Venetian Courtesan Dress 1547 with construction notes. The Venetian dress was worn around 1530 by 1570. This is how I made mine with detailed step by step instructions.
LOTTO, Lorenzo. Giovanni della Volta with his wife and children. Completed 1547. About 1480 - 1556/7. Oil on canvas. National Gallery in London
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Design sketches of the dress. The first was to cut sleeves, but the nature of the tissue may need me to design the sleeves as in the second sketch. Based on the Bordone paintings.
I have reviewed the investigation of draping Sempstress.org and draped with a right sloper based on the dress form. If you already have a pattern for a basic sloper, you can use it as a point instead of using the fabric right from the starting roll.
The bodice front is first draped with a wide square neckline and curved shoulder straps. Then the armhole was pinned and cut, then cut neckline. The back of the bodice was draped with high neckline slightly curved back. top shoulder seam placed about 2 "lower backward for a period longer look. Designed points at the front and rear like most Venetian dresses had these points at the bottom of the bodice. The I use a marker marked the size of the bodice following the natural curve of the dress form. I changed the traditional side seam at a looking-back seam period. rear side seam should roughly follow two masses of muscles along the spine by the Tailor Renaissance direction.
finished paper model, pattern layout on 7 oz machine, with route 1 "seam allowance, back room on fold. The paper pattern is not forward "v" cut into it. I did it on purpose so I could use the same model for other dresses. Shown below :. Linen cutting and boning channels drawn in, make sure you cut 4 pieces front and two back pieces, trace paper pattern on all parts
Traced pattern paper on the canvas with the front of the bodice along the grain of the length. Cuts along the grain length were less extensive than reductions cross grains. You do not want the front of the bodice to run against the bias. Pinned along the seam line, added 1 seam allowance "and cut the fabric. Traced all the lines on the opposite side of the machine. I thought I might have alignment problems of three layers of fabric . Fortunately I did because it really came later practice.
paper pattern, linen lining fabric and cut mode and ready to go. later, I had to add the lining canvas. to align the liner with the fashion fabric, I put pins through each corner first through the fabric of fashion and then through the linen lining. since all corners are clearly marked, it maps all layers of fun. I Notch tissue paper because my boss is not cut that way. also cut the fabric and lining to 1 angle "above to make V before opening. corsage turned inside out to sew the side seams.
I took my colleagues costumers advice and added another layer. Through my paper pattern I cut a cotton inner lining fabric for strength. Since I still sew up the side seams, it was quite easy to sew the lining to overlock seam allowance.
Channel Layout boning. I used the provision of Jennifer as a guide. These are 24 feature links "heavy cables used as boning. You can cut with ordinary scissors and quickly file them with coarse sandpaper. The blue line background that runs all the way through perhaps my new board lower bodice. the front deep look bodice is an illusion created by the cut of the bodice edge around the lower side to your sides and back at the waist. do not let the quiet smile fool you. See that little gap? that means I have to cut in front blouse a little more for a front V because at this stage, it could close completely opposite. I thought 1 "would be sufficient since 2" was too (see below), but obviously it is not. I have not taken into account that the lining duck cotton canvas is actually thinner as the lining canvas lin. also factoring large armhole which gave the front of the bodice give more to move forward. So, before I sew the side seams I have to sew the opening before returning to a "gap 2.
Fold and press the fashion fabric along the same line as the seam lining. Pin the fabric of fashion, even on the right side. inside, pin the fabric to fashion again near the fold. Remove pins on the side of fashion fabric. on the inside, pin along the fashion fabric squeezed fold. Sew the fold pressed within 1/2 "of the armhole. Handsew the rest and you can now carefully serge along the sewing machine if you wish.
last step was to redesign the bottom of the bodice to drop more high on the back and sides on the front as seen on some venetian plates. While wearing the bodice, I pinned to the lowest point on my chest. I drew a straight line across the bodice at this point and angled lines on the back of the bodice for an update. I measured 1 "from the front edge fabric and attracted in a curve between these two points.
It almost looks like a real dress. hand Finished sewing grosgrain ribbon and pleated cartridge of the skirt.
Adding yet another layer of the bodice lining fabric. This time it was light wool. the goal is to smooth out the cable ties bumps create against the fabric of the thinnest mode. I learned the hard way that all coatings must be cut to size without edges to reduce clutter when to turn to the bottom hem of the bodice. with a lot of cutting and fussing I was able to remove some of the wool in critical areas such as the nose bottom.
thanks to the Tailor Renaissance to me through my first experience cartridge pleating. I decided to fall back on the edge twice to make a strong pleating surface from the fabric is 60 "wide (0" length). I not together before sewing the skirt pleating and placed the two points pleating 1/2 "width wise shoulders and 3/4" apart lengthwise. I thought I had to be smart and have more folds by placing the two most distant son recommended. I should listen when they say. "Learn from the mistakes of others because you will not have time to do it all yourself"
When I pinned the skirt to the bodice I discovered that the recommended 1/4 "inches is required if you do not want a lot of bulk in the bodice. I also ended up with just over pleats on one side than the other because I not Sew the skirt before pleating and therefore has not found the true point of the central skirt. Since I cut an opening into the center front of the skirt I will now cut up all the collected portion of the skirt off, find the center point before and intermediate points of the skirt and re-folds of the skirt.
I cut an 8 "slot on the front of the skirt so I could slide my hips on the bodice. I hand sewed the edges using a rolled point, and reinforced the bottom with additional seams . I started to attach the rear skirt before. When I got to the front of the skirt there was not enough of pleated fabric for everyone which led to a minor snafu. I could not get the point of bodice lying right. After some fussing I got to the point before bed just right. lesson learned :. Attach the pleated skirt of the cartridge back and forth
in other words the cartridge pleat skirt with a back seam and no lining:
(see Renaissance Tailor and Reconstructing History for more)
1. cut 0 "fabric mode
2. Sew back seam
3 times compared 1" selvage twice adding felt strip if fashion fabric is very light
4. brand side and center front
5. folds of space 3/4 "apart and 1/4" away from selvage
6. space second row folds 1/4 "high ranking
7. pleated fabric
side 8. mark and center points on the bodice
9 match points and folds of the uniform space
10. bodice sew skirt
Here are some pictures of my new dress. Now, to work on the sleeves. my poodle decided she wanted in the pictures. I posted a separate tutorial on how to make the camicia here.
This is my technique for develop a sleeve design with video! You only need to take four steps while wearing your dress. Please excuse my pronunciation of "armhole". * Embarrassed *
I redesigned the model to a six paned sleeve. eight would have been too especially with gold braid fancy I chose as a garnish. I cut 12 fashion fabric pieces and 12 pieces of linen lining.
When I was building the bodice I noticed some of the rolled linen interlining and peeked through the top of the fashion fabric. This has to do with what is called turning the fabric. I used this on the sleeves with great success. Later realized that I really did not need since I covered the edges with trim. Well, it was a good practice.
You can just cause a second line 1/8 "from the original seam line. Do not worry about the strange look away from the socket after you sew together . once you turn it upside down and iron stabilizer disappears from view.
Where is the seam ripper?
I finally made a round in the last few weeks. We decided to rip because the lower half of the sleeve "belled out" third lower arm and it was annoying me. Although my garb friends assured me it looked good, I decided to remodel the sleeve by removing the link at the wrist through. flaps will be open to the wrist. I used the button and buckle to attach the sleeves to the dress.
Pennsic 34
Pennsic 35
