How to make French Hoods

French hoods, the bejewelled headpieces of the Tudor era, seem to be one of the most mysterious and difficult to recreate items – a real challenge for any Tudor re-enactor wanting to portray an upper class persona. Throughout the last few decades a number of patterns and a number of ideas has been employed to recreate the look – some more successful than the others, some less. The main problems lies in the lack of evidence other than pictorial one – to my knowledge, not one of the headdresses we now call French hoods has survived to our times. There are surviving examples of the wire base used for the gable hoods, but not a single one that would cast some illuminating light on the construction of the French ones.  The only way then, it seems, is to rely on the portraits and accounts of the era, which, though immensely helpful, seem to be insufficient to resolve the burning issue once and for all – how  were the things made and how they stayed on the heads!

In the present article I will briefly discuss the origins or the history of the hoods and then proceed to show how Prior Attire hoods are made.   I do not pretend to come up with the pattern I have been using, and a full credit is given to the ones who did, nor will I claim that the method we employ is the best ever – I am confident it is only one of many, and it just happens that it has worked best for me and my customers. The purpose of the article is to show, step by step, how to achieve the creation – and for that you may want to buy the commercial pattern, as it will help you a great deal, but it is by no means necessary.

In my career I have come across several different solutions to the problem, and indeed a few of them seem to be working just fine. The two most popular for the last two years have been the following:

1. All elements ( coif, paste, veil, crescent) are separate and are pinned together on the wearer’s head –  and the method has been discussed in great detail in an excellent article by another costumier, Sarah Lorraine (http://yourwardrobeunlockd.com/articles/historicalperiods/medievalrenaissance/280-reconstructing-the-french-hood-by-sarah-lorraine) )
2. The Tudor Tailor’s way – the elements are stitched together in a sturdy headdress – with a few items being removable as needs be (coif, bongrace, separate billiment). The idea is not new, as I managed to dig out the references to it in an earlier publication by Denise Dreher, but is now enjoying a well deserved revival.

I believe that in the 16^th century there wasn’t just one pattern for the hood – ladies were making do with different arrangements, striving to achieve the fashionable look by a variety of means and no doubt women across the world are doing the same nowadays. For me the latter way really worked as a way of making a headdress that is historically correct, easy to wear, looks good and most importantly, stays on my head.

 

 The genesis of the French hood.

It is becoming more and more evident how the English, or gable hood evolved on the UK, transforming from the open hoods into bonnets with paste and frontlets, and then in the most iconic form known from the portraits of  Jane Seymour or  the More family.

Similarly, it is possible to trace the evolution of the French hood – though it must be noted that its origins seem to be developed on the continent rather than in England.   Although they derive from the same ancestor, an open hood worn in the last decades of the 15^th century, the evolution took the headdress two separate ways. In England, the front of the hood became stiffened, and started to fold in the middle over the forehead, creating a point (style also worn with some hennins). With further stiffening and additional decoration of the brim, the gable shape started to emerge – first with the long frontlet, laying on a stiffened and decorated paste, then with the paste shortened, frontlets folded back and pinned to the crown and divided veils.

Charles d’Angoulême et Louise de Savoie jouant aux échecs

On the continent, the hood was also changing at the time, but the emphasis was on the roundness – the stiffened and decorated part of the hood followed the shape of the head, eliminating any possibility of the rectangular shape of the English bonnet.  The beginnings can be seen in the portraits of Anne of Brittany or even Katherine of Aragon, who, contrary to common misconception, did wear the early version of the French hood as well.

Katherine of Aragon, Michael Sittow,

  Anne of Brittany, Jean Perreal

daughter of emp maximilianI

Margaret aged ten by Jean Hey,

 With time, various elements were added and new styles were developed – ornaments and basic shapes of the crescent changed, the veil changed through the decades and the hairstyles changed as well – but the most recognizable style of the French hood seems to have persevered through many decades, starting as a simple hood and transforming into one of the most complex headdresses.

Materials:

Buckram (linen or hessian) 0.5m

Wire – 2m

White linen – 1m

Veil – black velvet or satin, 0.5m

Silk for the paste and the crescent, can be the same colour, can be different. Silk taffetas, satins and velvets work best. The most common colours were white, black, tawny-gold, though reds and colours coordinated with the gown were also in evidence. You will need very little; 0.5m for both in the same colour is ample.

