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As mentioned in a previous post, I decided to start on an outfit inspired by the Dutch folk hero Kenau Simonsdochter Hasselaer.
I go into quite a bit of detail on the planning in that earlier entry, so for this one I'm just going to jump right into the construction process!
Just a quick summing up...Although many images of Kenau exist (almost all dating to significantly after her lifetime) there definitely seems to be an iconic pose and outfit which spans all the different versions.
The colour pallet also seems to be fairly consistent. So just for fun I decide that I could easily make BOTH the of the above paintings by just switching out a few accessories.
So for this outfit I will need:
1) A reddish brown or rust kirtle, hemmed to just above the ankles and trimmed in black guards.
2) A black long-sleeved wool partlet or jacket (again, more on this on the previous research post)
3) Two silk sashes: one in salmon pink and one in red
4) Two stomachers: one black and one red
5) Two pairs of stockings: again, in black and red
6) A small ruff
7) A white linen cap with split "tails"
And finally...
8) A BOAT LOAD of weapons.
Fun times!
This is fairly straightforward and is a based on a pattern I've made twice before (for both my blue Trevelyon gown and more recently my green kirtle).
For that reason I didn't really document the construction process much at all.
As usual, the foundation layers are made of two layers of 10.5 oz cotton hemp, pad-stitched together and reinforced with boning channels.
The bodice is only partially boned, with spring steel along the front lacing edge and some synthetic whalebone through the front in alternating channels.
Then the bodice is covered in a rust brown wool and lined with black linen. It's also trimmed with two rows of narrow cotton ribbon to match the first of my inspiration images.
For a blow by blow of the construction process please see the write up for my blue gown, which outlines each step in detail.
Like the blue gown, the kirtle also has a hidden lacing strip worked with hand bound eyelets, offset for spiral lacing.
Next it's time to make the stomachers.
Only instead of making two, I decide to make a single, reversible stomacher: with black linen on one side and red linen on the other.
The base is heavy cotton muslin.
(Note: I had originally intended to add some boning down the front, but instead of adding support this actually made the stomacher buckle in strange way and so was later abandoned)
Then the black and red linen was flat-lined to the base on either side and bound in black cotton ribbon.
Then I tried on the bodice and stomacher combo. Looks good!
Note: I actually end up only using every other lacing hole. Out of habit I had placed the eyelets pretty close together and the high contrast zigzag was really overpowering the look. Dropping down to ever other hole is a closer match to my inspiration images.
Next the skirt is attached, but again you'll have to reference the older posts for construction and pleating math.
Like the blue gown it has an integral underskirt, this time in black linen.
After the skirt is attached (and confirmed to be level) the trim is added. This is a wider version of the same cotton ribbon used on the bodice.
Now it's time to move onto the accessories!
And it's at this point that I go a little nuts...
I figure that since I'm already making two versions of this outfit...why not THREE?
As hinted above --and covered more expansively in my research post-- I'm still a little dubious that this long sleeved partlet is actually a thing (super technical historical term).
There's still a good chance that what the later sources are misinterpreting is a long sleeved kirtle (or gown) under a sleeveless partlet. So that's what I decide to make.
Sort of...
I'm not going to add sleeves to kirtle I've just made and I'm sure as heck not making another kirtle! (despite having tons of leftover wool).
Instead I'm to try a totally theatrical cheat and add rust sleeves to a black partlet.
This will also be a sort of "proof of concept" for the short black jacket.
The black partlet is a pattern I've made previously.
It's made of black wool and lined in black linen. It's finished on all sides and the edges whipstitched together under the arms.
For the whole process (with photos at each stage) please see the partlet section on the post for my brown linen kirtle.
Though it's hard to see, the partlet is also trimmed in narrow black cotton tape.
(What can I say? I'm a sucker for black on black trim).
With the partlet finished it's time to add the sleeves.
These will also be finished on all edges and whip-stitched to the armscye.
Now, apologies in advance, because I really didn't take many photos of this next stage (probably because I wasn't entirely convinced it was going to work) but I'll walk through what I have...
First, while making up the lining, a strip of black wool is zigzagged stitched to the top of the sleeve head. This will add more oomph to pleats later.
Next the sleeve is made up, lined and turned so that all edges are finished.
Again, I don't have any photos of this, but it's the same approach as by blue gown, so imagine the below photo, but...you know...brown.
Then a row of stitches are run along the sleeve head. These will be pulled to form cartridge pleats.
The sleeve is then pinned into the armscye of the partlet and whipstitched in.
And that's it! Weird fake partlet thing complete.
Like all my other partlets this one doesn't have any front closures and will ultimately be pinned closed .
Now it's time to move into the short black jacket.
Originally I debated constructing it more like a short doublet with a separate collar, but as it's a highly conjectural garment anyway I decide to just repeat the process above (but with some minor tweaks).
For this second, long-sleeved partlet I did document the process a little more fully.
First off, the front shape a little different. I wanted more overlap along the center front and so the angle of the curve is reversed.
It's also longer in the sides that a regular partlet.
I also reenforced the front edge with 1" worsted wool tape (which is stitched to the black wool on the wrong side).
This will later be turned under to form the front seam allowance.
I also ran a narrower 1/2" along what will become the seam allowance of the collar...again to give it a little more support.
