Puff and Slash: The Art of Clothing Decoration

What is Puff and Slash?

I was going to work on the skirt, until I had a epiphany about how to sew the sleeves, so I went there. (Shrug)

Looking at the inspiration picture of Elizabeth of Austria, there is quite a bit of slash and puff work on her sleeves. In general I'm not really a fan of doing slash and puff because they tend to look messy. To do it well, it requires a lot of hand work and a great deal of faith. The name is really backward- it should be slash and puff, since the former can't happen without the latter- something that has always annoyed me. :)

I also tend to shy away from Puff and Slash because of the need for a chemise under your dress. Again, it causes extra bulk. Therefore I always try to mock puff and slash when I can. This will be an example of my mock style.

Where did this style come from?

In short- the Germans. The Landsknechts, German mercenary soldiers who thrived from approximately 1487 - 1556, became known for their outlandish dress and effective fighting tactics. They were the finest fighting force in Europe. Their clothing was characterized by its "puff and slash" decoration, created by cutting slashes in the outer garments and pulling puffs of the under garments through those slashes.

The "puff and slash" style of clothing was adopted by non-Germans too, becoming a standard mode of decoration in several parts of Europe. The English nobility was particularly enamored of puff and slash. Henry VIII started wearing it after seeing it on Landsknechts he had hired; in fact, the famous painting of Henry VIII by Hans Holbein depicts him in a doublet decorated with puff and slash. Other paintings of Henry depict him wearing what looks like a knee-length skirt; he adopted this style from German warskirts worn by some Landsknechts. Henry's children Edward VI and Elizabeth I also wore puff and slash.

Shortly thereafter the French picked up the style and used it extensively much due to Queen Catherine De Medici- she started wearing it in the mid 1500s. Catherine is responsible for many fashion trends in history including the high heal, the infamous corset, and wearing underwear- but more on my hero worship of this queen later. Since Catherine was the mother in law to Elizabeth it is not surprising to find the puff and slash styling on her dress. And in doing my research, I have also found the elusive lattice worn by Catherine herself. She had a great deal to do with the styling of this dress.

The Process:

I really can't take full responsiblity for my brainstorm regarding the Puff and Slash on this dress. The inspriation came from Simplicity Pattern 2589. For the undersleeve they provided a type of oval facing that you cut down the middle. I played around with it, and decided that I could use a device like it to style my dress.

For the sleeves I am using a combination of Simplicity Pattern 8881 and 2589. The majority of the sleeve will be done using 2589 since it has the Trumpet or Tudor Bell sleeve. However, it match the Elizabeth style, I needed to have a bit of a roll on the shoulder. I don't like regular shoulder rolls, I think they look bulky, but I could manage a puff to the sleeve. Trick was--- they all needed to be puffed and slashed. Difficult to do with the tudor upper sleeve which is supposed to be fairly tight against your arm.

First step in the process: I took out my pre-cut fabric pieces for the sleeve. Taking the puff from 8881, I first tacked down four pieces of interfacing in the desired locations for the slashing. It is important to make sure you leave the glue face up, I'll get to why later.

I then sewed tapering channels on top of the fabric, making sure they ended in points- not squares. Next, I took the scissors and cut down the center of the channels. I tried to get as close to the point as possible without cutting the seams.

Turning the sleeve over, I pulled the interfacing through the slit in the fabric and ironed down the interfacing. (The reason the interfacing must be face up.)

Next, I took my white fabric that I will be using for the inner sleeve and sewed rectangles of fabric over the slashes. I made sure that each piece of white fabric was at least an inch larger than I needed on all sides to give the fabric enough volume to puff.

Taking the puff I then basted gather lines on the top and bottom of the sleeve, sewed the side seams together, and gathered the upper-puff into a neat little ball. I then repeated the exact same process with the upper, fitted, Tudor sleeve.

In attaching them together I had to make a decision. Would I connect the puff completely to the tudor sleeve (similar to pattern 8881 or would I connect the puff to the bodice and then to the tudor sleeve. I decided for comfort. Renaissance costumes are difficult to move in- especially the sleeves. By using the puff as a top sleeve I gave myself a bit more room for arm movement- I'm afraid it's not very SCA, but I threw that out the window when I designed the dress with a Tudor sleeve. (Though I'm 75% sure that this is a possible style from the 1560-1580s in France.)

To fit these sleeves together I placed the right sides of both sleeves together. I matched the lower part of the puff to the upper part of the tudor sleeve and released the gathering on the puff to match the width of the Tudor upper sleeve. I sewed it making sure that I followed my inner gather seam, so it doesn't look messy.

Contrary to what the picture shows, I haven't actually attached it to the bodice yet. I wanted to see how it looks, so I pinned it. The inspiration pictures puff is a bit more narrow than mine. I'll fix that by using a greater seam allowance when I attach the puff to the bodice.

To ensure that the white will puff through, I hand stitched around the opening of each of the slashes, pulling the white out so it will naturally flow in that direction rather than falling back under the sleeve.




At this point, I'm also tacking my marks for the ouches. I'm giving about an inch and a half to two inches, between connections. Here again, I'm pulling out the white fabric to ensure a puff.

