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.