My kirtle from Drei Schnittbücher taken in

Three years ago I made a kirtle based on one of the patterns in the Tailor's book of Enns, published by Marion McNealy and Katherine Barich in their book  Drei Schnittbücher.

It was now too big, and luckily I didn't take it in at my thinnest period, because then I wouldn't have been able to wear it again. Instead I took it in two weeks ago, and this week I finally got around to finsihing the lining again.

I'm home sick, so no really period background orheadwear, but here it is.

The old version.

And the shirt with Sir Måns in it

And this afternoon Måns came to pick up his shirt, he's leaving for Estrella in the US in a few days.

The last one makes me think of how the legend of the foundation of Gothenburg is usually depicted: Gustavus Adolphus II pointing and saying "There is where you shall build the town".

Photo by Eva Ekeblad, from Wikipedia.

Sir Måns' 16th century shirt

I have been very busy knitting my husband's 50 years' present, without him noticing, so there hasn't been much historical sewing lately. I made a 1940s dress for work two weeks ago - and I finished Sir Måns 16th century shirt. That it took so long for it to be finished wasn't my fault really, the embroidered cuffs and collar were, as you may remember,  finished in August, but I didn't have enough fabric for the body until January this year. As soon as he brought it to me, hand sewing the shirt was a piece of cake.

Bascially I'm using this pattern, based on the Warwick shirt (scroll down), which I have used since the early 2000s, though taken from a now dead site.

Anyway, here it is

Close-up of the collar and cuffs, while cosntructed:

And, for good measure, my husband's sweater:

Costuming year in review 7 - Goals for 2019

While I have many ideas and plans there is only one of them that can be classified as a goal: To make a robe a la française. I started making one in 2003, and even finished the petticoat, trimming and all. The I got pregnant and since then I haven't really been interested in making one. It didn't help that I didn't get the pleats on the back to work at all. 

But last year there was this 18th century ball and I started working on a new pair of stays, having given away my previous ones. I also discovered that our old cat had scratched the petticoat so badly that I would have to make something new.
In the end I didn't go to the ball, since I got time for surgery and you don't go to a ball a week after you've had surgery on your foot. But there will be a ball this year too, so I think making a robe a la française is a good goal for this year, in addition to all the medieval and 16th century stuff that I want to make.

I am hoping that making a robe a la française for my doll Arabella will help me sort out the construction for the back too. That will have to wait, however, because I'm busy knitting a jumper on a deadline.

Arabella in her stays and panier.

Costuming year in review 6 - My favourite look of the year

No competition, because it is weird! And orange!

Costuming year in review 5: Achievements

I think it will have be these two:

Making a wholly hand quilted garment:

And, making this gown in a week. And there's no visible hand stitching and I was working normal hours. And I only had scraps smaller than 10 cm/4 inches left when I finished.

Costuming year in review 4

Costuming year in review 4 - my biggest regret:

Taking in this one so much, because I have gained back some of the weight that I lost (mostly in the boobs) and now I can't wear it, but have to make a new kirtle for that outfit.

On the plus side the new one will probably be made from silk, not rayon curtain. But it's such a lovely damask.