I am an Aunt for the first time! I a bit short for time and I need to find a quick way to make a Renaissance outfit for my niece who is eight/nine weeks old.
Today, I will meet my sister, and set eyes on Baby Alexandria for the very first time!! They are arriving this afternoon from Germany. I work at shop where we sell bodices/wench clothing at the Maryland Renaissance Festival here in the States. This weekend they are celebrating Celtic heritage at the fair and this would be a wonderful time to introduce my niece to all things Renaissance. (Plus it is fate, as the baby's father is from Scotland so this will be her first experience with Highland Dancing, Celtic bands and the all important caber toss.)
Is there a simple pattern, maybe on the Internet, for such a thing? I think all I need to do is to come up with a simple Chemise . . . someone even suggested I could use a pillow case if I don't have time to sew something from scratch. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Post Note: I found your LJ a while ago, when I was doing a search under Medieval clothing. I told my local SCA friend melaniesuzanne and her Hubbyfink, and they now also read your LiveJournal entries.
If you are interested in doing the outfit as historical baby clothes, you will be looking at a baby in either swaddling or in a super-long gown, similar to a high-necked chemise, but more of the length of a christening gown (a couple of feet longer than the baby). Modern mamas don't seem to like this; they want something that looks more like something an older child will wear.
My intent is closer to what you mentioned. I looked quickly in the shops at the Renn Fest this past weekend. I really didn't like the costumes that looked like "little wenches" or older children. Only problem is my sister is pretty practical so the length of the chemise might get on her nerves, toting her baby around in it, after a couple of hours. I guess I am looking for simple, somewhat historically accurate, and of course something I can whip up in an hour or two.
With Maja ill I really don't have the time to answer this in a proper way. Maja's tunics, which are similar to children's tunics that was used well into the 19th century in rural Sweden are made in a very simple way. Some are made the "proper way", with gores in the sides, front and back, but others, like the blue linen tunic she wears here (http://w1.412.comhem.se/~u41200125/Maja.html) is made without shoulder seams and the sleeves in one with the body. So there are only two seams, running from cuff to hem on each side. To determine the size I took a velour overall that fit her and made the dress after that, remembering to add extra width both in body and sleeves to allow for the fact that the fabric wasn't elastic as the overall was. The tunic widened from wiast to hem to give it a proper dress shape. I made it just as long as the overall too, so that it would cover her feet. The most common problems one run into when making children's tunics is that you make the sleeves too narrow, because the proportions are so different from those of a grown-up person. The other is that for babies it's easy to make the hole for the head too big. Babies doesn't like to have tight garments pulled over their head, but if you make the hole big enough to get over his/her head easily the tunic will fall off her/his shoulders because of babies' very big heads. So you make a keyhole neckline. Since simple tunics like this were worn for so long for small children it should be suitable alos for the renaissance, even though I suspect set in sleeves were more common then straight cut sleeves.
Thank you for your reply. As with your other post, I am learning a great deal about historical costuming and I thank you. Sending lots of healthy baby wishes to Maja so she feels better soon.
Thank you for you kind words. I more and more feel the need to create a special page on baby-related things, like how to make easy clothes, different solutions to nursing in garb (I've tried several different ways to open my dresses for nursing), how to wrap a baby sling (http://www.skauma.org/bildarkiv/dynpage.cgi?last=1092119709&dir=/2004/Visby/Fight_o_fence/Stora_Visby/P8049707.jpg) etc. But that will have to wait, there just isn't enough time to do everything I want.
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frualeydis
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Date: 2004-09-14 07:02 am (UTC)Renaissance baby?!
Date: 2004-09-14 07:27 am (UTC)Today, I will meet my sister, and set eyes on Baby Alexandria for the very first time!! They are arriving this afternoon from Germany. I work at shop where we sell bodices/wench clothing at the Maryland Renaissance Festival here in the States. This weekend they are celebrating Celtic heritage at the fair and this would be a wonderful time to introduce my niece to all things Renaissance. (Plus it is fate, as the baby's father is from Scotland so this will be her first experience with Highland Dancing, Celtic bands and the all important caber toss.)
Is there a simple pattern, maybe on the Internet, for such a thing? I think all I need to do is to come up with a simple Chemise . . . someone even suggested I could use a pillow case if I don't have time to sew something from scratch. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Post Note: I found your LJ a while ago, when I was doing a search under Medieval clothing. I told my local SCA friend
Re: Renaissance baby?!
Date: 2004-09-14 07:57 am (UTC)What is your intent?
Re: Renaissance baby?!
Date: 2004-09-14 08:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-15 10:16 am (UTC)The most common problems one run into when making children's tunics is that you make the sleeves too narrow, because the proportions are so different from those of a grown-up person. The other is that for babies it's easy to make the hole for the head too big. Babies doesn't like to have tight garments pulled over their head, but if you make the hole big enough to get over his/her head easily the tunic will fall off her/his shoulders because of babies' very big heads. So you make a keyhole neckline.
Since simple tunics like this were worn for so long for small children it should be suitable alos for the renaissance, even though I suspect set in sleeves were more common then straight cut sleeves.
Eva
no subject
Date: 2004-09-15 06:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-15 11:42 pm (UTC)Eva