The Garment constructionAs we play SCA here in the Southern United States where it can be hot and humid, I thought for September at an event that is known for being physically draining because of the heat, I found a delightful, light-weight, loose weave linen that would make a comfy medieval under dress. Add to that the over gown would be silk... this linen fit the bill.
You can see from the picture of the finished under dress this fabric is quite sheer, and the loose weave makes it more delicate. Not less strong, but I did need to take this into account in my decisions.
One of the key choices I made, that I believe led to the success of the project, was I chose to hand stitch the entire garment. This is a first for me! Before this I have hand finished cuffs and necklines, or fixed seams and such, but never before had I sewn an entire garment by hand. This decision was driven by the inability to use a machine while traveling in a vehicle.
I am thrilled though because the fabric choice paired with hand sewing made for sturdy and graceful seam treatments. The individual threads of the linen are strong, but the weave is loose. So I used a combination of flat felled seams and french seams, and added a third row of stitching to help with stability and resist pulling.
The entire garment was sewn, apart from side seams, before THE trapunto even began.Trapunto necklineBasing the shape on both the extant examples and the neck of the Lady M inspiration dress I chose to do a snug keyhole neck. I did a full binding; that is to say both an inside and outside facing for the collar. This provided stability to the fabric and allowed it to support the many stitches of quilting.
After stitching the facings together and turning it right side out, I fitted it around the neckline. And then began the consecutive rows of woolen cording stitched in place. Below is pictorial documentation.
I did not count how long this garment took to construct... but two cross country drives and all of Suits; plus some more. It turned out exactly like I imagined. It fits! AND it carries the LOOK of the period Trapunto examples. I call this a success.
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September 2023
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