Welcome to Kat's Purple Files/ Florence Files

Recreated by La Signora Onorata Katerina da Brescia.

Inspiration:

The extant sleeved cloak found in San Lorenzo in the Medici Crypt belonging to Don Garzia. (left) found in Moda alla Corte dei Medici, gli albiti restauranti di Cosimo, Eleanora e don Garzia. (p64)

Above is the drawing, by Janet Arnold, in Corte dei Medici.
This cloak was also discussed in Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion 3.

The original is housed in the Pitti Palace Museum, Florence.
This is the conserved Cloak of Don Garzia, found in Moda alla Corte dei Medici (p 64). It is of (discoloured) black silk damask with pieces being 55.8cm wide.

The pieces do not have the pattern matched. There are two black velvet guards (cut on the bias) with diagonal slashes (on the straight grain) and gold edging. The guards vary from 31-38cm wide. The cloak was originally lined with crimson tafetta. The buttons are worked over 'balls of material'.

Materials and Pattern:

A contemporary pattern, that is similar to that of the Medici cloak, can be from Libro del Sarto (16th century) found in Venice (also reproduced in Moda alla Corte dei Medici, gli albiti restauranti di Cosimo, Eleanora e don Garzia).

The extant cloak does not have the extra 'triangle' as found in this pattern (right)

Below is the pattern I drafted, based on these.

In keeping with my recent 'tradition', I used some material from my stash. (right). While a polyester/cotton blend, the pattern is fantastic.I made the buttons from crochet cotton I also had in my stash (far right) over wooden beads (also in stash)... so I am a happy camper.

Method:

The only machine sewing was the side, back and collar (to neck) seam. The rest of the cappotto was sewn by hand, using mainly running, hem and whip stitch.

Far L - Hem stitch was used to hem the cloak and the entire edge of the sleeves. The seam sleeve was then handsewn with whip stitch. All of the trim was hemstitched onto the sleeves, collar and cappotto body.

The collar was stiffened with wool felt which was herringbone stitched. (next time I will use linen, as I have before). 'Picadills' were added to the collar base, after the trim had been added.

Trim:
I made the 'frogs' with the same crochet cotton as the buttons. I twisted cords (1), then platted them togetherfor the loop (2), then platted the remaineder of the frog (3) and (4).

(5) shows the final frog. Far right (6) are the frogs on the upper sleeve slit and cuff (7).

The ribbon was made using bias strips cut from satin, ironed to make strips. It was then slashed to give the patterning. This was handsewn around the edge of the cloak, the upper sleeve slit and cuffs, the collar and 'picadills'.

And the final Cappotto, ready for Dafydd to wear to Midwinter in Stormhold.

Bibliography

Arnold, Janet Patterns of Fashion 3, MacMillan, London, 1985. ISBN: 0-333-38284-6
McCorquodale, Charles. Bronzino: Agnolo Bronzino. Chaucer Press. London. 2005. ISBN:1-904449-48-4.
Moda alla Corte dei Medici, gli albiti restauranti di Cosimo, Eleanora e don Garzia, Firenze : Centro Di, 1993. Description: 107 p. : ISBN: 8870382389
Orsi Landini, Roberta & Niccoli, Bruna. La Moda a Firenze 1540-1580. Pagliai Polistampa, Firenze, 2005. ISBN: 88-8304-867-9
Rosenthal, Margaret F, Jones, Ann Rosalind. Cesare Vecellio's Habiti Antichi et Moderni: The Clothing of the Renaissance World. Thames and Hudson, London. 2008. ISBN: 978-0-500-51426-9.
Veccellio, Cesare. Vecellio's renaissance Costume Book. Dover Publications. NY. 1977. ISBN: 0 48623441X
Lectures from Textil Colloquium, 2008. Florence. http://www.costume-textiles.com/

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All intellectual content, photos and layout are copyright to La Signora Onorata Katerina da Brescia (K Carlisle), except those original renaissance artworks and extant articles whose copyright remains with the current owner.