High Bodies Gown

I've been wanting to make one of these overgowns since I made my Maroon Wool Kirtle last year. I hemmed and hawed over how to pattern it and procrastinated with 3 other projects. When I got my copy of the Typical Tudor this summer and they had an easy, step-by-step instruction of the exact garment I wanted to make, calling it a "High Bodies Gown", it was a sign. I already had the materials on hand, a dark grey heavy weight wool twill, so I set to work almost immediately. 

The Process: 

I based the initial pattern off the instructions in the Typical Tudor and my Rapunzel Doublet pattern (a Modern Maker/bara tape creation). I basically took the doublet shape, raised the front neck to a standing collar shape and flattened the bust curve in the front seam. I tried it on over my kirtle and was pleasantly surprised that it was 90% correct! The neck needed a little adjusting (as you can see in the rightmost picture below). 

I changed the curve of the shoulder seam on the front piece and added a little material to the neck front (see left image below). I also added the gathered sleeves to check their fit. I was happy with pattern version 2, so it was on to cutting and assembling! 

The body pieces were assembled by machine and then the seams pressed open. The arms were gathered and attached by hand (I just find this easier than working a thickly gathered curve on a sewing machine). Finally, the edges all along the garment were turned, pressed, and herringbone stitched down. 

I chose not to interline this garment because the wool was so firm it didn't feel like it needed the extra structure. That did mean I had to carefully, invisibly herringbone stitch the turned edges to the inside instead of catching the interlining, but the mottled color of the wool hid the stitches incredibly well. 

I chose to line the bodice of the gown in a silver silk taffeta that I had about 3/4 of a yard of scrap of. This luxurious a fabric as a liner would not have been a particularly historical choice for a merchant class woman, but it makes sliding the garment on/off easy and using up scrap fabric is definitely a period mentality. I constructed the lining as I did the exterior and then inserted it by turning the edges and felling stitching it all around the front and neck. 

The below series of photos is a great demonstration of how important pressing your seams is to a polished garment. The sleeve head on the left was not pressed and the sleeve head on the right was (with the seam allowanced pressed towards the body). The difference it makes in how the sleeve sits and the gathered top behaves is impressive. 

I do think I inserted these sleeves a little too turned towards the back. It does not impede wearing the gown, but eventually I will go back and reinsert the sleeves rotated a bit more forward.

 The Typical Tudor gives both a flared and a gathered skirt option for this garment. I chose the flared because my kirtle waistline has enough bulk of cartridge pleated wool for one lifetime. I machine sewed the skirt panels together, leaving openings for the pocket slits, and pressed those seams as well before attaching the skirt to the bodice.

Trying the gown on with my kirtle underneath, I'm quite pleased with the fit. I do think I made the waist seam a little too high, but it needed to end above my kirtle's waist seam and I am quite short torsoed. Still, it could be able an inch lower. I am absolutely tickled with how great the standing collar came out though. 

I finished up adding the trim and wore this gown to an SCA event in the late fall. I really loved how warm I was when I needed it and how easy it was to take off and just wear my kirtle in the heat of the day. A very practical and beautiful garment. 

Finished Gown: