#wnn projects

[whennnow]

A Florentine Gamurra Part 1 - Planning and Patterning

October 21, 2025

[Image ID: Two sewing pattern pieces cut out of brown craft paper. The piece on the left is half of the back bodice, and the piece on the right is half of the front bodice. /end ID]

In late August, it was announced that our local SCA barony had been invited to demo as part of a Renaissance-themed event at our city's art museum in December! This news was greeted with awe and excitement (as it ought to be), and the barony started gearing up to garb anyone who was interested in being part of the demo.

I have been wanting to do a Florentine ensemble/wardrobe, and I decided this would be my excuse motivation to get started!

I already have an appropriate camicia, which I bought second-hand from another woman in our barony. The next logical step was a dress, or gamurra.

The Inspiration

To make sure I had a clear idea of what I was aiming for, I selected one image to base my gamurra on. I went with this servant's dress from "Birth of St John the Baptist" by Domenico Ghirlandaio, dated to 1486-1490.

The neckline is very wide, so the outer edge of the strap sits almost off the shoulder. There's not a clear view of the waistline, but I think it probably hits right around the bottom of the rib cage, giving a slightly high-waisted look.

You don't really get a clear view of the center front lacing situation, but after conducting a survey of paintings from this era (aka doing a tally of things on my Pinterest board), I decided to go with spiral-laced eyelets. There are other options, but this seems to be the most common, and I thought it appropriate for a less formal linen gown.

Patterning & Fitting

In my previous dreams of an Italian Rennaisance wardrobe, I had intended to create my 14th century fitted kirtle first, and adjust that pattern to make a Florentine-style gown, but given the impending event, I was going to have to make the Florentine gown first.

I toyed with the idea of a commercial pattern (either the Margo Anderson pattern or a Tudor Tailor one), and with the idea of using a diagram I found to draft a pattern for a later Venetian gown to my measurements and then fitting it down to the more fitted-kirtle-style bodice shape I wanted.

Mockup 1a

Luckily I was saved from all that by an offer of help from the woman who was heading the garb workshops for this event! She has fit many late 1400s Florentine gowns before, and she offered to help me and a few other woman ahead of the workshops she had planned so that we (who were all relatively experienced sewers) could help others.

She instructed us to wear our most supportive (but not compressive) bras for the drafting/fitting, and to wear a tightly fitted shirt over that. We also brought mockup fabric (mine was some old quilting cotton), pins, scissors, and markers (to draw seam lines on the mockup fabric).

She took a few quick measurements, made some markings on my mockup fabric, cut out a front and back, pinned them together, and double checked that it fit me. I used a mirror to mark out my desired neckline, and that was it.

Mockup 1B

I have to admit that I wasn't thrilled with the resulting pattern or the way it fit, so I took that initial pattern home and started adjusting.

First and foremost was converting it to a front opening bodice instead of a side opening, which left me with no seam allowance there.

I also realized right off the bat that I needed to add a back seam. The first "pattern" was just a single front and back panel, and the back fit well in the shoulders, but I needed to take out a whopping three inches out of the back waist! I tapered that to nothing at the upper back, as though it were a dart.

Then, the shoulder straps needed adjusting to reduce gaping at the back of the armscye (my shoulders curve forward).

Next it was time to fit the center front seam. I want the bodice to support my bust, so it needed a lot of work. Unfortunately I didn't have enough seam allowance to work with, so it was time to mark down all my adjustments and cut out a new mockup.

I took this opportunity to standardize my seam allowances and make adjustments to the front and back neckline and the armscyes.

Mockup 2

My new mockup was leagues better than the first (excepting that center front seam/edge). I really liked the fit of the shoulders, but I ended up taking out another inch at the waist edge of the center back seam.

Then I had to tackle that front seam.

I really wanted the dress to be at least a little supportive (not that I need a lot of support), so I knew it had to be very tight under the bust so that the breasts can't slip downward. But how to fit the bust itself?

In an article about fitting curved-seam bodices, La Cotte Simple recommends laying down on your back in order to fit the bust. If you have breasts of your own, you know how laying down means gravity shifts the bulk of your breasts. I can't do justice to the theory and science behind it, but it distributes the mass of the breast differently. And if you have a larger bust, you're probably not fighting gravity so much. Just remember that the very top of that seam should curve back inward so the neckline doesn't gape and the girls can't escape.

