This toile was made for two reasons: I needed an underdress for the Maria d' Medici outfit and for a dress based on Eleanor d' Toledo gown from the Bronzino portrait Eleanor d' Toledo and her son.

The pattern is based on patterns from Alcega and Patterns of Fashion.

To experiment, I worked on making a toile for the pattern (this also was extended for the doublet overdress). Then I made up a gowne in some cheap furniture material I had in the cupboard. This will show if the stiffening will be enough to support the overdress and give the right silhouette.

The toile was made with cabbage (leftover) drill from a previous project. Making a toile involves draping material over a mannequinn to make a pattern.

I start with the back, to get a smooth line up to the neck (for the doublet)	Then the front and over the shoulder.	This allows me to realign the back, drawing in the lines of the dress to make a pattern.
then cutting away the excess to drape the shoulder and neck more accurately.	finishing off the neck.

The final pattern (including the extension for the doublet). The lower lines were used for the kirtle. This was used to cut out the bodice from the practice material below. Compare this to Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion R), considering I am considerably larger than Elenora was!:

So finally I could try my 'experimental' gowne.
I used the furnishing material, lined it with one lot of canvas (if using lighter material in the final gowne, I will have to use 2 layers of canvas) and I lined it with linen, which was blindstitched to the outer bodice.
These days, it seems that half of the dress is handsewing (at least the bits that show).
1. front
2. back
3. side
4. skirt, made with panels and gores as per Alcega's pattern (as I used with the Florentine 1516 gowne)

To finish the skirt seams, I flat-felled them and overstitched with running stitch in grey linen thread. (below).

 To help give the shape, the front was dipped as in the portrait, to flattern the abdomen and help give the correct shape. This means that the skirt pattern must be cut lower to fit the front of the bodice.
First I pinned the skirt up with the bodice

Hand-sewn eyelets were used on the bodice, bias used to finish off the side splits in the skirt, and hem handsewn

The finished 'experimental dress'.

to get the line for the front skirt.
There is, however, a 'curve' in the skirt at the front. This could account for Eleanora's dress (and similar ones with a peaked bodice) seem to have a '2-piece' front skirt (often covered with braid or gards).
Now this is done, I can work on the kirtle for the Maria d'Medici dress. I can also use this for the basis of an Eleanor d' Toledo (her mother) gowne.

Back to Maria d' Medici kirtleDiary
Back to Eleanor d' Toledo diary 

© K Carlisle. 2005-2008