A quick run-through of Elizabethan Fashion

Since I am making a gown based off of images of Elizabeth I (Good Queen Bess) I thought it would be a good idea to do a brief history lesson so those viewing the gown will not be completely lost.  Let us begin with some basics.

Elizabeth Tudor was born on September 7th, 1533 at Greenwich Palace to King Henry VIII and Ann Boleyn.  Her nicknames have come to include: Good Queen Bess, The Virgin Queen, and the childless Elizabeth.  She was also the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. Aside from the fame these nicknames have given her over the centuries, and all that they imply, she is also very well known for her eccentric sense of fashion.

It's got to be something about being a monarch that makes people go for all those fancy clothes.  Something about the wealth goes straight to their heads. But I digress.

Thanks to her, the fashion of the 1500's changed.  Many of the undergarments remained as well as the general shape, but the other intricacies changed. Her early clothes were still very much in the Tudor style with a farthingale (early hoop-skirt) over a shift, followed by the kirtle - which was a form of an under-dress with supports built into it, so there was no need for a corset.  After that you had the gown, which is the main part of the dress, and it would tie up the back.

During a more transitional phase between a distinctly Tudor fashion and what would become common place in Elizabeth's time was the use of a bum roll. Some people would put it over the farthingale, or under it, or later under the wheel drum.  Some who were not as wealthy as other court ladies would wear just the bum roll to simply give the skirts a little extra lift.  All a bum roll is is a stuffed tube that ties around the waist and helps to hold up the heavy skirt layers.


 Elizabeth I would end up keeping the upper portion of the dress similar, but the skirts would be changed dramatically.  There was the introduction of the wheel drum, a type of hoop-skirt that allowed the skirts to project from the body and then drop dramatically.  At one point it was still fashionable to have the front of this skirt split open, allowing the rest of court to view a contrasting underskirt. However, this would slowly change from year to year depending on the queen's mood.

Later on the sleeves would change into a three-layered (in some cases more) effect.  While you would maintain your chemise sleeves, often showing their expensive and lacy cuffs, you would also have the sleeves of your gown and then an additional set of sleeves that would tie onto your bodice.  See, the over gown now came in two parts - a top and a bottom - and often had multiple, interchangeable sleeves.  You could tie on one set of "over-sleeves" that would drape nearly to the floor and then also have a set of shoulder cuffs aside from your other two, basic sleeves.  That is a total of four "sleeves"!

So there is a quick history lesson before I begin to post about the dress itself.

May your stitches be straight, and may your thread never tangle.

Christmas Goodies

I know it is no where close to Christmas time, and that I should have stayed away from this post, but I could not resist.  A friend of mine finally opened her Christmas gift!  And since I haven't seen what I made her since it was finished...  Well I figured it was time for some pictures.

Here she is wearing it, a simple yet elegant blue scarf.  It is made up of a simple grid pattern which can be achieved by alternating knit and pearl stitches to create a square.  These I believe were done in a 5x5 pattern on size 3 needles.  I don't quite remember.  Then I put a fold in it, stitched the ends together (making it an elliptic scarf) and proceeded to the bead work.  This aspect took a lot of pre-planning.

I had to make sure I had enough squares to be able to have the leapfrog like pattern woven together, and I had to also make sure that when I put the fold in the scarf the ends would not be identical.  Much math later I had the number ready, adjusted the knitted length accordingly and then put it all together.  Reading this you may think that this was an easy thing to do, but really it is not.  As this friend put it: "You never stop amazing me."  But this is what I do.

The beads are for the most part glass and the pearls are not real.  Most of the fancy beads came from deconstructed samples of upholstery and curtain fringe - the kind you expect to find in snooty custom homes.  Even though it all looks very delicate, it is relatively heavy, which allows it to hang the way a scarf should.  This is important, because sometimes even if you get the gauge right for the weight of the yarn, the total weight of the piece might not be enough to complete the effect you wanted.

Soon there will be an update concerning another WIP besides the blue and lavender dress, so until then:

May your stitches be straight, and may your thread never tangle.

Why are you doing that?

This is a question that was posed to me when an acquaintance of mine found out that one of my newest projects is the constructing of a historically accurate (as accurate as scale will allow) Elizabethan court gown for my 16 inch tall BJD (Ball Joint Doll) complete with underclothes, three skirts, and no zippers, snaps, or Velcro.  And NO use of a machine, save for overclocking the hem lines before turning them by hand. They asked if it was because I hated myself, since they knew exactly how complex those gowns can be.

So here is my answer:

I am doing this because I want to.  I know I can, and so I will.

