Requested pictures for Lauren

I have a new follower for the blog - Lauren - and you can surely tell she's new to my blog because she has requested pictures.  I guess it's been a while since I have shown my notorious lack of photography skills here.  The request is for pictures of the shirt pieces in the Simplicity 4059, which I made the one doublet and cap for my Ren Faire accomplice up in Tennessee a few years back.  He preferred the shirt from a different pattern, so I have not made the S4059 shirt myself.  These pics ought to help anyone decide whether or not to special order or put a hold on this pattern:

S4059 shirt pieces layout

S4059 shirt instructions, part one

S4059 shirt instructions, part two

S4059 line drawings and pieces' shapes

I do hope this helps.  As for last evening ... y'all didn't want to read a post from me while I was in that kind of mood.  Nothing like checking in for an appointment on time, then waiting for about an hour with the TV on too loud in the waiting room, and me without my knitting because I figured since I'd be driving myself then I wouldn't have time to knit.  OK, so I am still a bit irked.

Renaissance flat cap S4059

Feeling good today and trying to make up for a week of no sewing ... the flat cap from the Simplicity 4059 (men's costume) has been both cut and sewn!  Y'all will recall I made the doublet for my friend the history professor to wear the Ren Faire this year, but didn't get to the hat ... now it's done and I need to call him up and have him look over my small ribbon stash to see if anything tickles his fancy since I used up the Christmas-green velvet ribbon on the doublet trim.  Here's the plain Jane version:

Simplicity 4059 Renaissance flat cap

If he doesn't have a feather plume suitably fancy enough, there is a vendor who has been there every year I've gone who sells hat feathers on pins (versus the "cut a slit" method the pattern recommends!).

Folks, don't fear making a flat cap - they are super-simple.  About the only style easier would be a beret, which is so similar in both pieces and construction they ought to be related.  Two pattern pieces, a handful of seams, and you are done.

Now ... about the pattern and instructions ... "one size"?  Really, Simplicity?  And that "one size" is snug on me??  I just made up the medium in the Vogue hat yesterday ... so I don't have a large head by men's standards.  In fact, my army soft cap was a little size 6-7/8!  It's a good thing I not only had my friend's head circumference measurement, but also my own.  I had to sew the brim-to-crown seam three times before I had it big enough, using "ye olde tryal-ande-err" method.  It's now a size too big for me, which should fit my friend just perfectly.

Oh yeah, that reminds me.  Flat caps were not only worn by men, especially by Elizabethan times.  Women wore them also!  I have my red one, and since it's snug plus the construction method ... I strongly suspect it was made from this pattern.

Simplicity 4059 doublet on the right man

I finally managed to catch up with my friend the history professor to give him his doublet ... and get pictures of it on the right man it was fitted for!  I do definitely appreciate hubby modelling it for pics last week ... but it looks so much better on the body it was fitted to:

My friend has lost a few pounds since October, but he usually does over the cold and flu season.  I'll wait until he gains it back before attempting to fit him for pants, so the next project for him will be the flat cap.  I'll also need to show him how to do spiral lacing .... he says he isn't familiar with it.  He is quite pleased with how this doublet turned out, though.

Simplicity 4059 doublet done

The eyelets went in easily, and hubby once again modelled it for me even though it is two sizes too big and altered for our friend ... lol hubby says he feels like a Klingon wearing it.  (hmm, an idea for a costume ...)  Here it is:

The tie ribbon is the same velvet, but kept flipping backwards when lacing it (wrong style of lacing ... but I suspect my friend will lace it this way simply because he is so used to it).

My dear, patient, and accommodating hubby really does look like he is swimming in all that fabric ...

