Yet another Italian 15th century gown re-made

More info and photos here.

Returning to the Regency

I of course blame Alfhild. She was the one who got me into calligraphy and illumination, something I enjoy immensely, and she re-awakened my interest in making clothing from the early 19th century. This is my previous excursion into this period, made in 2006.

But it is too big now, and it's more fun to make somthing new anyway. or some things - since I have already bought fabric for three gowns ;)

And made a new bonnet.

This was a 60s style straw hat, tall, and with a sort of lamphade brim, that I bought very cheaply at a market som years ago, more to support the organization who sold it than because it fit me. Because it didn't - just like cloche hats that type of hat makes me look like I'm nothing but broad cheek bones.

So I never wore it. And one night last week I couldn't sleep and went up to get some more painkillers, and to cut the hat into a bonnet :)
I need to line the crown, because it snags my hair, but I love how tall it is.

I have also bought material for another bonnet: a braided place mat and a cotton satin sheet that was reduced by 70%. It will be enough to make a summer spencer too.

I was lazy this time and didn't unravel the stitching on the braid, but just cut the place mat to shape. I have made hats from place mats before, unraveling the braid and shaping it while sewing, like this cute 1940s breton hat:

But it does take quite a while to do.

I have also taken in my regency stays so that they fit my new size (if I made new ones I would make the gores in the cups somewhat shorter).

I need to take in my petticoat somewhat too of course.

I have also sewn the skirt on my first new gown, and started embroidering it.

The colour is seen in several late 18th-early 19th century pictures, though then probably made from silk, and not from cotton. Inspiration for embroidering it was gowns like this:

Which of course is silk, and has a much more rich and complicated embroidery. But I think my gown will look pretty with its cotton embroidery. The pattern I use is the same as on the cap of my folk costume, which is roughly from this period.

The other gowns I plan are to made from a saree that hasn't arrived yet, and from this printed thin cotton:

The bonnet with purple cotton satin is of course intended to be worn with that gown.

I also bought these shoes on sale yesterday, and though the metal details aren't to my liking, I think they will do. Especially after I've painted over the brass ;)

We plan to have a picnic Gunnebo House the first weekend in September, so I have to finish at least one gown by then.

Pondering Quattrocento caps

As you saw I made a small linen cap for my working class Italian 15th century outfit, based on several paintings.

But now I am re-making a much fancier Italian 15th century gown, which needs something equally fancy to put on the head.

So I started looking at paintings from the second half of the 15th century, and came up with these other examples of caps:

Del Cossa: Triumph of Minerva. c. 1480
Several examples of white coifs tied under the chin.

Francesco del Cossa: Triumph of Venus.  c. 1480

Two red coifs tied under the chin.

An embroidered coif, Filippino Lippi

Ippolita Sforza, by Lorenzo Costa 1490.

Cap placed on the back of the head, decorated with pearls.

Neroccio de Landi, unknown woman.
She wears a cap made of the same fabric as her under gown, and edged with pearls, and with a brooch or jewel at the top front.

Carlo Crivelli: St. Ursula 1473

Like the coifs in the del Cossa paintings her cap has deep cuts at the temples. It is of the same colour, if not maybe the same fabric, as the body of her gown.

Piero della Francesca, ca 1460-70
Her cap appears to be stiffer and more built up than the other caps seen here, but has the same shape, with deep cuts over the temples. Decorated with small pearls and gold and worn with a veil hanging from it in the back.

There is also a preserved Venetian cufietta, c. 1480-1520, which has some resemblance to what we see in these image. Thoughwith out the deep cutouts in front.

There are of course other types of headwear in 15th century Italy - veils, of course, but also some seriously weird "half caps", such as this:

Here the front of the coif is there, but the back has been removed and the hair hangs partly over it at the sides.

Those I definitely need to do some more thinking about.

An Italian silk tunic and sucoat from 1338-40

I have now not only finished, but also photographed and written documentation for my mint green Italian outfit based on a painting by Bernardo Daddi.

The page for it is here.

Re-organizing

The list of costumes that I had actually made pages for ion the left side of the blog was becoming too long and unwieldy, so I decided to organize things better. Now there are links to categories there, where you see all the costumes that I have made pages for (and some others), and can click on the images to go to their page.

Next thing I should do is to write about all the other costumes that I have ;)

ETA: I also saw this as an opportunity to add photos of costumes that I've never made pages for

A new Italian 15th century working class outfit

Since a lot of the things I do in costume is what would be working class tasks: carrying stuff, tidying, cooking etc, I always want to have at least one working class outfit from the periods I'm making clothes from. And here is the Italian 15th century working class outfit.

I made this gown by hand last weekend, mostly during our camping event. The apron was made yesterday and the little cap today. Read more about it here.

Camping medieval style

Last weekend there was a "Medieval Day" at a (semi-)local site where there used to be a castle in the High Middle Ages. Today there is nothing left to see, but itä'a  beautiful place next to the sea, and , as it turned out, a lovely place to camp. Gotvik  came with three tents, and quite a few people who just came over the day. The latter group included my husband and my youngest daugther.

Me and hubby:

Yeah, it's this gown, which I haven't worn sien Maja was a toddler.

I had decided to camp, and shared my tent with my friend Katharina Krognos. This meant that we didn't bring the big bed, but only camping beds for us. With the help of textiles it still looked nice in the tent.

Especially with the new chest.

Some more photos from the camp.

I also started on a new dress, Italian second half of the 15th century, and it's finished now. Photos later this week, since I need to make a new apron for it.

One clothes' chest is finished

Well, apart from the fact that the pins for the take-apart-hinges are such a close fit to the holes in the hinges that it's hard to put them in even when hinges are not attached to anything, and impossible when screwed in place.
So tomorrow I'm going to go and get some 3 inch nails to use instead. I will also drill two holes in the lid to make it easier ot pick up.
But otherwise it is finished, which is good, since I plan to use it for medieval camping this weekend at Hunehals castle ruin, on their "Medieval day".

The photos aren't as sharp as they ought to be ;)

Then next week I'll start on the next one - I don't want to have my flat filled with pieces of wood and plywood forever :)

Crazy about cotton

Today my khadi fabric arrived from India. I have been eye-ing this particular fabric on eBay for a while, since it combines two things that we know were common in the Italian cotton weaving: indigo dye and woven patterns. If it had been linen warp and cotton weft it would have been even better, since that was the most common type of cotton fabric woven in Europe in the Middle Ages.

It'a a bit bluer than the photo shows, at least on my browser. And it's everythign that I wished for; I was afraid it would be thin and flimsy, but no, it will do fine for a medieval gown.

Now to decide what to make from it: A 15th cnetury Italian high-waisted gown would look very good made from this. However, by that time the Italian cotton weaving industry was rather small, having been out-competed by the southern German fustian industry. Thought they of course still used cotton clothing in Italy. A working cless 13th or early 14th century Italian gown would, however probably be more typical.
Since I have other things to make this isn't that much of a problem though, I will consider the choice for a while. And pet the fabric (and pre-wash it).