Sunday, February 13, 2011

Ren Faire Costume - The Doublet Beginneth


The doublet should be called a centuplet. It has SO MANY pieces to cut out and interface. And if the envelope design wasn't enough for me, I divided the torso sections into two so I could use a second fabric and I added a collar stand. All of the torso pieces had to be cut single layer so I could fussy-cut the designs across the center front and center back. I cut and fused for HOURS yesterday. I stopped counting at 37 pieces.

Today, I've been adding trim to most of those 37+ pieces, adding eyelets to the sleeve tabs, and sewing on the button loops — which are really just black hair elastics.



I have FINALLY started sewing all the pieces together. I'm hoping to have a mostly finished doublet by the time I go to bed tonight.I think the rest is just simple construction and some hand-sewing of the lining and buttons.


I ended up fusing two layers of the interfacing to the torso fabric so it would have the same hand as the main, more red fabric. It's a beautiful fabric, but it was far more drapier than I was expecting so I had to "beef it up."

Update on the puffy shirt: I fixed the backwards buttonhole/button on the one cuff and then ran the shirt through the laundry to get rid of the sticky tape used to hold on the lace until it was stitched. Then I had to re-press it. And I was again thankful my iron came back to life. I hope Reko has an iron. ;-)

7 comments:

  1. I just started reading when you began the renaissance costume. The work you have put into it is very impressive. It is looking fantastic.

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  2. All of this is so wonderful looking-amazing what our children or their friends can get us to do for them. You need to hide and get an unlisted number -you are fixing to become the most sought after costume queen of all time. Lol! mssewcrazy

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  3. I can't wait to see him in it! And, get it in writing that he will NOT do Warrior Dash in that costume. ;)

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  4. This is very impressive! And great idea for the button loops! It's going to be gorgeous!

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  5. It looks awesome so far. As for him having an iron; there's always the dry cleaners.

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  6. Wow - I had to laugh as I was reading your sentence about fussy-cutting - and then I read "I cut and fussed for HOURS..." I kept that extra "s" in there. It really chnages the meaning - though you may have been fussing as you fused. :) And black hair elastics - who'd a thunk it?

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  7. It's come together so wonderfully. I'm sure he'll love it.

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