*** This is another project that has been on my to do list for a while. It started almost exactly a year ago: I made my first mock up during the July long weekend last year and took these photos over the same holiday weekend this year. It was meant to be a quick summer project, but it was almost immediately derailed...because I have the attention span of a gerbil. I'd wanted to make a red kirtle for ages and fell in love with the bold, black and yellow accessories of the one featured in the Hampton Court painting "The Field of the Cloth of Gold" (circa 1545). But (as explained in the the write up for my Blue Kirtle) on the verge of cutting my fabric I became distracted by this image... ... and completely shifted the colour palette of the whole project. It was super fun (and I went a bit nuts on the Mix & Match), but with that out of my system I immediately returned to the red kirtle...reasoning that if I put off off again I would never get it done. On the plus side, after creating a bevy of different accessories for the blue kirtle, I now had virtually all the pieces I needed to complete this outfit! Minus the kirtle itself... I won't go into detail on the construction since it's basically the exact same process as the blue kirtle. The only difference is that I folded back an additional 1/2" or so on either side of the center lacing edge to create a larger gap at the front of the bodice (to mirror the fact that the bodice in the original painting doesn't close all the way). The skirt is constructed and pleated exactly the same as before. I did leave the skirt a little longer this time (again to match the painting) but I think I actually prefer the shorter length of the blue one. So through the magic of editing, the kirtle is done! On to the accessories! The linen headwear is a little different from the blue kirtle. Instead of the white trapezoidal veil, I opted for the split veil from my my linen veil experiment. The look is similar, but has the option to be a bit more polished and structured. The over-partlet is the deep 'V' style seen in many Breughel paintings. It's made of black wool and lined in black linen. A small pewter hook from The Tudor Tailor is stitched to the point. This is worn over a white linen, under partlet. (Which has been in the rotation since my blue Trevelyon gown/kirtle hybrid thingy) Next is my classic black apron. This is a large rectangle of black linen (approximately 27"x36") and hemmed on all sides with a 1/4" hem. The middle 12" are then whipstitched to a matching waistband. Finally, pair of mustard yellow wool sleeves, lined in linen. And that's it! Field of the Cloth of Gold kirtle is complete! I really, REALLY love this look. It turned out exactly as I was hoping and I absolutely adore the colours. I'm so happy to have been able to find equally saturated wools in the exact hues I was was looking for. I also LOVE the back of the final outfit. The pleats and slight flare of the skirt in contrast to the dramatic V of the partlet really floats my boat! Now... I had originally meant for this to be a much longer post and had intended to take a bunch of additional photos with some of the accessories I had made for my blue kirtle....but it ended up being WAY too hot to stay dressed up for long (even indoors). I think you can see it in my face, but I basically lost the will to live... Also, the lighting just wasn't cooperating with me at all. It was a real struggle to just get these dozen or so photos to turn out (and that was with a lot of post processing to try to balance the light and dark levels). So look forward to another Mix & Match post at some point in the future! *** Resources & Materials Pattern: -The Tudor Tailor (book and/or ready-made pattern...but really, the bodice is mostly self drafted at this point) -The Queen's Servants (book and/or ready-made pattern) Fabric: -Red wool from B.Blacks & Sons -Yellow wool from Dorr Mill -Black "Judy" linen (5.5oz) Gray Line Linen -Tan "Judy" linen (5.5oz) Gray Line Linen -Red "Judy" linen (5.5oz) Gray Line Linen -White linen (2.8oz) from WM Booth Draper -Hemp/cotton muslin for interlining (10.5) from Hemp Traders -Muslin for mockup (also from Hemp Traders, but any muslin should do) Trim and Notions: -Black cotton tape (1/4") for lacing from WM Booth Draper Thread: -Red silk thread -Mustard silk thread -Black silk thread -White cotton thread (silk finish) for linens Boning: -7mm Plastic coated spring steel bones (4) from Vena Cava Design -7mm Synthetic whalebone also from Vena Cava Design Other Supplies: -Swedish pattern paper from Amazon. (This stuff is great! You can iron it!) -Pattern weights

*** Welcome to the photo dump for my new blue kirtle (the construction of which was recently documented in my latest Dress Diary). Based on early 16th century illustrations, the kirtle laces up the front and features short sleeves, a 'V' back, and a shaped skirt (constructed with piecing). It was originally inspired by a page from Catherine de Medici's Book of Hours. Although less popular later in the century, blue seemed to be a fairly ubiquitous colour in the first decades of the 16th century (and