Category Archives: General

Just reminding that for costume making I will be following the tudor costume page fairly slavishly and begging advice from k at deependers on materials suitability and nearer the time costume elves [!] for the difficult bits [ie kirtle bodice ] I am currently not a re-enactor, but have visited Kentwell [see preamble] and we are really keen as a family to join the tudors. I plan to make a shift and petticoat for each of us girls, a shift for DH by Xmas. This is also a good site to read up on what to do. Other people I know have found the mediaeval tailors assistant to be really helpful for shifts, or the tudor tailor.

This means that the steps detailed here are not originating from my brain, but the tudor costume makers, though some of the mistakes and how to avoid unfortunately did :blush: .

NB Anyone thinking of making clothes for re-enactment, please check with your group the ‘rules’ on materials, colours and look. different tudor years have different styles – tho less so for poor, especially poor kids. following these notes does not guarentee acceptance of clothing by Kentwell or any other group, but may help a total novice such as myself. I had never made any clothes before these – a hint of my novicitude. Also, with shifts there are a variety of neck finishes – square, simple or collared and cuffed – potentially with ruffles. You might need to know which youa re expected to do. otherwise, you could go as far as making the neckline bit and then wait until you do know. I wrote this initially in Sept 2011, but have added in the things that had I had known I would have done differently – mostly in italics . however, the clothing was passed for Kentwel 1556 . i have also been told that a run and fell or a french seam would be stronger for shift seams, but is a bit beyond me, and the seams of my shifts did hold

Second shift – SB’s older girl’s shift

Materials and Measuring

I am using a 100% irish linen in white rather than unbleached. This is what i could find that was 100% linen in the affordable range. Apparently unbleached goes whiter and whiter with use. These are going to be therefore much used shifts it has been hot washed 2ce and dried, so shouldn’t be more shrinkage [I hope!] It is not at all bluey in real life, even if it does looks so on photos. Hot washing does shrink the weave and tightens it. Ivory white for lower classes or natural is probably better than whitey white.

having been to a reenactment recently, I picked up some linen thread, a white 2 ply and an unbleached 3ply. I am using the 2 ply for hemming and the 3ply for whipstitching.

I measured up using the Tudor costume page to SB’s mid shin – 42″ and around her chest at 34″ made it looser to 38″ so overall as a rectangle i wanted 84″ plus hem margins [seem to be an inch per hem when i do them] by 14 inches plus hem margins. I managed to measure once and so have to cut twice though! forgetting to halve the width. luckilly, it is perfect for me, if a bit knee length! so instead, I have cut AGAIN the right measurements of 86 x 17. SB wants more voluminous sleeves with a cuff, so the arms were more generously cut than before.

Hemming and Pinning

Initially I followed a very similar path to the first shift . I hemmed the body rectangle along its 2 long edges having pinned first Then I hemmed each arm on the 2 long lengths and 1 short length [ie 3 sides] I have actually got a bit bored of hemming, so i kinda running stitched all of them except where they would show accross the shoulder :blush:

instead of adding some knife pleats to the top of the sleeve I have done box pleats as these are also apparently authentic, and then i don’t do the front/back mistake that i did with the last shift I did 2 small box pleats in total.

As before I then placed a pin at the midpoint of each longside of the body piece, and the midpoint of the hemmed short side for each arm, and lined these up. i pinned them right side to right side, with the midpoint pins lining up so that each arm was securely on, and checked that the arms weren’t going to be sewn in the wrong way round, as this is apparently a very easy and common thing to do. [and i am good at making mistakes!] . i then whipstitched the arms onto the body.

Underarm gores

I have cut these out at 6″ as recommended for adults, but my hemming means that they are 4 ” square for sewing in. I then used these squares to make a diamond shape under the armpit with the bottom 2 sides of the diamond being sewn to the sides of the body, and the top 2 sides of the diamond sewn to the underarm seam of the arms. Makes a lot more sense with photos!

Making the neck hole
I added hole so that SB could try on, following the steps in the tudor costume, making it 6″ transverse and 4″ vertical and ensuring that i had the midpoint again. once this was done i shaped the neck hole and v finely hemmed all round it, just like for BB’s . However, SB would like to have a collar and tie. So following the Tudor Costume design I cut out some little rounded triangles to put on the shoulders to collar, having hemmed them, whipstitched them into place.

