One year old Maja's 16th century outfit


In her shift and linen
stockings

The kirtle worn without
sleeves

With sleeves and a linen
cap with lace edge

Another picture of the
bodice and cap
Made in 2005

In the first picture Maja is wearing a linen shift, made with rectangular construction, without shoulder seams and with a gore in each side. It closes at the neck with a tied ribbon. The hose are also from linen and cut on the bias. They are made from two pieces, one leg piece that wraps around the back part of the sole, and a foot piece that wraps around the foot and is senw together under the foot, just like the leg piece. This gives a seam under the foot, but I have used that pattern myself without discomfort from said seam. The stockings are just tied around the knee for the photo, but will later be tied to loops on the "panties" that keep her cloth diaper in place. As soon as I have sewn ribbon loops on them.
    The kirtle is based on the very famous Holbein portrait of his family and is made from thin 100% wool tabby. The bodice is lined with linen twill and there is also an 8 cm deep facing at the hem of the same linen twill. There is also a tuck just above the facing, to make the dress shorter but with the possibility to let it down as she grows. It closes with hooks and eyes. The sleeves are unlined and are tied to the kirtle with ribbons that are thread through two metal eyes on the inside of the shoulder straps.
    On her head she's wearing a coif made after the description and pattern on the Elizabethan Costuming Page. It is made from thin linen with a woven pattern (which can be seen clearly if you click on the pictures) and a lace edge. It is lightly starched beacuse that linen really is soft and flimsy.

With her red wool coat

The coat from the front

And from the back
For cooler nights and cold weather she has a gown from red fulled wool. It is inspired by the girl's gown on page 102 in Patterns of Fashion, which is from c. 1600-1610 and currently at Nordiska Musset here in Sweden. That gown is probably made up from another gown so it has many more pieces than this gown, which ony consists of two front pieces, one back piece and sleeves. Since Maja is much smaller than the girl who had the original gown there's not much fabric to be saved by making it from smaller pieces either. The trim, which is made from shiny, silver greey thread, woven into a leaf-like pattern is placed in double rows, just like on the gown at Nordiska museet.The whole outfit is sewn by hand.
    What she needs now is a pair of shoes, which her father will make. It would look good with a little ruff too, but she can't stand wearing them, I have tried.

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