Project #5. F.59a - "Kirtle and low cut bodice of silk"

Project 5! 

I had a slight change of heart after the last project, and instead of using layout f.60 "Kirtle and low cut bodice of cloth rash for a woman" for this project, I decided to use f.59a the "Kirtle and low cut bodice of silk" instead. The skirt length and a few other dimensions on f.60 were different from the under layers I have already made, and so I decided to use f59a for the sake of consistency. This is the same garment, but with sizing consistent with the patterns I have made and a pattern layout very similar to the kirtle I just made in project 4 (but with the addition of a bodice, natch). 

Fabric
Alcega states that this pattern requires a length of silk fabric 6 3/4 ells long x 2/3 ells wide, or 567cm (approx 18' 7 1/4") long x 56cm (approx 22") wide.

Some mathematics and dimensions
The beginning steps to this pattern are identical to my previous project, #4 the "Kirtle of silk for a woman". The skirt dimensions are the same, and similarly the fabric is folded across ways instead of lengthways when cutting the skirt. The big change however is that the bodice is cut from the remaining fabric which has been folded lengthways, and Alcega points towards this change in the diagram by reducing the remaining width to half in the layout.

So, based on the fact that the previous kirtle with an identical size and layout took 6 1/8 ells x 2/3 ells, or 514.5cm (approx 16' 10 1/2") x 56cm (approx 22"), we know then that we have around 52.5cm (a bit under 20 3/4") of the 56cm wide fabric left for the bodice. In the translation it states the recommendation that first you cut off a piece of fabric long enough for the bodice, and then proceed to fold the remaining fabric crossways and cut out the skirt. The bodice is cut with the front on the fold, eliminating a centre seam, and with the centre back of the bodice cut along the selvedge edge.

The skirt is the same length as previously, "bm" or 126cm long (approx 4' 1 1/2") long and with an identical generous waist size which can be pleated to fit (see Project #4).

The bodice is (as described in the title) cut quite low across the front and with a centre front that dips down to a point in a similar fashion to that of Project #2 - the "Silk doublet for a woman" and is cut a little higher in the back across the shoulders. The dimensions of the bodice pattern pieces are given as "t" across the bust edge, which is 1/3 ell or 28cm (approx 11") and "Q" across the waist, which is 1/4 ell or 21cm (approx 8 1/4"). The bodice centre front is "m" from the bust edge down to the point, which is 1/2 an ell or 42cm (approx 16 1/2"), and the under arm side seam is "Q", which is 1/4 ell or 21cm (approx 8 1/4").

The bodice back is "t" in length from the top edge to the waistline, which is 1/3 of an ell or 28cm (approx 11") and both the back waist and top edge are given as "s", which is 1/6 of an ell or 14cm (approx 5 1/2").

These dimensions would give a bodice with a finished waist measurement of 70cm (approx 27 1/2") which is quite small compared to the doublet in Project #1 for instance, which had a waist of 90cm (approx 35 1/2"). It's probable that the doublet and this bodice are designed for two different sized women, as 8 inches of waist compression would not be likely even in a stiffened and tightly laced bodice (or with some form of corset).

Developing the pattern
Much of this entry will relate to patterning the bodice, as the skirt pattern will be a repeat of that in Project #4 but with some changes in construction.

In previous entries I described the creation of a basic sloper, and then the process of removing any darts required in the sloper to try and achieve the best fit possible. Fortunately the low neckline of this bodice eliminates the need to worry about bust darts.

First attempt at draping the bodice back. Click to enlarge.

I decided to take a first stab at the pattern by tracing off the back and front of the basic sloper without bust darts onto paper, raising the armhole slightly and drawing in how I thought the basic design lines would sit on my mannequin and pinning it to the form.

First attempt at drafting the basics of the bodice front. Click to enlarge.

Straight away I could tell that a few things would need more work. I was concerned that if I drew the bodice front as low as it appeared in the pattern that it would barely cover the nipple line of the bust, so I initially cut it out with a slightly higher front. I knew that I probably didn't have the curve of the bodice front correct either, but I was initially trying to establish the height first. Also the angle of the strap is not right, creating a fold in the pattern, and on reflection I think the strap actually begins further back under the armhole and comes forward at more of an acute angle.

At this point I decided to go back to the pattern and I had a little play in photo editing software and duplicated and flipped the bodice pattern pieces from the book to see how the finished bodice pattern might look.

What becomes immediately noticeable is the way the front curves gently upward across the bust, and is in line with the bottom of the armhole. With a slightly raised armhole (compared to a doublet, for example) this would be low without being indecorous. Perhaps something closer to the neckline of this gown in the portrait of Jeanne d'Albret, Queen of Navarre (1570).

Jeanne d'Albret, Queen of Navarre (1570)

The other noticeable feature of the pattern is the acute angle of the strap on the bodice front, and how impossibly short the straps are in the pattern. I can't read the original Spanish text, and there is no mention of any extensions to, or fill in pieces for, the shoulder straps in the translation. Perhaps it is one of those things that was so obvious it didn't need to be spelled out to the tailors the book was intended for? Given the length of available fabric, and the placement of the pattern pieces butting right up against the fabric edge or other pattern pieces, I think it's fair to assume there was a separate connecting piece to be cut and added between the front and back, rather than the straps just being cut larger than shown. The excess fabric should furnish enough to make connecting strap pieces.

