florentine2

I've been looking around for months to find some decent fabric to make the Giornea. I couldn't find anything I liked nor in the right colors. I've been to at least 20 stores. So tonight, I stumbled across this material, which is the closest thing, to what I've been searching for I've seen in months. I was so frustrated that I bought it just in case I changed my mind later on and it would be gone.

I wanted a gold background with ivory patterns but everything I found in those colors had very modern figures to it (leafs, swirls, pisseleu). This textile is dark kaki with golden patterns. The background has the same texture and shine as taffeta (but it's at least 3 times thicker), the pattern is made of velvet but, by the way it's been weaved (distinct square spots), it looks "sort-of" like chenille. The actual pattern is about 1/2 time bigger than it appears. The textile has been scanned directly on the scanner screen. Note that it's been rotated 90 degrees to use-up less place on this page. I'm still not sure if I like it. I find it dark and fad. I don't know if I'll actualy use it for that project... I still wanna think about it for a few days.

I've been hesitating for a while. I wasn't sure if i wanted my giornea to be opened on the sides and in the front as well. I found evidence of both styles being done. I decided to make it wide, without a waist seam because I want to be able to wear both styles ; Loose or adjusted with a belt.

So I've decided to go with a closed front because I was afraid that with the skirt puffing so widely, it wouldn't stay straight and that the fabric and the two sides would cross at the bottom. But I've inserted a front seam just in case I change my mind.

The lining is a blend of silk and cotton. I inserted two gores in the front and one in the back. I've sewn a trim around the neckline and I'm still wondering if I'll add some along the sides as well. Although I know that this isn't quite period, I decided to go with it anyway since I didn't want a flashy or busy trim. I wanted something plain and simple and this is really all I could find. I don't think it looks that bad anyhow...

So I'm done with the giornea. It only needs to be pressed (and to be added some trimming on the sides if i make up my mind ). I'm quite pleased with it too! Maybe I would have liked the gores to go a little higher... But HEY I made it with only 3 yards of 56" wide fabric, and I still had room to cut-in the sleeves! That's a world record ladies and gentlemen !!!

My mother gave me a really nice gold metal belt that looks just like the one in fig 4. So I will be wearing it when I go for the style of fig 2.

Tomorow I'm gonna start working on the matching set of sleeves. They are already cut. I improvised a pattern based on the ones of fig 4. I hope that they turn out ok. I've also been roaming about the ones in fig 6. I think that I've finaly figured out what I'm gonna use to make them. We'll see how they turn out !

I've just finished working on the matching maniches (sleeves). They are attached with the lader lacing technique. I pearced right through the fabric and didn't use any kind of eyelets or sewing. The italians did that a lot. Here's a layout of the approximative pattern...

In the meantime, here's a little something that I made a few months back just for the fun of it... It's a photomontage of me as Giovanna ! I find it very inspiring to be able to picture myself wearing the gown before I'm even done making it !!!!

You guys just won't believe this ! I've started cutting the fabric for my caul at 11:04pm tonight and at precisely 11:16, it was done !!! I made it out of cotton muslin, I think that english folks sometimes call it gauze, we french call it "coton-fromage" (cheese cotton). Here's an approximative view of the pattern. I generaly cut directly into the fabric so I make the drawings of my patterns after I'm done and know that it works...

After I was done, I thought that it looked kinda fad, so I've decided to add a handmade trim that my grandmother crocheted for me about 17 years ago. It's not quite period but I found it better than to add mini-pearls to the hem anyhow... Sorry if it looks flatened, it was scan directly on the scanner screen.

Here are a few pics of the giornea with the matching sleeves. Unfortunatly, my nice new gold belt broke so I had to use this one instead. You can also see a close-up of the capulet but I'm not happy with it so, I'll be making another one (smaller) this week. Come to think of it, in the sun, it doesn't look too dark after all :))