Point being, laying down was very helpful to me and I recommend the method. The bust shape I got was supportive and slightly compressive, but not restrictive.

I also marked out some minor adjustments to the armscye and neckline and leveled out the waistline.

The Final Pattern

I took Mockup 2 apart and cut off all the seam allowances. I traced it onto brown craft paper, truing up the right and left sides where necessary, and labeling everything. I also made a point to note that the pattern pieces did NOT include seam allowance.

What's Next

Now that I have my bodice pattern, I can construct the bodice!

I'll need to make decisions about how/whether to stiffen the bodice, but until then...

Stay warm. Stay safe. Stay healthy.

[whennnow]

Two T-Tunics

September 19, 2023

[Image ID: the bodice and sleeves of two basic medieval tunics - one pink and one blue.]

While my ultimate goal with SCA garb is to create a 14th century capsule wardrobe, I know it will be a while before I have the money to buy all the wool and linen I'd need and the time to make anything out of it.

So I'm starting with something more basic. The uniform of SCA-dians everywhere - the T-tunic!

The basic pattern can be adapted to fit many eras, whether as a base layer or fashion layer, as a shirt or a dress.

The Fabric

You can make t-tunics out of basically any fabric. Linen and wool are the most historically-accurate, and silk probably is too.

Unfortunately, that's not really in my budget right now, so I used two thrifted cotton bed sheets, which I think are queen sized. I got two tunics for $5 of fabric!

The Pattern

These tunics are made out of simple geometric shapes - rectangles for the body and sleeve gussets, triangular skirt gores, and either rectangles or trapezoids for sleeves.

To make things easier on myself, I used this "Custom Smock Pattern Generator" from elizabethancostume.net to make the pattern, then cut out the shapes it gave me with added seam allowance.

Assembly

Instructions for assembling a t-tunic have been written probably hundreds of times, so I'll direct you back to elizabethancostume.net to spare you another explanation.

I usually flat-fell seams on things like this, but I wanted to minimize the amount of hand sewing I had to do while also not having any visible machine stitching, so I french seamed everything.

I used a facing for the neckline instead of a binding and hand-sewed the edges of that down.

The sleeve and skirt hems were also hand-sewn.

A Note on Fitting

The smock generator pattern I used takes into account your shoulder width, and seems to direct to instructions on how to measure that, but it wouldn't show up for me. As a result, I suspect my measurement was too narrow.

While the resulting shapes fit well over my bust and waist, I almost couldn't get it on over my shoulders!

Thankfully, I had suspected this issue, so my first smock was a few inches wider than the generated pattern called for. I added a bit more width to my second tunic.

Looking Forward

I'm glad to have a base for my medieval/SCA wardrobe, but I can't wait to expand! I want to do some basic accessories next, like linen veils.

I already have a few other accessories - a thrifted straw hat, one of those long fantasy/ren faire/sorta medieval belts, and a mug.

I also have decent-sized leftovers from these bed sheets - I'll save most of it to line wool hoods, but I'll use some small pieces to make drawstring bags to hang from my belt.

Stay tuned for a post on plotting out my plans for garb! In the meantime,

Stay warm, stay safe, and stay healthy.

[Image ID: a photo of Alex in a blue tunic with a dark belt, holding a mug as if raising a toast.]

[whennnow]

The Good, The Bad, The Short Stays

February 13, 2019

[Image ID: a flat photo of Regency-esque short stays made of unbleached muslin]

I started my Regency fashion journey back in the summer of 2017 and I… have not made it very far. All I have right now are a chemise that I can’t get over my shoulders (whoops!) and a set of nice looking short stays with some dark secrets. I’m disappointed with my progress - it’s hard not to be - but I’m trying my best to look at this as a learning experience. So, without further ado, let’s dig into my stays!

These are the designs and pattern pieces I started with. I drafted the pattern myself, which was a first for me, and the pattern turned out surprisingly well! The finished product even fits well!

[Image ID: three mostly rectangular sewing pattern pieces labeled, from right to left, "front", "side", and "back"]

In the original designs, I had planned to have boning on either side of the center front lacing. I was forced to scrap that, as my chest just isn’t that wide. I also changed the number of gussets in each cup to four, instead of three, and made each gusset the same shape. They seem to work fine, but I’d be curious to see if shaping them would make much of a difference.