Bodice front, 2nd revision. Click to enlarge.

Front view, revised bodice. Click to enlarge.

I think this is an improvement, although I could still possibly curve the front higher. (You will also have to imagine this with a slightly flattened bust, as a stiffened and laced bodice like this would compress the bust somewhat and my mannequin has quite a prominent and unmoving bust line.) I'm still curious about that strap angle. I moved the strap slightly backwards towards the arm hole so that I could try and keep that angle without having the strap come too far forward (as if it was going to be a halter neck!). In my next version I think I'll curve the angle of the strap more as it comes up to try and hug the line of the armhole better. (Also, the straps are a little thicker than in the pattern, but that is the limitation of trying to work at such a small scale.)

It's interesting, in most other recreations of this bodice the designers seem to have made a more square neckline by changing the strap front to be almost at a right angle to the bodice front, compared to the very acute angle drawn in all of the variations of this bodice in the book. Such as this one by The Curious Frau, this brown wool kirtle by Centuries Sewing, and these beautiful examples by Mathew Gnagy. It makes a lot of sense if you are adding sleeves to a bodice like this, as unless the strap was perhaps super tight you would need some opposing directional force to the tendency of the sleeve to drag the strap off the shoulder. I'm keen to explore this pattern as faithfully as I can however, so I'm going to see if I can make this strap work as drawn, within the limitations of the shape of my mannequin.

Some portraits do seem to indicate that this style of acute angle is achievable.

Margaret of France, Duchess of Berry.

Margaret of France, detail with bodice and strap highlighted.

I know Margaret isn't Spanish, but I'm using her portrait here as the gown seems to replicate many of the features of this bodice and kirtle.

So, angles, bodices and straps, oh my. Time to move on to the rest of the bodice...

The bodice back, 2nd revision. Click to enlarge.

Back view, revised bodice. Click to enlarge

I also redid the back slightly; if you look at the pattern piece from the book the back also has a slight curve across the top edge and I wanted to make sure I had that, the angle of the back of the armscye, and the relative height of the back compared to the bottom of the arm hole correct.

Final pattern layout, with bodice and kirtle. Click to enlarge.

Putting it together
The skirt will be attached to the bodice, so up to the point right before pleating and attaching the skirt to a waistband the patterning and construction of the skirt for this project is identical to Project #4 - "Kirtle of silk for a woman". Also, with the exception that I will be leaving the front seam of the skirt open. Adding the godets, sewing up the side seams, and closing the back seam up to the point of the back opening are all the same.

According to the text Alcega states that the bodice front "will be in one piece" as it is cut on the fold, while the bodice back will have a seam. So I am electing to make this with a centre back opening to the bodice and attached skirt. Some reconstructions have an opening in front of the bodice, and there is certainly evidence for that in similar garments (as there is for either 1 or 2 side lacings replacing side seams). I'm sticking with what I think was the intention of the original pattern however.

Also, there is some evidence for this style of bodice being heavily stiffened itself, rather than having been worn over a corset (although the inverse may also have happened). I'm going to sew in a layer of stiff interlining to try and create a stiffened effect to this bodice. If you wanted to create a full sized version of this gown I would encourage you to research appropriate techniques for boning a bodice. It's also worth noting that the pattern layout places the side seams off grain, not quite on the true bias but enough that they would be subject to some stretch. Interlining, boning etc would all help to control this stretch and allow the bodice to be laced tightly without distortion.

Checking the bodice fit (without the skirt attached yet). Click to enlarge.

I cut identical pieces of interlining and the fabric outer layer, and trimmed the seam allowance off the interlining everywhere except the side construction seams, so that I could just turn the edges over and sew them down. If I was making this as a full sized garment I would first construct the stiffened inner structure, probably from several layers of stiff canvas with some reeds or boning added for extra stiffness, and then cut an identical inner lining and outer fabric shell. Because of scale I couldn't do much with the straps, it was just too fiddly to interline them and turn the edges under, so for the purposes of this reconstruction I am leaving them as just the raw top layer.

I'm pretty happy with the fit. If the mannequin was smaller or softer chested then the top of the bodice would not sit out quite so proud of the bust, but without any capability for compression in the mannequin then it will always sit out a little. I think the height of the front is good and not likely to cause any wardrobe malfunctions. Worn with a sheer partlet the effect would attractive and not at all scandalous.

Adding the kirtle. Click to enlarge.

I then sewed together the skirt, leaving the front seam unsewn, and I turned under the front edges to neaten. As Mathew Gnagy mentions in his reconstruction of a similar gown there is at least one extant example of the excess fabric behind the lower bodice front just being left there, or it could be trimmed away after the skirt is added to the bodice. By overlapping the top edges of the skirt front slightly and pinning them it place, it was actually pretty easy to establish an attractive opening in the kirtle front and then pin it to the bodice. It helps to have all the under layers of underskirt, farthingale and overskirt on your dummy so that you can arrange the hang of the skirt nicely.

