The above quote was taken from a book of receipts for a “gentle youth”, and what he spent on his clothes. When I came across the record, I suddenly knew exactly what I wanted to make for the Ethereal Seamstress Challenge.
I am Bartholomew Sharpe, Tudor vagabond at large. I have been seriously sewing historical clothing for approximately 6 years, with an emphasis on the fashion of Tudor England. My most recent focus has been on the clothing of the last years of the 16th century.
My goal for this challenge is to make a complete male outfit representative of a prosperous merchant or artificer in England in the last few years of the 16th century. The outfit will be based off of both written and pictorial sources. It will be made of a variety of materials available to the people of the day, along with one that skirts the laws of England at the time (more on that later).
The outfit will consist of a linen shirt, fustian doublet, kersey hose, hat, stockings, shoes (made prior to the challenge), and girdle belt. Bellow is a picture of all of my materials laid out and just waiting for the challenge to begin!!!
Greetings! I am Kay, a part of your judging team.
That is a temping pile of materials. The shoes are glorious. Where did you find the pinking pattern? I am very excited to see pinking irons among your supplies and cannto wait to see what you do with them.
Hello. The shoes are based off of ones recovered from a 1590s Dutch shipwreck. The design of the shoes and the decoration are covered on page 283 of Stepping Through Time by Olaf Goubitz. I made them just before the start of the challenge.
I originally got a metal working forge just so I could make my own pinking irons.
Good eve, Bartholomew, Severin here. I am one of your judging team. I followed your progress on the shoes, and really look forward to following as you go here. I saw some of the work you did on the shirt, very nice. Awaiting for your next posting.
Thanks!