I retried on the shift at this point and it was tight around the neck! so cut a longer vertical incision, and hemmed again. Now it fits!! The sleeves also appear to be slightly off the shoulder in look, and I don’t know if this is a problem?? I just need to finish it off with the collarA final collar made of material 2 inches longer than the collar circumference, and 4 times the wished for width and I need to make the laces. I am going to leave collar and other bits until i see what leftover material i have from the next shift

Making the cuff

I did nice long cuffs, so there was quite a turnback to hem. Then I knife pleated around so that the cuff was loose enough to pull over the hand without untieing if required and pinned, and then oversewed the tops of the knife pleats so that they would hold. A cuff band was formed, like the collar, of material 2 inches longer than the cuff circumference, and 4 times the wished for width, this was then folded in a ‘valley fold’ – ie each long edge to the middle. A bit like the waistband of the petticoats, the pinned sleeve was sewn to the inner of the cuff, this was then folded over on the middle axis, and carefully stitched down on the other side too. Having done it, I wonder if the cuffs are too loose??

Sewing up the sides/triangular side gores

I have sewed to SBs thigh and she can still pull on and off the shift, so tempted to leave it unsewn rather than put in triangular side gores. This is prob dependent on how much material i have left after making the next shift!

so, current state of play is that it needs a collar, 1 cuff and potentially side gores. but, as don’t have off cut scraps at moment, going to wait until i do to cut out collar and cuff, and decide side gores at the end. I did attach cuff to other side exactly as I did this one, and then collar, and had a linen tie for collar and cuff, but seem not to have taken any photos at all!

advice – what needed to be firmer? definitely the linen tape to tie closed at the wrists. it needed to be much much much more firmly sewn on. I also didn’t quite get the neck shape right, but was good enough

I went on to make her a simple shift, myself and my dh each a collared shift and a simple shift, though all mens shifts should be collared and cuffed. For his shift, it is finished at upper thigh so that the hose aren’t revealing . you need a minimum of a shift per 2 days in the ideal world. if it is sunny, the washerwomen at kentwell can wash and return you a shift in 2 days, so you might get away with 2. however… the more the better really.

Variations upon a theme

note how the shoulder droops off. it is even worse for me! as the chest measurement is a lot bigger than the shoulder, so with each i retrofitted a trapedoid shape by tucking it in from the gore diamond at the armpit so that it took in about 3 inches by the time it got to the shoulder. it would have been easier to do this shape from the start for adults I think, which is what is suggested in the mediaeval tailors assistant and in the tudor tailor.

Just reminding that for costume making I will be following the tudor costume page fairly slavishly and begging advice from k at deependers on materials suitability and nearer the time costume elves [!] for the difficult bits [ie kirtle bodice ] I am currently not a re-enactor, but have visited Kentwell [see preamble] and we are really keen as a family to join the tudors. I plan to make a shift and petticoat for each of us girls, a shift for DH by Xmas. This is also a good site to read up on what to do. Other people I know have found the mediaeval tailors assistant to be really helpful for shifts, or the tudor tailor.

This means that the steps detailed here are not originating from my brain, but the tudor costume makers, though some of the mistakes and how to avoid unfortunately did :blush: .

NB Anyone thinking of making clothes for re-enactment, please check with your group the ‘rules’ on materials, colours and look. different tudor years have different styles – tho less so for poor, especially poor kids. following these notes does not guarentee acceptance of clothing by Kentwell or any other group, but may help a total novice such as myself. I had never made any clothes before these – a hint of my novicitude. Also, with shifts there are a variety of neck finishes – square, simple or collared and cuffed – potentially with ruffles. You might need to know which youa re expected to do. otherwise, you could go as far as making the neckline bit and then wait until you do know. I wrote this initially in Sept 2011, but have added in the things that had I had known I would have done differently – mostly in italics . however, the clothing was passed for Kentwel 1556 . i have also been told that a run and fell or a french seam would be stronger for shift seams, but is a bit beyond me, and the seams of my shifts did hold

First shift – BB’s child’s shift

Materials and Measuring

I am using a 100% irish linen in white rather than unbleached. This is what i could find that was 100% linen in the affordable range. Apparently unbleached goes whiter and whiter with use. These are going to be therefore much used shifts it has been hot washed 2ce and dried, so shouldn’t be more shrinkage [I hope!] It is not at all bluey in real life, even if it does looks so on photos. Hot washing does shrink the weave and tightens it. Ivory white for lower classes or natural is probably better than whitey white.

having been to a reenactment recently, I picked up some linen thread, a white 2 ply and an unbleached 3ply. I am using the 2 ply for hemming and the 3ply for whipstitching.

I measured up using the Tudor costume page to BB’s mid shin – 30″ and around her chest and made it looser to 24″ so overall as a rectangle i wanted 60″ plus hem margins [seem to be an inch per hem when i do them] by 12 inches plus hem margins. SInce the material was 60″ wide I decided to forgoe the extra inch in length… each arm was measured from shoulder to wrist with 2 inches added for seams, and around to look loosish to give me my 2 arm rectangles of 16 by 12. I have also cut out 2 6″ squares to be underarm gores [more later]!

[edited to add, I should have given more width to my rectangle!so next time I will be definately going looser!]

