Der Schneider als Landsknecht und die Näherin. Erhard Schoen um 1535 Nurnberg, Germanisches Nationalmuseum
More pleating experimentation.
I am trying figure out the best depth of pleats to bring 168″ down to 15.5″. There are a number of different pleat options, I am choosing to use a gather for my Hemd. Originally I was going to do a Gather at the back as used by Katafalk on her 16th Century German Hemd tutorial.
Prepping pleats “through the back” or “pick up dot” style. A small number of threads are picked up at each guide dot.
1 cm pleats gathered through through back condense down from 20″ to approx 2″
Sizing of 1.5 cm through the back pleats. 20″ condenses down to 2″
I find the swatches curl uncontrollably and will likely take a lot of work to stabilize. Its also a 10:1 ratio for reduction which wont get me where I want to be.
Further research broughtFitzarbeit buüchlein The Pleatwork Bookby Baroness Genoveva von Lübeck to my attention. She does a very comprehensive study of 15th and 16th century pleatwork found in the region and tests a number of theories and techniques. Discussed in Her Excellencies work is How to Pleat a Shirt in the 15th Centuryby Beatrix Nutz. Between these two very well researched and insightful articles, I realized I had another option for pleating. Gathered Pleating through the pleat would probably give me a more stable pleat, but I needed to find out whether the reduction ratios would work.
Prepping 20″ swatches for gathering pleats through the actual pleat. 1 and 1.5 cm gauges
1 cm pleats gathered through the pleat. 20″ condenses down to approx 1″
1.5 cm pleats gathered through the pleat. 20″ condenses down to 1″
Through the pleat gathering gives me a ratio of 20:1 bringing my reduction of 168″ to 8.4″ of the tightest pleats. Using this method, I will have some room for stretch and decoration on my collar. Since the 1.5cm and the 1cm depths reduce by the same ratio, I have leeway to choose which depth I’d prefer. The 1cm pleats are less deep and will be less bulky along my neckline.
I attempted to mark my swatches with a variety of awls but still ended up using a pencil. I am going to try again with something softer under the fabric (some wood? a folded hunk of felted wool?) then the cutting mat I was using.
Next Steps
– Seam finish the partial seams where the pleatwork will be
– Hem the collar with a roll hem
– Find a backing medium to use a pricking method of marking stitches
I spent a lot of time thinking about my “Skin Out” project this weekend. I managed to sort out, pre-washed, and iron my choice fabrics. I’ve dug out my source books, leaned on my most knowledgeable friends and overall started the process of planning to create. I find the planning part of creating a historical item nearly as much fun as the actual crafting. Pulling all the ideas together into a plan, sleuthing out supporting information, chasing rabbits down all the holes is something I find a real treat. But, those rabbit holes can go really deep. To prevent myself from getting lost in the warren, I will be creating a document for each item which will identify the questions I am trying to answer with the item. The basic questions will remain the same: Who, What, When, Where, Why but the details for each will vary depending on the article of clothing in question. Following the creation of each piece, I will follow with a How article documenting my process, selections, choices and reasoning specific to the creation rather then the background research.
First up the Hemd. A linen shirt which falls below the knees with a high collar of pleatwork at the neck and matching pleatwork at the wrists.
Allegory of Virtues and Vices at the Court of Charles V c. 1522 (detail)
Hemd
Who: Who would have made a pleatwork hemd? Who would have be in charge of ordering material and selecting designs?
What: What were they made of? Where did the material come from? What would the cost of the materials or final product be?
When: When would it be made? This seems like a no-brainer right? “Early 15th century upper Germany” or something similar. I will touch on this when addressing the style of the Hemd. The “when” I want to dig into is whether was there a season more often associated with new linens? A holiday? These questions can be approached based on when the materials were more readily available. Bleaching linen is no meanfeat! Sewing in shorter days and weaker light could be a factor.
Where: Where were these made? Was there a linen guild where these were created in a shop or were they really a “home” item? Was this style regional? Did it originate in Germany or did they import it? Are there regional differences in pleatwork hemds?
Why: Similar to when, why can simply be answered with “To protect the unterkleid from the oils and dirt of the wearers skin.” I want to look at why this style rose to such distinctive prominence.
Next Steps (Hemd):
Experiment with depth of pleats needed for weight of linen
After spending an entire day geeking out (and ignoring my family, sorry kiddo!) on this large project it appears my enthusiasm and momentum have not diminished a day later. I spent some time digging through tubs of fabric this morning and it looks like I will have nearly everything I need on hand to start right into these multiple projects. Apparently my hoard is abundant and dragon-like!