The gussets did not turn out well at all. I had never sewn gussets before, and didn’t bother doing any research before I jumped into them. I admit I still haven’t read up on gussets, but I suspect that part of the problem was that I had mis-measured the gussets and made the seam allowances too small, so when I folded in the seam allowances for the front panels and sewed them down, the gussets didn’t catch in some places. To remedy this, I hand sewed them using what could, on a technicality, be called a whip stitch, I think. The quality of my stitching isn’t very consistent, but it is very nice to run my fingers along in some places, and it serves to reinforce the seams there, which is probably a good thing.

The eyelets were also a first for me, and most of them turned out very nicely! There are 14 eyelets total, all hand-bound, with metal jump rings inside them for reinforcement. You can definitely tell which eyelets were my first if you look closely, but I’m very happy with how they turned out!

The body of the stays is just two layers of unbleached muslin. Something sturdier would have been better. The edges are bound in off-white bias tape, which seems to have worked well enough. The boning is heavy-duty zip ties, a carry-over from my cosplay days. The boning at both sides of the center front, where a busk should be, is actually just a wooden dowel. Doubling up the zip ties wasn’t giving me the support I needed for the bust (lift and separate!), so I had to find an alternative. Obviously, neither zip ties nor wooden dowels (or the jump rings in the eyelets) are ideal or washable, but they do, technically, get the job done.

Each cup has a drawstring at the top for adjustability. The shoulder straps tie to the front, also for adjustability. I ordered the cord I used for those and the front lacing from Wm Booth Draper. I had never heard of them before, but they seemed to be well-established and had lots of good reviews on their Facebook page, so I took the chance and was not let down!

To finish off, since this has gotten to be a lot longer than I meant it to, I’m not completely happy about how these turned out, but they fit and have been a very good learning opportunity for me, so I am content. I do plan on remaking them in the future, but that might be very far into the future, at this rate.

Stay warm, stay safe, stay dry.

[whennnow]

May Mending Moments!

June 26, 2026

Now that June is basically over, let's look back on May...

I wanted to take some time in May to do some quick "mending" projects (ok some were technically washing and finishing and stuff) in attempt to knock some small, quick projects off my list and get things back to being wearable/usable. Plus, I was feeling a bit burned out after the sewing I did for the JAF and wasn't up to tackling any larger projects.

Here's what I finished:

Repaired the drawstring on my silver and blue reticule. The drawstring came undone and slipped out a few years ago and it's been sitting in a bin ever since. I literally just needed to re-thread the cord through the drawstring casing and tie a new knot.

Fixed the straps on a thrifted slip. One end of one strap came off in the wash, but thankfully I didn't lose the slider! I was able to repair the strap to full functionality. Then, because it was bothering me, I un-did a previous owner's repair on the other strap and re-did it, because the previous owner had left the strap twisted.

Finished the raw edges of a medieval t-tunic shift I was given. I did a quick machine zig-zag stitch over the raw seam edges, did a double-fold hem on the sleeve cuffs, and did a very narrow double-fold hem on the neckline. The skirt was hemmed by the original owner.

Finally washed an oil stain out of a green ribbed shirt I have.

[whennnow]

A Floral Tonika Bralette

Date

At a point in time I no longer remember, I downloaded the free Tonika Bralette and Panty pattern from Madalynne Intimates. I liked the cropped tank/low-support sports bra look of the bralette and also it was free.

Supplies

I had (and still sort of have) some good size scraps of the floral rib knit fabric I've made so much from already, so I cut the pieces out from that.

Since the rib knit isn't very sturdy and I don't trust it's recovery, I opted to line the whole thing in a sturdy white powernet from Porcelynne.

I used a white fold-over elastic for the neckline and armholes, and a wide picot band elastic for, well, the band. Both were from Bias Bespoke in "cream."

Sewing

This was, as expected, as super easy project. The side seams are sewn, the shoulder seams are sewn, and the elastics are attached. Easy-peasy!

I originally intended to sew all the seams so that the raw edges were encased - and I did do that for the shoulders - but then I decided to sew on the armhole elastics while the sides were still open so I didn't have to sew them in the round. Once the neckline elastics and armhole elastics were finished, I sewed up the side seams.

I regretted that a bit later, but it would be the least of my problems.