Then the partlet is joined at the shoulder seams in both the black wool outer fabric and linen lining.
The two are then sewn together (right side facing) on all edges, except for the front and under arms.
The seams allowance are clipped, pressed and the two pieces flipped.
There is now a finished edge along the bottoms, arms, and collar.
Next, the front 1" is folded under and stitched together.
This is repeated on the underarms (but with only 1/2" turned)
Then the finished underarm seams are whipstitched together (trying to catch as much of the lining and as little of the top fabric as possible)
Then the sleeves made up in the same black wool and linen lining. They are also finished on all sides and row of narrow cartridge pleats worked into the the sleeve head.
The sleeve is pinned into the finished armscye and whipstitched in.
Okay, that's two weird long-sleeved partlet things down!
Now, I'm going to say right up front that I HATE working with silk...or at the very least I hated working with this silk.
I'd rather eat my own face with a grapefruit spoon than deal with this fray-factory again.
Suffice to say, it was not fun...
Let's start with the red one.
The sash is made from a single yard of red silk, cut in half (selvage to selvage) and whipstitched together along the selvage edge to create a long rectangle of approximately 17"x 106".
Then the raw edges are finished with a small rolled hem.
The the red sash appears to be trimmed in gold lace.
So I decide to trim in it narrow gold trim along the length and longer, scalloped trim on the ends.
Although I prefer the lace on on the right, I decide the proportions of the lace on the left is closer to what I'm after in the painting.
The selected lace is then stitched to the finished edge with silk thread (with the wider lace on the narrow ends and smaller lace along the length).
Moving onto the next sash...
After finding this higher contrast Alamy image I opt for a more rosy-beige than salmon.
But next sash is tricker.
Instead of lace it appears to be tasseled.
It is constructed in the same way as the red one, only instead of finishing the narrow ends, I pulled individual threads to create an approximately 4" tassel.
Now, remember how I said that this silk was a fray factory? Well, that was only along the weft (which made trying to do such a tiny hem super fun). But trying to pull from the warp was like pulling teeth! It took FOREVER.
Have I mentioned how much I hate silk....?
But it doesn't matter, because these suckers are now done!
I started a write up for it here, but it sort of ballooned to a ridiculous length and it quickly became very clear that it needed to be its own post (which can be found HERE)
Suffice to say, after attempting a few different styles I ended up with a tailed coif that I'm fairly happy with.
Next it's time to move on to the non-clothing accessories.
Now, I’m sure that any military history buffs out there are going to be having fits over the absolute hodgepodge I've thrown together...but, hey! If I can get over the weird clothing anachronism in the portraits you can get over my weird 17th c. flintlock!
And speaking of which...
Okay, I admit...I don't even know enough to appreciate the levels of shear wrongness this may or may not be.
But I tried to find the earliest pistol I could and this was the only style I was able to find with a round, wooden pommel (and being discontinued, it was actually pretty tricky to track down!).
Next is a vintage Moroccan powder flask.
Wrong? Yup. But it'll do!
Don't worry, it gets better from here...
Next is a spear. The head is rounded for stage combat and general safety (with my luck I’d probably have dropped it and impaled one of the cats). It's mounted to a stained wooden dowl and finished with a burnt umber silk tassel.
And finally is a rapier with a leather hanger, custom made by Jesse Belsky Stage Swords. (Very snazzy!)
One last touch is a small medal (which appears in some of the etchings).
I was trying to find something with a Dutch lion, but ended up stumbling upon this vintage Renaissance Faire medallion, which I believe is from the late 80s or early 90s. I think it’s super charming.
And I totally forget to wear it!
The crazy mix-and match is done...in all of its bonkers glory!!!
But then I dropped a PCV pipe on my face trying to set up a backdrop to take photos and split the bridge of my nose (See? I told you I couldn't be trusted with dangerous things...).
And so apart for a brief outing at the local Ren Faire (though restyled for early 17th.c) this outfit sat in the closet for the better part of the last year.
But now my nose is healed, the backdrop is up, and this project is officially finished!
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Resources & Materials
Pattern:
-The Tudor Tailor (book and/or ready-made pattern as a starting point. Now heavily edited)
-The Marquess of Winchester Coif #4 (with significant edits)
Fabric:
-Rust worsted wool from FB marketplace.
-Black "Judy" linen (5.5 oz) Gray Line Linen
-White linen (2.8oz) from WM Booth Draper
-Red and rosy-beige silk from Mood Fabrics
-Hemp/cotton muslin for interlining (10.5) from Hemp Traders
-Muslin for mockup (also from Hemp Traders, but any muslin should do)
Trim and Notions:
-Black Shindo cotton herringbone tape (3mm, 6mm & 15mm) from Ribbons
-Gold lace trim from lacetrimwholesalers on Etsy
-Linen tape (1/4") from WM Booth Draper
Thread:
-Black silk thread
-Blue silk thread
-Black buttonhole thread
-Rust cotton
-White cotton thread (silk finish) for coif and partlets
Boning:
-7mm Plastic coated spring steel bones (4) from Vena Cava Design
-5mm Synthetic whalebone also from Vena Cava Design
Other Supplies:
-Swedish pattern paper from Amazon. (This stuff is great! You can iron it!)
-Pattern weights
-Eyelet tape (for mockup)