Hemming and Pinning

I hemmed the body rectangle along its 2 long edges having pinned first [I am getting better at straight edges, but variable still at remembering the seam allowance! luckilly not too short, and so just had to make sure they weren’t too generous!

Then I hemmed each arm on the 2 long lengths and 1 short length [ie 3 sides] Mys children were crafting with me at the same time in the conservatory, which made it very enjoyable.

I then put 3 tucks on each sleeve as the sleeves are quite wide, and I was concerned the armhole might be enormous, especially with the square gore. [it still looks enormous, but not finished yet, so will see!]

Next time I am going to pin these so that instead of going in the same direction on my lap, the knife pleats are facing front or back on both arms, rather than one arm facing front, and the other back. I have decided this is too small a deal to unpick!

I then placed a pin at the midpoint of each longside of the body piece, and the midpoint of the hemmed short side for each arm, and lined these up.

i pinned them right side to right side, with the midpoint pins lining up so that each arm was securely on, and checked that the arms weren’g going to be sewn in the wrong way round, as this is apparently a very easy and common thing to do. [and i am good at making mistakes!] . i then whipstitched the arms onto the body.

Underarm gores

I have cut these out at 6″ as recommended for adults, but my hemming means that they are 4 ” square for sewing in.

I then used these squares to make a diamon shape under the armpit with the bottom 2 sides of the diamond being sewn to the sides of the body, and the top 2 sides of the diamond sewn to the underarm seam of the arms. Makes a lot more sense with photos!

And that is as far as i have got currently. It does seem a bit odd to have no head hole yet mind you…

side gores

Aha!! we have moved on I added hole so that BB could try on, following the steps in the tudor costume, making it 6″ transverse and 4″ vertical in the end to get over her big head I identified the midpoint with a pin, and checked a few times that i had the right horizantal space too.

When i did this, i realised i hadn’t corrected either for a slight pot on tummy! so it is tight!! i therefore decided that my triangle side gores would need to start just under armpit square gores, and get wide quite quickly to allow ease of putting on and taking off. A nuisance, as i think for a young childs shift i might have got away with splits from thigh, splits from underarm prob not!! SO I cut out 2 triangle gores of length of underarm to hem at bottom, with a width of 11 ” these i whipstitched in between the side seams [obviously getting wider going down] and didn’t seam the bottom 3-4″ and left those as splits, as a young active child likes lots of skipping and running room. If necessary, i can sew it up down to the bottom if it is more authentic. I also hemmed along the bottom. It comes out as just below knees

neckline

i then carefully hemmed a collar shape around the neck area along the line of design 2 with a narrow collar. I haven’t added the collar and tie as saw children with v plain necklines, and I know BB would prefer this less fussy approach. If necessary It won’t take long to add collar and tie.

I then tacked the sleeves to where I think they should be now with a big hem tack, and then will do properly nearer the time incase arms have grown a lot longer.

SO I am calling this done for now, tho it still needs finishing touches. BB plans to wear it as a nightie for a bit to soften it down and get comfortable.

What I have learnt? to be much more generous with loose allowance next time.

having been to kentwell i have also learnt something else – you need to have the wrist loose enough to push up the arms [mine were] and ideally you want a smaller horizantal slit across the neck even if you need a larger slit down the front, as it is the back of the neck and the shoulders where your children will burn.

Kentwell costuming – The Petticoate – Adult version

Just remind that for costume making I will be following the tudor costume page fairly slavishly the tudor tailor book and nearer the time costume elves [!] for the difficult bits I am currently not a re-enactor, but have visited Kentwell [see preamble] and we are really keen as a family to join the tudors. I plan to make a shift and petticoat for each of us girls, a shift for DH by Xmas, and 2 shifts each before the first open day in feb [ie majority of linens, at my own risk as may well not be accepted] this is because there is a huge amount of sewing to be done, and i think if you are any more than 2, to try and fit it all in after acceptance is really a tall order and hard work.

This means that the steps detailed here are not originating from my brain, but the tudor costume makers, though some of the mistakes and how to avoid unfortunately did :blush: . The tudor costume page has unfortunately got some non-working links, and since it was last updated a fair while ago there are a few non-completed bits. This wasn’t a problem for petticoates though. Nothing detailed here seems particularly at odds with costume notes from a prev year.

Anyone thinking of making clothes for re-enactment, please check with your group the ‘rules’ on materials, colours and look. different tudor years have different styles – tho less so for poor, especially poor kids. following these notes does not guarentee acceptance of clothing by Kentwell or any other group, but may help a total novice such as myself. I had never made any clothes before these – a hint of my novicitude. I wrote this initially in Oct 2011, but have added in the things that had I had known I would have done differently – mostly in italics

See first the Petticoate – Children’s version, as I am building on that knowledge to do this one.