Cartridge pleating and adding the skirt. Click to enlarge.

Once the skirt front is attached it's then an easy matter to cartridge pleat the remainder of the skirt on each side and sew it to the bodice side and back. (There is a nice cartridge pleating tutorial here.) If I was creating this as a full sized garment I would probably also insert a placket behind the bodice centre back opening and the skirt opening so that a neat finish is achieved when the centre back is laced closed.

Finished low cut bodice and kirtle. Click to enlarge.

I'm very pleased with the end result. In part because this is the first project that feels more like a complete outfit I think.

Bodice front detail. Click to enlarge.

I would like the straps to be thinner and neater, but at the scale I am working at that just wasn't doable (they are less than 1cm wide at this scale, or about 1/3 of an inch). I think they prove the theory behind the acute front curve on the straps though.

Armhole and strap detail. Click to enlarge.

The strap curves quite nicely around the armhole. I think it would probably not be as load bearing as a strap that met the front bodice at a right angle, but the interlining, boning and firm lacing of the bodice would make it largely self-supporting I would think. There are no sleeves detailed or mentioned for this garment in Alcega, but the resulting armhole is pretty much a standard armhole shape (although raised a little) so I don't think drafting a sleeve for this would be too onerous if one wanted to add them.

Bodice and kirtle side view. Click to enlarge.

I think the back height of the bodice is pretty good. The back seam is a straight edge that is cut along the selvedge, so does not allow for any curvature to follow the spine. You can see in the side view that it sits a tiny bit proud from the upper back of the mannequin. Any higher and it would sit out even further, as the upper back curves forward. On a real human being with real human shoulder blades it would probably not sit out much at all, but I would certainly not take it any higher and I think it would pay to watch this fit if you were drafting it as a full sized garment.

Kirtle and bodice back view. Click to enlarge.

In my head I planned to whip stitch the back seam together on the mannequin with a contrasting thread, so it would look a bit like lacing. However, problems with my hand at present meant I kind of ended up with what can only be described as Fraken-lacing. Sigh. Oh well, let's just pretend.

The back sits nicely across the shoulders, and the back strap placement gives quite a nice design line I think. Once again I cartridge pleated the skirt, and with the kirtle from the previous project underneath (also cartridge pleated) I think it creates a nice line across the hips and back. A small bumroll could be used to change the look further, but there are varying opinions on if/with what/when these were used. I think this would work nicely without, providing the correct underpinnings were used.

Idea for trimming the bodice and kirtle. Click to enlarge.

I think this gown has all sorts of potential for decoration. I mocked up just one idea for braid trim, but a solid coloured underskirt would also be lovely, perhaps in a rich damask. The bodice and kirtle could be a rich silk or velvet (although anything with a nap would require a different fabric layout). The bodice could be richly embroidered and beaded with pearls for a very high status look as in the portrait of Margaret of France, above. If this was to be worn as an intermediate layer under any of the over gowns coming up in future projects, I would avoid shoulder rolls or any bulky sleeve and shoulder treatments, if not then they would be lovely additions. A very versatile pattern I think!

Next I'll be attempting f.63 - the "Skirt and bodice of cloth with puffed sleeves", which judging by the pattern looks pretty dramatic. What's not to love about a long train and puffed sleeves, I ask you?

Also, if you have any feedback and agree/disagree/love to bits anything I've done so far then please drop me a comment. I'm doing this as a learning experience, so if you have any feedback I'm more than happy to hear your ideas.

Some Frustrating News

Hi all. I got some bad news today, after a few weeks of having problems with numbness in my right hand I was diagnosed as having a combination of lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) and carpal tunnel syndrome. This relates to the amount of data entry and typing I do in my daytime work, but unfortunately it also means I will have to moderate the amount of time I spend at the keyboard after hours as well.

You might not even see any change here, because I generally write these entries as I construct the garments, and type a little bit each time I sit down to work at each garment over the space of a week or so. If the frequency of the reconstructions slow a little it's just because in the short term I might be slowing the pace of sewing and writing. I start physiotherapy immediately, so I'm hoping this will be taken care of fairly quickly.

Some happier news, my next project is about 90% done already so it should be up in the next few days.

The Patterns: Progress So Far

Some of the patterns in Alcega's tailor's pattern book are very clearly identified by title as being for a man or a woman, although not all and not consistently. Generally the book seems divided largely into male patterns in the front and female in the back, but there are exceptions to this rule also. The book kicks off with a woman's doublet initially before a long section of men's and possibly unisex patterns. Some patterns that aren't identified by gender can be determined from a look at the pattern pieces, but others such as the cloaks and mantles are less obvious.

