Dale Coppock

I really love it when you can get several different looks from one outfit, and Dale has done a marvelous job of creating a Tudor gown that can easily change from simple to spectacular! The picture below shows a more upper-class or "evening" style, but you can see an equally lovely everyday middle-class version in this second photo and another beautiful side-view. Dale also sent a really great description of her costume that you can read below the pictures, and you can email her at ldsnails(at)yahoo.com if you have any other comments or questions.

I tried to put myself in the place of a middle class woman, trying to emulate her piers, yet having a limited budget, and I think she would have been creative in how she would wear her clothing. Thus, I show the overskirt closed completely, with the petticoat showing and with an underskirt, with and without a partlet, and two different French Hoods. Sort of a day and evening look if you will.

I stayed with appropriate fabrics (100% cotton that I paid 99 cents or $1.99 per yard for, 100% cotton velvet, which I got on sale for $5.50 per yard) with the exception of the fabric for the underskirt and undersleeves. I had to compromise with a synthetic that looks like silk. I slashed the undersleeves, sewed buttons and small pearls on and tacked in an undersleeve that could be pulled through and "puffed" through the slashes. I used 100% muslin for the chemise (full length) and farthingale. I found information that indicated that the lacing holes were 1/2 inch apart, but I compromised on 3/4 of an inch, hand bound them (no grommets) and spiral laced the back. I do have a wooden busk in the front, thus the very straight profile.

The partlet is made of two men's handkerchiefs that I sewed together by hand, added the lace that resembles needle lace (by hand, whew) and did the drawn thread work (I'll probably never do THAT again!)

The bodice back is also spiral laced through holes that are 3/4 of an inch apart (again, no grommets) but I did compromise and use 3 hooks at the top so as not to damage the velvet. Who knows, they might have done the same thing.

I used only one row of stiff bone at the bottom of the farthingale with a much "softer" bone about 5 inches above that.

I couched heavy gold thread underneath the tapestry weave that I used as a guard on the underskirt. Unfortunately, no one can really tell it's there, but I know.

One French Hood I used pearls as accents, the other (the "evening" hood) I used 100% cotton silk white fabric and hand blown Italian glass beads, strung on floral wire. I found stiffened flannel, cut out my crescent shape (2), sewed the heavy floral wire to the flannel, covered both crescents with fabric and added the embellishments. For the "casual" hood, I pleated organza for the portion showing at the front.

The necklace is a real amethyst and I used dental floss to string the pearls. At the ends I attached barrel clasps and sewed the alternate ends into the bodice front so I could attach it. I can also simply connect the necklace and pin the pendant to the front of the bodice for a different look.

I cartridge pleated the petticoat and added a strip of the stiffened flannel to really give it some body. I knife pleated the overskirt.