* ah, well here is a thing, i made this beautiful petticoat just like this, went to get help for my kirtle, and instead [or as well] ended up cutting this up and attaching it to a boned bodice. this is a remarkably good think for a more buxom figure. there is debate over boned bodice for the poorer such as myself, but it has huge advantages in support and then simplifying the making of my kirtle. sooo… read this and it will describe my lovely petticoat, and then the boned bodice version [well reeds actually] and then make a decision as to which you may assay to make and start at that point. NB my previous comment on the kids petticoat about nomenclature, coloured or otherwise linen and red wool]*

The Material

I am using a mustard/turmeric coloured 100% Linen mediumweight. I have washed it and hung it. It doesn’t seem to have shrunk much either. It is more scratchy than the linen shirting, but allegedly it will soften up with use. Having made the whole thing, this material size of 2.9 x 1.5 will easily make any adult size as it has succesfully made a plus size. in fact, 2.5m would be enough if you don’t need side plackets or are smaller and still want them and make it more like the childs one, but would like it reasonably pleated and thus good leg mvt. *actually, 2m would be enough for the skirt even plus size, as it doesn’t have to be so pleated. the pleats are so you can do a good stride, 2m is enough to stride this could be made as a single rectangle, or piece fabric up to that as linen often in 150cm width*

Measuring Up

this time my material length is only 2.9m by 1.5 . i thought i would go for a x3 mark up on my waist, but my waist is not tiny. another thing is that i am hoping to reduce its dimensions between now and kentwell. so, humming and hawing, i have decided to make the waistband potentially 2 inches each half less than i am [by 4 inches in total] and have a placket each side of 4-6 inches [so 8-12 expansion] and mock pin it and see what that seems like, or whether to reduce the placket bit.I am aiming to make this a size 22-26+ is as this, unfortunately is my size variation. Though if i ever get less than 22 i can celebrate with a new petticoat

cutting and hemming the rectangles

so today i have cut the 2 main panels at the full material width of 150 being the waist and the length of 120cm. Then from the remaining material I have cut the 2 placket inserts of 20cm by 120cm – I will deal with these later . This time, perhaps due to less material and it being stiffer, my lines are far straighter and neater, and as expected it has made the whole process easier. Being on my second skirt also easier as I didn’t need to reference back to the tudor costume page. I just hemmed the sides this time, rather than mistakenly the whole lot!! I will hem the bottom at the very end of the dressing process when I have made a kirtle and have an understanding of what length to go to and then update this post! Because it has such a nice selvedge at the sides, I only turned over rather than a proper hemming – again giving me more material.

Preparing the Waistband

I think I was overconfident here, being so happy with my rectangles and plackets. I had decided that I would like a wider waistband than the child one I had made, so ‘cut three inches instead of two’ for the depth, this was entirely wrong!! I had cut 4 for the childs one, which gave an inch waistband, so should have cut 5 to give 1.5 [or 6 if planning to double the material fully] argh!!!! ANyway, I made it 24 inches long [i am sorry i swap between inches and cm all the time] . preparing the turnovers. I did this 2ce, one for front and one for back before realising the mistake. If I had a lot of material i would have recut. However, I know material is going to be tight, so I have stuck with it.

SO doing the folds, I only turned over the edges 1/2 and inch rather than the full to the middle inch, and the ends did fold in an inch, giving me 22 inches by 2 inches, which will leave me with an inch waistband depth again. I hope the linen isn’t too unravelly! Like before I found the middle and marked it, decided to start my knife pleats 3 inches either side and then have the pleats 1 inch apart, so marked these also. I did this twice. Luckilly I realised this in the next step, because of course the back doesn’t want a 6″ smooth bit across the back, and so when I do this again, I will mark at inch steps all across the back band . I also realised this skirt would be way too big for if I shrunk, so took the waistband down to 20 inches front and back!

Pinning the Pleats

I have decided that I enjoy pinning It might be my favourite bit. Making sure that the pleats are crisp and even . Having done the front, I turned to the other waistband and narrowly avoided my other mistake. SO I had 3 inches smooth either side and then knife pleats going away from the centre that went forward 1 inch for the first, back 3/4 inch and then forward 1.75 inches and did a tiny bit of adjustment for the last few pleats. For the back I pleated towards the side [away from the middle] and went forward an inch for the first, back for 1/2 inch and forward 1.5 with some adjustment towards the end. I then looked at them both, and although I liked the look of the front, I didn’t like the look of the back. SO I took out the 1st pleat from the middle on each side and turned them, so I have a box pleat to start with. I think this looks a lot better.

edited to add: it is clear that if you want to box pleat a separate placket in, the seam should not be inline with the waistband, but a centimeter beyond this to give the best appearance. ie if you are adding a separate placket, make your main bit protrude beyond the waistband by a centimeter! Even if you are using no extra material as a placket, but having one side protrude beyond before sewing to the other panel, i suggest the seam is a centimetre beyond the waistband

Sewing the skirt to the waistband

This is nice and easy. i have hemmed the waistband onto the pleats on the outside as I think the tudor costume page suggests, and then decided just to hem the other side might be a bit weak, so after hemming the good side, on turning back over I did a running stitch between the pleats and the fold up of the waistband, so invisible from the outside, but hopefully a bit of extra strength. I removed all the pins – this time I had made sure all the heads of the pins were uppermost.