The only things I am missing are some notions so if anyone has a line on quality linen sewing thread please send me some details. Otherwise I will be working with whatever Fabricland has on; polyester is a decent substitute for silk. Cotton thread seems like a good idea in theory, until the thread shrinks and all your seams pucker up for kisses they don’t deserve. Material Selections
Untërrocke – Here is where some research will have to begin in earnest. I have yards of linen in various colours to work with, but I don’t have a lot of research on what these garments were made of. I actually suspect they were a lighter weight wool, if so I have a decent orangey-red wool of just enough yardage. If these garments were anything like the petticotes in England at the time, red was the most common colour.
Rock – Red or Black wool, with the opposite as guards. Since I normally portray a more common class, I usually avoid silk and velvet. With the magnitude of this project, I might punch above my weight and break some sumptuary laws. A lovely red wool gown with black velvet or silk guards would be downright lovely to create.
Gollar – I am leaning to a tan wool with black wool guards. Whether I fur line it or not will depend on if I can find a source of appropriate recycled fur.
Schaub – Deep red wool melton with a blue linen lining.
Steuchlein – Wulsthauben – Sturdy White linen for the Wulthaub, I might even experiment with some willow rolls as the base and more of the Featherweight White for the Steuchlein
Schlappe – I know I want a hat. I want ALL the hats. I want ALL THE HATS WITH ALL THE FEATHERS! But I also want something appropriate to the outfit. So I shall create something somewhat conservative out of black wool with only a few ostrich feathers.
Strumpfband – Inkle woven wool? Linen ribbons? I feel like silk would be too slippy. More research required on sock garters!
Gürtel – Findings, all the findings. Unlike the feathers I am not using in my hat, the belt will very MUCH be covered in bling!
I have decided to build a skin out, documented 16th century German outfit. This tag will be used to track my progress. Today I am going to start with the list of items I expect to be making.
Under layers
Unterhosen (underpants)? Hard Maybe (Fig 1)
Fig 1: detail from ‘der unterjochte Ehemann’ (the subjugated husband), Israhel van Meckenem, end of 15th century, Germany
This weekend I entered an “unfinished entries” competition at Montengarde Samhain. I neglected to get photos of my display, but if any come up I will update this post with them. I did write some documentation though, it can be found here at the link below.
For the future, I plan on completing this Doppelschürze and making another one with some finer linen I have to compare the drape and fit with a better quality material.
Although clothing accessories are becoming more and more common in Avacal, I have yet to see anyone actually wearing one of these aprons. Being the only German Renaissance woman for a few hundred kilometers around might have something to do with that!
I have not come across the actual name of this type of apron, but The Doppelschürze (or double apron)is noted in in Textiler Hausrat (pg 70) (thank you Michaela de Bruce for pointing me in the obvious direction for the garments name) it is most commonly seen on women engaged in medical (lots of midwives) or other very messy activities/professions. Although clothing accessories are becoming more and more common in Avacal, I have yet to see anyone actually wearing one of these aprons. Being the only German Renaissance woman for a few hundred kilometers around might have something to do with that!
I spent some time trying to decide if this was 2 rectangles sewn at the sides and pleated at the top or a giant tube pleated in two sections. Looking at various images, I decided it was 2 rectangles sewn at the sides. The hems would be wavy/droopy if it were a tube hanging loose at the sides and only parts going over the shoulders. Since all the images I can find showing the hemlines show them as a level hem, 2 rectangles it is!
These aprons aren’t overly full the way other pleated ones appear to be. The minimal pleating at the front and back combined with an assumption that fabric wouldn’t be wasted with shaping means the widths of the rectangles is pretty narrow. There are exceptions, such as the woman below from an Albrecht Durer painting below:
Nürnbergerin im Hauskleid”, 1500, Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528)
This apron appears to be very full and of a very fine linen.
Since I will be working with materials on hand in order to meet a self imposed deadline of September Crown, my linen will be 5.3oz bleached from Fabric-Store IL019 – Bleached White. Although not as fine as I’d like, it is quite durable and holds up well to wear and washing. Next apron I make like this will likely be Pure Linen Envy – Middleweight White. It is a Canadian vendor and the sample I have is LOVELY. Because of the weight and density of the linen, I will be opting for a more narrow apron. By wearing my latest wool gown and loosely measuring around the guard I come up with approx 65″ diameter of the apron. That will make a fairly narrow apron, so I decided to go to 80″ diameter. Making each rectangle 40″ + 1″ seam allowance. My height from hem to bust (where these seem to loosely sit) is 47″. I want approximately 5″ of pleating across the top and the pleating will be about 3″ down. Beham’s November/December engraving shows nicely how the pleating sit’s fairly long down the apron rather then just pleated around the top band.
Sebald Beham November and December 1546/1547
The only thing left to decide will be whether the straps tie at the shoulders or I rely on math to decide their length. There is visual evidence of both. But that is for another day. First up, ironing and cutting the linen!
Keep an eye out for development and progress posts on this project. And see my pattern below to make your own apron.