earlier). Inspired by period images, it was clear that it could be infinitely adapted by swapping out a few accessories. So first things, first: I whip up some new sleeves! A LOT of sleeves... (so many that I won't be able to get to all the different combination in this post) All the sleeves are 3/4 length and are simple tubes which taper to the wrist. They are lined with various colours of linen (basically whatever I had in my stash) Okay... Let the Mix & Match begin!!! The first look is just the basic kirtle with the addition of a white, un-gathered apron. The result is a sort of low-rent, early 16th c. Belle... Adding on.... A lot of the images of female field workers show blue kirtles and red sleeves, so that seemed a fun place to start. This look incudes a large vintage sunhat. And a leather belt and purse from Karl Robinson - Leatherworker. The next iteration is basically the same, but with the white apron swapped out for a beige one...and a broom! The broom is a one that I picked up at the Renaissance Faire some years ago. It's aggressively rustic in appearance and I love it! Next up...more props! This time, a basket and some fake bread and veg that I picked up at a craft store. Right. These red sleeves are great, but it's getting a bit boring... Let's do it all again, but with green! Next big hat is swapped out for a smaller, conical one and the skirt bustled up for work. (I think this look is just okay...I really needed a partlet or shoulder linen to get closer to the period images.) Okay, field workers are fun, but it's time to dress things up a bit... Let's start with one of the staples of early Tudor fashion: a black, pointy partlet. Details of two Brueghel paintings The partlet is made of black wool and lined in black linen. (The pattern is self drafted.) A small pewter hook from The Tudor Tailor is stitched to the point. This is combined with my black apron. And a large, white, felted hat from Sally Pointer. And finally, a pair of white wool sleeves. I like this look a lot. I feel like you most often see this style of hat worn with a large, linen shoulder square (as in several Holbein paintings and sketches). I did make a linen yard square specifically for that purpose....and then forgot to get any photos of it. Oh, well... Lastly, one of the inspiration images that kicked off the blue kirtle project to begin with: A Witches' Coven! (I mean, who doesn't love a good hexing?) The Witches' Cove, Follower of Jan Mandijn The ensemble uses most of the pieces from the outfit above, but with the white sleeves swapped for light yellow ones. And of course every self-respecting Witch needs a broom! And that's it! Blue kirtle Mix & Match is (sort of) complete! Really, I could have tried even more iterations and combinations but ran out of time. However, I did take a couple of more costume-y variations....but this post was already getting crazy long, so look for that in a separate upload later this week. (NOTE: That post can now be found HERE) ***

*** My first foray into early period! While my heart still belongs to the insanity of the 1590s and beyond, I have to say that I have a soft spot for the simpler, elegant lines of the early 16th c. silhouette. It's just so darn pretty! Having said that, it should come as no surprise that this outfit (as usual) began life as something else. I'd long been planning on making an early-period kirtle inspired by one found in the 1545 Hampton Court painting of The Field of the Cloth of Gold, 1520 (lower right hand corner). I had plenty of red wool left over from my petticoat bodies and always intended to make a kirtle out of it. This seemed like the perfect opportunity! I already had a black apron and partlet, so all I needed was to a half-yard of yellow wool for half-sleeves and I could whip out a fast, easy, summer project! No problem! Well, famous last words...as usual. Right out of the gate I struggled with a mockup. I decided to try a pattern from 'The Queen's Servants' (by The Tudor Tailor), but I ended up falling in between two sizes and really wrestled to get a fit I liked. To be fair, this isn't the fault of the pattern. I become oddly obsessed with folds under the arm, which in all honestly likely would have resolved themselves in the final garment. But I COULD. NOT. LET. IT. GO. After MONTHS of going in circles and countless mockups I finally thought, "This is ridiculous. You have bodice pattern that fits. You've made it three times before. You know it works, for the love of god, stop this insanity and just use that." So I did. But I had to tweak it. The bodice in question is the same pattern I've been using since my blue Trevelyon gown (check out that post of you want a step by step construction of the original bodice). However, this doesn't shape really work for early period. It's too long in the torso and has a fairly long front point. The sides will need to be shortened and the point removed. Also, the neckline should be lower and and a tad wider. Finally, the side-back seams pose a bit of a problem. As you can see, the bodice has a fairly narrow back piece... ...however, I want to add additional seams to mimic