Silk organza – a thin strip (fine linen also works)

Linen and silk threads

Ornaments – freshwater pearls,  lass beads, metal beads, gems –   depends on style.

Thimble, pliers, wire cutters, different size needles, including a curved one

A scrap of silk velvet or wool for cushioning the inside of the paste.

A bit of cardboard for mock up

Pattern:

I used an adapted pattern from the Tudor tailor book. The pattern is available in hard copy http://www.tudortailor.com/patternshop.shtml

 Method

It is a good idea to make a mock up of the pattern in cardboard or stiff paper – just to see how it lies on your head. The paste part is the most important as it provides the base for the whole construction. It should sit on your head snugly, with the front parts resting just below your cheekbones, and the back ‘wings’ cradling your head. Remember to make sure your hair is coiled in a bun or a plaited into one at the top back of your head- it provides additional support for the hood. If your hair is short, it is worthwhile to get a basic plait extension – coiled and pinned, it will do the job just as well. Depending on the shape of your head that should be sufficient to keep the hood on very securely. For very heavy hoods with lots of bling on them, I find I need to pin them just over the ears as well.

Experiment with the mock up till you find the best fit and adapt your pattern accordingly.

1. Cut out the pattern shapes for the paste and the crescent in buckram. No seam allowances are necessary.

The paste cut out.

 

2. Cut out the pieces : in linen – 2 of each, with an inch seam allowance all around; in silk, 1 of each, with the same seam allowance
3. Put the fabric pieces aside for the time being- the buckram pieces need to be wired first.
4. Cut a length of wire – should be enough to go all around the paste, with a little overlap. Sew on the wire to the edge of the buckram – you can do it by hand, with a strong linen thread, or on a machine. If using the machine, set it to a wide zig-zag stitch and sew, slowly and carefully, making sure the needle goes down on both sides of the wire, and not into it. Do not hasten the process– it will most likely result in broken needles…

2. As you near any corner, use the pliers to bend the wire around it.

Paste with the wire sewn on by a machine

And the crescent with the wire

6. Pin the back ends of the paste together and try it on. You will most likely notice that the buckram squashes your ears or at least feels unpleasant – take note of the areas and mark them on the buckram – they are the places that will need some cushioning to make the hood comfortable to wear.
7. Cur small rectangles of wool or velvet – any thick and smooth fabric will work well. Fold it and stitch it to the inside of the buckram where your ears will be.

The ‘ear protectors’ stitched in to the inside of the paste

8. You are now ready to cover the outside of the paste with linen. Pin the linen layer to the paste, folding the seam allowances over onto the inside. Stitch around, keeping the fabric taut and secure – remember that it will not be seen as the silk layer will go over it, but if your silk is thin, try to keep your stitches small so that they do not show through it.

The paste covered with linen

9. Once the linen base is in place, you can cover the outside with your fashion fabric – it can be silk taffeta, velvet or satin. Again, fold the seam allowances under and stitch carefully, ensuring the fabric lies smooth on the curved surfaces and that the corners are well defined.

Paste covered with black velvet

 

1. Next step – pleated frill. You can skip it if you plan to wear a coif with a frill. If your coif has plain edges, you can add the pleated strip to the hood.
2. Cut a length or organza (utilising the selvage, if you can – if not, you will need to hem it) and pleat it in even knife or small box pleats, securing each pleat with a pin.

 

Once you have enough to fill in the front of the hood, secure the pleats with a simple stitch, pin the trip onto the ironing board and set it with steam. Do test the fabric first to see if you can iron it – if yes, go ahead, if no, just steam.

2. Pin the strip to the inside of the paste, so that only about half an inch extends beyond the paste. Sew it onto to paste, at the back, and carefully, at the front, making sure you catch the fabric folded under but not going all the way through all the layers.

Frill pinned and stitched on

3. Leave the paste aside for the time being – it is easier to line it later on, once the crescent is attached.

Time to work on the crescent.

4. Cover the outside of the wired crescent first with linen, and then with your fashion fabric, just like you did with the paste.

 

Crescent covered – outside view

And inside

If you plan to decorate the crescent by sewing the ornamentation directly, do it now.

