What I am attempting to create.

I have been asked.  "What are you making"  a legitimate question. 

This is know as the Red Pisa Dress, Early 1560.  It is cut in the style of Eleanor of Toledo.  This dress was not found in the inventory of Eleanor's dresses when she died in 1562.  It is thought to be one of the dresses made for Eleanor's Ladies in Waiting (13 of them) on the occassion of the ceremonial trips to Siena and Rome in 1560.  Most likely they were made in the workshop of her tailor, Mastro Agostino, and mostly he followed the same pattern and techniques as the court gowns he made Eleanor.  The gown had been donated to an Adjacent Convent, San Matteo, where it was on a wooden Statue of the Virgin May.  This gown has now been restored and is on display at the Museo di Plazzo Reale in Pisa.

This is a petticoat.  In Italy the Petticoat would have been worn under the gown.  But in the period of time between 1540 and 1560, when Eleanor was preeminent, the petticoat came out into it's own or out from under the gown.  In the late 1560 it again moved back under the gown. 

http://aneafiles.webs.com/renaissancegallery/extant.html

The above site contain many of the existant Italian pieces, and more detailed information can be found here. 

This dress can also be found in the book  Moda a Firenze 1540 - 1580.  It is often shown with Eleanor's funeral dress, which was able to be partially restored.

What I am doing same/different from this dress.

First I am making a front closing Bodice.  Dispite being an Lady in the SCA, have a dresser is not always available. 

I have worked on the Bodice and Sleeves so far.  I do not have enough trim to effect the double row of trim effect.  But the Trim I am using is wide, and gives a fair representation.  The petticoat is in Rose Cotton Velvet.  The trim is commercial, but accents the Rose color.  The dress is being lined in White Duck.  There is evidence that these dresses had interlining.  Janet Arnold mentions this in her Book "Pattern of Fashion 1560-1620"  A coarse Linen was believed to have been used.  The White duck will provide the strength and form I believe the dress needs. 

The sleeves are paned.  This design is from Margo Anderson's  Patterns.  Looking at the sleeve, and knowing by ability, I decided I could obtain the same look by making these.  I need to modify the top of the Panes now to encoporate the open tabs that can be seen. 

"And so it begins"

The sewing bug has finally bit.  Hot steamy weather has sent me to the cellar sewing room. 

Bodice.  Worked on the fitting some more.  Was not happy with how the shoulder connected.  Ended up attaching the should straps of the white structure material by laying on top and over sewing.  I then used it as a guide and cut out a new velvet bodice piece, and new lining piece with the shoulder straps as part of the front.  ( for clarity purposes.  Bodice is composed of three pieces. 1) Velvet outside.  2) white duck structure  3) pink lining material-should be silk but is poly for price reasons)  After I did all that I discovered I had misjuded the Velvet bodice back, and cut it too small.  Had to recut that piece also.  Waste of velvet.  '
First I worked on the trim for the front and back of the bodice. 

After this was sewn on, I flatlined the structre material, which has the boning channel in the front sewn into it, to the velvet, then I sewed the Bodice together.

The back came out looking to angular, but it follows the straight line of the trim from the shoulders down.  And is equi distant from the side seam,

Next I were the Paned Sleeves.  I made these out of three layers, Velvet, white duck, and pink lining.

see and so it begins take two for the rest of the story.

"And so It begins." take two

I was unaware that the other version had saved, I thought I had lost it, but will keep both. 

Began working on my new dress.  The hot steamy weather has sent me to the cellar sewing room, cool and quiet. 
Day one I worked on the Bodice.  I had the Structure layer, of white duck, pinned together after the fitting.  I had sewn the boning channels for the front into this layer already.  I took this apart and transferred the changes to the other two layers.  I did not like the way I had cut the shoulder straps as seperate pieces from the front bodice.  So I reworked the structure layer to have the shoulder straps with the front section, and recut the Velvet and Lining layers.  Now no shoulder front strap seam.  I also discovered that I had layed out the Velvet bodice back using the wrong mark  thus it was two inches to small, this also was recut. 

With all the correct pieces now on to assembly.  First step was trim. 

Careful edge stitching attached the trim to the Bodice.

Second was flat lining of the White Structure to the Velvet Bodice.  After that I Sewed the seams together, except for the shoulder back. 

Second Sewing Day.   Started work on the Paned sleeves.  These sleeves will be in three layers, like the bodice.  Velvet, White duck, and pink lining.  I decided to pipe the edges.  This will give them a crisp edge, and something for the buttons to be sewn to. 

These are going together quickly.  Found I needed to use my old sewing machine for the piping.  It is doing a much cleaner job then the fancy new(erish) machine.  I have ordered a piping foot for the new machine.  It's not new, most likely 20years old, but newer then the other.  The Old machine is still a trooper.  It is a all metal case machine, with a knee throttle.  You can't kill this baby.  I digress.
The panel are mostly assembled.  Length and top edge need to be worked on.  I want to do a band at the top of trim.  Now need buttons.  Figure I need 42 or more to connect the panes.   Might have to wait until Pennsic to find what I want. 

Next to decide If I want to pipe around the Bodice.