the look of gowns seen in Bruegel paintings. (It's not strictly necessary, but my thinking is that I can use this project as a quasi-mockup in preparation for a Bruegel inspired outfit down the road). Adding additional back seams to the current pattern would look cramped and odd. This means the side-back seam needs to be moved to under the arm to make room. Also, I decide to add a 'V' to the back to further mimic the look of the Bruegel paintings. Old back on the left, new 2-piece back on the right The final pattern is adjusted... ...And mocked up! The shape is pretty good, but can you spot the elephant in the room? Yes... I went back to boning. (For EARLY PERIOD! Shock! Horror! Hiss!!!) I know. But at this point I just wanted it done. I can't help myself. This 'summer' project had now been going for the better part of 5 months (and counting) and I wasn't even out of the mockup phase! Boning is my security blanket. However, I do only use it along the lacing edge along with one synthetic whalebone at the side. It's still wrong...but slightly less wrong? Maybe??? ANYWAY... With the pattern more or less working it's time to start on the foundation layers. As usual this is made up of two layers of 10.5oz cotton hemp, pad-stitched together and with additional channels sewn in for support. Now, at this point you're probably wondering where those additional back pieces are? Well observed. But we'll come to that in a moment...because this is the point where the whole project starts to go off the rails. On the verge of cutting the red wool, I stumble upon this image and can't get it out of my head. It's from a book of hours once owned by Catherine de Medici and probably dates to the first half of the 16th c. (roughly 1500-1530) The next thing I know, blue kirtles are popping up everywhere! Maybe it's because it's the shiny new thing. Maybe it's because everyone has red kirtles...but I was suddenly gripped with the need to make this kirtle BLUE. It was also at this point that I realize I'd made a slight mistake in my mockup and foundation layers. I'd made the front close edge to edge, but my inspiration from the Field of Cloth if Gold painting has gap of at least 1.5" which I wanted to honour. Unstitching the channels in the foundation layers to fold back the front edge further and increase the gap would have been possible, but it also would have been a massive pain. That clinched it. I'd do a last minute pivot for this project and save the red wool for a later date. It certainly helped that I'd already found some beautiful blue and violet wool from Dorr Mill fabrics. Okay! So back to the foundation layers... I had wanted to keep the multiple back seams in the final look, but realized that that would get very bulky considering the weight of my foundation layers. So instead I decided to cut the back as a single piece for the internal layers, and then stitch the two back pieces in wool on top of that. Yes, the boning is horribly obvious here. Thankfully it's a lot more subtle when worn. Yes, it's a totally theatrical cheat. I'm not totally in love with the outline of the seam allowance that is visible with the back is pressed...but oh well, that's what I get for cheating. (Thankfully this looks way worse pressed flat than it ultimately will on the body.) The bodice pieces are then joined together and the seam alliances stitched down. It’s then lined in blue linen and the front edges are worked with eyelets (offset for spiral lacing) Next it's time to make up the skirt. For this I returned to 'The Queen's Servants' and used one of the patterns from their gowns rather that the kirtle. I wanted a shaped skirt, but also one that has enough volume in the back to pleat (as seen in my inspiration image). The required quite a lot of piecing, which I had never done in a skirt before but rather liked. In the end the skirt ended up being a tad too voluminous for a lower-class kirtle...but it sure is pretty! The skirt is then shorted by turning under a wide band and hemmed. Finally, short sleeves are lined, finished on all sides and whip-stitched into the finished armscye. (The sleeve pattern is adapted from the gown pattern in The Queen's Servants) Kirtle done! Next it's time for the accessories! For the linen head wrap I used the white trapezoidal veil I recently finished for my linen veil experiment. Then I need a new apron. I already have plenty of white aprons of various widths and lengths, but all are gathered at the waist. So I quickly whip up and un-gathered apron. It's just a large rectangle, approximately 26.6x37", hemmed on all sides and whipstitched to a matching waist band along the top edge (leaving the sides free). Next, the wool sleeves. The pattern is basically a simple wool tube, tapered to the wrists. The sleeves a made of wool and lined in linen. Bur then at the last minute I decided the purple was a little too warm (based on the inspiration image), so I swapped it out for a more thistle shade. Lastly, the shoulder linen. This ends up being tricker than I thought. Originally I figured it was just a square cloth folded into a triangle and worn around the shoulders (sort