IRCC 2...here we go

   So this year's goal for me for IRCC is an interchangeable Venetian wardrobe.  The idea being that I can dress fully as a lady or fully as a gent or someplace in between, and my mood and commitments for the day determine.

  Tonight I've gotten primary construction done on my first piece for the project......an under shift.....a comfort layer for me since I do intend to wear a separate pair of stays.

  I will freely admit that I believe from my research that stiffened sottonas would be far more accurate for torso shaping and support.  However with my ever changing (at the moment shrinking) size I don't want to have to rely on the sottonas to hold up the ladies.  That path leads to constantly rebuilding my wardrobe and never being happy with the fit......(yeah been there before, just ask my mother) ;-)

What of what to do with Pinkie

Venetian doublet gown

 Since I have decided that I CANNOT buy any more fabric other that utility stuff (linen interlining, eyelets, etc....) until I make gowns out of at least 85% of my current stash......I am endeavoring to decide what to to with the fabric from Pinkie (my very first venetian gown). The portrait to the left is what I would 'like' very much to do with the fabric.  However, to get the look right it would require three layers of garments.  Plus it is a much longer waistline than I have been doing of late.  Mainly because my weight keeps fluctuating, and it irritates me to be constantly altering my garments so they fit correctly.

Slightly higher waistline Venetian doublet gown

Option number #2 on the right here; is a slightly looser and higher waistline doublet style gown with a cartridge pleated waistline....Far less trim work would be involved to make this look happen.  I could spend my sewing time playing with the lovely falling ruff shown in the portrait.  An item might i add that isn't effected fit wise by weight loss or gain on my part.

  I would however still need to make a new set of stays that were longer to get the line....not to mention run the risk of a significant rebuild on the gown inside of a year......so not ideal on that end.

Florentine gown

Option three is a high waistline Florentine gown with full loose cartridge pleated sleeves.  Almost exactly what I made for IRCC.....this look is all about accessories.....fur trimmed lower sleeves.....blackworked high neck camicia.....elaborate girdle belt.....and a small net balzo.....all things that are not affected by weight fluctuation.....however that being said.....I'm not stoked about a third very simple gown with the exact same neckline.....but it would not require a new set of stays.....and it would only take me about 20 hours to get the gown finished not including accessories......so something to contemplate......

Thoughts?

IRCC --- Finished pics!

  Need shower and sleep right now but I just wanted to share some of my fav pics from Stags Bloodbath today taken by my awesome lady mother.  I'll post further pics of the underlayers soon.

IRCC update

 The first camicia for this project has the body seams done and the neck gathered. The second picture here shows that sort of....the fact that based on Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion 4 .....I'm doing a fuller gather in the front and back than I am over the shoulders.

 Also based on Patterns of Fashion 4 I have drafted a pair of drawers.  I'll post a picture of the pattern at some point.  But I've machine flat felled the body seams (first time I've tried machine flat felling) I'm gathering the body to a set waistband that will close with an eyelet in the front.  I've also got red bobbin lace for these.

Special thanks to the lovely lady at Semstress.org for the tutorial on flat felling. 

So this is the bodice for my 'petticoat' layer.  As such it won't have sleeves. I've decided to go with an earlier period style and cartridge pleat it instead of having a lower waisted roped petticoat.

This also allows me to reuse the fabric from an earlier dress that was on the rebuild pile. I've ripped it all back to raw yardage to do the rebuild.....so no worries it still qualifies for the challenge.  But I am really enjoying using up stuff from the in house fabric pile!

IRCC.....delayed just a bit

So WAR is coming to the Outlands in the form of Battlemoor........and although I don't actually go to war most years the majority of my household does.

This also means that my job as mistress of the robes for my baron and baroness has pushed right past IRCC in the OMG this has to be done now 'to-do list'.  The good news is I will be posting in the next week or two pictures of finished garments and construction of two full sets of 1400's Florentine garments....male and female....YEAH!

Bad news is that sewing on IRCC is at a standstill until after the 4th of July.....but the bright side is that since I decided to do a prototype of each of the garments I'm doing for IRCC I'll now have dual entries for said contest.