This time on folding over I have only pinned the inside view waistband to pleats. This is partly because if there is any material spare, I may consider adding a ribbon along if I can be bothered! But it is also so that if i do box pleat in the placket, it can be done under the waistband and much much neater I do like how the pleats are looking.

The Placket

If anything, this might be the controversial bit of building this costume. But it does seem a very sensible design to allow some flexibility of the waistband size. I am not a tudor costumier, or even amateur researcher. I am just someone trying to make something sensible, comfortable and with a bit of give to it, considering I tend to not fix on a constant size. It seems likely that I will want to use the clothes for more than one year, and no doubt due to the close fitting nature of the kirtle some unpicking and readjusting may need to happen each year. I would like to minimise the bother tho
[ and in fact, in my head I am trying to adapt the kirtle skirt bit too if possible so the adjustment would be to bodice/stitching the 2 bits together]

I digress. I have these 2 bits of 20cm [8 inches] by 120cm and will hem sides and top to take it to 6 inches by 120cm. of these, and then intend to whipstitch them to the front and back to make a side panel on each side, and then consider a small pleat under the waistband on each side, giving it a box pleat appearance and 4 inches of extension from the placket on each side. This should enable it to be easy to get on and off and a varying waist size from 40-48 inch, so a 22 – 26 dress size.

However,if i was thinner, or had material that could have been cut so that I could have constructed the placket bits like in the childs version, this would be far easier!! 2 more bits of material = lots and lots more hand hemming! *in fact I could have done – 1 x 200 or 2 rectangles of 100cm is all I needed*

Whipstitching the sides

*edited to add: it is clear that if you want to box pleat a separate placket in, the seam should not be inline with the waistband, but a centimeter beyond this to give the best appearance. ie if you are adding a separate placket, make your main bit protrude beyond the waistband by a centimeter! Even if you are using no extra material as a placket, but having one side protrude beyond before sewing to the other panel, i suggest the seam is a centimetre beyond the waistband I didn’t do this, but even better, don’t have a separate bit of material, have 1 rectangle of 2 m [or 2 rectangles of 1m each or a 150cm and a 50cm ]*

i have put this higher up in case someone is actually reading this as instructions, so you don’t come to this and have a ‘doh!’ moment like I have. I think the box pleating it looks nicer – and i have made that calculation for the material! But am going to discuss with friends who actually know something about sewing before doing it, as the whipstitched seam doesn’t look so good, or sit so nicely bent back like that. [grr to the possibility i might break a cardinal rule and unpick!] for those that might comment whilst i am deciding, i will put pics here. Box pleating it also takes the placket down to 3 inches each side as well… I have tried it on, v gently over pins and it is still loose enough to have some room to grow, tho i hope to shrink!! And, i can get it on, more importantly

Making the linen ties

I have the smallest bit of material left! I have enough to make 4 linen ties of 2 inches wide and 19 inches long. These I will fold as per waistband, so the edges are folded into the middle and then the whole thing in half so raw edges buried, and then tack along.

I did make it box pleated, as looks overcomes everything else and have pins along the seams to hold them neatly in the box, and may iron… you can see both box pleated placket and linen ties

Petticoate-Bodies

And that is how it was planned to end, but… I sought help over making my kirtle, worried about the boning etc, and was advised that actually i should have a petticoate bodies instead. this would support me well, and make the kirtle bit easier. These were def worn by the rich in elizabethan times, not so much evidence for the poor, however then the poor didn’t really get much opportunity to become plus size, and i didn’t want to look ridiculous nor feel uncomfortable, so happy to go with the advice. *This may not be appropriate for you/your reenactment group etc*

If I had planned this from the start though, I would definately have used red lighterweight wool for the skirt part. Instead, I unpicked my petticoat – and all those lovely pleats :sob: and cut 2x2m rectangles x my waist to ankle, rehemmed it 2 short sides only. Homestly, you could do this as a single rectangle of 2m. Then my fab helper started me off on the reeded bodice part. looking at all the sewing ahead, i decided this was indeed the moment for a sewing machine.

