I needful suggestions for a wench outfit

[Mary Sue Phonix]

..lol and even might let Pat try to look down me shirt.

Like I always say... nothing like a low cut bodice to keep a pyrate on his toes..........

I sppouse that is all it takes to get a date with a lad at a Ren Fest then eh?

[Isabella]

If noone has mentioned it Alteryears.com is good for patterns. I use theirs for my custom stuff for myself. It taught me a lot about constructing and making bodices. The instructions are easy and I enjoyed making the bodice. :)

The only difference between the alteryears patterns and simplicity like Captain Grey showed are the princess seams that run along the bustline. Elizabethian bodices are designed to make the body long like a cylander and the breast high. So Flat with a shelf. It elongates the waist. So the non-princess seamed bodices offer more flattening of the waist, and boost of the bust. But princess seamed bodices seem to be easier to make for a beginning seamstress.

www.deliciouscorsets.com is the place for bonning and grommets. Do not use the ones from the hardware store if you make your own bodice, they'll corrode and turn green and ruin all your work, but the grommet setter from the hardware store is a dream. :)

ROFL I love that little boy comment. Pendragon bodices are leather, and HOT. HOT HOT HOT. They may give good "butt" cleavage, but I'd rather be in cotton any day in 95 degree weather. :)

[Isabella]

Another quick chemise is:

Depending on size 45 inch wide fabric for smaller gals and 60 inch for larger gals.

Measure from clavical to whereever you want it to hit, plus two inches on top and bottom. So if your measurement is 40 inches, your complete measurement would be 44 inches.

Take fabric, and measure 44 inches from the raw edge to the 44 mark, then fold in half. Cut off extra fabric.

Measure your sleeves from your shoulder to your wrist, adding 2 inches to that measurement on the length. Now I like fuller sleeves, but if you aren't sure, you fold the fabric in half, and put your arm in it, pinching the bottom of it around your wrist. I figure my sleeves are probably 26 inches folded IN HALF so 13 inches folded, plus seam allowance. If you like them fuller make the measurement wider.

To make the arm holes you first cut the two layers of the chemise body measuring from the side to the neck 6 to 9 inches. Usually I base it off on who I'm making it for. Then I take the scrap I cut, and use it as a template to cut the others, along with the sleeves with. My best friend curved hers, but I left mine angled, because you don't really see it, it's under your arm! :)

Now sew the sleeves seams, and sew the body seams, but not the hems. Now turn the sleeves inside out and attach to the body of the chemise by pinning the sleeve with the seams facing OPPOSITE each other. Then sew. You will have to give yourself a small pleat very small no bigger than 1/4 of an inch on each side to make them measure up. It actually I think makes the leave look more intersting.

Now you sew the bottom hem, and then with the neck hem you turn it all inside out (usually it is by now) and pin a channel. The Chemise at this point looks idenical front and back, but it won't because you are going to cut a 1 to 1 1/2 inch slit. You want to enforce this with with a back yoke or just curl the fabric in on itself. Then curl the neckline over and pin so it's a channel to insert the draw string into.

Without making the slit for the strings you do the same on the sleeves, but incert elastic and sew over with a button stitch to hold it in place. Then as soon as it's done, you incert the neck draw string and boom you off.

I know sounds complicated, but I've made them this way for about 10 years now, and I love them. Their easy and I can make them in about 45 minutes.

[Mary Sue Phonix]

you I did check out alteryears.com not that long ago and I found a pretty cut lil bodice there. And the pricing on it wasn't that bad either, not that I don't like the one that McCall's is putting out I think that lovely. But $15 is a large sum for someone that is still in school. I'll try and see if I can track down the name of what corset I was thinking of doing. lol I might not be ending up making this for lil while. Since I got kind of an old fashioned dress on sale from HotTopic and also got a Maidin kind of dress costume at a halloween store. lol it might not be the most authintic thing...but all the stuff was on sale for 30% off lol and the thing is not like hedious. (if I get a chance at the next ren fests I go to I will make sure to take some pics and show you guys.) But anyway I am still interested in making my own outfit. I am just not really in all that much of a rush so I will go and find the name of the pattern I was looking at and then let you tell me what you think Isabella

well later luvs

[Patrick Hand]

Hey..... I didn't fall off the edge of the world or something..... just finished moving ....and going to Pirates in Paridise... and finaly getting a new server.... so I'm back........

Mary Sue ... someone listed a web page eairler in this thread ......I'll find it and post it again befor the weekend is over....... but it is a real good source on period clothing....... (its just as easy to make it right as to make it wrong..... if you have the time... why not make it right..........)

That said...... I gotta go find the scallywag wot drank th last of me rum........