The last order of business was the band elastic. I deviated slightly from the instructions here. They recommend, if I understand correctly, sewing the elastic to the lower edge of the bralette with the right sides of both facing up, because you don't do anything else to finish that edge.

I applied the band in a more traditional way, placing them right sides together, with the decorative edge of the band facing up. I zig-zagged close to the edge of the fabric (to leave most of the band exposed), then folded the band down and did a second round of zig-zag stitches to hold the seam allowances upward.

Doing the band that way meant that I lost a tiny bit of height in the bust, but I'm small chested and it was really a very small amount anyway.

Final Thoughts

Well. You can't win them all.

The final result, while cute and a good concept, is basically unwearable.

For starters, using a heavier-weight powernet was a terrible idea. It basically doesn't stretch. A lighter powernet or some kind of athleisure fabric with more stretch would have been a much better idea.

For seconds, the band was a disaster. My band elastic was too "soft" and too stretchy to pull in under the bust the way it should have. I also maybe made the band too long.

The whole thing ended up being too compressive in the front, too loose in the back, and having a band that didn't function as a band.

Separately, I do have to admit some reservations about the pattern instructions. I mean, it's a freebie, so beggars shouldn't be choosers, and really it's a pretty simple pattern that anyone who's been sewing (and sewing lingerie specifically) can figure out, but...

The instructions are not beginner-friendly. They are brief (about half a page), with no photos or illustrations. If there's an instructional video or sew-along somewhere, it's not linked in either the instructions or the product listing.

And everything about the band frustrates me. Why is it in two pieces instead of one, with two seams instead of one seam? Why have a pattern piece for the suggested length instead of just writing out the suggested band length in the instructions somewhere? Why attach it that way?

And more specifically... So the pattern includes instructions for adapting to a full bust - cutting a larger front piece, then going down a size or two for the back (no further guidance on how to determine whether to go down one or two sizes) - which is great! Bodies are so variable! But there's nothing on adapting the band size. If you use the recommended band length for each size separately, will the band be tight enough under the front bust? Should you use the smaller band length for both the front and back?

This isn't a problem that affects me (being, as I am, of small-average bust), but I can see it causing confusion and frustration to others.

Anyway, weird rant over.

I do want to adapt this pattern and try again with better fabrics and elastics, though.

For starters, I'd either go up a size for the front piece or down a size for the back. I'd also add maybe half an inch of height to the bottom of the front piece, grading it to meet the current side seams.

On the back, I want to try moving the bottoms of the straps toward the center back somewhat. I felt like they hit my shoulder blades oddly, though with the total disaster this project turned out to be, it's hard to tell.

[whennnow]

A 40s-Inspired Pinafore

May 26, 2026

Ages and ages ago, I bought several yards of a brown/black herringbone cotton flannel. I eventually made a shirtdress out of it, tried wearing it a few times, disliked it, and stashed it in the depths of my closet.

I still had about 2yds of the fabric left though, and it's been sitting in my stash ever since. Mocking me.

I always intended in making a nice, warm winter skirt out of it, but could never make up my mind about the design.

Last year, though, when making some 1940s-inspred plans, I thought I'd make a simple a-line skirt out of it. That would still leave some decent chunks of fabric left, though.

So what about a pinafore?

The Pattern

This pattern is a bit frankenstein-ed. You've been warned.

For the top, I decided to use View C of Simplicity 8243, a sort of 40s capsule wardrobe, as the base.

I traced the pattern in my size onto some tissue paper, tracing just past the marked waistline (since I want the waistline to hit at my natural waist). I did a quick tissue fitting to check the fit and length, then moved on to the skirt.

I measured along the marked waistline on the bodice, not including the darts. I used those measurements as the waistline measurements for my skirt pieces so that the seam lines would match up (except for the darts). I measured down to my desired hemline and flared out the sides based on an era-unknown vintage a-line skirt I own. Because the waist measurement of the bodice included the seam allowance, I didn't need to add seam allowance to the sides of the skirt, just the waist and the hem.

Since the pinafore will have side seams, I added in-seam pockets. I went through my pattern stash and borrowed a pocket pattern where the top got sewn into the waist seam for support.

Fabric, Lining, and Interfacing

I cut both front bodice pieces, both back pieces, and all the skirt pieces out of the flannel.

