Prep, Pattern Drafting, and Fitting

This weekend was about beginning on a strong fitting. For me, that meant cleaning the whole place and making sure I knew where all the supplies would be stored while I work on each component.

Then it was time to draft the doublet pattern. I am using the Freyle 1588 pattern book as it contains a peascod but isn’t extreme. Though not as famous as Alcega, Freyle was a thoughtful tailor and is more than willing to tell you if he doesn’t like the pattern he has published and when the pattern is reliable.

Patterning the trunkhose will be a different affair altogether. These are very voluminous and will be drafted directly onto the fabric rather than spending feet of paper unnecessarily. These are patterned based on an extant pair owned by Sir Rowland Cotton from 1610. These have been studied by Janet Arnold and in 17th-century Men’s Patterns (Braun) where the scholarship is quite in-depth and detailed photos, including x-rays are made available. I also consulted the Tudor Tailor and instructional notes on trunkhose from my pattern drafting course with Matthew Gnagy (The Modern Maker). The basic geometry of these pants seems unchanged from ~1550 to 1640 with changes in volume and length being the only real variations.

The doublet fitting was a success but my cat became entangled in a cord and bit me in his panic bringing the workday to an end. Tomorrow, I will cut the doublet fabric and interlinings as well as draft the doublet skirt. This week will be construction of the doublet but for the trim. I need to start considering what I will do if the trim fails to arrive from MS this week.

As always more in depth process notes are detailed on my personal blog at www.fioredibardi.net

Andiamo.

I am Nobildonna Fiore Leonetta Bardi (Fee-oh-re) also known as Fiore di Bardi (she/her). Primarily a costumer, I specialize in Florentine dress from the mid-1560s to ~1590, hand sewing, and embroidery. My area of interest includes research of life as an illegitimate woman in Florence, the Florentine Camerata, artifacts and practices for a noblewoman of this time — including the practice of hunting and falconry in Florence, and Florentine textiles. I am increasingly interested in the people we try not to see and which most would have tried not to see even in the 16th-century, namely those of mixed race in Europe. Especially how a person of my lineage (I am of African, French, and Spanish descent) would have lived in 16th century Italy. Motto: Penso e Creo * Blog: www.fioredibardi.net * Instagram: @dressingflorentine

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4 Responses to Prep, Pattern Drafting, and Fitting

  1. Fionna Goodburne MacNicol says:

    Hi Fiore! I am Fiona, one of the judges. I am looking forward to watching the progress. I will be sure to read your personal blog as well. I hope your cat bite doesn’t pain you too much–mine tried to bite my thumb off a week ago. He wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want his subcutaneous fluids. Now that he’s feeling better, he doesn’t want to leave my lap. Sorry–crazy cat lady.

    • Frithuric as a Moroni Painting says:

      Ah, cats! They are lucky we love them. Great to meet you, Fiona. Looking forward to the journey.

  2. Beatrice Domenici della Campana says:

    Greetings again unto Fiore from Beatrice (one of your judges)!

    I did take a trip over to your blog, and found it was a bit more difficult than I had anticipated to figure out which of your various posts to choose to read that corresponded to a particular post here. It would help me to have a link directly to a particular blog post relevant to that week’s (or half-week’s) work, rather than a general link to your overall blog (especially if you’re also blogging about other things during this event).

    I am fortunate that my kitties mostly steer clear when I am sewing, though my boycat has a fascination with draped cloth, and so *loves* being under the ironing board when I’m pressing lengths of fabric after pre-washing… I have had to move him more than once, and also employ a lint-roller to remove evidence of his interest…

    • Frithuric as a Moroni Painting says:

      Good idea! I have added the specific links from my blog and will do so in the following posts. Ah, cats.

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