This is the documentation for a blackwork embroidery entry I did for my Sargent Trials as a Courtier.
This is the documentation for a blackwork embroidery entry I did for my Sargent Trials as a Courtier.
Hans Holbien the Younger – Darmstadt Madonna (detail of Anna Meyer in her wedding gown) 1526-1528
Origins
Blackwork embroidery is common on all classes of undergarments. It is seen on hem lines, collars and cuffs. Periodically, blackwork is displayed as trim on an article of clothing, as seen in Hans Holbein the Youngers Darmstdat Madonna c. 1528 (above). Depending on the wealth of the owner, different materials and colours could have been used for the stitches. Embroidery is almost invariably done on a linen base. It is thought the lower classes may have used blackwork to emulate the much more expensive lace trimming. Blackwork is often done as silk thread on a linen base, but the upper class may have used silk thread on a silk base.[1] Blackwork was common on both male and female undergarments.
The stitch type I have used is modernly called “Double Back” the style is often referred to as “Spanish Work”, presumably after Catherine of Aragorn who popularized it in Tudor England, it is documented much earlier as shown in Chaucer’s “Cantebury Tales” of the Miller[2]:
52
White was her smock, embroidered all before
53
And even behind, her collar round about,
54
Of coal-black silk, on both sides, in and out;
Hans Holbein – Jane Pemberton Small circa. 1540
It is also called the “Holbien Stitch” due to its regular occurrence on the garments of Holbien’s subjects. It is generally accepted that the style of small straight stitches on evenweave fabric, often counted, was brought to mainland Europe in the 14th century from the Moors and Arabs after the crusades.[3]
Patterns were often geometric or floral[4] in design and until the influence of the printing press, they were often guarded and treasured passed through generations of women. Samplers exist of these designs, showing various motif and fill patterns in different colours and stitches.
Ground fabric would be stretched on a wooden frame[5], and a design could be counted, traced or prick & pounced onto it. The design could then be stitched onto the ground fabric with an even tension. There were ordinances in some cities that embroidery could only be worked during daylight hours as this type of fine work would damage the eyes. Blackwork was likely a woman’s craft done by the ladies of a household, but men of the embroiders guild could be commissioned.[6]
This piece of blackwork embroidery will become the waist band of a pair of fitted drawers.[7]
Linen Drawers embroidered in silver and silver-glit thread. c. 1600 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Materials
5.3oz 100% linen – white
100% silk Gutterman sewing thread
Wooden stretcher frame
Small embroidery needle
Pattern
The pattern is from Zimmerman, Jane D. The Art of English Blackwork. Zimmerman: USA, 1996. Print. It has 2 elements, the larger and small flowers connected by a straight base line. I have attempted to design a stitch pattern below for one arm of the large flower and the small flower. The alternating colours denote different directions. I teach a class on the doubleback or Holbein stitch and will post the handout in another blog article.
Blackwork embroidery using 33 running back stitches. Each section is worked as it’s own element being completed before coming back to the central portion, in this case the stem
A single side of the large flower. Run as a double back stitch. Each element of the flower is run as an independent element and is completed before coming back to the central stem portion
Process
I cut the linen 4” wide and 49.5” long. The linen strip was zig-zagged on a sewing machine to keep it from fraying during the embroidery process. Period Practice: In period the edges would have either been selvage because the fabric was woven to width, or possibly waxed to prevent fraying. Most often embroidery was done on a larger piece of fabric with selvages intact and then cut out and used in its final garment.
I then sewed the linen with a whip stitch onto a stretcher frame and tensioned it by wrapping the long ends around the stretcher bars until I had a taught working surface.
Beginning with an away knot, I began working the design with a double thread of black silk and weaving the working end back under the pattern at the end of a thread.
As the pattern moved to the edge of the frame, I loosened it off and rolled it to the next un-worked section to make a continuous design.
When the design is complete, I will go back through the away knots and weave them back under the pattern.
Note: This item has been in progress for a number of years and recently through a drastic weight change. I now have sufficient embroidery to complete the drawers, which will be another post at another date.
Holbein Stitch Blackwork band for womens drawers
Detail of the balckwork embroidery done in the Holbein Stitch for a pair of drawers
Arnold, Janet. Patterns of Fashion 4: The Cut and Construction of linen shirts, smocks, neckwear, headwear and accessories for men and women c. 1540 – 1660. London: Macmilan, 2008. Print
Mikhaila, Ninya & Jane Malcolm-Davies. The Tudor Tailor. London: B T Batsford Ltd, 2006. Print
Aprons can be seen everywhere, on everyone in the 15 and 16th Centuries. Worn by both men and women at work and at play, they appear to be a standard attire throughout the early modern era.
