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Thursday, August 9, 2012

Making my bra-shirt part I

This week I've been doing a lot of sewing. First I started making my bra-shirt. Bertus helped with getting the pattern right. It consists of four pieces, two for the front and two for the back. I put lining in fine linen inside, to add some extra sturdiness. The outer fabric is medium linen that has a very tight weave. At the bottom of the bra, right under the breasts, I sewed in a strip of very strong linnen twill tape for extra support.



I left one side (the right side) open and made five eyelets on each side (front and back). In total this stage took me about two days.

Münster zum Heiligen Kreuz, Schwäbisch Gmünd, c. 1360

Of course, in the original I based my bra-shirt on, there is also a skirt attached to the upper part. I thought I still had some linen lying about that was fine enough for the purpose, but I was mistaken! It was all used up in frilled headwear :-)


I ordered some new linen (see pic above) but it hasn't arrived yet. So the skirt will have to come later. There are some other details I want to add too. I will sew a fingerloop braid or some tablet weaving to reinforce the neckline. I want to add some simple embroidery to the reinforced strip at the bottom of the bra, and I hope to attach the skirt to the top using interlacing stitch, but I will have to practice a lot first!

Until then I'll at least be able to wear it in it's current state. It also finally allows me to refit my woollen dress properly. I started on that too but still have to sew on 12 or so buttons before it's done. It has to be ready by Saturday morning for an event in Eindhoven.



PS.: Please forgive the ugly synthetic shoe lace, I still have to make a proper linen one.


14 comments:

  1. Brilliant! I am looking forward seeing the garment ready, with skirt part and all. That construction would solve many support-problems...

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  2. Wonderful! I can't wait to see the finished product, and make one for myself.

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  3. Do you have more information on how you designed your pattern?

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  4. i roughly followed these guidelines:
    http://www.cottesimple.com/fem_silhouette/curved/curved_1.html but adapted them for the purpose of making a croped top with seperate skirt instead of a full dress.

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  5. Fabulous work Isis! Research and product put together in the exact manner it should be done!

    /Peter

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  6. May I put a short article about this article in our Shire Newsletter, and reference to this website? Please pretty please?
    Shire of Bordescros in the Kingdom of Lochac.

    Regards,
    Lowry

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  7. Yes of course, no problem! you can also refer to me by my name: Isis Sturtewagen. I'm a scholar working on medieval and early modern dress.

    Best,
    Isis

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  8. Really, Really nice work. I just posted a link on my facebook page. Thank you so much for writing it all up (in English) and taking the photos. I know my SCA friends will be all over this!

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  9. I would also like to put in a link to this blog post in our Baronial newsletter, please. This is amazing. It looks like a modern sports bra! Brilliant! I love it.

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  10. Not sure my last comment posted. I'm the Chronicler for the Barony of Sternfeld in the Middle Kingdom, and I would love to put a link of this blog in our monthly newsletter. May I, please?

    This is brilliant! It puts me in mind of a modern sports bra. But the linen would breathe so much better...which gives me an idea for making modern sports bras with this pattern! History brought to modern-day use. I love it!

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  11. Great work! I'm going to make a bra dress myself.
    I would then like to post it on my blog. Would you mind if I put a link to your article in my post?
    Greetings!

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  12. Thanks!
    You can see my result here:
    http://irea-irea.blogspot.de/2014/10/being-creative-mittelalterliches.html

    Greetings!

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