Here is my progress with the women's patterns so far, with some notes regarding repeats that I have skipped and the projects completed so far (or in progress) highlighted in red. With regards to the repeats that I have skipped, some of these are quite interesting because they use very different fabric and/or have unusual piecings to make up the garments, so I may come back and revisit some of these later as they might be interesting to explore. Time and enthusiasm permitting.

f.14 - "Silk doublet for a woman" [See Project #2]
f.14a - "Silk doublet for a woman, from open silk" (Repeat of f.14, with an alternate layout.)

~ Men's and various unisex patterns ~

f.55 - "Skirt of cloth for a woman" [See Project #3]
f.55a - "Skirt of a woman" (Repeat of f.55 but with slightly larger sizing and mention of nap of the fabric.)
f.56 - "A narrow skirt of cloth" (Repeat of f.55 using a slightly longer piece of fabric and less piecing.)
f.56a - "Skirt of silk for a woman" (Repeat of f.55 using longer and very narrow piece of silk fabric many piecings.)
f.57 - "Skirt of silk for a woman" (Repeat of f.55a using longer and very narrow piece of silk fabric many piecings, and the same length of skirt as f.55a.)
f.57a - "Child's kirtle of silk" (A child's sized version of f.58)
f.58 - "Kirtle of silk for a woman" [See Project #4]
f.58a - "Silk kirtle for a fat woman" (Repeat of f.58 using a longer piece of silk, and an alternate layout with larger waist and larger godets.)
f.59 - "Kirtle and low cut bodice of silk" (An alternate layout of f.59a, using slightly less fabric and with godet B made from 2 pieces.)
f.59a - "Kirtle and low cut bodice of silk" [In progress as Project #5]

~ More women's patterns, yet to be analysed and attempted ~  

f.67 - "Silk farthingale for a woman" [See Project #1]

~ More women's patterns, yet to be analysed and attempted ~  

Project #4. F.58 - "Kirtle of silk for a woman"

This is my fourth project, an overskirt for a woman. 

The patterns for "vasquina" or kirtles as they are described in the book seem to fall into two categories, those with an accompanying bodice and those without. Of those that are a skirt only, such as this one, the variations are shown as a pattern for a child, several for a "fat woman" (as it states in the translation) and several variations to allow for wider fabrics. With the exception of the child's kirtle, the skirt lengths seem to be pretty much all the same, with some small variations in the fullness of the skirt depending on the fabric widths.

There is no narration in the translation as to whether this skirt is worn as an outer or intermediate layer. In portraiture of women wearing high status clothes there is often an outer layer worn over the doublet and skirt or bodice and skirt, usually with a front opening skirt that is frequently worn closed. The centre front seam of this skirt would mean that it could possibly have been sewn closed as an intermediate layer skirt (over the farthingale but under any form of over gown) or worn open.

Anna of Austria by Martin Kober. 

Isabella Clara Eugenia (1566-1633), Infanta of Spain,
by Pourbus, Frans the Younger (workshop of)

Fabric
This skirt requires a length of silk fabric 6 1/8 ells long x 2/3 ells wide , or 514.5cm (approx 16' 10 1/2") long x 56cm (approx 22") wide.

Some mathematics and dimensions
Alcega states that the fabric for this skirt is folded across ways rather than lengthways, resulting in pattern pieces that use the full width of the fabric, and therefore there is no centre front or centre back fold. The skirt front is cut on the left, and the skirt back is cut on the right. If damask or a fabric with a nap is to be used, the fabric should be laid so that the pattern and/or nap run in the same direction (presumably by cutting the fabric in half and rotating one half, rather than folding it).

The length of the skirt is given as "bm" or 126cm (approx 4' 1 1/2"), which the same length as the farthingale in project #1, and pretty standard for most of the overskirts in the book. (This is fairly long, but as I discussed in previous posts I think most of the patterns in the book are intentionally fairly large in size to allow for maximum fabric usage required, as the book is primarily a guide for pattern layouts and fabric amounts required.) No mention of a finished waist size is given, and the pattern pieces are shown with a half waist front of "t" or 28cm (approx 11") and a half waist back of "m" or 42cm (approx 16 1/2"). This results in a waist of 140cm (approx 55"), so presumably the waist allows for gathers or pleats to reduce this to the wearer's actual waist size.

No specific dimensions are given for the godets A and B which are used to increase the skirt's fullness. However, the hem dimensions for the front and back pieces include the bottom width of the godets at the hemline and as we know the fabric width we can determine this dimension. The front hem is given as "sb" or 70cm (approx 27 1/2"), and as we know the fabric is 56cm wide that makes the bottom edge of godet A 14cm (approx 5 1/2"). The back hem is given as "b" or 84cm (approx 33"), making bottom edge of godet B 28cm (approx 11").

Developing the pattern
The pattern for this skirt is pretty straightforward. The only issue I noticed is that the angle of the godets are drawn slightly off from the angle of the pieces they are attached to. Not majorly so, but it would result in a slight change of angle in the bias edges during construction. The bottom edges of godets A and B are not cut to follow the curve of the edges they are attached to, but instead hang down a little below the hemline. This is the same issue I noticed with the godets in project #1, and it is quickly fixed during hemming.

