"The Fates" Gothic Fitted Dress

Elenor de la Rochelle (alias Ela), Kaaren Valravn, and I dressed as the Fates for Atlantian Twelfth Night 2020. Ela was the spinner, I was the allotter, and Kaaren was the cutter. We were inspired by a fantastic black and white shot linen and ran with the idea. We each dressed in our persona time periods which conveniently go from earliest to latest period. Ela dressed in Migration Era (550-625) Anglian/Northumbrian garb, I was in mid/late 14th Century French garb, and Kaaren wore 16th Century German Trossfrau. Together we won the St. Anne's Guild of Clothiers garb runway challenge. It was a fantastic silly time.

My outfit consisted of the following components:

• A grey linen gothic fitted dress (machine constructed, hand finished)

• Faux black sleeves with cloth buttons (machine constructed, hand finished)

• A white linen chemise (hand finished)

• Red hose (hand finished and dyed)

• Coral jewelry (made with Ela's help)

• Red velvet pouch (hand finished)

• Black wool bycocket (made from a hat blank)

• Belt and garters (Billy and Charlie)

• Shoes (Revival)

After one terrible day and 23 different attempts at a sleeve pattern, I hid from my greatest love, the gothic fitted dress, for two years. This project was just the inspiration I needed to try again. So with some minor adjustments to my body block, I set to draping a new sleeve pattern. It only took two tries, and I was off and running!

To keep the momentum going and to spare my hands, I chose to machine construct and hand finish this dress. For me, that meant all the long assembly seams were done quick and easy and I was able to test fit the garment early in the process. I then began the long process of trimming and felling some 14+ yards of seams.

For the front lacing, I used silk facing to support the eyelets. Since my dress is unlined for hot Atlantian summers, it needed a little extra strength in this high tension area. I first attempted the more historical method of silk facing and used a strip of silk cut straight on the grain. While I was mostly successful, it was HARD to get this wiggly facing to lay flat after going around the bust curve. So I gave up for the second side and made a facing shaped like my front seam. This one was significantly easier to lay flat. I'm curious to see how the different sides wear over time.

In order to cut the neck for a properly wide mid-late 14th Century look, I had to be able to lace the dress. So I used a luceted cord I already had, put an aglet on it, and used an awl to punch the 3/4" spaced holes. It fit pretty well and I carefully cut the neckline I wanted.

To finish the neck, I again attempted a new-to-me historical method of finishing. I cut a very thin (about 5/8") strip of silk on the straight grain and used it to face the neckline. Historical examples have 2-3 rows of stitches holding the facing down and I have to say, I think they look pretty good!

Next came the faux sleeves. I used the full arm pattern I draped earlier and made 24 fabric buttons (truthfully it was more like 30 as I relearned how to do this well, but hey, who's counting!). I was running short on time and energy so I made half the buttons on each sleeve fake, only making real button holes for the ones I needed in order to get my hand through. And viola! Sleeves!

I took this dress on its first full outing at 12th Night and it felt great! The only change I plan to make on the next one is lacing eyelets even a smidge closer together. Hopefully that'll take out the slight wrinkling at the bust.

Bonus photos from a historical and cosplay holiday photoshoot at Old Town Winchester!