Another Italian 14th century gown

As you might remember I got tipsy from mimosa in Hans-Gunnar's market tent on Tuesday of the Medieval week. And ended up buying this fabulous wool fabric from Historiska Rum.

I had first planned to make a pretty straight forward late 14th century gown with horisontal stripes, maybe buttoned. But then I remembered this fantastic gown on a fresco by Bonamico Buffalmacco.It is from the Piazza de Miracoli in Pisa, an dwas made  between 1336 and 1341.

And the idea wouldn't go away. This gown had been a part of my life since I was a child in the 1970s. Because in my mum's "Housewives's lexicon" in four volumes there was an article about fashion history. There were modern drawings of clothign from diefferent ers, and one of those reperesenting the Middle Ages, was thsi one. Though I didn't realise this until maybe ten years ago.  

So the idea to make a diagonally striped gown kept living in the back of my head.

I knew that I would have to be extremely careful when cutting out the fabric, and try carefully if it was even possible to fit it on the fabric. This is a littel unusual for me - I usually freewheel a lot of my cutting. But I now I had to actually make a full size pattern, and a full size mock-up. After fitting the mock-up I unpicked the seams, so that I could use them as pattern for cutting.

That wine red linen is actually going to be a non-medieval dress.

There was enough width to make a diagonally striped dress, and enough remnants to make short , hanging sleeves. After I have made mock-ups for that too.

I am not particularly good at focusing on one project at a time, by the way. I have finished one of my cut work sleeves, and I am working on the other one. I am also knitting a fair isle slipover; becuse why not?