Godets A and B rotated into position. Click to enlarge.

No mention is made in the translation of a waistband or any other other trimmings. There is enough straight grain fabric on the far left, centre and far right where the curves leave a little waste fabric to piece together several pieces to make a waistband. There is also no mention of how this skirt is pleated or gathered, but a quick survey of this type of skirt in portraits shows a very flat smooth front lying close along the farthingale front. As there is a deliberately large waist, this could only mean that the fullness is dealt with at the back of the skirt.

Putting it together
Similar to the previous pattern I reconstructed, this is a fairly simple sew.

The finished kirtle. Click to enlarge.

The first step is to attach godets A and B to their respective front and back pieces. If the skirt is to be worn as an intermediate layer as I am constructing it here, the front seam is then sewn closed and the back seam needs to be left open at the top enough to be able to slide the skirt up over the hips once it is attached to a waistband. (Conversely, if the front is to be left open, then the centre back seam can be fully closed and the waistband opening moved to the front instead.)

Side, showing shape and location of the godets. Click to enlarge.

I had cut my pieces to the exact dimensions of the pattern, resulting in a little bit of curving side seam weirdness from the small change in angles of the godets. Not dramatically so, but if I was creating this at full scale I would either amend the angles of the godets as much as possible, or trim the pieces straight after the godets were attached. You would lose a small amount of fullness but only a little.

The cartridge pleated back of the skirt. Click to enlarge.

Once the main construction seams were all closed I made up a finished waistband, and turned the seam allowance of the skirt waist to the wrong side and tacked it under. I had measured the front of the skirt flat across from hip to hip and discovered that there was still a large amount of fullness to be incorporated into the back of the waistband, so I decided to cartridge pleat the back of the skirt. The easiest way to deal with cartridge pleats is to finish the edge, gather the fabric into regular folds with a gathering thread, and then oversew the edge to the finished waistband.

Cartridge pleating on a tiny (and slightly insane) scale. Click to enlarge.

I started the cartridge pleats at the side, but you'll notice how the first pleat or two pull forward towards the front. If I was remaking this, or making a full scale version, I would experiment with starting the cartridge pleats a little further forward and see if this eliminated this pulling. The important thing is to preserve the flat front, and to allow any doublet, jerkin or other over garment to sit flat over the front of the skirt.

One suggestion for trimming with braid. Click to enlarge.

In all of the pictures above I dressed the mannequin with the underskirt I made in Project #3 first, then the farthingale I made in Project #1 before placing this kirtle over the top. This could make an attractive middle class outfit in combination with the doublet in Project #2, perhaps done in a silk, linen, wool or velvet. Made up in a rich fabric, perhaps a damask, with heavy braid trim, this would make a lovely underskirt to be worn over an open gown or second open fronted skirt.

Next up we are still in the land of the kirtle, but this time it gets a little more interesting with the addition of a bodice in the "Kirtle and low-cut bodice of cloth rash for a woman". There are a number of kirtle and low cut bodice combinations in the book, but I've picked the "cloth rash" layout because it is unusual and interesting.

UPDATE: Oops, on closer inspection the dimensions of the "cloth rash" version are a little different, shorter skirt and much wider waist. So in order to use the underpinning I already have, I've decided to go with one of the other alternate layouts, F.59a "Kirtle and low cut bodice of silk". It is essentially the same garment though.

Project #3. F.55 - "Skirt of cloth for a woman"

My third project, a "Skirt of cloth for a woman". One of 5 semi-circular skirts (f55 - f57) in the book with different layouts for different types of fabric; cloth, cloth with a nap and silk. Three of them are the same length as the skirt shown here, and two of the skirts are 7cm (approx 2 3/4") longer. The translations I am working from in the facsimile edition of Alcega's tailor's pattern book are a little misleading I discovered, in that they are just described as "skirts". However the word "faldellin" which appears in all the patterns is variously translated elsewhere as underskirt, short skirt, or even an alternate meaning as christening robe. So, given their simple shape and the fact that they are quite a bit shorter that any of the overskirts in the book, I think it's fair to assume that they are in fact underskirts.

Fabric
Alcega states that this skirt requires a length of fabric 2 ells long x 2 ells wide, or 168cm (approx 66") long x 168cm (approx 66") wide.

Some mathematics and dimensions
The length of the skirt from waistband to hem is given as "bs" or 1 1/6 ells, which translates as 98cm (approx 38 1/2"). Alcega states that the 'main part' of the skirt is cut along the fold, which seems to indicate that the fabric has been folded in half lengthways, reducing the width to one ell wide, or 84cm (approx 33"). The dimension "mo" given at the waist curve is 5/8 of an ell, or 52.5cm (a bit over 20 1/2"), which x 2 gives a generous waist of 105cm (approx 41 1/3"). The dimensions of the piecings aren't specifically given, but given that we have the fabric width and the lengths of the straight edges it should be fairly easy to work this out.

