I´ve always loved historical costumes. But after I worked as an extra for a movie that takes place during the time of Shakespeare (actually my role was to watch Mr. Shakespeare in person ), I really got inspired and sewed my first historical costume.

The costume is based on the whore costumes I saw during the shooting.

Some making of pictures:

extreme folding of the skirt:


close-up of the skirt:


corset:

Sewing corsets is really difficult. That is why I decided a slightly easier version by buying a second hand corset really cheap and sewing the fabric I want on top of it.

bumroll, because in the past a big bum was called pretty:


blouse, close-up:


and finally the finished costume:


If you want to see more, you can go this thread. Luth was modeling for me. She got a different corset though, because the one I sewed did not fit her well.
www.dance.net . . .



Since then several month passed and I am currently sewing a second costume!!!
This time it is based on a flemish dress for simple women in 16th century.


1: front
2: side
3: back
4: richer version of the same dress. I will do that one day, but not so soon (have no additional fabric right now...)

At the moment I am working on the corset since a few days. It is a grey corset. The fabric I want is dark green though, so I cover the complete outside of the corset.

I beginn to sew the dark green fabric on it:


Sewing the green fabric on it is finished, and I wear the corset the first time:


time to add the straps on it, until now only paper ones, but tomorrow I will sew them!


The blue ribbon will be replaced with one that matches better in the future.




I will continue to post updates here!


I also want to do other costumes in the future, but that might take some time again. I have too many expensive hobbies (specially photography as some here might know), so I can´t afford that much fabric so often...

VERY Beautiful work!
Can you do a young girl's Regency period costume? (about size 4/5 in current American street clothes size.) We might be needing one in the near future, and it would be great to know that we know of someone who can make one historically accurate.
Ali

Thank you for your nice comment.

I do not sew those costumes for other people. That has several reasons. I am not good enough in it to work without trying on the costume to the actual person several times in between. I´m also too slow in my work, so if I would try to ask you to pay for all the hours I worked on it you would pay a fortune... sorry.

I suggest to try ebay. Very often you can find sellers there who sell really accurate and well made work. Much more accurate then what I do.

Beautiful Job! I have tried to do historical costuming, and I got as far as a pair of tudor foresleeves

I'm really impressed with your finished costume, especially as it is your first! Well done!

Lillian

I will be attempting a historical costume this summer for the MN ren fest. Can I PM you when the time comes if i need any assistance?

Awesome!

I think our hobbies cross over Kathy... photography, historical clothes...

I take part in Tudor re-enactments at kentwellhall.co.uk and will also be starting the Victorian events this year as well.

I'm afraid the photos arn't great! The Tudor photo is with a friend of mine- Sym. All aspects of that outfit were made mainly by my Mum (I was doing A-level exams at the time!) It is a very basic Kirtle (dress) over a shift (shirt), with an apron, belt and coif (hat).

The Victorian outfit I bought from Ebay from a lady who makes them, for our Victorian events we don't have to be SO careful about Authenticity, but Tudor is very specific. Sewing machines can only be used on seams that won't been seen, natural colours of cloth only and for both Victorian and Tudor we can only use pure, natural fabrics such as 100% wool or linen etc.

For more Kentwell photos do a 'Kentwell Hall' search on Flickr. There's a couple of awesome photographers who go to every event and take mountains of photos, it's good for a general idea of what the place looks like. If you're interested come and visit! The next Tudor event is the main event of the year and it's open weekends at the end of June and early July.

Sarah

Such wonderful clothes! I truly love both.

I don´t see my work so historical correct. I look at clothes of that time (on old pictures and re-designed clothes in movies) and create something based on that. So it´s a mixture of my ideas and historical design.
I do work with sewing machine, if possible. Even though it might not look like that here, I´m not very good with sewing machines. That forces me to handsew several parts, because I simply have no clue how to do the more difficult parts on a machine, lol.

My second costume is not finished, the reason is that I wasn´t in sewing mood the last weeks. And now I have to finish another project first which I can´t show here right now.

I´d say I´m FAR away from being perfect, there are still looots of things I dislike on my own work, but yeah... I´m learning. And actually it´s a money thing as well. I can´t afford all the fabrics I´d love to buy. The hobby photography is allready expensive enough and at the moment I don´t gain much money. (As an extra you earn very little money and that is currently my only job.) Stupid money...