Finished (mostly)
I finished the left sleeve today, and also cut the straps off the corset, which weren't being used. All I have left to do is make a hat and, ideally, a new chemise that in't one of my old shirts. That may have to do for now, though. Here are some pictures of the sleeve construction: The final shape of the sleeve pattern. The sleevehead gathered onto a strip of muslin. The cuff.
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Near Completion
Yesterday, I made the two lacing strips for the armscyes. I ended up making them out of a heavy white linen that I don't really remember getting. The holes are spaced one inch apart. This morning I attached them. With nothing else left to do, I was finally forced to start on the buttonholes. I don't think it was the actual binding that I was dreading, but the irreversible cutting of the buttonholes. I eyeballed the spacing with pins, marked them with chalk, and then took the old 3/4" chisel to them. They didn't really take that long to bind, and then I put the buttons on. The only other major alteration that happened at this point was changing the shape of the neck a little. I couldn't really get it exactly right until this point, because I didn't know how the top of the doublet would lie once everything was buttoned up. As it turned out, I got out of binding one of the buttonholes because it got cut off. Once I get the collar done, it'll all be finished.
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Collar
I finally got around to building and attaching the collar today. I'm not entirely happy with the way it lies when it's closed, but I didn't check the fit with the rest of the garments in place, so it may lie a little differently in the end. Honestly, I don't expect the the collar will ever be buttoned all the way up. It's certainly stiff enough to stand up on its own, which is a good thing. I'll take some pictures the next time I get a chance to put the whole outfit together. There's another sewing circle this weekend, during which I plan to put together a simple pair of sleeves. After that, all that will be left to make is a hat.
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Doublet Progress
The lining is sewn in, the tabs are clipped, and I'm working on wrapping the last button. I'm putting on as many buttons as I have beads left to make them. It's not much of a plan, but it works. I believe my final total will be 21 buttons, which isn't bad. I'll try to get the doublet tried on and some pictures taken this evening. I still have to make the collar and buttonholes, and attach the buttons, but then the doublet (at least the body) will be finished.
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Doublet
I got a chance to test the fit of the doublet body, and it looks like it'll be just fine. The only thing I'm concerned about is the area between the neckline of the kirtle and the collar area ofthe doublet. It has a tendency to collapse onto the "shelf" creatd by the corset beneath. I'm wondering if I should add a layer or two of heavy interfacing, padding, boning, or a combination of the three. I need to come to a decision on this before I can go much further with the doublet construction. currently I'm leaning toward a double layer of canvas interlining for the top half of the front, perhaps with a few channels threaded with hemp cord.
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Interlinings and Quandaries
First, the interlining. I decided to go with a layer of canvas (I think it's really mattress ticking, but it's really stiff) on the upper part of the front, with a layer of thin quilt batting over that, covering the entire front of the doublet. The canvas hopefully will provide some body to the area above the corset, while the batting will help soften the line. So here's the bad news. I went back to my white velveteen to get a couple of strips to use for the tabbed edging at the waist and shoulders. As I started ripping off strips, however, I realized that I didn't have nearly enough left to make sleeves. There's only about 1/3 of a yard left, and even with miserly piecing that won't cut it. I wanted to have fairly full sleeves, at least at the top, so I'm going to have to find something else. I'm not too concerned about the sleeves not matching the doublet, as there's certainly evidence for it. I contemplated trying to attack the sleeves to the kirtle, but I think I'll put a lacing strip inside the armscye of the doublet instead. In fact, now that I think about it, I may change the simple tabbed edge of the shoulders to a tabbed wing, since I'll have to conceal some lacing there. Again, something that I have plenty of documentation for. I didn't want to make separate sleeves, since lacing holes will be a lot of work, but that's just the way it's going to have to be. The question becomes:; what do I make the sleeves out of? I'll have to root through my fabric statsh and see what looks good. It'll be another excuse to use some tiny scrap of fabric that's not big enough to make anything else out of.
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Alterations
Well, I got a chance to fit the doublet pattern this morning. Fortunately, I cut everything a good bit bigger than I thought it would be. The changes were as follows: widened the bottom of the armscye took in the side seams changed the slope of the shoulders lowered the neck opening curved the upper back to fit the shoulders The last bit involved adding a seam to the center back, which is no big deal. I was pleasantly surprised to find that, even with just the single layer of lining, the shape over the kirtle was quite smooth. I was entertaining thoughts of padding and/or boning the front of the bodice, but it looks like I can get away without it. I was also ocncerned that there might be a need for a front seam to manage the curve at the sides of the bust, but that wasn't the case. As soon as I get the changes made and transferred to the paper pattern, I'm going to go ahead and cut the velveteen and start putting the body together. After that will come the collar, then buttons, then sleeves. I was planning to make tabs for the shoulders and waist, but I think instead I'll do the same clipped edging that I did on my own doublet. I always intended the two doublets to match, and everyone always does tabs. If this doublet works out well, I may make some more. I'm always picking up remnants of pretty brocades and whatnot and saying "oh, I could make a bodice out of this". Of course, I never do, and they just pile up. Besides, most of the time you don't see bodices that don't match the skirt. Doublets, on the other hand, are another matter entirely. We'll just have to see.
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Cutting The Doublet
I cut the pieces for the doublet body out of the velveteen last night, and got both the outer layer and lining sewn up. Today I'll baste the two layers together at the neck and armscyes, and that's about as far as I'll be able to get without doing another fitting. Hopefully I'll get a chance to do that tonight, but I'm not holding my breath.
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Doublet Drafting
I collected a variety of pieces and parts to do the first draft of the doublet pattern. Clockwise from the upper left of the first picture, the pieces are: The partlet from the Flemish dress. It was too tight across the back and never really got worn, so it's being sacfrificed to the great machine of patterning. I can always use its component parts to make a new one in something better than cotton broadcloth. The back of the orignal bodice pattern from the silver gown. The front of the orignal bodice pattern from the silver gown. The front of the kirtle pattern. The second picture is the first draft of the doublet. It looks plausible, but only a test on a fully-dressed model will show the truth. I'll put together a mock up and wait for my chance to strike...
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One Last Update
I cut out a mock-up of the doublet and got it basted together. Hopefully I'll get a chance to try it out tomorrow. I cut it out of some burgundy cotton that I had lying around (it turned out to have been sewn into a chiton -- no big loss to take it apart). If it fits, it'll make a perfectly serviceable lining. I'll probably line the sleeves with acetate if I still have some around, just to avoid friction when putting the thing on.
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