I have made a thing!

 

Two things, actually. Well, one and a half, at this point, but it will be two soon enough. Dresses. Inspired by the one the woman wears in that image from a version of the Tacuinum Sanitatis from the late 14th c. in Italy. I'm also enamoured of the bycocket of the gentleman, but I have a whole other post about that. 

The first one I made, earlier this year, is of a gorgeous blue wool flannel I got from Renaissance Fabrics (Hi Diana!) that was actually a happy accident - I thought it was going to be a lot more teal, but turned out to be a gorgeous, warm sort of French blue that was exactly perfect. Because I could, I lined the sleeves with a rusty orange silk Habotai that I had lying around. The results are a delight!

Daggy daggy sleeves.

It debuted at Strawberry Raid, this year, and turned out to be the ideal thing to wear in meh-and-windy-weather. It was like wearing a very fashionable blanket. With daggy sleeves. I have since sorted out the side laces by removing them entirely and just sewing the seam up because, it turns out, the wool has just enough natural stretch to allow me to pull it over my boobs but still have it fitted through the torso.

I liked this dress so much that I'm in the middle of making a second one. This time in a glorious grassy green tropical-weight wool that I bought from Countess Etaine (of the West) probably fifteen years ago when she sold off a bunch of her stash. Sleeve lining for this version is in a warm plummy purple silk that I bought for a different project but ended up not using, so it was just sitting around.

Sing it with me, now: Daggy daggy sleeves...

Here's what I love about this style (besides everything): 

• it's fairly easy to make
• it doesn't have to be bust-supportive
• you can throw it on over any old fitted kirtle (that can do all the...uh...heavy-lifting, at it were)
• it's suitable for a whole range of fabrics from light to heavy
• it's incredibly flattering on a variety of body shapes
• you can have a huge skirt, or not
• the sleeve variations are endless
• the fabric variations (plain and patterned) are endless

Also, I now have dresses suitable to wear with my bycocket (which I need to re-do, but that will be another post).

The green will also end up having some gold embroidery, I think, because why not? But more on that later.

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First image: Albucasis. Observations sur la nature et les propriétés de divers produits alimentaires et hygiéniques, sur des phénomènes météorologiques, sur divers actes de la vie humaine, etc., Late 14th c., accessed from Bibliothèque nationale de France