the PA Ren Faire, you might have noticed Historical Accuracy isn't exactly on the top of their Ye Olde Liste of Priorities. Also, for the first time in maybe ever, I want to work on a project where I'm not pouring over a picture of a portrait with a magnifying lens, trying to figure out exactly how many stitches are on each pleat of a ruffle. Rule #1 for this project is that it must be fun.

The stash dive produced a LOT of fabric so the current plan is:

Look 1:
Black velvet v-front gown with red silk underskirt and paned sleeves. White linen chemise. Gold veil. Flag fan. Girdle belt and jewelry. Very traditional courtesan.

Look 2:
Same black velvet gown and chemise, but with paned breeches and a hat and caul. Pants under a skirt has been documented in drawings from period, and I wanted something that might be more comfortable for her to work in when she's on the ship. I'm not sure exactly what I'm making the paned pants out of yet, but I'll figure it out when the time comes.

I like the idea of Kat being able to switch up pieces for two completely different looks depending on what she's doing at the faire and I'm really looking forward to being able to mix pattern sets for the competition. And having fun. This project needs to be FUN.

Note to Self

Good Idea:  Dying my new chiton the most amazing shade of indigo blue.

Bad Idea:  Forgetting that I had done so, being tired and lazy and overwhelmed by the stench wafting from the Pennsic laundry bag, dumping everything into the wash, and turning all of my husband's unbleached linen chitons a lovely shade of robin's egg blue.

Here's hoping a lot of hot water and some bleach will save the day.

Also, why is it that when you WANT to dye linen, it staunchly refuses, but one trip through the laundry and voila! Perfectly dyed.  Logic, it fails me.