My inspiration really began years ago, growing up going to Renaissance Faires.  But for simpler terms, let's begin with Google Images.  A quick search later, and I pulled two images to serve as my inspiration.  First: one of the best known images of Queen Elizabeth I. She was well known for her extravagant gowns, many of which would feature in her portraits.  This one in particular was the first image I ever saw of her, and it has stuck with me ever since.  So from this image I decided to do my best at imitating the shape of the skirt, the over ruffle, the hanging sleeves, and the general idea of the stomacher.  The puffy shoulders also feature in the scaled dress.  One modification to the dress comes with the second inspiration image.

The image to the left contains a still from the movie The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) and the gown, as far as I have been able to tell, is either the dress from the movie, or the dress that inspired the one in the movie.  I'm still not too sure because I have never watched it.  But I loved the shape of the shoulders, the split skirt, and the point that the bust is fully covered.

Now, in the version I am making, I have taken some liberties given that I'm working with a stiff brocade and a few other light-weight fabric remnants.  Due to the scale and the fact that my doll is a hard resin I have had to make some adjustments just to make sure it would fit properly while still coming as close as possible to the look I wanted.

This has been achieved through the use of a bum role, a satin underskirt, some cardboard, and lots of ruffles and top stitching. Did I mention the ruffles? And the top stitching?  Just to make sure I do mention them, there is heavy use of ruffles and top stitching.  Got that? Ruffles and top stitching? Good.

Once more materials are gathered this weekend, there will be another post to show the progress of the individual pieces.

May your stitches be straight, and may your thread never tangle.

Something current, for once.

So my friend, who has inspired my adventurous side, admired my work, and who was the sole reason behind one of my previous entries (please see "Hey, do you know how to...), is soon moving off to the next chapter in her life.  So what better way to show you care, than to make something?  Said friend has already received a sweater (Christmas) and a pair of mix-matched socks (college graduation).  So now it's time for a scarf!

I took her to the student show at the Tin Thimble (excellent place) and while wandering around the shop, found material that she instantly fell in love with.  To quote her "But it's so soft".  Referring to raw mohair.  The conversation that followed went something like this:

Me: "What are you doing?"
Friend: "It's soft. And fluffy."
Me: "Are you petting it?"
Friend: "But it's so soft."
Me: "Would you like it?"
Friend: "What am I going to do with it?"
Me: "Would you like me to make you something?"
Friend: "But I don't like felting."
Me: "You know you can spin that, right?"
(By here I realized I just said something I maybe shouldn't have)
Friend: "I'm going to assume you can spin?"
Me: "You're really asking?"
Friend: "Of course you do." (gives some thought) "Please?"

I am now spinning mohair into thick and thin yarn, in different colors, and after that step is done I will end up weaving them into a scarf.  Spinning mohair is not that hard, in all actuality.  That is, for a truly advanced spinner with a wheel.  I am neither an advanced spinner nor do I have a wheel.  But I do LOVE a good challenge.

So how does one spin mohair with a drop spindle?  I'm glad you asked.

(Time-laps of about a week)

The problem with mohair is that it is both fine and fuzzy, so unless you have good tension and a base, it is not going to want to keep it's shape.  I was fortunate enough to have a spool of very fine, black yarn that I could use as my base.  So between that and using two cat hair brushes as my carting pallets (since I do not spin enough to actually own the proper tools, but it's the same basic principle), all of the spinning got done, despite the point that I had never spun mohair before and that it had been a long time since I had used my drop spindle.  Then came the point for me to make it all into two ply yarn, which means taking two lengths of the yarn and twisting them in the opposite direction.


I have mentioned before that I tend to MacGyver a majority of my tools, and this project was no different.  To hold the one ply yarn I used: a darning egg, a kubaton, and a coffee cup sleeve from Starbucks as well as a paper clip and an extra-small claw clip.  At one point an empty tea tin, small quilting frame, and brass hour-glass were also involved. Thankfully my classmates have been interested in what I'm doing and were willing enough to help me by holding the two "spools" of single ply as I used something else to twist them together.  The hallways on campus tend to be my impromptu craft space.

As for the weaving, it didn't work out quite the way I wanted it to.  One side held shape perfectly, but as I started to turn the project, it just got thinner and more misshapen. I did my due diligence and finished it, took it off of the loom (really, this was the small quilting frame with yarn just wrapped around it. I do not really own a loom.) and looked at it with unease.

Perhaps this makes me an artist, but I was so displeased with the work that I refused to put my label on it or even show my friend.  So I took it all apart, wound the yarn into skeins since it would now hold its shape, and selected a pair of gauge 13 knitting needles.  Within one weekend I had finished twisting the yarn, woven it all, unwoven it, and knitted a scarf.

This past Tuesday, aforementioned friend tries it on.  It looked like a turtle neck sweater minus the sweater - just the neck.  So back to the drawing board. I took the scarf apart, yet again, and re-knitted the whole thing 3 stitched thinner and in so doing, made it a bit longer.  Now the damn thing actually looks the way it is supposed to and she is very happy with it.