Then I grabbed some mystery black fabric (probably a poly/cotton or just polyester) from my stash. Out of that, I cut the front and back bodice pieces, button placket facings for the skirt (rectangles the length of the skirt that are 2in wide), four pocket pieces, and several strips of 2in wide bias tape to finish the skirt seams and hem.

I also cut button plackets out of interfacing for both the bodice and skirt. Well, ok, I meant to interface the button plackets, but instead I just totally forgot them. Let's pretend I did interface them.

Construction

I started the construction process with the bodice.

First, I ironed all the interfacing pieces to their respective lining pieces.

On the sewing machine, all the bodice darts were sewn in both the flannel and the lining fabric. Then I placed the right sides of the flannel and lining together and sewed along the button placket neckline and armscyes.

I pulled the front bodice through the shoulder seams and the back to turn the whole thing right side out and gave the whole thing a good ironing.

Before moving onto the skirt, I re-measured between the seams of the bodice to make sure the skirt seams would hit where I wanted them to.

I sewed the pocket lining pieces to the side seams of the skirt panels and bound the seam with bias tape strips that extended slightly past where the pocket stopped being attached.

The back panels of the skirt were sewn right sides together, with one side of a strip of bias tape included. The seams were graded slightly to reduce bulk, and the bias tape was folded around the raw edges of the fabric. The other side of the bias tape was stitched to the seam allowance as well, so there was no stitching showing on the right side of the skirt, but the seam was nicely finished.

The side seams were finished in a similar way, except that the seam and the bias tape diverted from the flannel to follow (and bind) the raw edges of the pocket. (I hope that made sense. It took a lot of thinking to actually do it.) This bit of binding also enclosed the ends of the bias tape that bound the seam connecting the pocket to the skirt panel.

The button facings were sewn to the open front edge of the skirt and the seam allowances were graded to reduce bulk. The seam was ironed so that the facings turned to the inside of the skirt, and the long raw edge of the facings was turned under. I hand sewed the raw edge down to the skirt so that the stitches wouldn't show on the right side. Contrarily, I added a row of machine top-stitching along the center front edge to match the bodice.

To attach the skirt to the bodice, I placed the skirt and bodice with the right sides of the flannel facing each other. I pinned the front opening edges first, then lined up the seams and pinned those. The rest of the fabric was eased together and pinned, and I pinned the upper edge of the pockets in as well. I made sure NOT to pin the bodice lining because I don't want to sew that yet.

The skirt and bodice got sewn together, making sure again that the bodice lining did not get caught in this seam.

Once finished, the seam allowances are ironed upward into the bodice and are, once again, graded to reduce bulk. Then, the raw edge of the lining is tuned under and stitched into place. I could have hand stitched this part, but I decided to take advantage of the forgiving nature of the flannel and practice stitching in the ditch from the right side. This completely encases the raw seams of the bodice!

Next was the skirt, which I faced with 2in wide bias tape made from the black mystery fabric. I machine sewed the first round, pressed the facing into place, and hand stitched the top edge of the facing to the inside of the skirt.

Closures

I was originally going to use some stash buttons for this dress, but I was feeling iffy on the color and there were only six of them, which was fewer than I had envisioned.

That's when I found the shirtdress I had made from this fabric in my closet (I thought it had been taken to the thrift store or something). It had twelve buttons on it, which coordinated with the fabric fairly well. So I stole them from that dress to use on this dress!

I measured and marked out the buttonholes and sewed them by machine (after doing a couple tests on scrap fabric). Then, I marked where the buttons would go on the other side.

I ended up only using eleven of the twelve buttons, so I sewed the spare to one of the inside seams as a future replacement.

Final Thoughts

I am fairly happy with how this dress turned out, and I expect it will get much more use than the shirtdress I made before. It's a bit bulky in the waist, but I'm happy with how all the edges were finished and all the raw edges hidden.

My second biggest complaint is that it's a smidge larger than I'd like it to be in the bust and waist. I keep telling myself that the extra space is a good thing, because I can wear more layers under it.

My first biggest complaint is that I dragged my feet so long on finishing it that summer has finally decided to set in, and now it's too hot to wear this pinafore! (I started it in January. It's mid-May now.) Ah well, I'll dig it out in the fall and I'm sure I'll be happy to have it.

