Project 7: Anne Boleyn Gown

The day has finally come, and I'm sitting here in my full Anne Boleyn regalia. Of course, I have misplaced my camera, hence the lack of recent posts. Thus far in my day, I have learned the following things:

1. It's hard to eat oatmeal with trumpet sleeves.
2. Wheely office chairs and full skirts do not mix.
3. You feel awesome when you're dressed up as Anne Boleyn.

I can't believe it's done!

Playing Catch Up

I took yesterday afternoon off from work, namely to spend it sitting at the tire store for three hours while they searched for the proper replacement for my flat. I did, however, get what seemed like a bonus hour of afternoon time which I lent to beginning Tudors Season Four marathon. The final season, which came out on DVD Tuesday and is essentially the reason I got a flat tire as I cut the curb too tightly in my excitement to enter the Best Buy parking lot, has been outstanding thus far. Season Three, with the absence of my favorite queen, Anne Boleyn (I'm sure you all guessed that one), seemed sparse, boring, and too full of blood and guts. Do I watch for the blood and guts? No, though I have enjoyed the war bits thus far this season. It certainly has kept me captivated.

How far did I get in the first sitting, you ask? Oh, just through episode nine.

Yes, I watched nine episodes in one night. Sweet biscuits, what is wrong with me? That leaves the finale for me to enjoy tonight, with its much talked about revisits from wives one through three. So excited.

At least I can say that I finished my underskirt while watching. See, I was still productive.

Project 7: Anne Boleyn Gown - Part Six - French Hood

Hello, blog. It feels so good to sit here with Rosewood Buttons after a short hiatus. My calendar has been filled with jury duty, training our new PR girl at work, and a weekend trade show that was about as exciting as a trip to the dentist. While I have been unable to write, I have been busy with the Anne Boleyn costume, keeping right on track with the nearing Halloween deadline. The French hood is, do do dooo, finished! As is the immensely important "B" necklace. This leaves the kirtle and foresleeves, which the fabrics were purchased for this week.

Now I present to you:

How to Make a French Hood: a Tutorial

1. The shape of the paste, the crescent that defines the headpiece, is vastly personal, as it must fit your head's size and shape. It is best to use a scrap piece of fabric to trace your pattern on so that you may make the necessary adjustments, whether it be wider, longer on the sides, a bit shorter at the crown, or anything that suits your fancy. My goal was to get the shape and length as close to Anne's portrait as I could.

2. Using your adjusted pattern, trace your front and back fabrics with a quarter inch seam allowance. I chose the trumpet sleeve fabric for the front and black silk for the back.

3. Trace your pattern onto buckram or another sturdy base fabric. I found an incredibly stiff felt to use that worked amazingly.

4. Carefully bend a piece of wire around the outside of the base. These two components will give the paste its lift and form. Stitch the wire into place and gently shape the piece to your liking.

5. Pin the front and back fabrics right sides together, carefully securing a length of ribbon on the back, bottom corners. These will tie the piece in place beneath your hair. Stitch along the outside seams, leaving the bottom edge open. Clip corners and flip right-side out, slipping the fabric over the form and pinning in place. Close the bottom seam by hand.

6. Once the paste is covered, it's time to decorate, or add the "billaments." I opted for two rows of faux pearls, mimicking Anne Boleyn's French hood.

7. The crepine: after hemming the edge, accordion pleat wired, gold ribbon, an inch wide, basting as you go to hold in place. This thread will be removed from the final piece.

8. Securely stitch the hemmed edge to the corner of the paste. Continue along the length of the ribbon, stitching the top of each pleat to the base. Cut and hem ribbon at the opposite corner and remove basting thread.

9. Voila! Your hood is complete (well, technically you would have the veil, which is the actual "hood" portion of the French hood, but I'm not going to wear one, so as far as this tutorial is concerned, your piece is done. Congrats!).

And for your general viewing pleasure, the "B" necklace:

Happy October!

French Hoods

After a bout of distraction with the Glee season premiere and the Martha Stewart Halloween Handbook last night (is it too early to decorate for Halloween? No, I think not), I was able to settle in and start constructing the French hood for my Anne Boleyn gown. The pattern I'm using for the dress, Simplicity 2589, includes the hood, but I’m just not a fan of it. It generalizes the parts of the hood, which went through several transformations throughout its time, and the style of this particular pattern is not exactly what I have in mind when I think “Anne Boleyn.” So, I’m winging it.

I’m taking pictures as I go and should have a tutorial of some sort by next week at the latest, in case you want to jump on the headdress bandwagon of the sixteenth century. Meanwhile, let’s discuss the French hood just a bit.

