A mid-16th century Swedish court gown

Made in 2010

And I really don't have a good photo of this outfit.



Here at least you can also see my pretty big daughters, then 16. But the setting sun really makes the colour look funny. This is the only photo where the "översärk", the shirt worn over the shift, is finished. I just wish that I wasn't orange in the face.


And finally: good photo of it, from Uma's Picture Archive


This dress and gown are inspired by John Baptista van Uther's portrait of Margareta Leijonhufvud, queen of Sweden.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons


Since she died in 1551 and he wasn't active in Sweden before 1562 this is in likelihood more a depiction of fashions at the Swedish court in the early 1560s, though similar styles are found in Germany in the 1550s too.

The loose gown is made from purplish red cotton velvet  and a brocade with metal threads forborders and revers.

I know that the borders on her gown are embroidered, but I'm not that crazy.
It was bad enough piecing the strips of brocade to fit the gown.



Here are som photos from when I made it. My husband said that it looked like Star Wars robes,



 He's got a point.

The gown is lined with red silk habotai.

The kirtle is made from an old rayon curtain and some more of the brocade. Here you can see the skirt hanign upside down from a hanger. It is wholly lined with a slightly stiff cotton and sewn by machine and turned at the bottom. By letting it hang for a week or so I make sure that the fabric has stretched, so that the lining won't become baggy.
Yes, this is a project where all non-visible sewing has been made on machine and it was still hard on my arthritic hands with all the guards and recers to sew on and lining to sew into the gown.


The bodice has a few bones in it, so that I I don't need a corset (maybe eight) and is laced in the back.
It is decorated with gold trim and fake pearls.



This is an outfit that hasn't been worn enough, definitely. I must see if I can get into the kirtle. Otherwise I can wear it with my 16th century loose brocade kirtle.

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