Making a toile

firstly, you need to make a toile. Now this is the pattern of the material in a non fraying cheap material – polyester etc. she made this, I have no pics, by putting her bodice on me, cinching it to where it needed to go, then draping all the material over me, cutting out the shape that would suit me and redraping and refining. This turned out to be a front half and a back half. the sides were left so there would be a 2 inch gap between front and back half of material which will be laced together. If you are a novice, you MUST HAVE HELP here. If you are Kentwelling, you either visit an ‘elf’ who will help you make one of these, or you opt for the petticoate above and go to a kentwell costume day or local elf to make a toile for the kirtle bodice and boning. There is an art to toile making. It is relatively straightforward in the bustless, and where you are following the body, but where you are aiming to control the body, it needs someone who knows what they are doing to get the best result.

When you have your toile, then cut it out in canvas x 2 or heavy linen x 2 if you are planning to handsew the channels so it can be seen, or in both canvas x 2 as the hidden inner bit and linen x 2 which shall be your outer showing bit – ideally in natural or muted linen. when you cut you do need to add seam allowance – which is about 1cn all the way round. note that it is best to pin the toile to the fabric on the flat, chalk out the outline for future sewing reference and then cut out on the flat. [i do have pics of doing easier toiles for example the pourpoint later on]

Boning the bodice

Having got your toile, used it to cut out your heavy material [canvas/linen] you need to sew the 2 fronts together and the 2 backs together along the bottom but not sides shoulder straps or top. sew along your marked chalk lines. pin enough together elsewhere so it is smooth and flat [and iron ]
You now want to look at your boning. mark out on the material [in chalk if it will be visible, biro or anything if you are covering over the top] the pattern for your boning – mine has some boning at the back – please see – and the entire front. the boning is vertical at the front and diagonal from top of sides going down towards the middle and reaching the bottom edge pretty much in a line down from nipple. Have a good look at the pics to see what I mean [if you aren't using someone knowledgeable to help you, are you sure of this? as an utter novice I would have really struggled to do this from notes or pics] . look at what you are boning with. I was given flat oval reed to use of just under 1cm width. Therefore I made channels of 1cm width with sewing machining [open at the top] in the direction of my markings

The pictures above show sewing the channels, and also what my front and back look like. The next step is to take your bendal of flat oval reed, and cut to shape so slide a bit down each channel. then sew along the top to hold them in place. Iam not sure whether it matters which way the reed faces, or even if flat reed would be as good – probably – but i had the flat side facing in. below is measuring the reed against the channel.

Finishing the bodice with canvas

nearly there now pin your linen covering onto the canvas reeded part. you need to pin both the linen bits on the op – so it goes linen-linen-canvas/canvas . then you sew sides, shoulder strap sides and the top together, leaving the bottom unsewn, and the ends of the shoulder straps. then turn inside out by taking the uppermost linen only – leaving you with linen – canvas/canvas – linen with all the seams etc hidden. the shoulder straps are difficult to turn inside out. so here are the pieces lined up; turned inside out and sewn up

not quite done – eyelets! I might do an eyelet post actually. but in short, you need to sharpen a screwdriver about 1cm diameter into v v sharp point, push this through all the material, and then sew this hole open. My DH made better eyelets than me

Then try it on, and work out where to sew the shoulder straps together – you can see these are pinned at the back. a line was drawn, the excess bar .5cm cut off, the pieces turned in and sewn shut with whipstitch, and then the 2 pieces sewn tightly together with whipstitch or ladder stitch for each side. Just look how well it supports! It is tight, but actually comfortable – which was a shock to me!

Adding skirt to bodice

so… like before pin pleats! these are going to be knife pleats, with a smooth panel at the front about a handswidth, and then going out to the sides. You are going to leave 5-10cm on each side free and flapping – this is so you can get it on and off over your head. rather odd looking. then pin the pleats to the bodice so that you pin the good front side of the skirt down against the good back side of the bodice so that you haven’t folded under the bodice and the skirt goes upwards over the bodice.

argh to not taking a pic that is clear of this.[i mght draw a pic, photograph it and add] but the top edge of the skirt is directly on top of the bottom of the bodice. you must make sure that the front linen of the bodice isn’t incorporated. This is so you can easily just sew along the whole thing when pinned with a sewing machine [2ce for luck] and then flip the skirt down so that the skirt and back linen and canvas are all inverted in.

you then fold under the front linen and ladder stitch or whipstitch that into place. These are the photos I took – please link to better ones in comments if you have them. You can see the line of stitching and flipped up skirt material in the top picture, and that I am whipstitching the top down [it is visible so hand sewn] over the top. All the seams will be hidden [antifray] all visible stitches hand sewn. Have a look at my kirtle and jerkin pages too if this doesn’t make sense, tho the photos not v clear there either perhaps.

Finished product

the side flapping bits can be left, or you can use hooks and eyes to make look good, or just tuck under. it works like the placket in version 1 effectively. It is very comfortable and v adjustable.

ok, blogging is just ot going well is it i think in part from having so kuch work to do in the evening, getting back from work and being shattered, and missing posts from DH, who is the home educator, and catches the day to day nuances. please blog love x x

Anyway, SB has been working v hard actually recently, working through lots of the ticklist we have jointly made. she is enjoying her new geography book and taking a rest from the galore park book. Also practising her piano for grade 2 this term. We were ecstatic that she came top of her class in her grade 4 ballet exam recently. She passed her grade 3 music theory with merit last term, and is avidly working towards grade 4.

