MaggiRos: I don't have those Book of Hours illustrations handy, and I have never used that pattern... the reason being that I have never liked the fit in the made-up ones I've seen.
How closely fit is the one on "Miss June"? I have had very good success with a method I made up in a fit of creative energy but with no patterns handy -- but it won't work for a very tight gown. This method works for a gown that is tighter fit than modern dresses, but not supportive enough to use without modern undergarments. I made several camp/work gowns from it, and they look very good when worn with a hood, a hip belt, and medieval shoes. Here's what I did: I decided to make a gown from all rectangles and squares. I measured the widest part of me and divided that into four. Then I added two inches for seam allowance and ease, and cut four rectangles that width by the measurement from my shoulders to the ground (plus a little for hem and seams). Have enough fabric left over for sleeves (rectangles) and gores. Next I sewed two together, so I had two rectangles. Then I cut a neck hole (just pick one from something you have that fits -- but don't forget to cut smaller so that you can hem around it). Next do the sleeves. Make the sleeves as rectangles, with the fold at the shoulder and the seam underneath -- or in the back if you prefer. Sew them to the shoulders, which you leave straight. Where the sleeve meets the side seam, sew a little square gore (is that the word?). It's not difficult to sew this as an actual square, but it's even easier to use two right-angle triangles, sewn into the right angle between the sleeve and the side seam, and then sew the sleeve from the wrist to the triangle, and then down the unfinished part of the triangle to meet the side seam. Try to use the smallest square you can -- the sleeves should be tight, unlike modern shirt sleeves, but the square should give you plenty of ease. My wedding gown, made in the 1950s, has very narrow sleeves with ease created by the same little square. >From there you just pin it until it fits. If someone can help you, that's better -- but you can do it yourself too. Just baste it and try it out before you cut! Make this fit from your underarm until the widest part of your hips, if you have an hourglass figure. Otherwise use your waist -- wherever is widest. Finally, do gores for the hip (or widest spot) to the floor. You only need two, at the sides, but you can do three (add a back gore) or four (add a front) to make it luxurious and swirly. If you have to piece fabric for one or more gores, you will feel even more medieval! The gown should be fairly tight, just loose enough to slip over your head with a little difficulty. You can sew buttons up the front to mimic a fancier cotehardie. The fit depends on your skill, of course, but I have found that the look is very "real" -- something about all those geometric pieces. It is easy and even kind of fun to take a bunch of rectangles and make a fitted dress! Gail Finke _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