We know that the fabric is 168cm (approx 66") long, and that the waist to hem dimension is described as 98cm (approx 38 1/2"), so if we deduct this length of skirt from the fabric length, then the bottom straight edge of piece B must be around 70cm (approx 27 1/2").

As I don't read Spanish I have to rely on the translation in my edition of the book, and there is a passage in the translation that had me scratching my head. "Allow 1/3 ell and 2 finger's breadths for the curve of the ease, which is marked out above the waistline, and for the curve of the hemline.Thus the skirt will be fully rounded."

Er, say what now? 

1/3 ell and 2 finger's breadths is given as 31.5cm (a little under 12 1/2"). Could it be referring to the some sort of measurement related to drawing the curve of the waist and hemline?

If the skirt is a true half circle, and we know that the waist is 105cm (approx 41 1/3") long, then we should be able to magic up the radius of the curve through haruspicy, the sweat of our brows and a magic little number called pi. 2 x the waistband given would be a 210cm circle (a bit under 82 3/4"), so if we divide this number by pi (3.142 should suffice) we get a diameter of 66.8cm, which halved would be a radius of 33.4cm (approx 13").

This seems pretty close to the 31.5cm (or 12 1/2") mentioned in the paragraph above, so I wonder if this was Alcega's description of the compass point to the left of the waistband where you start drawing the curve? The slight difference in measurement could be a small error, or it could allow for a seam allowance.  (The slightly smaller radius would make a waist measurement less than 105cm, however a seam allowance of a couple of cm would be enough to increase the circumference to the right measurement.)

Comparative lengths, and the waist curve radius. Click to enlarge.

We know the folded fabric width is 84cm (approx 38 1/2"), the radius of the waist curve is 31.5cm (or 12 1/2") and final back seam length of the skirt has to be 98cm (approx 38 1/2"). So, 84cm - 31.5cm means that the length of the back as drawn must be 52.5cm (a bit over 20 1/2"), leaving another 45.5cm (approx 18") in length to be added by the piecing at the centre back.

Developing the pattern
The only bit of weirdness in the pattern is the shape of the piecing top left. To my eyes it looks like the curve is heading in the wrong direction if A meets A, and B meets B. So I had a little play in photo editing software and rotated the pieces into position.

Piece A B rotated into position but not flipped over. Click to enlarge.

Mmmm. Okay. However, if you flip the piece (either flip it if your fabric does not have a wrong and right side, or use the piece from the other side of the folded fabric if it does) the fit, while not exact, is much improved.

Piece A B rotated and flipped. Click to elnarge.

Curious. The other thing noticeable is that if the curve was just drawn heading in the other direction, you could probably squeeze this in without the need to make an even further piecing in B (the little solid line section on B in the original pattern layout). In the accompanying translated text there is mention of the need to take this extra piecing however, so it seems deliberate that the piece was drawn this way. I'm going to follow the layout and description, but flip the pieces when it comes time to sew it together.

I scaled down all the dimensions by roughly one third, to fit the size of my mannequin, and used Alcega's description of the compass point to draw the waist curve and hemline. I grabbed some additional pattern paper and drew the piecings, making sure that the length of the straight edge of A+B = the length of the straight edge A on the main skirt piece, and that total length of the back skirt seam would be the same length as the edge placed on the fold.

My pattern draft, using scaled down dimensions. Click to enlarge.

Putting it together
This is a very simple sew.

The main skirt piece is cut on the fold, as is piece B (however the fold is not utilised on piece B, so you have to slice along the fold so you have two separate pieces).  Piece A B is then cut on the double layer of fabric. The fabric left over in the top right hand corner of the diagram is used to cut the two small pieces needed to complete piece B where the pattern pieces overlap. There should be a little bit of fabric left over on the straight grain to make a waistband (if not, then cut a waistband from another piece of fabric trimmings). I cut my waistband from two half length pieces, but you can make a simple waistband wherever you find sufficient fabric, so long as it is on the straight grain.

Note: because of the small scale I am working in I had to add a small seam allowance to each piece to be able to construct them, so I used a slightly large piece of fabric to accommodate this.

I began by sewing the piecings B and A B together to form one curved piece with a straight edge that corresponded to the length of edge A, and then sewed these to each side of the main skirt piece. I then closed the centre back seam, leaving an opening large enough to slip it over the head and bust of my mannequin. I then made up the waistband strip, and pleated the large waist allowance to the size of the waistband.

There are no instructions regarding pleats or gathers, but it seems logical to me that you would pleat or gather the fairly generous waist allowance into a waistband to suit the wearer's size. I guess you could re-draw the pattern so that the waist diameter is the actual waist measurement, but the end result would be more like a modern a-line skirt, rather than a full underskirt.

Finished skirt front. Click to enlarge.

The calico I am using is a little stiff, so the underskirt hangs in quite an a-line shape. If this was made full scale in a linen then I would imagine the drape would be a little different.

Finished skirt side. Click to enlarge.

I drew over the seam lines to highlight the way the pieces are placed at the back rear of the skirt.

Finished skirt rear. Click to enlarge. 

The skirt back hem is where most of the piecing is evident.

