Status: Unwearable

Year finished: 2008?

To Do: line skirt in silk and decide on final decorative elements (silver or gold braid or pearl knots) 

Updates since last photo: removal of temporary pearled stars

Inspiration: Portraits of Elisabeth de Valois

September 2008
Pearl stars worked and sewn to gown to portray Night in a production of Campions’ Description of a Maske. New suit of ruffs and Manga de Punta linings replaced.

September 2006
Pearls removed from gown for reworking, brooches worn as per other portaits of Elizabeth and other ladies at the Spanish court.
New fitted sleeves and hanging sleeve (Manga de Punta) lining stripped of colour.

November 2004
Black velveteen gown based on a portrait of Isobel de Valois painted by Sofonisba Anguissola. I cut the gown based on patterns in the Alcega Tailor’s cutting guide as well as an extant doublet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Brooches made from filigree findings and several bracelets held together with wire and with a pin back.

Pearl knots:

Brooches:

Manga- sleeves for the inner doublet.

These sleeves were repaired after a house fire heat damaged and created soot marks.

The doublet was based on a pattern draft in Payne’s History of Costume. The additional seam at the side front can be see as marks on tailor’s diagrams- they appear to be an “as needed” cutting/pinching line to help create a smooth line into the armseye.

The skirt is based on the trained skirts in Alcega et al. The Fullness is directed to the back, the skirt side seams rotated slightly to the back to line up with the side back seams of the bodice. This allows for the extremely smooth conical shape at the front while the fullness at the very back allows for some ease over the hoops. There are fleeting views of the backs of these gowns. Two of which do show directional pleats in the back.

Due to period cutting techniques especially for napped fabrics the entire gown and sleeves was created from 8m of 115cm wide (just over 8 yards of 45: wide) velveteen. Minimal scraps and all tabs were cut from this. Cutting layout based on Alcega and Burguen, and skirt patterns directly adapted from Burguen.