Now, regarding the old shirtdress... I think there's a way to salvage it. At some point in the future, I may chop off the skirt and pleat the waist edge into a fitted waistband, resulting in something like those bomber-style jackets that were so popular as sportswear in the 1940s and 50s. I still need to finish some of the raw edges on the inside first. And I'll need some new buttons, on account of having stolen the old ones. This is maybe a fall project, but it's on my list now.

[whennnow]

Navy Redingote-ish - Part 1 The Spencer

April 21, 2026

My big project for the Regency festival I'm going to is a redingote! Spring weather is unpredictable, so I really needed an outer layer in case it was cold or wet.

The Plan

I pretty quickly chose Laughing Moon Mercantile #130, View B (with the cape, obviously), as my pattern. The menswear/military-inspired look is one you see commonly in fashion plates.

I purchased a blue boiled wool blend from Mood Fabrics and pulled some black cotton and poly/cotton bits from my stash for the facings and linings.

At some point along the way, I also decided to make the top and the skirt separate pieces, like you often see in riding habits from this time, for maximum wardrobe possibilities. Plus, this way I could make just the bodice if I ran out of time, without ruining my plans or wearing an unfinished garment.

So this project will be in three parts - the spencer (because that's what a short jacket without a skirt would be called), the petticoat/skirt, and the cape.

The Execution

The assembly of the spencer/bodice is fairly straightforward. The outer bodice gets assembled, and the lining bodice, and each sleeve separately (two outer and two lining).

The collars took a moment to wrap my head around - there are four pattern pieces, all very similar looking, but each slightly different. The pattern didn't call for contrast facings like I wanted, so it took me a moment to figure out which two pieces should be cut from the navy wool, and which two should be cut from black cotton.

Then attaching the collars to the bodice neckline confused me because the collars seemed to continue into the lapel? And the instructions said that was correct? But then I realized that it was for the sake of seam allowances and everything made sense again.

With both the bodice layers constructed, I finally dug out my short stays so I could fit the bust darts on the lower edge of the bodice. I couldn't be bothered to get the pattern pieces back out and mark the suggested darts - I just fit it on me and made sure everything lined up nicely. With those marked, I pinned and sewed the darts on both layers and gave everything a good press. With this wool, the wooden clapper/point-turner I inherited from my grandmother came in handy!

Next, the pattern called for pinning the lining and outer fabrics right-sides together and sewing along the collar and lapel. Because I wanted to close the lower edge (the skirt will be separate, remember?), I also needed to sew the waistline edge. The weird seam allowance overlap required some pre-clipping and necessitated sewing that outer edge in two parts (the three edges of the collar, then lapel > bottom > lapel), but I managed to do it correctly enough the first time around. Huzzah!

I clipped all the corners and curves, turned the whole thing out through one of the armholes, and gave the whole thing a very good press.

The instructions recommend at this point that you tack the outer and lining collars together along the center back seam to keep things from shifting, which I did.

I also basted the armscye edges together at this point to make treating the outer and lining layers as one easier when I got to attaching the sleeves.

I also took a moment to sew the cuff edges of the sleeves together, outer to lining, right sides together. That got turned out and pressed as well, and I tacked the seam allowances together just below the elbow gathering to keep the sleeve from twisting up in weird ways. The tacking wasn't in the instructions, but it seemed like a good idea.

I really liked the way the pattern instructs you to attach the sleeves - you pin and gather the outer sleeve into the armscye and sew it to bodice, treating the bodice outer and lining as one. The seam allowance gets pressed into the sleeve. Then, you pull the sleeve lining up and carefully hand sew it to the bodice lining along the seam line, folding the sleeve lining seam allowance under so you end up with a perfectly encased armscye seam! The hand sewing part is a bit fiddly, but worth it.

Then all that was left was the closures. This was the one thing I disliked about the instructions - after all the detailed assembly instructions it just tells you to add closures. No guidance about what kind of closure to use or where to put them.

I opted to use small black hooks and bars, with one on the inner flap of the wrap front and one on the outer flap, both as close to the waistline as possible without them showing.

The Results

I really like how this spencer turned out! I got a lot of compliments on it while I was working on it at our sewing retreat, too.

The collar is absolutely fabulous, I just regret not using an interfacing like the pattern said too. The collar sort of wants to splay out instead of standing up. I've ironed them repeatedly and I'm putting pins in it while not being worn, which I'm hoping will help.