BB is getting to grips with reading. she is on the level 4 of songbirds and 3 of oxford reading tree. we often see her with a nose in a book, and we have lots of lovely books, with lots of illustrations, and she says she does try to work out some of the words. We are taking a break from singapore maths, as hundreds, tens and units have turned out to be a big stumbling block, and she lost confidence, so we have gone back quite a bit and starting with MEP to boost confidence and also consolidatet the early steps. so far she is enjoying it and tes me she is getting better at maths . she isn’t doing so much of music currently but lots of arts and crafts and writing.

Both girls have enjoyed a number of local home ed events. they love the arts award, and have most recently coloured paper and made collages, but aways come back withsomething well made. it is definitely worth the money. they aso enjoy going to the wild pace for oudoor/ranger/forest school type activities. they both also do multisports v happily. both continue with the after school clubs. sb with ballet, gym, swimming, guides and judo and bb with gym, swimming and judo. SB is uncertain about guides really, and would like to do a stageschool type thing, and bb is uncertain about gym but is thinking of cubs. luckily bb has become much happier with judo. she is a shy girl i think, and is much happier having the support of parent and sister to give her the confidence, and is always worried about doing something wrong. so i am reluctant to let her drop things as i think it does her good to gain confidence in groups.

we have also had some group meetings with home ed friends, a more musicky one at Gina’s with Katy and Michelle and another wodensmeet with zoe, merry and em [with added bonus of baby ben to worship ]

the first i took along some information about germs/microbes and we tacked to that a craft of making our own bugs out of socks and craft stuff looked pretty good too. there was also some music theory, a lesson for SB on piano and clarinet, and a recorder for bb, and a fair whack of latin. both girls very happy we are lucky with our home ed friends. then we nipped up to see merry and new baby ben for a first visit. i enjoyed some ne baby snuggles, but bb was a bit on the green and jealous complexion!

last week was another wodensmeet. i was v migrainous but luckily we had a the ingredients for science – talking about gravitational potential energy and smashing banana slices with cars it worked pretty well and was mostly fun. i felt a bit under prepped so couldn’t extemporise as much. Also did animation with em, and both girls [and the others] created a really excellent story using cut out balck card on white. brilliant idea. merry brought fimo and ben – both equally loved and i passed o the few size 0 kissaluvs i bought for bb [oooh so cute!] and some other bits and pieces. zoe did 2 heart crafts for valentines day, one a heary shape to paint red, and the other was to make fimo heart toppers to put on kebab sticks for potplants. we all enjoy messing with fimo . fab day again.

in other news, i am still sewing linen underclothes in the hopes we get accepted for kentwell! have played lots of board games with sb mostly, but also bb, and just danced together, read books, helped ds games etc etc. what time i have with the kids i want them to know i am there . today we did tidying, music prac together, tidying, board games and bb got the oil paints out – eek! she did a really really fab still life of dafodils with only minor trauma along the way oh and we have had lots of snow! cue snowmen on driveway and in garden . we have had a trauma in our rabbits have disappeared when out babbiting in the back garden no remains found, and not sure how could have scaped but that is all 3 of them

weekend 1: following on from centerparcs we had another january tradition family christmas for dh’s mum’s family at her house. very lovely. it is nice to see the family regularly, get to chat, break bread together and share a few select presents – dh and i don’t do so well here, but the girls do which is what keeps the day happy!! the girls had received some really thoughtful presents too, which suited their different personalities. the family were all looking well, we had some laughter about monarchy and daily mail reading etc. this year dh’s dad looked so much better than last year, being the other side of a knee op and a gallbladder op. i love family occassions and this was no exception. it is a shame that dh’s brother and his kids are so far away tho [ireland]

weekend 2: to ring the changes! having had a v exciting week, with friends taking home their gorgeous new baby, we shared a different birthday with a friend and had a games weekend it was a shame we started our journey from great yarmouth, as i had spent the day there for work. and the kids and DH had gone to a local museum and spent time on the beach. it was a looooong drive! however, got there, sent the kids all up to bed and played some games back to back def played escape from atlantis and forbidden island – both of which we really love! and was sure there was something else! we finished v late tho. next day the kids all beat us with the number of games they were playing back to back! we played some more games awaiting other friends arrival, and then carried on until far too late at night, so had to bail out of a game half played! more games the next day until time to leave. we had a fab weekend with friends, and lots of merriment I finished another shift more or less too perfick :):)

great games for mixed age and ability

games with specific kid appeal

hardened gamer types

i do still have blog blah, but trying to close january before we get to feb, as it were. tho i prob should be doing stuff for work. [urgh]
[ and i didn't make it!]