To me it was a labor of love as well as a challenge, both things I enjoy immensely.

May your stitches be straight, and may your thread never tangle.

Hey, do you know how to...

This is a very dangerous thing to say in a sarcastic tone to any adventurous crafter, especially if you are not a fan of surprises or gifts.  Often, if you ask a crafter if they can do this, or that, or some other thing they may feel the need to prove it to you or otherwise show you.  Remember that some crafters only get small amounts of recognition so this may be taken for interest, especially if it is their passion.

So if you are an average person, please be aware of these dangerous phrases to ask or say to crafters.

1. Hey, can you make/do that?
2. How long did that take?
3. Wow, that looks easy!
4. Can you just explain that to me?
5. So, how much did it cost to make?
6. Aren't you afraid to put someones eye out with that thing? (when the person is knitting)
7. Really? It tangles up that easily?

The answers you receive may be as follows. Please note that the phrases inside the parentheses will be an internal monologue and most likely sarcastic.

1. Yes, I can. (Well I know what I'm making them for Christmas.)
2. Oh not that long, just a few days. (As long as you don't include the time to drive to the store and back, the time spent charting it out, the time between the times it was worked on, and only if those days were 14 hour work days.)
3. Yeah, it is! (I would like to see you try this.)
4. Sure. (Boy this person really doesn't get that you have to sit down and try it for the words to make any sense...)
5. Not that much. (Not including gas money, minimum wage rates, and the point that this is all from the discount bin - in proportion to everything else in that over priced craft haven.)
6. Not at all. (Thank you random person. I was totally aware that this could be used as a weapon.  Why do you think I carry my knitting with me?)
7. Yes, it's because its thinner. (Did they really just have to ask that? THEY should try working with it.)

So please remember to be kind to craft-people and refrain from these phrases, especially if you are only a passer by.  To fellow crafters reading, I hope you can relate.

To my friend who inspired this entire blog entry, remember that the line "Hey can you make that?" will get you a number of very odd items.  So that is why you have a custom sweater hanging in your closet.

May your stitches be straight, and may your thread never tangle.

A Project from the Past

Alright. So remember how I said I would update?  Here it is.  This is a series of pictures and description of a doll dress I made as a gift ... I would guess about a year and a half ago.

First of all I should list all of the materials.

• A fashion doll from the dollar store.
• Crinoline netting in a light green with a gentle sparkle to it.
• An iridescent fabric, I think it was a poly-blend, meant to feel a bit stiff.
• A patterned cotton with gold threads in the pattern.
• Gold cloth (which never gets used).
• Beads. Many, many, many beads.

The pattern I made myself, testing it with a light weight paper and adjusting as necessary, and even fudging it just a smidgen in the end.  My inspiration comes from watching Hello Dolly! one too many times and enjoying other "period accurate" musicals.  It's close to the late 1800's, without conforming to just one decade, and has a plain front panel to showcase the Victorian love of bead work.
I have this habit of giving all of my dolls undergarments.  It just bugs me when they don't.  So, the underpants are made from that purple fabric and the rest of it is cut out, even the gold cloth.  The reason why it was never used is because the rest of the costume never came together the way I was hoping it would, so I had to switch things up for the waist band and do a little bit of improvising.  I wasn't too worried about wasting the fabric, because it came from a very old scrap anyways, so it wasn't really wasting in the first place.  The green crinoline that you see in the top of the picture wasn't used in the final piece, being that it was too stiff to be worked with properly, but thin shreds of it were used to tie on the heals and decorate the hat, which is not seen cut out here.


This is the crinoline underskirt I did end up using.  It's a much looser weave and is older, so it's more worn and easier to move around and work with.  I have found that to use older materials is sometimes the best thing to do, especially if the object wont face much - if any - wear and tear.  And so the best thing to do if you need inexpensive, but worn older materials, is to go by your nearest thrift store and pick some things up.  You need to look for the color, quality, and size of the materials.  Say you're trying to make a prairie gown for a 14 inch doll. A large floral print that would look proportional on us as humans would not be well suited for the project.  So sometimes you'll need to pick up an old dress shirt, a skirt, and even a dish towel.  Think of them as raw materials, not as the items they are currently.  This does take some time to get used to, takes practice.  But I digress.  Maybe I'll do an entry comprised of nothing but such tips and tricks.


Here, to the right, is the top of the dress, almost completely put together.  It is here that I realized that the gold fabric just wasn't going to work, no matter how I tried.  So I simply went without and ended up making the belt out of a wide ribbon scrap I happened to have.  Lucky for me, because it was just the right shade of red.  Although it is hard to see, there is very small top stitching along all of the color changes and along the front where I swear there are buttons!