The French hood is recognized by its rounded, crescent shape, compared to the roof-like angles of the English or gable hood. It has been called the mini-skirt of its day, as it shows off several inches of the wearer’s tresses along the hairline. Scandalous indeed! Tradition has it that the ever-fashionable Anne Boleyn introduced this variety of headdress to England upon her return from France. It’s lovely to think so, but period portraits show plenty of other English ladies sporting this style, even Katherine of Aragon. It was, however, Anne’s preferred style, and she certainly did help its popularity during her short reign.

The French hood consists of five parts: the coif, crepine, paste, veil (the actual ‘hood’), and billaments.

The coif was a simple linen cap worn as the base layer. It was usually white, though some examples of red coifs can be found. It was tied under the chin but may have also been pinned on, as evidence of chin ties is absent in some portraits, such as Anne’s. In fact, in Anne’s most famous portrait, one can’t see the coif at all. It usually peaks out on the sides in a curved fashion around the ears.

The crepine refers to the pleated linen or silk, usually white or gold, along the base of the hair. It is unsure as to whether this is actually attached to the coif or not.

The paste is the crescent one sees. It was made of rich fabrics of white, black, or one corresponding to the gown, placed over stiffened buckram and wire. It has been proposed, however, that it was actually far straighter in shape, the curve resulting from the piece piling against braided hair pinned at the crown of the head.

The veil is nearly always black wool, silk, velvet, or satin, reaching somewhere between the shoulder blades to the waist.

Billaments are simply the decorative elements. Metalwork, jewels, pearls: they range from the extravagant to the simple.

For Sarah Lorraine's amazing article on the construction of the French hood, go here. You won't be disappointed. If you are interested in purchasing a beautiful French hood, go to The Anne Boleyn Files. Gorgeous!

A Collection of French Hood Portraits

Anne of Brittany

Anne Boleyn

Katherine of  Aragon

Princess Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk

Princess Margaret Tudor

Elizabeth I

Elizabeth Seymour-Cromwell (sometimes Catherine Howard)

I'm pretty much in love with this currently.

Soft Cat - It Won't Be Long from Friends Records on Vimeo.

Project 8: Dress Revenge

 2008: The dress in question, in its original, infuriating state.

It stems from 12 years of wearing a school uniform, I’m sure, but no matter how I fight it, I have a conniption when I find myself wearing the same thing as somebody else. I simply cannot help it. This is why I started sewing, why I started beading, why I stopped shopping at Target and Old Navy for anything other than a basic.

The gem of my matching-outfit crown came two years ago. My mom had bought the above Mossimo sundress from Target, but didn’t like the way it fit her, so to me it was passed. I was oblivious to its popularity until I wore it a month later to the Wheatland Music Festival.

Wheatland is a bluegrass extravaganza in mid-Michigan that my family has been attending for the past 14 years. An unusually high concentration of hippie hopefuls crowd into a huge wheat field for three days of fiddles, clogging, and outright debauchery. It is a breeding ground for Target sundresses.

It was Saturday of the 2008 Wheatland festivities, and I was merrily frolicking without a care in the world, my blue sundress on. Then I spotted it: the same dress. I fought my fit-habits and pushed forward. There were thousands of people. It was bound to happen.

Then I saw it again.

And again.

Yes it was spotted three times in one hour and has been seen at every Wheatland since. I threw up my hands in defeat and walked back to the campsite to change into a homemade dress, knowing that I was at last safe.

The infamous blue sundress still haunted me years later, as my family and friends enjoyed revisiting the incident, teasing me about changing my outfit, as I repeatedly saw it elsewhere. It sat hanging in my closet reminding me of that moment when I was bested. I needed my revenge.

And revenge I had.

Who knew it would feel so good?

The complete hoopin' ensemble.

The halter altered.

This year’s Wheatland Music Festival was this past weekend, September 10 – 12. Last Tuesday, I settled in and altered the dress. I removed 17.5 inches from the bottom, making it knee length. From this, I was able to add four triangular inserts to the skirt, making it fuller and flowy. I also added a few inches of pleated fabric to the halter straps, stitching them down to a far more comfortable position.

While the weather left something to be desired, Friday was momentarily sunny enough for me to debut my revenge. Take that, Target!

And now for a slew of other Wheatland pictures.

Jameson thought she was tough enough for any kind of weather. "Bring it," she said.

 While the sun was out, layers were needed and winter hats made their appearance.

Good bye sunny skies!

Then the cruel temperatures dipped deeper.

And the rains came.

We had to find new ways to entertain ourselves.

On the third day, the waters receded and the sun emerged.
(Please note Jameson's Target sundress, third in from the left.
Yes, she too saw repeats. Bah! Will the madness never end?)