January, 2006:
This partlet is based on Vecellio's Fig 183: Young Florentine woman married for some years, Fig 184 Obsolete Street Dress of Florentine girls and Vincenzo Campi's The Fruit Seller (1580's). All three can be seen below. The first two are Florentine examples. The third is not.

The first example is the main example I am using to base this partlet on.

Pattern, Construction and Materials:
Each has a front opening. Looking closely at the first example, it appears that there is bias along the front opening. This is consistant with examples in the 16th century. Some of these can be found in Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion. One example is found on page39 Fig 275 & 278; bias binding edge with hem stitched on. I bound the front opening with bias I made from linen.

The collar will be made in one rectangular piece, as each example does not appear to have a 'fitted' look. Examples of collars made from this pattern can also be seen in Patterns of Fashion (1570-80 Woman's loose gown).

As this partlet will not necessarily be worn with a high neck doublet to support it, I decided to 'stiffen' the collar. One common method was using layers of linen. I have used this method for Dafydd's Rapier doublet.

Right: oringally from http://www.tudor-portraits.com/Costumes.htm and from Tribute to Janet Arnold at the V&A Museum - found at: http://www.kipar.demon.co.uk/arnold.html This example of a 16th century rapier doublet shows the stitching to hold layers of linen and wool to stiffen the collar. Patterns of Fashion also shows a doublet lining on collar layers of course linen (p16 Fig 174) I used four layers of linen, herringbone stitched and inserted in the collar.

Again, looking at the Vecellio drawing, the attatched ruffs are of a reasonable depth possibly 2-3 inches and appear to be very flat at the collar seam. I used box pleating to give the full appearance and keeping it flat along the collar seam. The ruff was sewn to the collar by using running / stab stitches after 'sandwiching' the ruff into the two part collar.

Examples of this construction method can be found in Patterns of Fashion, these being:

• p15 Fig 84 shows stab/running stitches in collar and doublet front opening, which is folded over with the bias inserted between
• p18 Fig 106 Collar of Nils Sture's leahter doublet shows a similar construction method to put the 'ruff' on the collar
• p28 Fig 185 shows similar construction of collar and ruff.
• p39 Fig 276 shows similar construction of ruff on the bottom of sleeve with bias decorations.

Sewing Stitches Used in Medieval Clothing quotes examples of running stitch specifically used in Florentine clothing - 1562 Florence, Italy Suit of Cosimo I de’Medici. Raw edge of silk on panes on trunkhose turned under and held by running stitches in 2-ply silk Arnold, Patterns, pp. 53-54. Stab stitch 1562 Florence, Italy Suit of Cosimo I de’Medici. Row of stab stitches down center front about 1.5mm (1/16") from edge Arnold, Patterns, pp. 53-54. This is similar in construction as I have used for the collar.

The collar 'lining' was hemstitched to the body of the partlet. eg.upright Hem stitch 1562 Florence, Italy Gown and pair of bodies worn by Eleanor of Toledo. Slanted and upright hem stitching used. Arnold, Patterns, p. 102 . and Overcast stitch1562 Florence, Italy Gown and pair of bodies worn by Eleanor of Toledo. Linen lining of bodies attached to velvet by overstitching Arnold, Patterns, p. 102

Seams were handsewn in backstitch with the seams being flatfelled (see Archeological sewing and Tudor Tailor - smocks).

I added ties at the front collar, as at the collar, in the Campi portrait, to allow the collar to be closed when required. The ties were hand-knitted with cotton cord.

I will be using left over 'cabbage' linen, from previous projects.

Decoration:
In the Vecellio drawing, the partlet appears to have embroidery on the inside of the collar. The second example has embroidery on the main part of the partlet and possibly on the collar as well. Both are consistent with noble clothing. (the embroidery would only be afforded by the rich) The third is very plain, as it is a worker.
As many who follow my diaries will know, I like pomegranates! In Embroidery: Early 16thCentury, I found this following pattern (left) and have adapted it for the embroidery on the collar (right)

I used mainly split stitch and this will be my first real try at 'shading' with split stitch. A good article on this can be found at the Bayrose website. This will be executed in Madera silk thread. The following stitches were used for multi-coloured embroidery on linen in the 16thC, split, stem, chain, back, cross and speckling stitches. Examples of these stitches can be found at Bayrose's Database of Stitches from Extant Textiles, Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd and Blackwork. 

22 January, 2006 - 8th Feb, 2006.:
The Collar Embroidery:

This was done in chain stitch, for the vine, with split stitch to paint the leaves and pomegranites.

Finally the collar embroidery is finished

Construction:
This partlet was hand sewn using backstitch and flat felled seams with running stitch for overstitching. This is consistant with information found in both Archeological sewing and in Tudor Tailor.

Herringbone stitch in linen on four layers of linen to provide stiffening.	backstitch in linen thread for seams.
Pinned collar for hand sewing over (running stitch)

The final collar standing with linen layers	the final collar on the embroidered side and the outside

  The cords are hand-knitted from cotton thread. The final partlet from the front.

Bibliography

• Arnold Janet, Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd, Maney, Leeds, 1988, ISBN:0-901286-20-6
• Archive of Stitches from Extant Textiles. www.bayrose.org
• BayRose. (website by Savinra de la Bere.) http://www.bayrose.org/needlework/Shading-1.pdf
• Crowfoot E, Pritchard F & Staniland K, Textiles and Clothing 1150-1450, Boydell Press, Woodridge, 2001 (ed) ISBN: 0-85115-840-4
• Festive Attyre: http://homepage.mac.com/festive_attyre/
• Frick, Carole Collier. Dressing Renaissance Florence.: Families Fortunes & Clothing. John Hopkins University Press. Baltimore. 2002. ISBN: 0-8018-6939-0
• Kovesi Killerby, Catherine, Sumptuary Law in Italy 1200-1500, Oxford University Press. NY. 2002. ISBN:0-19-924793-5 .
• Nourry, Claude & de Saincte Louie, Pierre. Patterns Embroidery: Early 16thCentury. Lacis. Berkley. 1999. ISBN: 1-891656-16-3
• Snook, Barbara, English Embroidery, Bell & Hyman, London, 1974
• Veccellio, Cesare. Vecellio's renaissance Costume Book. Dover Publications. NY. 1977. ISBN: 0 48623441X
• Sewing Stitches Used in Medieval Clothing Compilied by Jennifer L. Carlson http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/
• Archeological Sewing by Heather Rose Jones (2001) www.virtue.to/guest_authors/archaeological_sewing.html (5/04)
• Mikhaila, Ninya & Malcolm-Davies, Jane. The Tudor Tailor: Reconstructing sixteenth -century dress. BT Batsford, London. 2006. ISBN:0 7134 8985 5
• Orsi Landini, Roberta & Niccoli, Bruna. Moda a Fioenze 1540-1580. Pagliai Polistampa, Firenze, 2005. ISBN: 88-8304-867-9