As I mentioned before, I had to substitute the belt so the skirt got attached directly to the top of the dress.  The skirt was in three sections: the front panel and then the side/back two.  After the parts were all assembled, things became difficult.  I don't often use that word, since I'm convinced that it has a poor effect on the mind and one's determination to get something done.  But I'll admit, things became difficult.  So there was the plain dress, no beads, lace, or ribbon; yet it still gave me problems.

1. The skirt did not want to fall properly over the bustle.
2. The skirt's overall length was too long.
3. Even though the darts on the bodice front were perfect, the back would not close fully.
4. The shoulders had been cut too small, despite measuring twice.
5. Same thing with the collar.
6. Same with the underarms for the puffed sleeve.
7. The sleeves were too long.

And so how did I manage to fix all of this and still make an amazing Victorian inspired doll? I became the craft-MacGyver.

First, I did a number of pin tucks on the skirt so it would form properly over the bustle. Next I hemmed the skirt.  Since she needed to be fancy, I even used metallic thread (bane of all crafters existence).  Then after I had made the belt, but before i stitched it to her waistline, I took the remnant of the remnant of the ribbon and made a nice little peek-a-boo back covering that luckily enough ended right at the top of the patterned fabric.  Somehow it looked intentional.  So far this has solved all but the sleeve length.  To fix this final problem I gently gathered the last half inch of the sleeve and stitched pearl-beads to imitate cuff buttons.

Somewhere in between all of these little fix-it's I also completed all of the smaller bead work, such as the two lines of clear iridescent on either side of the front panel and the work along the collar transition.  Then after stitching the doll into the dress, it was time for the finishing touches.  Which means even more bead work.  All of the draping beads on the train and on the front panel were done after she was completed.  Then there is the hat.  I ended up tie-ing up her hair, stitching it to her head, and actually using some hair gel to get it to stay in one spot long enough for me to stitch the hat to her hair.  Since this was a rather cheap doll, it was the best I could do to get close to the Gibson Girl look.  The hat is made from all of the scrap material, some spare beads, and lots and lots of gathering.  Save the small circle in the center, that is all gathered ruffles.

May your stitches be true, and your thread never knotted.

Yet another update, and this one's a doozie.

It's been some months since my last update, and by now I'm certain that no-one is reading, save the occasional person who I happen to know and share things with.  So what to do with a not-too-productive blog?  Not much I'm afraid.

The half of the time I'm crafting, just going along my marry way, and I don't even think to slow down, take pictures and blog.  But with a tablet and Google drive... Perhaps I'll find a way?  I pray so.

And so, without any more stalling, I shall do... Another Update!

Compared to the last entry I have since completed:
1. Maybe two dress out of my stack of pre-cut fabrics...
2. That last item on the list, the quilt.  Well... One of the quilts.  The one I was finishing by hand that is super old?  That one.  Pictures should be up as soon as I pull it out of the linen cupboard.
3. A pair of socks that actually fit the person they were meant for! (I have this small issue with the damn things normally being just a touch too big. But not these!)
4. Maybe some other, smaller patch jobs that needed to be done, but I just don't remember.  These sorts of things come and go.

Projects I am still working on:
1.  The stack of pre-cut dresses.
2. The scrap quilt.
3. The pre-cut quilt.  I'm honestly thinking of cheating and just using the sewing machine.**
4. A Christmas project from this last season...

I know I know! How could I leave someone without their Christmas gift? I am such a horrible person.  But you know what?  I live with it.  Also they told me not to rush, since they didn't want me to mess up.  And lets face it, those of us who craft know that taking your time pays off in the end.  Also, beading projects can take a long time to set up and work on, and then take down.  For some reason I thought it would be easy to do a sheet of bead-work in the design of the exploding Tardis in the Van Gogh style. I was sorely mistaken.

So let me restate my point here: I am taking my time since it is very carefully graphed out, one small square per bead.  I face the fear that it will never be done.

About that scrap quilt... No there are no pictures yet, mainly because I haven't touched it in a few months.  I've been balancing my class schedule because some genius (referring to myself, sarcastically) thought it would be an excellent idea to take 17 units that have a laundry list of requirements per class. Please insert hysterical laughing that morphs into equally hysterical sobs here.  But frabjuous day! Tis near the end of the semester!

Projects that I have recently started (this section really shouldn't exist, but it does):
1. Spinning yarn to then weave into a scarf for my friend before she moves off to Japan.
2. A pair of baby socks for an expecting family friend.

These is nothing much else to report, except that the reports assigned to me by classes are the only things keeping me busy recently.  Not much time, if any, really, to sit and craft the way I would like to be able to.  But this summer shall be glorious.  I promise to post many more updates.

May your stitches be straight and your threads never tangled.