centerparcs is a fb hol in jan that gets me through the post xmas downer and is a fab highlight of the early year. this year was no different we love sharing with friends, and have always shared with making it up, but now the soa is countable, we don’t fit luckilly le ciel rouge stepped into the breach and bravely agreed to share we had a fab time, with the jax and co just round the corner and meeting up with other home ed friends in the pool.

lots of swimming – twice a day, morning and night swim. was a bit knackering! the bigger girls mostly rapids and slides etc, popping by for a hello i am ok check and bb mostly with me initially. to our great disappointment the salt pool was closed but rumour has it that they are building a ring flume thing, so not all bad. she splashed in ring, got admiring looks for her sharks fin, dived for seals etc and by midweek had a play thing going with small over it. but then they both decided they could do rapids!! and had a fab time. i also enjoyed the rapids more this year, and giggled and hooted my way down on numerous occassions [in a not very gainly fashion!]

in between swimming we did lots of board games playing and sewing – i had taken the wherewithal to make needlecases and most of the children made a needlecase or a little purse beautifully. i should have taken more embroidery thread tho! I also managed to sew a fair part of my first shift. love chatting and playing the games, tho some went on for aaaages! and we also got some films on dvd.

food was mostly prepped in advance, so we ate v v well, in fact had too much cake!! I loved the mixture of friends with a family holiday. get to see way more of my children than i do at camps, and still giggle and gossip with our respective friend groups. SB, as always, was a delight and once over the pyjama trauma of the first night bb was mostly too . fab time with a group of lovely friends thankyou

i have had 2 fab wodensmeets this jan, a group meeting at le ciel rouge of currently 4 active families, tho 3 others remain ‘on the books’ for if they ever make it. I don’t think that they will any more tho which is sad, because i miss you. however, one of the fab things about home ed is the ripples of water over pebbles effects, and you may run well in a channel for a while, you may meet a pebble and separate for a while, but you are still part of the overall stream, and you never know when you might run close again in the future.

Anyway, the theme for this term is physics and animation [sort of!] with me doing the physics using realscience4kids [tho actually i don't the experiments are as good as the text, the text is fantastic and easy to understand and grasp, and the experiments are easily jazzed up a bit!] and nattye doing animation with her fab hue box

So we have looked at the first 2 chapters of physics, thrown balls in the air, attached string and thrown the, whirled them around, then weighed and used slinkies to show fruit doing work, and calculated this in Nm and joules. [no pound yards or other weird stuff for me!] and hopefully ppl might make their own newtonmeters! the online forum for us to encourage children was initially succesful, but thinking i am a bit lone voice currently!!

We have animated eggbox critters [well, i had had to go to work that afternoon!] going to a disco and being sick! and then animated a drawing – bb volcano, and sb a house. hoping to work out how to put them on the blog. v v succesful! have the hue thing sitting in the amazon basket awaiting me to feel a bit more flush!!

for art, organise by lecielrouge we had portraits the first week – sketching in any style one of the other kids and then seeing if identifiable – they all did a fab job with different styles. then last week we first did some natural weaving with dowsing sticks and wool – some fab results to put on flickr! and some afircan art inspired animals [with a bit of australia creeping in

we did some poetry the first week with merry, but the second she was inconveniently planning to give birth woohoooooo and little dance to the safe arrival of Ben music usually gets done in some form – sb does piano prac and often some recorder with e, and a singsong around the piano. and just milling about going on a tangent etc.

Currently i think it is working nicely. i would like the opportunity to build in a little something french – even if it is just listening as you craft. v happy

you may have noticed a dearth of posts! i have blog blah! this has a multifactorial aetiology
1. not a lot of free time, far too much work
2. lots of things that are eating up my headspace but i can’t blog about them. being there means i can’t have enough headspace free around them to blog
3. i can’t get lightroom to work on so our proper flickr pics about 7 months out of date
4. i have some canada posts left to blog, tho haven’t because no flickr pics
5. even if i did have flickr pics, the blog doesn’t seeme to be able to see them or accept them any more
i have blog blah

i think i have one, but now it is not ‘mine’ to have as it were, but a v definate shared venture, as the mission statement only works if we all are behind it. so we will be having a long discussion with SB to see whether she thinks it is ok, what she would change and prioritise etc. This isn’t a radical departure, all prev mission statements have been v influenced by her interests and desires. But i am v well aware that at the end of this one [mine last for 2 years - phew!] she will need to be in a place to make real choices about what she wants to do and where she wants to do it.

So my new years he resolution is to come to a consensus about the broad strokes of the next 2 years. For us all to agree that we can do this, HE into secondary years. I know we can if we want to and try to, but we do need to put some effort in!

When we have it, I will pop it up as the mission statement!!