Next in the ‘sew yourself a 17th century outfit’ series: a vest, detachable sleeves, a chemise, and an apron. So now I finally have a functional outfit!
Making the chemise wasn’t difficult, as it didn’t have to be precise. The only challenge was the sleeves. Not in terms of sewing, but determining how wide they needed to be. In images, you often see quite wide sleeves that the ladies sometimes wore rolled up, so they need to be wide enough at the bottom for that. But it shouldn’t become a hassle if you wear separate sleeves or a jacket with sleeves over it. So I just took a guess regarding their width.
Then came the vest. I don’t know the correct name for it, neither in Dutch nor in English. Perhaps a ‘kletje’?
It is particularly short, but that is how it is supposed to be. The fit at the front also took a few attempts before it sat right, and when I put the whole outfit on for the photo, I noticed that the bottom center front is actually a bit too loose, so I am going to take that in. I am very happy with how the collar turned out, though! I was afraid the collar would tip over due to the weight of the ruffles, but it stays up nice and straight!
As an additional item against cold weather, I made sleeves that can be pinned to the dress. They are easy to put on or take off when needed and are less warm than a jacket (which I still need to sew), and they are also quick and easy to make!
Finally, I sewed a linen apron, which is no more than a hemmed rectangle attached to a waistband (with some pleats). But together everything makes for a rather nice 17th century outfit.
So then… I finally put everything on together!
Time spent: not tracked, as I mentioned in a previous post.
Costs: Very difficult to estimate, because I used almost exclusively material from my stash. The black wool for the sleeves is a remnant from my winter coat. I bought some additional white linen for the vest, but I also used it to line other garments, and I have a lot of it left over.
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