There you have it, a simple underskirt of cloth for a woman. If I have time and energy I might come back and construct the other variants of this for the different types and widths of fabric, because some of the piecings required get very complex (read: cray cray) and that might be worth exploring if I haven't lost my mind by then.

Next up I'll be tacking another skirt, pattern f.58 the "Kirtle of silk for a woman".

Project #2. F.14 & F.14a - "Silk doublet for a woman"

This is the second project I'll be attempting, and is the first pattern in Alcega's 1589 tailor's pattern book specifically for a woman. The pattern pieces in folios 14 and 14a are identical, with the exception of the layout on the fabric. Consequently I have combined them here as 1 garment.

Fabric
Both 14 and 14a are described as cut from silk and are specified as using 2 1/2 x 2/3 ells, or 210cm (approx 6' 11") x 56cm (approx 1' 10"). There seems to be no functional difference in the patterns or fabrics, except 14 has the fabric folded in half lengthways, and 14a (below) across ways, so that the selvedges would be on the left and right sides in the layout diagram.

Some mathematics and dimensions
All of the letters on the pattern diagram below are measurement codes (and rather helpfully there is a convenient table of modern equivalents in the translation of the book). Keep in mind that this is a generic ladies' size used primarily to show the amount and layout of fabric required, so if you were attempting to use this pattern to make a doublet at home it would be important to redraw the pattern to your own measurements, while keeping the basic shapes as close to the original as possible.

Having said that, let's look at the dimensions as given.

Sleeves:
The 2 piece curving sleeve is shown as 63cm long (approx 2' 1"), with a wrist opening circumference of 21cm (approx 8 1/4") and a top sleeve head of 42cm (approx 1' 4 1/2") combined. The sleeve length is the same as the doublet front, from the base of the throat to the bottom point.

Doublet:
The doublet front is 63cm long (approx 2' 1") from the base of the throat to the bottom of the low front point, the side seams are 21cm long (approx 8 1/4"), and the back length, including collar back, is 42cm long (approx 1' 4 1/2"). There is a measurement given across the front of the doublet, which is presumably for the widest point (across the bust, just under the arm hole), of 31.5cm (just under 12 1/2"), and an equivalent measurement across the doublet back of 24.5cm (just over 9 1/2"). The back waist is shown as 17.5cm across (approx 6 3/4") and the front doublet width 28cm (approx 11"). There is no specific measurement given for the arm hole, and we can check that when we draft everything else, but it can't be larger than the 42cm (approx 1' 4 1/2") sleeve head or the sleeve will not fit..

Collar:
On the doublet front the neck is shown as 14cm (approx 5 1/2") and the shoulder width is the same. The small separate piece near the doublet front is the front collar and that is also 14cm long, and although the back collar width isn't specifically given we should be able to determine that once we draft everything else.

So many numbers. I have number fatigue.

So, if we apply some of the numbers above we should find that the bust measurement is a fairly generous 112cm (44") and the waist is 90cm (approx 35 1/2"). This does not include any overlap for fastening, as there is clearly no overlap included when you consider the sharp point of the doublet front. Now it is true that I am only a bit of a shorty for a guy at 163cm (5' 4"), but my usual sleeve length is about 56cm (approx 22"). If you consider the length of this sleeve as specified in the pattern, the wearer would be something like 180cm (5' 9") tall, roughly.

My take on this is that the generic size shown on the pattern layouts is deliberately a fairly large size. If you are considering that the use of the book was to give amounts of fabrics and layouts required for different garments and fabrics, then it makes sense to use a large size. Laying out a smaller sized garment would not require any extra fabric than specified.

Developing the pattern
In my previous post I explained how I reworked the original sloper pattern to eliminate the dart, and create a flat pattern that should fit as well as possible. My first step in developing the pattern for the "silk doublet for a woman" was to take the measurements in Alcega and scale them all down by roughly a third to the measurements of my mannequin. As I mentioned in the last post, my mannequin's bust and waist are a little different from the ratio in the Alecga pattern, but other measurements such as width across the shoulders and upper back, the neck circumference etc are all pretty much in scale.

The photo below shows me using the modified sloper pieces to create the pattern. One of the features of the doublets in Alcega are the fact that the back of the collar is cut in one with the doublet back, and you can see me starting to develop that on the lower right. The small piece top right is the rest of the collar, the right edge of which attaches to the curving edge on the doublet back, and the bottom straight edge attaches to the neck opening on the front. (Hard to picture, but it will make sense when I show you the completed collar).

Developing the pattern. Click to enlarge.

The armhole size on the sloper ended up being exactly the right scale for the sleeve head specified in the pattern, and extending the doublet front to the equivalent length specified in the pattern also looked about right. Once I had drawn the sleeves and checked that the dimensions for the other patterns pieces were as close as possible to the pattern sizes in Alcega (allowing for the waist and bust issue), I cut them out and laid them out similar to the pattern diagram in the book.

The finished pattern. Click to enlarge.

Comparing the patterns.

I'm pretty happy with the end result. A couple of things are worth noting however.