Worn by the lowest classes as working garments to offer some protection for their dearly owned clothing underneath, aprons were also worn by the highest classes as a show of status in extravagant embellishment and fine work. Even women of the gentry would need some protection of their clothing when doing the various household tasks not trusted to the staff.
Clothing cost money. Lots of money. The poorer classes would have 2 maybe 3 outfits. One for church, one for the rest of the time. They ate, drank, worked, and even slept in the same small wardrobe. In order to maintain the best condition of their clothing, protective layers (both inside and out) were made of cheaper materials. Items such as the hemd (English: smock, Italian: chemise) and the schürze (English: apron) were generally made from linen and served this purpose. I believe there are some records of wool aprons, but I am lacking a citation at the moment. It would make sense, since wool was nearly as cost effective as linen, although harder to clean.
Aprons in 16th century Germany are standard to a few different styles. I will explore these designs in detail in future posts. For now I will refer to them as “Front Aprons”, “Full Aprons” and “Shoulder Suspended”
Image 1, Center: Full Apron, Right: Front ApronImage 2: Left: Shoulder Suspended Apron
Aprons were often smocked with either basic or elaborate embroidery, displayed cutwork and pulled thread work. The colours ranged from undyed to black, reds, blues, greens and yellows can be found in imagery of the time. Most often, aprons were white presumably for ease of cleaning and re-bleaching for reuse.
Like head coverings, aprons are something we often neglect in our portrayals of persons in history. In our modern recreations of historical dress, we go for the flashy, big picture. Accessories are the details that blur the lines and make our garb more authentic and feel more real.
Melancholia I (Apron Detail) – Albrecht Durer – 1514
Aprons, ubiquitous to all stations throughout history, serve both functional and frivolous purposes. Made of wool or linen, ranging in colours from black to white to green to blue, they were used to protect clothing and as a status symbol.
This is the beginning of my research into aprons in the German Cities in the 16th century. I’ll be looking at the range of colours displayed in art and trying to extrapolate a difference in social class in relation to apron colour. I will also try to identify different styles of aprons; pleated, smocked, flat, partial coverage or complete.
I like aprons, I find them useful every day. I cook, clean, work, and relax in garb over the course of an event. Having useful functional clothing and accessories assists in maintaining my kit as well as lending authenticity to it. The devil is in the details. I’ve had a simple pleated apron made of midweight linen for 5 years and it’s finally time to cut it up into wash cloths. I need some basic functional aprons, but I’m also working on some fancier ones similar to the apron depicted in Durer’s “Melancholia I” shown above.
I haven’t posted a blog in a VERY VERY long time. I shall begin to remedy this promptly.
Since my past post in 2009 I’ve grown enormously in my research and knowledge of both clothing and life in the 16th century. I’ll try to get a few diaries and patterns up as well as complete photos and progress shots.
But, let me start with the start. This is me in 2009 in the first thing I ever made (beyond that one bag in sewing classes when I was 12). It was at Montengarde 12th Night (photo courtesy Falashad on Flickr) and inspired by Hans Holbien’s painting.
Me. 2009. First Garb!
Portrait of Dorthea Meyer – Hans Holbein the Younger (1525)
Iain Gutherie patterned the bodice for me, and I did it NO justice in the end. Lemme tell you, this was an optimistic first try. I have yet to re-attempt the gown. Its a great attempt though, I am pretty proud of this all things considered!
Smock Constrution Materials 100% Cotton
How I did it A bunch of triangles and little tiny cartridge pleats around the neck…. maybe?
Hat Construction
?? Your guess is as good as mine. It doesn’t look too bad though eh!
Gown Construction
Materials
Lining – 100% cotton Interlining – Jean denim Red Fashion – Questionably 100% cotton drill Black guards – Questionable content plain weave “wool”
How I did it This was a VERY long time ago. So I don’t have many details on my process other then a LOT of tea, frustration, and seam ripping.
I started with zigzagging all the edges of all the pieces… so I had some good direction!
The lining and interlining on the bodice is sewing good side to good side then flipped right side in and pressed. Since I used inappropriate materials, and didn’t know about clipping allowance, I ended up running a stitch along the neck and front to minimize bubbling along that edge.
The bodice was WAY too big around the waist and fit funny so I ended up putting a little pleat in the back where it attaches to the skirt to make it look better.
The sleeves are probably unlined and sewn in right side to right side then flipped over. I didn’t know much about seam finishing, so they are all bulky and raw inside.
The skirt is a vague approximation of a knife pleat. The neck guard runs down the length of the front of the skirt and then into the hem guards. I liked the look at the time, but totally undocumented.
It is closed with hooks and eyes.
Take Away Ok, this is pretty redundant since it’s my first ever sewing project. But I really DID learn a lot from both those helping me, and my own mistakes. I guess it wasn’t too bad, since I haven’t stopped making stuff yet!
fröliche Frau 