Renaissance Fair Dress

This project is the first part of an outfit that can be worn at a Renaissance fair inspired by historical clothing. The shirt and corset can be worn over a dress that has not been completed yet.

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Inspiration

We were inspired by historical clothing specifically clothes worn in 15th century Northwestern Europe. These types of clothes can be worn today at places like the Georgia Renaissance Festival and while not completely period accurate, they show creativity and appreciation for a different aesthetic.

What it does

It is a shirt with embroidered capped sleeves and neckline with a matching corset that also has embroidery and quilting.

How we built it

We drafted the patterns entirely from scratch using a roll of thin paper, markers, and a measuring tape. Then we made a “toile” or trial run of the pattern with different fabric and made some adjustments. Next we used a Brother computerized sewing machine to carefully stitch the embroidery on to the fabric. The Quilting process involved creating a neat grid on the fabric with the sewing machine to make the diamond shapes in the center portion of the corset. Finally after we stitched all that we could together on the machine, we moved on to finishing things by hand. For a more historical effect, all of the visible stitching was hand sewn. The corset bones were added and we used a whip stitch by hand to neatly tack everything down on the inside. The process involved many types of sewing to create the final piece.

Challenges we ran into

drafting the patterns was difficult, it took multiple iterations to get them to fit just right. The hand sewing at the end was also laborious but important to make the finished piece neat. Some things just can’t be done on a sewing machine.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of the detail that went into the embroidery, quilting, lacing, and hand stitching

What we learned

We learned the process of creating a garment and what sewing techniques to use for each step of the process.

What's next for Renaissance Fair Dress

For the complete outfit we will have a flowing white dress underneath. We have finished with the pattern and toile but it will take more time to complete this last piece. I look forward to wearing the whole ensemble.

Built With

  • cotton
  • embroidery
  • hand
  • machine
  • quilting
  • sewing
  • suede
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