of like a later fichu) but had a difficult time finding any other examples of that style this early...though it's a very common look into the next century. There are lots of linen squares worn around the shoulders, but not triangles. Conversely, there are a lots of pictorial evidence of pointed black partlets, but not white ones... ...or, again, at least not this early. I can find plenty of later, Italian examples but (so far) nothing for Northern Europe at this time. And of course there is always the possibility that this is just a very low cut, back, as some images seem to suggest. But the (albeit vague) gathers and folds around the neck make make think that's not the case. This also suggests something wrapped around the shoulders that doesn't have a rounded/cut to fit neck. There are examples of white partlets with similar folds, but annoyingly the back is not visible. The only thing that comes close is this image, "Danse des Paysans", by Nicolas Baullery (1560-1630), which appears to be be mid-16th c. but (as is evidenced by his dates) is a later pastiche in the same style as Bruegel. It's not as early as I would like, but it does at least purport to represent an earlier style and seems to show a triangular shoulder linen. It's sheer enough to see that it is being worn OVER a white linen, square partlet, which also suggests it is cut to shape and is not a folded square. On the other hand, this look (with a sort of tassel or something hanging off the point) does definitely seems to be a later style, though these mostly appear to be folded squares. Backing up again... There do seem to be triangular shoulder linens in earlier paintings, but they always seem to be part of a larger head covering. "Battle of Carnival and Lent" by Breughel the Younger (1564-1638), Based on the 1559 painting by Bruegel the Elder Based on that, I decide to stick with a folded linen square...at least until I can find more concrete evidence of anything more specific). This one is 24" square. And with that, the outfit is done! An 'easy' summer project...that only took 8+ months. (Note: I don't know that I'm loving the shoulder linen. Something about it looks sort of wrong. But, oh well! Something to fix for next time!) Final thoughts... I really like the overall silhouette and feel of this outfit. I'm obsessed with the wool and think it's the perfect weight and drape for the skirt. I'm still a little annoyed that I continue to fall back on boning, especially when it's completely inappropriate, but I keep on liking the results...which I guess is why I still think of these as costumes and not clothes. (which is okay) I can definitely see myself coming back to this period. In fact, since I've already started on a second version of this kirtle in red, I can pretty much guarantee it... *** Resources & Materials Pattern: -The Tudor Tailor (book and/or ready-made pattern...but really, the bodice is mostly self drafted at this point) -The Queen's Servants (book and/or ready-made pattern) Fabric: -Blue wool from Dorr Mill -Purple wool from Dorr Mill -Blue "Judy" linen (5.5oz) Gray Line Linen -Natural "Judy" linen (5.5oz) Gray Line Linen -White linen (2.8oz) from WM Booth Draper -Hemp/cotton muslin for interlining (10.5) from Hemp Traders -Muslin for mockup (also from Hemp Traders, but any muslin should do) Trim and Notions: -Linen tape (1/4") for lacing from WM Booth Draper Thread: -Blue silk thread -Purple silk thread -White cotton thread (silk finish) for linens Boning: -7mm Plastic coated spring steel bones (4) from Vena Cava Design -7mm Synthetic whalebone also from Vena Cava Design Other Supplies: -Swedish pattern paper from Amazon. (This stuff is great! You can iron it!) -Pattern weights

• Made exclusively by The Tudor Tailor Pattern for a woman's late Tudor or Elizabethan waistcoat (like a fitted jacket). Ideal for later 16th century and early 17th century impressions. With full instructions for choosing materials, sizing and constructing garments - perfect for reenactors. Highly researched and based on documentary descriptions, extant examples and paintings. Please see the listing images for specific sources. Waistcoats could be made in courser woollen fabrics and worn by common Tudor women, or they could be made in finer linens (often with embroidery) and worn by the elite ladies of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Waistcoats were worn over other garments, frequently over a smock and a kirtle or petticoat. Our Women's Smock pattern can be found here: etsy.com/uk/listing/1443316421/pattern-for-a-tudor-elizabethan-womans. Our Women's Tudor Kirtles and Petticoats pattern can be found here: etsy.com/uk/listing/111902504/pattern-for-womens-tudor-kirtles-and. Waistcoats are usually finished with hooks and eyes, like these: etsy.com/uk/listing/123030567/set-of-six-hand-made-replica-historical. This pattern is available in either larger sizes or smaller sizes. Please see the size chart included in the photos for this listing to ensure you're selecting the correct pattern for you. Note, photos of actual garments are examples only – no garments are included with this product.

