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  Welcome to The Elizabethan Bodice Sew Along!  Today we will be using those measurements you took on Day 1 to alter our pattern to fit our measurements.  We will be showing two different options below.   Our first option is for Arte, who is going to fit her muslin over a corset.  Arte's measurements fell right in between size 12 and size 14.  It is pretty unusual to have this happen - all measurements fitting in one size range - but that is the way it worked for her.  We decided that it was better to use the higher size, as we could adjust down if necessary.   Tracing around the size 14.  Arte uses large metal washers as pattern weights. Because...

This post is the second in a series for  #012: The Elizabethan Bodice Sew Along.  Pattern #012 is the first pattern that has been offered at Margo's Patterns as a digital download.  We thought it might be helpful to do a post on how to assemble the pattern once it has been printed out. Note:  Pattern tile pages = the papers you will print out from the download Grey lines = the lines on the pattern tile pages Pattern sheet = the pattern once all the tile pages have been taped together Each digital download pattern is sent to the buyer as a zip file.  You open the zip file and extract all the files inside.  One of those files says...

The Elizabethan Bodice Sew Along (referred to after this as #012 Bodice Sew Along) begins today!  We will be doing different blog posts each week, addressing different parts of the process of assembling a garment made from the pattern. This week's blog posts are as follows: Measurements with or without a corset underneath Assembling a digital pattern Altering the pattern to fit your measurements Cutting out your mock-up Fitting your mock-up with or without a corset underneath Today's post is all about measurements.  The #012 Bodice pattern requires 5 specific measurements in order to be able to get the correct fit: 1.  High Bust (around chest under your armpits)2.  Bust (the fullest part of the bust)3.  Waist* (your natural waist,...

  The Paned Cap Sleeves There are two pairs of outer sleeves, the paned cap sleeves and the long sleeves. For a long time, I interpreted the paned cap sleeves as what we called "shoulder rolls".  I had been taught that they were cut as two crescents, the inner diameter of which spanned the upper two thirds of the armhole. They were seamed together, stuffed, decorated, and whipstitched into the bodice armhole.  But in recent years, I've come to the conclusion that  shoulder rolls on Elizabethan bodices, doublets, and gowns were NOT made this way. On examination of many images, they appear to actually be very short sleeves, with a gathered or puffed overlay, which was often covered with strips of fabric called panes. You...