cleves progress

Bodice and underbodice cut. all three layers for each 🙂 A layer of fine silk for each and a layer of linen canvas. Then the silk shell for the outer and the cotton twill silk support for the undergown.

Currently all layers are draped over dining chairs to make sure they are ready to sew tomorrow. Might just have to hunt out some linen though for sleeves.

It’s muggy and I’m still sore and I managed to get to Newmarket (which is hilarious*) and back to exchange some fabric.

The injections yesterday left my hands less sensitive to fibre apparently so I accidentally picked up a roll of potentially acrylic lace. So if I wanted a darker colour easy, but I needed it lighter.

Very grateful to Angela who was at the counter yesterday, on social media last night (8.30pm!!!) and this morning at Centrepoint Fabrics. She cut me a matching length of a less matching pattern but definitely able to be lightened!

I am talking about my Mon Mothma gown 🙂 So woo!

It will need a layer of wool rovings felted to shape and a silk chiffon back to felt through to, but it’s ideal for the support the fabric needs as felt relies on a tangle of fibres and the lace has a nice strong series of cone.

Photos when I can do more than peck at keys right now. To the brufen maybe?

*Newmarket, a translation of Noviomagus which is the latin name for Nijmegen which is where my SCA person is born. It is walking distance from Kreis Kleve and a day trip to Cologne.

I'm here at dreamwidth

http://glittersweet.dreamwidth.org/ (Okay, lj stripped that put of my post and seems to not be putting in the footer over here.

I'm not leaving either site, and it's easy enough for anyone to not have to double up.

I had to delete my lj profile in one plugin to allow my hosted blog to crosspost over here, and I also had a plugin that was basically loading so badly I had to delete it.
So yay! That is sorted and easy

This should have a link back, I'm still not entirely sure who is what over here, obviously this account was made a few years back ;) But I am using the same userpic to try and make it easier.

I have my lj backed up, but it may be that dreamwidth can export in a more easily edited format for my self hosted blog.

It's almost the 10 year anniversary of the house fire and in that time I have hoarded so much of my online presence and digital media and it still hasn't been exactly enough.

And thus the reasoning behind all these social media accounts:

https://www.facebook.com/michaeladebrucecostumes
http://i-chimaera.tumblr.com/
https://twitter.com/neimhaille
https://nz.pinterest.com/michaeladebruce/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/91424360@N00/

cleves bodice fitting

I started with taking a copy of my Braunchweig gown and a transfer of my “german” kirtle to make my two bodices.

This is the Braunchweig copy as it is regionally close but also able to swing into the more dutch bodice shape.

I did also keep the Mary of Hungary bodice in mind.

How this works is the edge is on the grain so you have to smooth and stretch the fabric from there  under the arm and to the waist. So yes the waist is off the grain. This is how the Mary of Hungary gown works too- if the edge was taken off the grain you get stretch going around the neckline that needs to be stabilised.

The down side to this is it makes fitting the armscye a nightmade.

But I kept going.

Ugh, look at how that now sits. Oh the back fits beautifully but where the excess fabric is moved to shows I needed a longer narrower back to be able to support this open neckline.

So my options were to remake the back panel or put in a seam. I dislike putting seams in the CB of my German gear but I am also running out of this fabric!

But it worked.

Then of course I had to copy the seam placement from one side to the other.

Side back matching, and shoulder matching.

SIde front matching.

The silk has almost no give! So I also also had to do a few tweaks on the form. I smoothed the left shoulder up and pushed the excess to fold over the shoulder seam.

As can be seen the armscye is very tight in the front of the arm, this will be clipped but only after I have properly assembled the kirtle layer and have the support this gown needs.

So I may see if I can get the kirtle underneath already to fit the way I need it!