In his series of ancestors painting recreations, artist and photographer Christian Fuchs dresses up like his past male and female relatives.

*** This is another project that has been on my to do list for a while. It started almost exactly a year ago: I made my first mock up during the July long weekend last year and took these photos over the same holiday weekend this year. It was meant to be a quick summer project, but it was almost immediately derailed...because I have the attention span of a gerbil. I'd wanted to make a red kirtle for ages and fell in love with the bold, black and yellow accessories of the one featured in the Hampton Court painting "The Field of the Cloth of Gold" (circa 1545). But (as explained in the the write up for my Blue Kirtle) on the verge of cutting my fabric I became distracted by this image... ... and completely shifted the colour palette of the whole project. It was super fun (and I went a bit nuts on the Mix & Match), but with that out of my system I immediately returned to the red kirtle...reasoning that if I put off off again I would never get it done. On the plus side, after creating a bevy of different accessories for the blue kirtle, I now had virtually all the pieces I needed to complete this outfit! Minus the kirtle itself... I won't go into detail on the construction since it's basically the exact same process as the blue kirtle. The only difference is that I folded back an additional 1/2" or so on either side of the center lacing edge to create a larger gap at the front of the bodice (to mirror the fact that the bodice in the original painting doesn't close all the way). The skirt is constructed and pleated exactly the same as before. I did leave the skirt a little longer this time (again to match the painting) but I think I actually prefer the shorter length of the blue one. So through the magic of editing, the kirtle is done! On to the accessories! The linen headwear is a little different from the blue kirtle. Instead of the white trapezoidal veil, I opted for the split veil from my my linen veil experiment. The look is similar, but has the option to be a bit more polished and structured. The over-partlet is the deep 'V' style seen in many Breughel paintings. It's made of black wool and lined in black linen. A small pewter hook from The Tudor Tailor is stitched to the point. This is worn over a white linen, under partlet. (Which has been in the rotation since my blue Trevelyon gown/kirtle hybrid thingy) Next is my classic black apron. This is a large rectangle of black linen (approximately 27"x36") and hemmed on all sides with a 1/4" hem. The middle 12" are then whipstitched to a matching waistband. Finally, pair of mustard yellow wool sleeves, lined in linen. And that's it! Field of the Cloth of Gold kirtle is complete! I really, REALLY love this look. It turned out exactly as I was hoping and I absolutely adore the colours. I'm so happy to have been able to find equally saturated wools in the exact hues I was was looking for. I also LOVE the back of the final outfit. The pleats and slight flare of the skirt in contrast to the dramatic V of the partlet really floats my boat! Now... I had originally meant for this to be a much longer post and had intended to take a bunch of additional photos with some of the accessories I had made for my blue kirtle....but it ended up being WAY too hot to stay dressed up for long (even indoors). I think you can see it in my face, but I basically lost the will to live... Also, the lighting just wasn't cooperating with me at all. It was a real struggle to just get these dozen or so photos to turn out (and that was with a lot of post processing to try to balance the light and dark levels). So look forward to another Mix & Match post at some point in the future! *** Resources & Materials Pattern: -The Tudor Tailor (book and/or ready-made pattern...but really, the bodice is mostly self drafted at this point) -The Queen's Servants (book and/or ready-made pattern) Fabric: -Red wool from B.Blacks & Sons -Yellow wool from Dorr Mill -Black "Judy" linen (5.5oz) Gray Line Linen -Tan "Judy" linen (5.5oz) Gray Line Linen -Red "Judy" linen (5.5oz) Gray Line Linen -White linen (2.8oz) from WM Booth Draper -Hemp/cotton muslin for interlining (10.5) from Hemp Traders -Muslin for mockup (also from Hemp Traders, but any muslin should do) Trim and Notions: -Black cotton tape (1/4") for lacing from WM Booth Draper Thread: -Red silk thread -Mustard silk thread -Black silk thread -White cotton thread (silk finish) for linens Boning: -7mm Plastic coated spring steel bones (4) from Vena Cava Design -7mm Synthetic whalebone also from Vena Cava Design Other Supplies: -Swedish pattern paper from Amazon. (This stuff is great! You can iron it!) -Pattern weights

*** This is another project that has been on my to do list for a while. It started almost exactly a year ago: I made my first mock up during the July long weekend last year and took these photos over the same holiday weekend this year. It was meant to be a quick summer project, but it was almost immediately derailed...because I have the attention span of a