Decoration options: you can stitch each individual bead and pearl directly – useful particularly if you are planning a more elaborate decoration option. Alternatively, if your embellishment is just a single row, you can string all of the beads etc on one thread, and then simply stitch between them, securing the string onto the crescent.

Once the decoration is attached, line the crescent with the other piece of linen. Pin the piece around and stitch carefully so that it doesn’t peek from the underside

.

Stitching the lining to the crescent

 You are now ready to tackle the most difficult task of all: attaching the crescent onto the paste,

If you have vice, it may come useful, but a spare pair of hands or long pins could do the job just as well.

Mark the centre points on both paste and crescent. Pin them together, and continue pinning at the sides so that the crescent is in position.

Crescent pinned

Sew with needle (curved ones are best for the purpose) threaded with strong thread, catching both items. It helps if you first place a few strong stitches at both sides of the crescent – hidden by the decoration, they will not be seam, but they will go through all the layers of the crescent and the paste. They are the main anchor. Continue along the edge of the crescent, catching the crescent’s fabrics and going through the paste, the stitches will show a bit – but you can cover them later with more decoration.

Using normal needle – and a curved one, below

   

5. The two pieces are now in place – so the worst part is done! You can now decorate the paste with your choice of embellishment –braid, pearls etc.

Pearls sewn onto the paste, covering the stitches.

6. Line the paste with the last bit of linen.  The stitching will have to be careful and require some dexterity since the shape of the hood is now slowly emerging and you have to deal with concave and convex surfaces – again, a vice or a third hand can be useful. Pin the lining in first:

Then sew with small stitches

Lined hood

7. Time to connect the back ends of the hood; pin them first, so that they overlap a bit, and try the hood on. Again, remember to arrange your hair as described previously.   Make any necessary arrangements until the hood feels secure.  Once satisfied, take it off and sew with strong thread, connecting the two parts. Since you will be going through all the layers doubled, you will need a thicker and stronger needle, and possibly pliers too, to help you draw the needle through.

Trying the hood on

Last bit – the veil.

Cut the veil in silk satin, silk velvet or taffeta. Sew the back seam and hem the edges.

Pin the veil to the hood – mark the centre top first and pin that first, then pin the sides onto the crescent. Where the crescent merges with the paste, pin the veil onto the past, so that it goes smoothly in one circle.

Pinning the bottom centres together

Hood pinned

 Sew with small stitches – again, a bit of manual acrobatics will be necessary, but it can be done – with experience you will work out which way of holding the hood works for you. Again, a curved needle is a blessing!

Sewing the veil on…

And the hood is ready!

Optional: if you plan to sew the crescent billiment onto a separate base, you can do it as the last step.

Cut a narrow strip of buckram, mirroring the shape of the upper edge of the crescent. Wire it, cover with lining and fashion fabric just like the other items before. Attach any decoration and pin the billiment onto the hood – it can sit on the top of the veil too. Attach the billiment.

Hood in silk velvet with a separate billiment:

Other examples of hoods:

Silk taffeta base and crescent, silk satin veil, freshwater pearls and metal beads decoration on the upper billiment, gold metal braid on the lower

 

 Silk satin base and crescent, freshwater pearl and garnet beads decoration, silk satin veil

Silk velvet base and taffeta crescent, satin veil, freshwater pearls and gold braid decoration

your turn now! :-0

And if you need a gown to go with these –  How to make a Tudor Gown, and Katherine of Aragon gown…

Bibliography

Boucher, François. A History of Costume in the West, Thames & Hudson; Enlarged edition (23 Sep 1996)

Mikhaila, Ninya and Malcolm-Davies, Jane. The Tudor Tailor: Reconstructing sixteenth–century dress. London: Batsford, 2006.

Caroline Johnson,  The Queen’s servants, Fat Goose Press, 2011

Hayward, Maria. Dress at the Court of King Henry VIII. Leeds: Maney, 2007.

 

 References:

 

Boucher François,  A history of Costume in the West, Thames & Hudson; Enlarged edition edition (23 Sep 1996)

Denise Dreher, Fromm the Neck up; An illustrated guide to hat making, Madhatter Press

Mikhaila, Ninya and Malcolm-Davies, Jane. The Tudor Tailor: Reconstructing sixteenth–century dress. London: Batsford, 2006.

