 |
||
|
|
|
|
Gallery of Tourney Gowns
|
Completed for Canterbury Faire, February 2007 This hand sewn outer garment is a fitted, black wool surcoat with short, puffed sleeves that is fully lined in black linen. It is decorated by strips of black brocade applied like braid and closes using hooks and eyes up the centre front. Gores are used to achieve the fullness in the skirt. The back collar is cut in one with the back body pieces as a result of comments made by Juan de Alcega (among others). This method works beautifully, resulting in a very comfortable surcoat. Wrinking at the back of the neck is not an issue (as Alcega and previous experience suggests) when a relativley soft fabric like this wool is used.
This surcoat is designed to be
worn over my existing middle class Elizabethan clothing and has proven
to be an absolutely essential warm layer for camping and overnight events. Not
only that, it is ideal for throwing on over top of camp garb
in order to 'spiff things up' a little.
Although many things inspired this camping wardrobe, it was primarily Lucas
de Heere's picture of 4 London women that provided aesthetic direction.
. .
Completed for Canterbury Faire, February
2006 This ensemble was created as I wanted something appropriate
for working outdoors around the encampment. This is based
on figures depicted in various Civitates Orbis Terrerum maps of
Spanish cities. In particular I wanted to experiment with the spanish "manto" or
modesty wrap. The manto is described in number of sources (such as
Anderson, Alcega and Saavedra) but is seldom seen. As the weather at Canterbury Faire (when it isn't raining) is hot and
dry, for that reason I chose to use natural fibres. The
outfit consists of a white linen shirt worn under a black fine linen
bodice with sleeves and skirt. It is usually accessorised with a
linen coif and apron. White paj-silk manto (veil) is worn with a white dupion silk
pill-box hat. The silk veil has since been replaced with several metres of
light cotton voile because the silk proved too unruly in a breeze. It
seems that if it is a modesty garment it should function as such. The silk and cotton were stand in choices until I was able to purchase
some suitably fine linen fabric. I have recently purchased 4 metres
of black linen voile to make a half-circle 'manto' as described in
Alcega. Completed in February 2003
This gown was inspired by a variety of late 14th Century French
manuscripts and the desire for something light and inexpensive to lug
around the world in a back pack. Consequently, it is made from cotton and lined with cotton voile. For
weight, the under-sleeves are not attached to the kirtle, but instead
hook and eye to the shoulders of the gown itself. Around my neck I am wearing a gold heraldic dolphin based on one in the
collection of the Musee de Moyen Age, Paris. The Pilgrim token is one I
picked up at Canterbury (the one in England) when I visited the Cathedral
there. I am also wearing one of my favourite hairstyles based on a manuscript.
What you cannot see in the picture above are two more plaits crossed over
at the base of my neck as seen in the manuscript.
Completed for Southron Gaard 20th Year
Anniversary Encampment, late 2002
Entered in the 20th Anniversary Arts and Sciences Championship. Winning
Entry. This was my first completely hand sewn garment. Each piece of linen or
wool was hand hemmed immediately once cut out as the fabrics had a
tendency to fray uncontrollably if I didn’t keep an eye on them. Designed for use as a warm layer to be thrown on during camping events,
I interlined the back panel with another layer of wool so that I wouldn’t
get a cold back while my front was nice and toasty. This worked a treat
resulting in one of my favourite cold weather garments. I began looking into these garments as an extension of my research
into Persian clothing (and desire to have something to wear in a Gher.)
The plan was to make a Persian cross coat but the lack of detailed
pictorial and archaeological evidence necessitated delving into the
immediate predecessors of the garment to understand the fundamental cut
and construction. The documentation is currently only in paper format, but once I have
typed the 40 odd pages in again, I will add it to this website.
15thC Transitional French Gown
Completed for a chilly event in Darchester,
2000 or 2001 This dress is an example of the transitional
gowns that are seen during the period where houppelands are
slowly becoming highly fitted V-neck gowns. A basic
A-line garment, the shape of the gown when being worn is created by a wide belt placed
just under the bust. This holds the extra fabric against the body and creates a series of
pleats that give fullness to the skirt. (It also means this a
wonderful fashion for sumptuous feasts.)