gerbil. I'd wanted to make a red kirtle for ages and fell in love with the bold, black and yellow accessories of the one featured in the Hampton Court painting "The Field of the Cloth of Gold" (circa 1545). But (as explained in the the write up for my Blue Kirtle) on the verge of cutting my fabric I became distracted by this image... ... and completely shifted the colour palette of the whole project. It was super fun (and I went a bit nuts on the Mix & Match), but with that out of my system I immediately returned to the red kirtle...reasoning that if I put off off again I would never get it done. On the plus side, after creating a bevy of different accessories for the blue kirtle, I now had virtually all the pieces I needed to complete this outfit! Minus the kirtle itself... I won't go into detail on the construction since it's basically the exact same process as the blue kirtle. The only difference is that I folded back an additional 1/2" or so on either side of the center lacing edge to create a larger gap at the front of the bodice (to mirror the fact that the bodice in the original painting doesn't close all the way). The skirt is constructed and pleated exactly the same as before. I did leave the skirt a little longer this time (again to match the painting) but I think I actually prefer the shorter length of the blue one. So through the magic of editing, the kirtle is done! On to the accessories! The linen headwear is a little different from the blue kirtle. Instead of the white trapezoidal veil, I opted for the split veil from my my linen veil experiment. The look is similar, but has the option to be a bit more polished and structured. The over-partlet is the deep 'V' style seen in many Breughel paintings. It's made of black wool and lined in black linen. A small pewter hook from The Tudor Tailor is stitched to the point. This is worn over a white linen, under partlet. (Which has been in the rotation since my blue Trevelyon gown/kirtle hybrid thingy) Next is my classic black apron. This is a large rectangle of black linen (approximately 27"x36") and hemmed on all sides with a 1/4" hem. The middle 12" are then whipstitched to a matching waistband. Finally, pair of mustard yellow wool sleeves, lined in linen. And that's it! Field of the Cloth of Gold kirtle is complete! I really, REALLY love this look. It turned out exactly as I was hoping and I absolutely adore the colours. I'm so happy to have been able to find equally saturated wools in the exact hues I was was looking for. I also LOVE the back of the final outfit. The pleats and slight flare of the skirt in contrast to the dramatic V of the partlet really floats my boat! Now... I had originally meant for this to be a much longer post and had intended to take a bunch of additional photos with some of the accessories I had made for my blue kirtle....but it ended up being WAY too hot to stay dressed up for long (even indoors). I think you can see it in my face, but I basically lost the will to live... Also, the lighting just wasn't cooperating with me at all. It was a real struggle to just get these dozen or so photos to turn out (and that was with a lot of post processing to try to balance the light and dark levels). So look forward to another Mix & Match post at some point in the future! *** Resources & Materials Pattern: -The Tudor Tailor (book and/or ready-made pattern...but really, the bodice is mostly self drafted at this point) -The Queen's Servants (book and/or ready-made pattern) Fabric: -Red wool from B.Blacks & Sons -Yellow wool from Dorr Mill -Black "Judy" linen (5.5oz) Gray Line Linen -Tan "Judy" linen (5.5oz) Gray Line Linen -Red "Judy" linen (5.5oz) Gray Line Linen -White linen (2.8oz) from WM Booth Draper -Hemp/cotton muslin for interlining (10.5) from Hemp Traders -Muslin for mockup (also from Hemp Traders, but any muslin should do) Trim and Notions: -Black cotton tape (1/4") for lacing from WM Booth Draper Thread: -Red silk thread -Mustard silk thread -Black silk thread -White cotton thread (silk finish) for linens Boning: -7mm Plastic coated spring steel bones (4) from Vena Cava Design -7mm Synthetic whalebone also from Vena Cava Design Other Supplies: -Swedish pattern paper from Amazon. (This stuff is great! You can iron it!) -Pattern weights

The Weird Sisters My experience with school gym class was amusingly stereotypical. I well and truly hated it. I can still see myself, standing in the freshly mown green of a ballfield, calmly watching as a fat round softball rudely crashed into the daydream I was lost inside and rolled past me as if in slow motion. My lack of rapid retrieval caused our side to lose the game. Ah, well. See, my problem - other than that daydreaming thing - was the total lack of a competitive nature. If we won, well, good for us. If the other team won, well, good on them. It just didn’t really matter to me. This affliction was brought on, as I see it, by an absence of sisters. For as an only child, I had no one I needed to outrun or outdo - no rival to battle for my parents’ attentions. Exquisitely happy in my solitude, I relished my role as observer, and that is not