Caroline Johnson,  The Queen’s servants, Fat Goose Press, 2011

Hayward, Maria. Dress at the Court of King Henry VIII. Leeds: Maney, 2007.

Medieval & Renaissance

1-Sarah Lorraine, “A Lady’s French Hood”, Mode Historique, 2002.

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Tudor Kirtle and Gown

 

 

 

How to Make a Tudor Kirtle and a Gown

a bit of a warning – this post is a  rehash of the article i wrote some years ago and includes old photos etc –  so the photo quality is not the best, alas. also, since most of the gowns were made some time back ( 7, 5 years ago or more) when i was starting, they are not flawless, and I admit I have learnt a lot since then. nevertheless, the basics  remained the same, and i thought that the post may be useful before i can update it ( and since a rather posh frock is being made in June, there will be more info  then…. 🙂 )

 

With the Tudors recently enjoying such popularity, the demand for Tudor clothing has been high – after all, the clothes are very flattering for all figures and the period fabric are simply sumptuous. As a result, I have been working on several Tudor projects in the last few years and have repeatedly been asked for hints and advice on making the garments.  In this article I will discuss the making of a kirtle and a gown suitable for a Henrician lady at around 1530 – 40.

 

The garments of the period were complex and a lady would be wearing the following layers:

A smock (chemise),

Hose and shoes,

A petticoat,

A kirtle,

A gown,

False undersleeves (foresleeves),

Girdle,

Headdress (a French or English hood, or a coif and a flat cap)

Optional – a farthingale: a hoop skirt in linen or in silks, with rope, reeds or cane hoops

Partlet – either a linen neckerchief, often decorated with embroidery, or made in silks, wool and sometimes fur (particularly for later styles).

 

I will concentrate mainly on the instructions how to make a bodiced kirtle and a trained gown, specifying fabrics and techniques used, and presenting the process step by step using illustrations to show the details.

I will also briefly discuss sleeves, cuffs and girdles, and the detailed instructions how to make a gable and a French hood will be covered in a separate article.

 

 The kirtle

 Materials:

4-6m of silk taffeta for top fabric (good quality wool can be used for middle/upper class attire; silks for higher classes, including damasks and jacquards.

2m of silk velvet for borders, front and guard (ignore if your top fabric is sufficiently decorative in itself)

4 m of linen for lining (thin wool and silk can also be used)

0.5m of linen for interlining the bodice

Reeds for boning the bodice

Metal braid or gems for decoration

4m of narrow braid

Linen and silk threads

The Pattern

 The patterns shown in The Tudor Tailor book and sold online (http://www.tudortailor.com/patternshop.shtml ) work very well, though adjustments will be necessary for different types of figure – I always make a mock up to check the fit.

The Method

Cut the pattern pieces for the bodice in calico.

For fuller figures, it often helps to cut the front piece in buckram or even stiff paper to see how the stiffened front will look, however, to get the best results, bone your mock up as you would the kirtle.

Stitch the pieces together and try on. Adjust if necessary and mark the changes on your pattern.

Cut the front piece in linen – 2 layers.

Baste the layers together and mark the boning channels. You can follow the channel layout presented in The Tudor Tailor

Or make all the channels vertical – often works better for fuller figures

vertical boning on another kirtle bodice

Sew the channels – either by machine or by hand (small running stitch or backstitch work best).

Baste the back pieces of the calico mock up to the front piece.

Stitch a readymade lacing strip to the back pieces- it is only a temporary measure used for the fitting.

Insert boning and try the bodice on, carefully checking if the boning is of correct length, and mark the position of the shoulder straps on the front piece.

If everything fits well, take the bodice off; remove the lacing strips and the boning. You can use the mock up pieces as an interlining.

Cut the pieces in top fabric and lining.

Lay the top fabric on the boned front piece and baste it together.

Place the back pieces (top fabric plus interlining) on the front piece, right sides together and sew. You should now have all the bodice pieces together.

If you plan to bone the back pieces to make lacing more durable, do it now.

Secure the shoulder strips to the front piece.

boned foundation for the kirtle bodice – handstitched

If your neckline is gaping, sew a narrow bias cut tape or strip of fabric around the neckline, stitch it down and insert a narrow braid. When pulled tighter, the braid will pull the neckline closer (see The Tudor Tailor for details).