S4059 doublet put together

I've been quiet the past day and a half because I have really been knocking this doublet project out.  I finished the handsewing last night, after doing more than I initially planned ... because it just looks good!  I still need to set the eyelets in, but here is the put-together doublet, modelled on hubby (who is half a foot shorter and build differently than my friend the history professor who this is made for)

The lighting is horrible, I know ... but it's no better near the windows, and hasn't been all day as we've had another day of storms like yesterday.  The spot where hubby is holding the waist closed is where the lowest eyelets will be.  I'll use silvertone eyelets to match the shirt I made my friend last year, along with a thin green velvet ribbon to tie it closed.  Not only did my friend balk at button prices last March when we bought the stuff to make this doublet, but he also wears a sword in an over-the-shoulder baldric which could tear off buttons when he moves.

The doublet itself is quick to put together ... what took me so long was handsewing the pretty velvet ribbon on as trim.  I should probably look at the pattern instructions to see if they agree with how I did it LOL ... I looked at them only long enough to see how/when to turn it right-side-out ... and also referred to the pictures in The Tudor Tailor since the pieces' basic shape matched.  I didn't put tabs on to tie sleeves to, mainly because you can count the days in May cool enough to wear sleeves on one hand ... in the past decade.

I think I achieved the goal of making a nice doublet that says "middle class and trying to move up" which was the overall look my friend wanted.

Velvet trim for S4059 doublet

It's all cut out, and construction has begun ... and once again I proved the Murphy's Law that says the better you match the thread, the more likely you will need to rip some stitches ...

I was zipping along putting the backs together when I remembered it's supposed to have evergreen velvet trim in a design ... so I ripped out half the CB seam to align the chevron on the notches.  Then (before oopsing) I recalled velvet doesn't play well with machines, so it's hand-stitching time to hold it into place.  It's a good reminder of why I try to avoid handstitching when possible ... but the back is now done:

The CB seam isn't flat, because my friend's back is no longer straight, but I'm feeling pretty pleased at how nicely I got the point of the chevron ... and glad I am done handstitching for tonight!  I suppose handstitching is something I can do over coffee tomorrow morning.

Simplicity 4059 doublet pattern alterations

I've already pulled apart the red broadcloth fitting muslin and starch the everlovin (*bleep*) out of it, and when I reached into the zip bag to find the rest of the pieces I found the original pattern pieces ... and since I am still working on my 2nd cup of coffee it amused me to snap a pic to compare the two set of pieces:

Yes, I am easily amused in the mornings (which may be why I don't usually post before lunchtime).  There was no methodical way to determine these alterations, as I did them the olde fashioned way: put the first fitting muslin on him and marked it up with a Sharpie pen and used safety pins to pinch out excess, while also hacking at it on him with a pair of scissors for excess around the neck and armholes.
That was back in October, but I remember it ... because it was actually fun.  I'm still surprised I got so much of it right on the first alteration go-round, but given his schedule it's a good thing.  I found the last of the unbleached cotton muslin I bought over a year ago on sale, and will be using that up for the lining (since I scored more for an even better price this month!).

New (old) project

Now that the Vogue coat mockup is finished, hooks and all, I am going to go back to long-standing project that still is not cut out even ... my friend's Tudor doublet using Simplicity 4059.  He picked out and bought the fabric back in March of last year ... and it's been in my sewing area since.

In October, I meant to do it up for him for Halloween, and we did get as far as fitting it to him ... then that fell to the side with all the gift sewing I did for the holidays.  So I have a fitted pattern and uncut fashion fabric and lining.  Oh, here's the last fitting pic:

He has forward rounded shoulders and a beer belly ... this was the first fitting muslin, made from the pattern itself:

Complete with Sharpie notes scribbled all over it (and for those wondering, muslins get marked up with a sharpie, while mockups are fully done without the Sharpie notes).

Oh, before I forget, here's is a hopefully better pic of the Vogue coat mockup ... I noticed yesterday's pics were dark even after I lightened them a bit through gimp.

As you can see, it wants to hang open below the bust.  I do have a hook above the waist, at the bust, and at the top, but there is that rust-orange lining peeking out under Mathilda.