1630's costume delivered

[HenriettaMaria]

This is the costume I made for a friend who is going to the Czech republic in a couple of weeks for a 30 Years' War festival.  It was delivered at a re-enactment event at the weekend and here is the happy camper wearing it.

I did the cartridge pleats at waist and knee by hand.  I shouldn't have bothered.  The breeches are made of linen so the pleats just crushed down.  Next time I'll hand-gather them but the waistband is going to be attached using the machine!

[Kwaaked]

Very nice!! 

[Flobear]

That's a terrific costume @HenriettaMaria 

[Silver Rose]

Great job 

[realale]

Lovely work. 
I love seeing the re-enactors costumes at the Battle of Evesham events. They even have stalls selling the fabric but so far I have resisted......

[Bodgeitandscarper]

That looks super, and all those buttonholes... 

[SewRuthieSews]

Fab outfit, he really looks fantastic!

[HenriettaMaria]

@Bodgeitandscarper  I confess that my trick is to make one-step stretch buttonholes on the machine (lower density of thread than otherwise) and then work over them with Gutermann linen thread.  Much less stressy than worrying about the possibility of the cut hole fraying.

[Ohsewsimple]

That’s very sneaky @HenriettaMaria but an absolutely genius idea.   

[Bumblebuncher]

@HenriettaMaria I did the same thing on the eyelets with Tudor gowns!  Used the metal grommets and then covered them with the stitching so it looks the part but had the metal strength in there too.

[HenriettaMaria]

@Bumblebuncher Yup - I do that on bodices that need to withstand some serious lacing!  For the eyelets on this costume - it has an adjustable waist at the back and detachable sleeves - I used DH's granny's tailor's awl to make the holes.  This is a lovely mother-of-pearl handled item with a not overly-sharp point that separates the threads without cutting them.  Granny, who died about 1995, was a Bond Street tailor but by the time I met her she was an old lady who had given up any sewing other than small repairs.

[Bumblebuncher]

I have one of them that was my great Aunts
Although mine, of course, just has a plain wooden handle 
I don't know where she got it from as she was a florist!

[Ouryve]

She might have used it for piercing oasis foam, @Bumblebuncher

[Bumblebuncher]

@Ouryve A good thought but it wasn't invented when she was a florist  I also have her books from 1920's, but they are the florist books!  I may have a look through and see if I can see if she used it (where is the lightbulb emoji when you need it) or if it was her mums.