This step is not always necessary, on some figures the kirtle top sits nicely and snug without the additional incentive!

bodice covered in silk taffeta and you can just see the channel for the drawstring…

If you plan to use a more decorative fabric to border the neckline, do it now. Simply cut pieces of fabric and stitch carefully to the neckline.

You can now add any decoration or jewels. You can stitch them onto the decorative border or simply on the top fabric.

 

Lining: stitch the back pieces to the front piece in the same way as you did the top fabric.

decorative velvet pieces stitched on

Pin the lining into the bodice, and stitch around the edges using a slip stitch – make sure the lining covers any stitches from applying the decoration. Do not stitch the lining to the bottom of the bodice, but pin it slightly up, out of the way.

lining stitched inside

 

Work the eyelets at the back – use an awl and take care not to damage the fabric. Work the eyelets in linen or strong silk thread.

 The skirts

The skirts can be either even or trained. If you plan to wear your kirtle over a farthingale, make sure you measure for the kirtle on the farthingale – it will need to be longer! It is always a good idea to make the skirts voluminous and long enough to be worn on a farthingale – it is easier to make one that can be adaptable to both styles.

Cut out your pieces in top fabric and lining.   If you are using more decorative fabric on the front and hem of the skirts, you will need to piece them first. It is advisable to interline the front panel – especially if your fabrics are light.

Stitch the top fabric pieces together to form one layer. Leave a small opening at the back seam – or at the side seams if your bodice is side laced!

Do the same for lining, then insert the lining into the skirt and baste the layers together at the top.

Arrange the pleats, pinning them firmly in place and pin the skirt to the bodice. Try it on, wearing a farthingale if you plan to wear one.

 

Re- arrange the pleats if necessary. Take the kirtle off, place the skirts right side together to the bodice and sew. Alternatively it is possible to sew the skirt only to the boned interlining – then the top fabric can be couched on top – on option for those who like handstitching )

Be careful not to stitch the point at the front to the end – leave a small gap and finish it off later by hand, making sure the point is sharp and lies flat.

Fold the bodice lining over the seam and sew.

The bottom of the skirts can be either bound or unbound.

For unbound finish, simply fold the top fabric under and hem, and then attach the lining with a slip stitch.

For a bound finish, cut diagonal tapes of fabric or appropriate width – the binding or the guard, can be wider, as it protects the fabric of the skirt proper from damage and dirt. If the binding gets dirty and tattered in time, it can be removed and a new one sewn on.

Bind the skirts, carefully enclosing the edges – the process is discussed in more detail when we focus on the binding of the gown skirts.

 

knife pleats of the skirts, attached to the bodice and additionally secured with top stitching.

Your kirtle is now ready.

Kirtle worn without the farthingale – this kirtle is entirely hand-stitched

Kirtle worn on a farthingale, and below, others without farthingales

 

 

 

 

The gown

Materials:

8-9m of top fabric:  silk damask, brocade, cloth of gold, tinsel, silk velvet, satin or taffeta are appropriate

The amount of fabric will depend on how wide your fabric is, how voluminous you want the skirts, how big the sleeves and how long a train, if any, you want your gown to have.

8-9m or calico for interlining

8-9m of lining (lower grade silk, taffeta, fur)

2-3 m of lining fabric for turn back sleeves, if you plan a more decorative finish – fur, velvet or different colour silk works well.

Fabric strips for binding the skirts

Reeds for boning the forepart

Silk and linen thread

Method

As always cut the bodice pieces in calico only first. Baste together and try them on the kirtle. Adjust if necessary.

trying on a mock up in calico

Cut the bodice pieces in top fabric, interlining and lining. If you are working with slippery fabrics like silk velvet, it is a good idea to cut the interlining first and then the top fabric, pinning the interlining pieces to the left side of the velvet. If your fabric has a pattern, be careful to match it, if possible!

 

Pin or baste the top fabric and interlining together.

Start building your bodice from the back.

Place the two back pieces right sides together and sew. If  you are sewing by hand, backstitch works best – then fold  the seam allowance twice, hiding the edges, and couch them down to the interlining. Whether sewing by hand or by machine, press the seams carefully.

