The sleeve material looks black here, but is actually a deep plum color.

Now I am debating the size of the pleats.  Do I do 1 inch or 1/2 inch Cartridge pleats.  I have 290 inches of material to pleat down to my waist size of 42 inches.  Have made a test piece from scrap doing a 1 inch pleat.  Found that the 290 would condense to at 18 inch waist.  So I added a lining in the top inch of red linen.  It now pleats to a 27 inche waist.  Still now enough.  Went to a an 1/2 inch pleat.  This pleats to a 32 inch waist.  The 1/2 look delicate.  The dress picture looks more like the 1 inch pleats to me.  I'm counting the number per inch, guestimation.  I will have to spread out the pleats on the band to make this work. 

The light goes on at JoAnn's

Went to Joann Saturday.  I Have this idea of doing the Gown in the Red Taffeta.  The sleeves in the portrait are of a dark, wine color.  Look like a heavy material, not a silk  So decided to go look for a dark cranberry velvet.  At Joann the cotton velveteen is a light cranberry at 15 a yard.  The premium vetvet was darker and richer, but 26 a yard.  I brought both up to the cutting counter, still undecided.  The Red Taffeta was not contrasting well with the cotton velveteen, and did not really want to spend 50 on 2 yard of premium.  Though I had a 50% off coupon.  That is when the light bulb went off in my head.  I Have 20 yards of dark, very dark premium velvet in the closet.  Dummy.  It is like a dark brown/plum color.  I had bought it at a going out of business sale in Boston 10 yrs ago easily. I got it for 5 a yard. So this morning I went down to the sewing room and pulled it out.  It is Perfect.  Actually matches the color of the sleeves in the portrait.  That settled it.  I am doing the gown in the Bronzino portrait of "Lucrezia Panciatrichi" actually as painted. 
The gown bottom looks to be fuller then the RC pattern I followed for the Linen dress.  The bottom appears to be Cartridge Pleats.  So I think the Taffeta is a good material for those pleats. 
I am going with a back lacing on this gown.  I have looked a numerous portraits from the period.  One think I have notice is that the larger sleeves from early periods, and theses sleeves, you do NOT see any of the Chemise pulled thru at the shoulders.  Most of the sleeves that are attached with lacing, straps etc, the under chemise is evident at the shoulders.  Or the Portraits clearly show spaces around the shoulder edge.  This has made my decision to do the center back lacing.  Now the ruched sleeve top will match the portrait.  I will still have the v-back, but this will be sewed together.  I am actually thinking of making these ruched top even fuller then the RC pattern I followed.  Fuller = better.  The gather threads are another problem.  I think I will do them this time of double button hole tread.  There is a lot of pressure on these gather lines. 

update 12/23/2011

Build the support structured into the rached sleeves.  They are simple straps from the top to bottom and the gather lines are stitched tho them.  Center at 7 inches long, two sides at 4 inches, and a back one, under the sleeves at two inches.  Created the stability needed.  The sleeve works.  But I think the material is too heavy, or not stiff enough.  There is no Poof, lots of gather.  But they still sag a bit.  SOOOOOOOOOO.
Changing fabric.  The brocade may work, but I have 8 yards of Red Taffeta.  This material is more correct to the portrait.  So have to decide what to do. 

Also have to decide on the back of the dress.  The Linen under dress has back sides lacing.  This makes sewing in the sleeves impossible.  Now the Linen dress gathered sleeves are done as seperate, and will be tied in at shoulders.  I am now considering doing a back center lacing for the overdress, then the sleeves can be sewn directly into the gown.  Hummmmmmmmmm.

Update 12/20/11

Well I can see I'm not going to be a daily blogger. 

Project 1. Italian Ren dress.  Have been working on the sleeves for the Italian Ren dress.  The Runched or gathered Sleeves on theis what I'm trying to do.  These are large gathered tops to the sleeves.  Doing them in the same Heavy Cream Linen as the Kirtle, and the under sleeves are of a dark gold silk type material.  This is presenting several problems.  The pattern I'm using as a guide is from Reconstruting History.  This gives me the basic shape, but not how to make it happen.  I have gathered the top of the sleeve onto the undersleeve.  I have gathered the bottom onto a small band, the size of the arms.  There are two gather lines inbetween to give the runch look.  But the sleeve sages down, after the gather lines are tightened.  I think I will have to place small vertical bands extending from the top to the bottom band, and anchor the inbetween gathers to these.  Plan to try this in the morning.  I think one of the problems is that the material is heavy, or heavier then the undersleeve.  But when I work on the actual dress, the cream linen is a dress rehersal, the Brocade will be just as heavy.  So in short the top of these sleeves will need a support structure to come out looking like the portrait.
Project two - linen Coif  Getting near the end of the second part of the embroidery.  The small shading stitches.  Had gone on line to Reconstructing History to order the paillettes for the cap.  Problem, I was only able to get one package of size 14.  For some reason the sizes and size numbers are mixed up on there web site.  Also most of them are Sold out.  I am hoping they will get more in.  I went on line to try and buy some from other sources, with NO LUCK.  Either there were to large - 20 mm or .78 inches, or had top holes, not center holes.  The only site that may have them was in Australia, and to order from them, mail an order sheet.  Didn't sound very good.  Hoping that RH shows up at Birka, and I can get some from them there. 

Day 1

I am new to this Blogger thing.  I have started it so that I can track the progress of various projects I am working on.  Having recently retired I can now spend more time working on the things I love doing.  Current Projects
1)  15th century embroidered Coif.  This is a work in progress.  Almost complete after close to two years of work. 
2)  Italian Renaissance Dress.  Have completed the under Kirtle.  Now to work with the Brocade.
3)  Elizabethan Slip.  Have completed one, Need to do the other slip, then applicade them to something. 

Now how do you post pictures on this blog??