After taking this picture I noted that I had drawn the outward flare on the sleeve back at the sleeve head a little too extreme, so I trimmed it back slightly (bottom right and top centre of the picture and diagram). The doublet front is obviously different (to allow for the bust), and the side seam on the doublet front does not angle as sharply, and highlights the different in the waist and bust ratio of my mannequin. The collar piece looks a little out of shape compared to the diagram, but I checked the dimensions of the edge that the collar attaches too and it is the right size. I thought that I might have drawn the collar on the doublet back a little lower than it should be, but it is correct to the measurements given.

In effect what it highlights is the the diagram is not an exact pattern, it's pretty close but if you draft the pieces to the measurements given there are some small differences.

Putting it together

My first step was to sew the 2 piece doublet back together along the centre back seam. Having a centre back seam would have allowed tailors of the time to fit the doublet back closely without the need for any darts, especially if they had issues to contend with such as prominent shoulder blades or a slight forward stoop.

I then attached the front collar pieces to the doublet front, which is quite a tricky manoeuvre as you are attaching a straight edge to a curved one. In the diagram (right) I have colour coded the edges to try make it clearer as to what goes where. I have put together a few doublets for myself using this form of collar construction and personally I find it easiest to attach the collar front first, then when sewing the shoulder seam closed continue up the side of the collar back (shown in blue) as 1 single seam.

I sewed the side seams together, and then sewed the seam along the shoulder and up the collar front to collar back edge.

Here is the thing about this whole collar cut with the doublet back business. I find it a pain in the butt. As I mentioned I have used it on my own doublets, and this was in an effort to be more historically accurate. I find it fiddly to sew together when you get to the shoulder/collar seam, and worst of all it sits poorly at the back of the neck.

Back of the neck ugliness. Click to enlarge (not that you'd want to).

The trick that I've used, and that I have never yet seen in a primary resource (but have it on Good Authority that it was both advocated and used in period) is to take a horizontal crescent shaped tuck across the back of the neck. It eliminates the bulk and helps the collar sit more upright and less tilted forward.

Collar niceness. Click to enlarge.

All this fussing. Why on earth they didn't just cut the collar separately I'll never know. Anyway, moving on.

Unlike modern sleeve patterns the sleeves in this pattern have minimal sleeve head shaping where the sleeve joins the arm hole, and the left and right sleeves are interchangeable. After sewing the two pieces of each sleeve together, I turned the seam allowance under at the wrist and finished that edge. Because of the tiny scale of my mock up I didn't leave any opening for closures at the back of the wrist, but if I was making this full scale I would leave something like 5 - 10cm (2 - 4") open at the bottom of the outward curving edge of the sleeve for an opening to allow the hand to pass through easily. This could then be closed with buttons.

Modern sleeves tend to give you a clear indication of where they fit in the arm hole, by notches indicated in the pattern or sometimes by their very shape. These sleeves don't give you any such clear indicators, but there is a subtle one if you look at the shape of the sleeve itself. There is a slight outward flare at the back of the sleeve head, and if you consider how the body moves the most sensible place to allow for some extra roominess would be at the back of the arm near the shoulder blades. This would then place the inner curve of the curved sleeve along the front of the arm, where cunningly your arm normally curves forward. A quick look at similar doublets in period portraits seems to back up this theory.

Portrait of a Lady, attributed to Sofonisba Anguissola.

Note the braid covered seam line along the front of the sleeve. Exactly where we would expect it to be!

I inset the sleeves with the back of the sleeve at the back of the arm hole, in line with the shoulder blades. The front seam then ended up at the front of the armhole, and the sleeves curved gently forward in a similar stance to that of the portrait above. Once the sleeves were in the basic doublet was essentially completed.

Sleeve seam at the rear of the arm hole. Click to enlarge.

I whip stitched the doublet front closed (in lieu of trying to create teeny tiny buttons and buttonholes!) and I'm pretty happy with the result.

Doublet front. Click to enlarge.

Finished doublet. Click to enlarge.

Let's pretend there are some arms filling out those sleeves. One thing about this style of sleeve is that because there is so little shaping in the sleeve head it allows a large range of movement, but the trade off is that you do end up with a bit more fabric bulk in the armpit than we are used to these days. It's hard to get them hanging attractively on the mannequin, but I think they are doing exactly what they should be doing and hanging correctly.

Detail, portrait of Isabel Clara Eugenia.

This style of doublet seems to frequently appear as the highly decorated under layer in formal clothing. If you were creating this garment in silk as a high status garment, you could trim the lower edge of the doublet with tabs (as above), and use small tabs at the wrist and collar edges. Horizontal lines of braid across the main body of the garment, horizontal or slanting lines of braid on the sleeves, and/or rows of pinking or embroidery would also be appropriate. 

If you simplified the decoration, and perhaps kept the ideas of tabs at the waist, ran a line of braid over all of the construction seams and one or two rows up the doublet front, then this doublet could also make a lovely more middle class style garment too.

Next I'll be tackling the F.55 "Skirt of cloth for a woman".