Made of navy blue wool, this gown is trimmed with cream brocade collar and cuffs. It is fully lined
in white linen (which just happens to be some of the nastiest, prickliest
linen I have ever met). Created to serve as a warm camping gown, (and
to match the rolled head-dress I wanted to make) it certainly meets expectations with regards to warmth and comfort
at cold events. The gown is worn over a bright green front lacing
kirtle that has an ornate brocade breast-band. The length of the skirt has been kept relatively
short (just to the ground) for convenience and safety at those few camping
events where fire is permitted. Contrary to popular belief, this
length is period and Sadly I don't currently have any images of this
garment. Completed mid 2001 Consisting of black linen shalwar, red linen circle skirt, mustard
yellow linen hip length bodice (trimmed with narrow black gimp braid) and
a short black linen hip skirt (trimmed with narrow gold satin ribbon) this
outfit was made purely for belly dancing at Middle Eastern Guild Haflas. Contrary to expectations, the fitted bodice
provides considerable support without interfering terribly with
the movement of the torso. The layered skirts, however, do impact on the
dance style. Many small or delicate vertical hip movements are lost under the
hip skirt while twisting movements and large, rapid level changes are enhanced. The ensemble was inspired by a number of late period and early 17th
Century illustrations, such as this one
Completed some time in 2001 Based on the manuscripts of Bihzad, this ensemble consists of white
cotton shalwar, white cotton gomlek, (optional black linen ‘over’
shalwar), a long pale blue linen caftan, a pale yellow over caftan and a
white cotton veil. The necklines are varied so that each layer is visible at all times, as
seen in the manuscripts. The look of the veil is achieved using an ‘egg’
shaped veil which is carefully folded and pinned over a curved surface
before attaching it to the plaited hair. Sadly the good pictures of this ensemble worn with full makeup and
hairstyling did not survive their encounter with the words “trust me, I
know what I’m doing”. This picture was taken at the 2006 Yule
celebrations. As I am no longer the same shape and size I was when
this set of clothing was made, the garments are sitting a little less well than they
did originally. I have also lost the small brooch I usually wear
to close the neck of my gomlek, and the hems really needed
to be re-introduced to an iron.
Completed in time for the trip to Estrella,
February 2000 This dress was an instructional project. My Laurel
was taking me (and one of my fellow apprentices) through her method of making German gowns, while also
introducing us to the concept of sloper patterns. It was a steep
learning curve, but set me up for many later projects. This gown is made from cotton twill, and the gardes are black
wool. The interlining is a supple cotton duck canvas, and red
cotton has been used for lining. The exact inspiration for this gown escapes me, but it hit after many
hours trawling through Meistern Christian’s collection of 16th Century
German images. This dress was absolutely fantastic at Estrella and could only have been
improved with one of those huge German hats to
match it. Completed for the event at Cracroft in 1999
(Partlet, coif and hat, 2005) This ensemble was initally inspired by a
selection of images by Steven van der Meulen and Lucas de Heere as well as a lucky find of
several metres of linen fabric. Initially using tied in sleeves, Patterns of
Fashions
and use convinced me to trial hooks and eyes instead, which has proven
convenient, secure and comfortable. The skirt uses lightly flared drops
and is pleated into a narrow waist band that sports a number of hand
worked eyelets. The skirt and bodice are tied together prior to wear. After first wearing this outfit with a farthingale
(for a dance performance), I decided to take some length out of the skirt
and make it a working class outfit in order to reconcile the dress style with the fabric. (This remodelling
was influenced by a variety of images including the Fete at Bermondsey and maps
from the Civitates Orbis Terrarum.) It has proven to be a very convenient and
comfortable working ensemble. |
English Middle Class Surcoat
Late 16th Century Spanish Middle Class
Cotehardie 
Mongolian Cross Coat
16th
Century Turkish Dance Outfit
Persian
Ensemble
16th Century German Gown 
1570s
Middle Class English Ensemble 