exactly a highly prized quality in a softball player. Having had none, sisters have consequently been a source of fascination for me since childhood. I would sit around the dinner tables of my friends and their sisters, in sharp, covert study of the interactions they shared - a pint-sized, ponytailed Margaret Mead on a journey inside the culture of sisterhood. I caught their sidelong glances and barely sheathed barbs - the fierce loyalties, deep love, and contention. I watched as they sabotaged each other and defended each other, learning all the while that theirs was a lifelong bond as curious as it was indestructible. I pondered the purported personality traits dictated by birth order. Were they accurate, or nothing more than myth? Was the oldest always the solid over-achiever, the youngest always the most beloved? And was the middle one doomed to forever be waving her arms just to be noticed between them? I studied the March sisters, the Dashwood’s and Bennet’s. Read all I could on the Mitford’s, the Bouvier’s and Bronte’s. I spent time time in Ballybeg, Ireland with the five Mundy sisters of the poignant film, Dancing at Lughnasa. I wandered the streets of New York with Hannah and hers. And now I have just finished a new book that took me on yet another tantalizing expedition into this exotic landscape of sisterhood. The Weird Sisters is writer Eleanor Brown’s first novel and it’s a captivating read. She has to be either a gifted clairvoyant or a sister herself, for Ms. Brown writes with such sparkling lucidity on the relationships between sisters, giving the reader a back stage pass to the complex interplay between them and decoding their secret language in such a way as to allow passage even to those who, like myself, are totally unfamiliar with the landscape. The sisters in this novel, Rosalind, Bianca and Cordelia, are the daughters of a Shakespearean professor whose love of the Bard is so all-encompassing that he not only named his three daughters accordingly, but also possesses a bewildering tendency to quote the great writer in every single conversation he has. With armloads of painful secrets accompanying them, the sisters have returned home to care for their ailing mother and immediately find themselves falling back into familiar roles they are no longer certain they actually want to play. With a voice both unique and engaging, Eleanor Brown has reawakened my fascination with sisters as well as my admiration for a story well told. If you have sisters yourself, no doubt you’ll be nodding your head in recognition on practically every page. If, like me, you have none, then I encourage you to open this new book and allow Ms. Brown to lead you into their world. I know you’ll enjoy the journey.

*** I was mid write-up on an upcoming post for an outfit inspired by the Dutch folk hero, Kenau Simonsdochter Hasselaer, when I realized this coif needed to be it's own post. (Please excuse the weird, super wide-angle lens of the iPhone's reverse view) Let me back up a bit... As part of my research into my Keanu inspired outfit I hit a stumbling block as to what sort of head covering to make. She is featured in multiple paintings, etching and pamphlets. While the pose and styling remains fairly consistent across most images, there is one significant point of difference: the coifs (caps? veils?). Broadly these fall into two categories: 1) Tails tied over the head... 2) Tails down... I believe both are representative of a Dutch style that really flummoxes me: the tailed veil. What exactly is going on here? Let's consider the second version with the loose tails (assuming the first is the same but with the ends tied over the head). This style of head-covering is fairly typical of mid to late 16th c. Dutch fashion. Pieter Jansz Pourbus, 1550s Although to looks like a close fitting coif, it's more probably a very intricately folded veil which evolved from earlier styles. Now, I'm going to say right out the gate that I have no idea how this was achieved. Zero. None. I've tried folding your standard rectangular veils and couldn't even get close. I'm not sure if I have the shape wrong or if the fabric just isn't fine enough (and probably both) but it's a non-starter. There's no way I can (currently) make a rectangular, tailed veil work. So instead let's take a detour further back in time (just for fun). The version with the ties above the head is not too dissimilar to the "tailed caps" of the mid 15th century. This style is fairly popular with reenactors and there are several suggested patterns for its construction. I'm not sure that I'm totally convinced by any of them, but I decided to try a couple and compare the results...just to see if they sparked any ideas. The first is basically a large trapezoid. (Which didn't quite fit on my cutting board, but the bottom edge is straight across). It's a single layer of fine 2.8oz linen. The on-grain edges are turned with a narrow folded hem. The bias edges have a rolled hem. The narrow side frames the face and the longer points are twisted and tied around the head. The front is also lightly starched (about 4-6" along the narrow