A summer gown of fustian

The cunning plan

Blue fustian swatch, not prewashed.

The plan is to start small and progress into bigger, more expensive things.

I will begin with this fustian gown to work the kinks out of the patterns and process. If everything goes well, the next dress will be made from more expensive fabrics.

08/19/04: The toile

The toile, first fitting.

A friend came over to help me develop the toile. Since this is not very exiting process, there is only a photo of the result of the first fitting. I am wearing a sports bra that does not affect the shape of the brests.

There are a few wrinkles in the toile, but they will be gotten rid of with the next fitting. Before I can proceed with toile, I have to make a new chemise first. This one has shrunk too much in the wash.

For the record, I always prewash my fabrics before cutting. I moved in February and the new washing machine has wreaked havoc among my medieval clothes. I have to rewash all my fabrics too. Oh joy.

08/25/04: The fabric

Blue fustian swatch, washed.

Right. The fabric came out of the washer as a waffle. It is perfect to make a myriad of super absorbent towels, but I'm not so sure about the dress.

From a distance it doesn't look bad, but I'd feel weird wearing a towel. Since I don't really want to ditch this project I need to find another fabric.

08/31/04: Fabric woes, cont.

This is what Bella has to say about outer gown fabric: "Plain fabrics: plain silks including silk taffeta, silk satins, solid silk velvet. I have not seen much that indicates the use of wool for gowns for the nobility and higher levels of society, but it is a possibility."

I am not aiming high noble status with this gown and I was happy to find that wool fabric is plausible. If nobility snubbed wool because it was too cheap, that generally means that the lesser classes could afford it. I dipped into my wool collection and came up with a beautiful thin red fulled wool.

It was prewashed, but I washed it again on 60C degrees, normal wash to calibrate the fabric anew. The washing mashine broke and I had to rinse the fabric in the bathtub myself. It's still dripping all over the bathroom, so I can't show you a picture right now.

I don't know how to solve the problem of washing fabric. I want everything to be mashine washable, but the machines I have access to are not kind to any fabrics. Furthermore, if they will stop working every time I put some wool in there I really shouldn't use them. They are for every tenant of this apartment building and they are industrial strength. One thing I don't understand. How come I could toss 4.5 metres of heavy coat wool into my old personal washing machine without ill effects and this industrial machine breaks down over 3 metres of light dress weight wool?

09/07/04: Final fabric selection

Red wool swatch, washed.

I will use this red wool fabric for the outer layer and the blue fustian as lining. The lightly boned interlining will also be linen.

I decided not to make a separate underbodice / pair of bodies this time. This dress is not meant for a noble and is supposed to be Venetian ‘light’. I can always make corded bodice later, for noble outfits à la Eleonora of Toledo.

11/16/04: The final thoughts

Now that the outfit is finished (well, sort of) and worn, there are quite a few things to fix or do differently in next gown.

  1. The neckline of the dress is ever so slightly larger than the neckline of the camicia. It is perfect for a corset, but not for a gown.
  2. Cording the front opening was a mistake. The cord does not smooth the opening, it makes waves even when not under stress. Use cable ties next time.
  3. I was afraid that the bodice back would be too long. It could easily be a little longer.
  4. The waist circumference is too big, I should to take in 2cm on both sides of the back.
  5. I must find out how to attach the skirt to the bodice without making cartridge pleats out of gathers.
  6. The idea of offsetting the spacing of the lacing rings works, but the offset must be greater than 5mm. Try 1cm next time.
  7. Also, the lacing rings should be sewn farther from the edge or they will show.
  8. Even though the fit and the execution are not perfect, I've never gotten so many compliments on any single outfit.
  9. The shoes were a little tight when I put them on the first time, but stretched to perfection during the day.
  10. The camicia works fine, but I must learn how to manage big sleeves better.

All taken into consideration, a successful outfit. There will definitely be more Venetian outfits in my future.