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My Master Plan
6-30-04: Now that I have the artwork from the Housebook Master to look at more closely, I have altered my sketches to show the seamlines I plan to emulate. I can't believe how terrible I am at sketching! I have added my attempt to show the underskirt I'd like to make as well. In looking at these sketches, it occurs to me that the neckline in the back might actually be a bit lower.
6-15-04: I'm going to have alter and expand my sketches. I've been looking over the artwork from Housebook Master that Myra has posted at her website, and I know I have the back of this dress sketched wrong. I wish my copy would get here! I also want to add sketches that show more of the accessories that I want to do now, too, as you can probably tell from the index page for this diary. An underskirt is definitely in order, with a cool belt so I can hitch up the outer gown. I've already talked about wanting to make a pocketed pouch for the belt. I'd like to do a gollar, now, and I think I might try my hand at shoes and pattens modeled on the style I can see in the Housebook Master pictures. There's also a coat-like garment in those pictures that I want to study, I think it might be fun to do one of those, too. I probably won't do new sketches until I can review Housebook Master myself. I'll start looking at I. Marc Carlson's Footwear of the Middle Ages to get geared up for the shoes. His articles look great, and I think I can make shoes that are actually wearable with his instructions, too cool.
5-14-04: OK, finally got some sketches done! Below are some color poses from the front and back. Looking at the finished sketches, I am struck by two things. First, that these figures look so simple, why do I have such a hard time sketching?! Second, that it looks kind of comical to see Nuremberg ladies in modern fashion poses. Hee hee! Unexpectedly, my dyes came already from Dharma, so I'll be bringing my fabric along to SG's tomorrow in case we get time to go ahead and get the dyeing out of the way. I was surprised today when I stopped at Home Depot to pick up some duct tape for the dummy we want to put together tomorrow: besides grey/silver, duct tape is now available in white, black and red. I was this close to getting the red, but I decided to go with the white so I don't get put off by color clashes while draping. I've heard they also have clear, but I didn't see any of that.
4-12-04: I'm ready to start some sketching (cringe) which I'm not so great at, as I think I know basically what I want to depict. Verbally, I like the basic pleat style as shown in the Katharina Frey portrait above, to the bottom of my ankle in length. I'd like to do the sleeves from The Ill-Assorted Couple engraving, and I'll probably do smaller Turk's head knots, not bells, though SG found some more awesome bell references, so I'm back on the fence again about that. I plan on doing pleats on the back as well. I'd like my smock to show all around the neckline, as in the Nuremberg Lady Dressed To Go To a Dance, but the neckline will probably be more yoke style on top, to keep it smooth, with the smocking starting just at the swell of the breasts, maybe going all the way around my torso. I'm hoping the yoke style will help keep the smock from moving all over the place, too, like my leinne does. I plan to finish those sleeves to a plain fitted cuff at the wrist, but they will be pretty blousy at the upper arms, so I can get some good puffs out the underarm slashes. I'll probably do the neckline bordered in black with some embroidered writing in white like the Frey portrait as well. I'll be doing a long belt, and a bag with all those cool drawstring pockets like in A Nuremberg Lady in Everyday Attire. I might possibly do a gollar eventually. For the head-gear, I want to recreate the bundlein from the Nuremberg Lady Dressed To Go To a Dance.