edge). The result is fun, but the angle around the face doesn't quite match the period images (and in fact seems to fall in the opposite direction) But it's an attractive shape and can be worn in multiple different ways. Next is a long rectangle with a large 'V' cut out of one end. Again, the tails are twisted and tied on top of the head. The front section is also starched (a bit more heavily this time) as well as being folded down the middle. This helps create the heart shape that frames the face. It still doesn't quite mach the mid 15th c. silhouette above, but it is a closer match for the later 16th c. styles (and so more in the ballpark for what I'm ultimately aiming for). This can also be pinned to the under coif to create different silhouettes. And of course it can also we worn down as a long, split-tailed veil. While both patterns (and all the variants) are super fun to wear I'm still not 100% convinced by either version, if only for the inefficient use of fabric (and resulting wastage). So I'm back to square one. Really, I'm in a position where I'm fairly certain that anything I do will be wrong (historically) so now it's just a matter of picking something that works aesthetically and/or theatrically. So I start thinking about abandoning the veil and making a coif. Conveniently, this is also when I discover this image: Motivated reasoning aside, the image does seem to suggest gathers at the nape of the neck and the tails coming off the front brim (rather than from behind). It's not a total leap. There are early 17th c. coifs that feature long tails, though they don't particularly lend themselves to be twisted in this style. Still, perhaps it's not totally unreasonable to think there may be a hybrid style, especially when looking at the late 16th to early 17th c. images that seem to indicate gathers around the side of the face...which might suggest something other than a folded veil. (Hello again, motivated reasoning! I missed you! Come, pull up a chair. Stay a while...) So with that in mind I decided to adapt the late 16th/early 17th c. coif pattern I've made up previously. My plan was keep the most of the current shape, but then extend the front side sections into tapering tails. (NOTE: This pattern is given in centimeters, the previous patterns are in inches) The linen pattern is cut in light weight linen. Wherever possible a tread is pulled so that the all edges are cut exactly on the grain (basically everything except the tapered, diagonal edge) All edges are then finished with a narrow turned hem (except the diagonal egde, for which I found it easier to to do a rolled hem) Then back edges are whipstitched together (right sides facing) The the bottom. back edge is folded over and stitched down to create a lacing channel. Next, the "hole" formed by the cutout on the top of the head needs to be closed. The is done by running a series of tiny cartridge pleats along the longer edge and then whipstitching them to the narrow front edge. The coif is now complete! Now it's time to shape it... First, the front section is starched, folded down the middle and pressed to create a heart shape to frame the face. (The coif is pressed inside out, so that when flipped the top springs outwards from the central fold) Next, the tails are twisted to form tight "barbels" (as they are lovingly referred to on the Elizabethan Costuming FB Page). It's a tad difficult to see, but the brim is also folded back over itself (just where the ties wrap around the head) in order to encourage it to spring out and upwards. The cap can then be pinned to create subtly different shapes. Flat across the top: Heart shaped: Or even that baffling style where the tails form a ring. And....I think that's about it! Phew! For what was meant to brief side post, this ended up pretty packed. I should also note that all of the above styles are worn over a close fitting coif... ...but for the most part I didn't use my ear irons (or 'oorijzers'). (Oooh...look at her, she's a baby! Back when you still took photos with cameras.) Usually I use oorijzers to help stabilize my starched caps and veils, but found that most styles worked well enough just pinned to the under coif. I did however use ear irons for these two images. (While I found they did help anchor the coif they were not strictly necessary to achieve a similar look. Having said that, I will probably still opt for them when wear this style out of doors and need to account for the wind.) Final thoughts: After all that I still don't think I've gotten much closer to figuring out what's really behind these styles, but it was fun and informative to compare the various shapes and silhouettes. At the very least I've got a couple of good options for my Keanu outfit...which was, after all, the whole point. Hopefully I can get the full post up soon! (EDIT: And HERE it is!) *** Resources & Materials Pattern: -Veils: self drafted/draped -Coif: The Marquess of Winchester Coif #4 (with significant edits) Fabric: -White linen (2.8oz) from WM Booth Draper Trim and Notions: -Linen tape (1/4") for lacing from WM Booth Draper Thread: -White cotton thread (silk finish)