It's That Time of Year

  It's time to get ready for the Renaissance!! I have been various things through the years but this year I really wanted to be different. I don't want to be historically accurate in design, color, or fabric! I want to be....drum roll please... a GYPSY! A Hollywood kind. You know crazy style and colors with very non time period appropriate accessories and hair. Yeah. That's what I'm going for.

  My look is very basic. Peasant top with poofs sleeves, large circle skirt, hip scarf, and a bodice.
After going shopping and getting fabrics then going home and switching out some fabrics I had the basics of what I needed to get started. I made my shirt and skirt first. Both were very basic and easy to make with little or no alterations needed.I then went to work on the bodice. I had originally intended it to be made from what I lined it with but it wasn't feeling right for some reason so I went looking through my stash and found just what I needed. It's a cross between and orange and gold color that shimmers and adds flair which was sorely lacking.

Before and after picture but with the before on the right and the after on the left.  :)

   After assembling the bodice and adding the boning and eyelets  I started covering all the eyelets. It gives it a better final look ( a little more accurate) and makes it so both sides are perfect making it reversible!

 Not the best stitching in the world but it does the job and looks pretty good from a foot or so away.

Here's the process Of covering them . There are 13 eyelets on each side. I sat back and watch a movie since it takes a while to sew all of these.

    After that came the hip scarf.


I had planned to use a fringe on the edge of the scarf/shaw but it just wasn't looking right in the final picture so I went and did something I thought I would never do. I bought coins. Yes, coin trim. Something every historical costumer avoids and I went and bought some. But it did the trick and looks good.

I found some hemp like trim with some gold threads woven in the middle in my stash that I'm using for a belt for my money pouch. I'm using the same one from last year.

 The scarf you see tied around the neck of my mannequin is the scarf I'm going to have tied in my hair.

I was a bit wary about using purple for the skirt and having a green striped hip scarf for fear of being called Esmeralda. Granted she had a light purple hip scarf and a green striped waist cinch  but the colors are still there. I'm hoping the orange/gold top help to keep me separate. If not then I'll claim distant relations to her. Oh well. The important thing is to have fun. Besides it's all in the attitude.