Repeat the steps for all the back and side pieces.

 

top fabric and underlining

hand stitching done, awaiting pressing

The pieces in the very front, the forebodies, can be cut in a cheaper fabric as they will be completely hidden by the placard. Work on them first, before attaching them to the rest of the bodice.

Cut them in lining, interlining and top fabric.

Pin the interlining to the top fabric.

Place the top fabric and lining right sides together and sew at the centre front line.

Turn out and sew the boning channels.

Fold the upper edges to the inside and stitch carefully.

Bone the forebodies, and work eyelets.

Attach the forebodies to the main bodice.

Fold the neckline edges in, and stitch using a silk or linen thread

Try the bodice on to make sure it fits correctly.

 Sleeves

Cut the sleeves in top fabric, lining and interlining.  You may have to piece the sleeve if you don’t have enough decorative fabric to cover the entire sleeve.

 

Top fabric and calico interlining

 

Decorative sleeve lining, made out of 4 pieces.

Baste or pin the top fabric and interlining together, fold and sew with right sides together.

Turn right side out, fold the hem and stitch, securing the edge.

Press the seams – for the curved seams use a tailoring ham.

Pin the sleeve into the armhole and sew.

Tidy the edges and notch the seam – it will work better and the seam will lay correctly, without stretching the fabric too much.

Notched seam in the armhole

A hand worked seam seen from outside

Repeat the same steps for the lining, starting with the back and side pieces of the bodice and then inserting the sleeves.

Set the lining into the bodice, sewing with a slip stitch.

For an earlier style, you can bind the edges in contrasting fabric – it works especially well for the bodice with ties.

Finish the sleeves as well – slipstitching the lining top the folded hems of the sleeves.

Your bodice is now ready. Do try it on the kirtle again, making sure that the waist line is in correct place and that the sleeves lie correctly.

A bodice of the gown over a kirtle in gold.

The skirts

Making of the skirts is very similar to the kirtle skirts.

Cut the pieces in top fabric, interlining and lining.

Baste the interlining and top fabric pieces together, and sew – it is often easier to start with the back pieces.

Repeat for the lining.

Place the lining right sides together, on the top fabric. Pin at the top and sew.

Turn over and press the seams. Fold again, this time left sides together and press.

If necessary, sew with a running stitch at the edge, just to make sure the edge is firm and even.

At that stage, especially if you are using silk velvet, hang your skirts for a few hours, allowing the fabrics to stretch.

If you are finishing the skirts without binding, fold the top fabric and stitch it down.

Pin in the skirts on a dummy, on the farthingale, if you plan to use one and check if the hem is even, and pin the lining to the top fabric, making sure the lining is not too long and does not sag below the hem.

Fold the edge of the lining and slip stitch. It is actually easier to do that while the skirts are still on the dummy!

If you are binding the skirts, there is no need to hem the top layer.

Simply pin the three layers together at the bottom – again, working on the dummy makes it easier.

Take the skirts of and lay it on a flat surface. Tidy the edges.

 

Pin your binding fabric onto the skirts; the pins should go through all three layers.

 

Sew along the edge all around the skirt’s hem.

Tidy the edges so that they are even.

 

 

Unfold the binding and press.

Bring the binding over the hem, fold it and pin, so that it completely encloses the edges.

Slipstitch with a matching thread.

Your hem is now bound!

You can repeat the same steps on the front edges of the open skirts – here, since the line is straight and not curved as in the case of the trained skirt, the binding cut on the straight grain, not on the bias, works better.

All you need to do now is to pleat the skirts and attach them to the bodice.

You can use either box pleats or cartridge pleats, or combination of knife and cartridge pleats.

For box pleats, more suitable for the earlier gowns with closed front, simply arrange the pleats, pin together and sew together.

 

You can also stuff the pleats with woolen waddling, a technique described in The Queen’s Servants book.

It provided the back of the skirts with more volume, achieving the fashionable look depicted in the famous Holbain sketch.

Alternatively, for open fronted gowns, a mixture of knife and cartridge pleats works better.   Arrange the front parts of the skirts into a few deep knife pleats, and leave the back section to be pleated into large cartridge pleats there.  Before stitching the pleats, try the pleated skirts on the dummy – with the farthingale, making sure that they fall gracefully.