The fit in the shoulders is decent considering I didn't bother to do a mockup or any fitting. I run a bit wide in the shoulders, and my shoulders are a bit hunched, which makes shoulders difficult. I get a bit of wrinkling between the front shoulders, but nothing serious, and it's still comfortable. The fullest part of the bust is also a bit large for me, so I may pad it out a bit (scandalous, I know).

Up next is the skirt, whose construction should be considerably simpler, but may take more hand sewing.

[whennnow]

Two New Regency Shifts

April 2, 2026

[Image ID: two shifts folded in half vertically and laid flat next two each other to resemble two halves of a whole shift. /end ID]

I made my first Regency shift out of unbleached cotton muslin and store-bought bias tape way back in 2019. And it took me several tries to get it right.

But I did eventually get it right, or at least right enough, and I learned a lot. Now it's time to level up!

I acquired some yardage of white linen off Fb Marketplace last fall, and while it's maybe a bit heavier weight than would be ideal for a shift, I think it will do the job nicely.

The Pattern

I'll be basing my "pattern" off of my current chemise, but with some changes.

For starters, I'm keeping my sleeves and underarm gusset the same. I like the way they fit. I'll still be flat felling my seams, and I'll still have a drawstring across the front neckline.

However, I'm making the back neckline shallower and the neckline generally slightly less wide because I do not want the shoulders and the back neckline to need gathering. I'm sloping the side pieces of the bodice instead of cutting rectangles and adding gores so that I have fewer seams to sew and finish. I'm making the hem a few inches lower and the body a few inches narrower overall, but still making sure I can get it over my shoulders.

Actually, my shoulders are why it took me three tries instead of two to make my first chemise, and they're the source of my medieval T-tunic problems.

The sources I've seen for chemises and tunics tell you to measure your bust, waist, and hips and base your pattern off the largest one. Unfortunately, being as skinny as I am means that my shoulders are my widest measurement, and if I base my rectangle-based patterns on my bust, waist, or hips, I won't be able to get them on. Or off.

But I digress.

For future reference for myself (and anyone else who is a size XS/S or US 0/2, I guess), here are the measurements I used. The measurements include a half-inch-ish seam allowance.

The main pieces of the shift are 40" long and 22" wide at the shoulders, flaring to 34" at the hem. The sleeves are 12x7". The sleeve gussets are 6" squares.

The Sewing

For the sake of speed, I was originally going to do all the main seams by machine and finish them by hand. But I was feeling frustrated, and my sewing table (very small to begin with) had turned into just another surface to put things on, and frankly so had my chair, so I decided to just completely hand sew one. It was easier to pick up on a whim when I had a few moments, as opposed to unearthing my machine.

As a compromise, I made the other shift completely by machine. Both went together in more or less the same order though.

The shoulder seams of the body pieces were sewn together and finished first. I also attached the gussets to the sleeves, finished those seams, and finished the ends of the sleeves.

Then the sleeves were attached to the sides of the body, the body seams were sewn up, and all those seams were finished.

Next it was time to finish the neckline. The sides of the neckline that go over the shoulders were given a narrow double-turn hem. The back neckline was gathered slightly and bound with an on-grain strip of the linen. I did this on the machine-sewn shift first and gathered the neckline to 9in, after which I decided that was still too wide and decided to make the hand-sewn one 7in. The 7in gather was much better!

The front neckline was not gathered, but given a drawstring casing which was also made from a strip of linen. I sewed two eyelets about an inch apart at the center front (the only thing I did by hand on the machine-sewn shift), inserted a cord for the drawstring, and sewed down the other edge of the casing.

Finally, I gave the chemises a narrow hem and they were done!

Final Thoughts

I'm very happy with how these turned out! Admittedly, I think the front neckline could have been about an inch higher, and the back neckline easily two inches higher. The sleeves fit well, I can get it on easily over my shoulders, and I like the length!

I've already worn one shift to the Wooster Ball and it did its job admirably (hence why one of the pictured shifts is so much more wrinkly that the other).

Next up is my navy blue redingote, which will be done in stages. (I actually have the first part nearly done already.)

One day I'd like to upgrade my Regency stays to go along with my upgraded shifts, but that's not likely to happen this year. I had a fair amount of this linen left over after cutting out these shifts, so I've already cut out the pieces for a habit-style chemisette and a basic gathered apron. And frankly there's still linen left from this yardage after that, so...