Skirts with pinned pleats – the first knife pleats work better on farthingale if they are deep.

Place the bodice and pleated skirts right sides together, and whipstitch them together.

Back cartridge pleats whipped to the bodice – inside and outside view

 

All that remains for the gown to be ready is a placard.

Cut the pieces in interlining (2 layers, light buckram works well, plus one layer of linen or calico if your top fabric is flimsy), lining and top fabric.

Place the two layers of interlining together and run a channel for a bone at the centre front. It always work well to run bigger channels  across the whole width of the placard as this will stiffen the fabrics even more , even if you do not place the boning inside.

Place the buckram layers on the left side of the fop fabric (with interlining if necessary).

Fold the top fabric edged down and stitch, securing it to the base.

Line the placard with the last piece.

 

Finished placard with a decorative jewel

The placard will be pinned to the bodice using pins – a method evident from a few portraits from the era, the most famous one being the one of Jane Seymour, by Hans Holbein.

 

Pinning the bodice works well as it is possible to adapt the size of the gown with the lacing and removable placard – important for example in case of pregnancy. It is a painful and lengthy process however, often requiring the help of a maid, and many re-enactors and actors often resort to sewing one side of the placard to the bodice and pinning only one side.

Alternatively, it is possible to discard the pins altogether and used hooks and eyes – but that method obviously does not allow for size fluctuations!

The gown is now ready, but it still needs accessories.

  The false sleeves (foresleeves)

Fabric:

1m of top fabric, and lining

A piece of white linen for puffing-outs

Gems, ouches and other decorative items

Linen tapes or braid for attaching the sleeves to the gown.

There are excellent instructions on how to make the sleeves to be found online, again, curtsey of The Tudor Tailor.

here...

 

I used the very same method to create mine – with ouches and pearls

Attach the ties to the sleeves, and to the inside of the gown’s sleeves.

 

 

For a complete look you will also need cuffs.  Cuffs can be a part of a smock, but can also be made separately so that they can be changed and washed separately from the smock. They were often embroidered with blackwork or redwork.

They can close with buttons, hooks and eyes or can just be pinned together. These were embroidered with black silks by Embroidery Emporium.

Embroidered cuff, open

Cuff pinned close

 

Girdle

 All you need is a length of fabric- taffeta, velvet or satin.

Fold the fabric in half, lengthwise, right sides together, and sew.

Turn right sides out; secure the ends by folding them in and stitching.

You can tie a knot at the ends, sew tassels or hang a pomander.

Add hose and shoes

And a French or English hood and you are ready!

A gown in silk/linen brocade, worn on a farthingale, French hood. ( the whole outfit is entirely hand-stitched)

Other gowns created using the same methods:

Jane Seymour and Catherine Howard interpreters wearing French gowns, one in silk velvet, worn without a farthingale, the other is silk damask on a farthingale. Gable and French hoods. ( Black Knight Historical event)

 

 

 The damask gown, side view, and the velvet gown side view below

 

  Gown in cloth of silver, worn without a farthingale, and with a farthingale, below

 

 

 

shamelessly flashing my layers – including a silk taffeta petticoat… love the woolen stockings from Sally Pointer btw…

Bibliography

 

Boucher, François. A History of Costume in the West, Thames & Hudson; Enlarged edition (23 Sep 1996)

Mikhaila, Ninya and Malcolm-Davies, Jane. The Tudor Tailor: Reconstructing sixteenth–century dress. London: Batsford, 2006.

Caroline Johnson,  The Queen’s servants, Fat Goose Press, 2011

Hayward, Maria. Dress at the Court of King Henry VIII. Leeds: Maney, 2007.

The Renaissance Tailor: recreating the 16^th and 17^th century clothing : http://www.renaissancetailor.com [Accessed 27/01/2012]

Elizabethan Costume Page, http://www.elizabethancostume.net/  [Accessed29/01/2012]

 

 

Useful links to suppliers mentioned in the post, or providing decoration/fabric etc  used in the creation of the gowns

The Tudor Tailor

Sally Pointer ( lovely stockings!)

Gina Barrett ( spectacular tassels)

Embroidery Emporium

 Pilgrim shoes

jewellery – Gemmeus

and my own page for the costumes shown here…. Prior Attire