Next adding the ouches: This is a simple tack on over each of the stitched points.



You can see that this makes the sleeve less bulky. It's important to leave a little bit of room between your stitches on the lower sleeve. Otherwise you may make it too snug. I figure about an 1/8 of an inch does well enough.

Next: Sewing with Fur and finishing the oversleeve.

Cutting, cutting, and more cutting...

Fun with Scissors

I've read on other blogs that it is the bodice that causes you the most pain and suffering. I on the other hand beg to differ. For me the part of the process which causes me the most pain (at least back pain) would be the gargantuan amount of cutting involved. Keeping in mind you are dealing with 9-12 yards of fabric, somehow that all needs to be cut accurately.

The only space available for this kind of work in my home is my living room floor. There I roll out the yards of fabric and cut for an entire day. No, sewing isn't the hardest part... the hardest part is getting around the to do list of cutting. It never seems to end. At least with sewing you see a finished product coming together. With the cutting there is always a constant anxiety of whether you picked up enough of the fabric needed.

Sigh, well at least it is over for this dress... except for the partlet, the ruff, the cuffs, the under skirt, and the hat. Joy. :)


Done List:
Upper sleeve puff- 2 red fabric, 2 brown lining
Upper sleeve- 2 red fabric, 2 brown lining
Lower sleeve- 2 red fabric, 2 faux fur
Inner sleeve- 1 white fabric
Inner over sleeve- 1 paisley fabric, 1 gold lining




Skirt front- 2 red fabric, 2 brown lining
Skirt back- 2 red fabric, 2 brown lining
(Altogether approximately 5 yards of fabric here)
Waistband- 1 red fabric, 1 interfacing.

Of Pins and Blood:

Deja Vous:

With the lining completed it's time to turn my attention to the actual outer fabric of the dress.

Just like with the lining, I start my process by ironing on the interfacing, sewing the front to the front sides, sewing the back to the back sides, and finishing up with the side seams and the shoulder seams. When I finish, the outer fabric should match the lining perfectly. If I'm off by even a half inch, I go back and figure where I deviated from the lining.

Next, I move to pressing out the seams. To minimize the bulk in the dress, I've picked up the habit of trimming my seams before I press them. Using this technique keeps the sides of the bodice straight and stops the rounding of the seams that can sometimes happen if you leave the full 5/8ths seam allowance between the outer fabric and the lining.

Sewing the Porcupine:

Some people wonder what I mean about sewing a porcupine. The answer: This term comes from my numerous blood letting experiences that happen when I unite the outer fabric and the lining. The huge quantity of pins required for these steps alone make your bodice a rather formidable opponent.

Unlike sewing many garments, on a renaissance bodice, you want to pin the good sides facing out. I've found that by matching the inner seams of the bodice- (pinning them together) and then going back and pinning the rest of the fabric you get a better look to the bodice. Because I don't like slip in my sewing, I usually put my pins 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches apart.

I also prefer to do the base of my bodice first. This goes against many of my mentors. (In fact, I may be hunted down by one of my Shakespearean Festival costume shop supervisors if they ever find out about this blog- Sorry Sharon.) To support my inclination, I've found that the bottom edge of your bodice is extremely important to the line of your dress. Because the neckline can be adapted in so many ways, it is my opinion it is better to have the bottom perfect.

In sewing the main fabric and the lining together, I try to keep the seams fairly narrow. I also sew the armseye at this time. It usually isn't called for by the pattern instructions, but again I hate slipping. If arm holes are sewn, then I don't have to worry about anything pulling out of place and having problems later on when I'm inserting the sleeve.

Once again with Bias:

Now that both the main fabric and the lining have been seamed together, it's time to deal with any ugly lines. My first job is to cut off any excess lining, interfacing, or main fabric. I'm using a double fold 1/4 inch bias tape. I like the look of the thinner line, but it is difficult to manage and requires more blood loss due to the numerous pins required to tack it down successfully.

I've found that putting on bias is easier if I place the bodice on the dressmaker's dummy. that way I can account for any pull or corners in pinning down front edge of the bias tape. Stitching on the fold, I go around the entire bodice.

Once I sew the bias to my outer fabric, I fold the bias around the edge of my garment and whip stitch the bias onto the lining. I try to keep my stitches as even as possible. Curves and corners are tricky. I like to fold in the middle first then do the sides. This doesn't always make the prettiest corners, but it does help with the twisting that can sometimes happen if you try to continuously stitch around the entire bodice. (I'm still working on this technique.) The end result should be a finished edge around the perimeter of your bodice.

Making a bodice a corset:

Most bodices require a under-corset to keep the shape of the garment. I didn't like the bulk that this creates. From what I have seen, most Renaissance costumes add a good ten to twenty pounds just by the added bulk of the under garments. I know this is not very SCA of me, but I've modified the bodice to lace up more like a corset. It also gives the garment a very nice back and thins the wearer.

Using the Joann's craft picture hangers (see my supplies list) I place them about 3/4 of an inch apart and tack them down. To minimize the irritation and chafing of the metal, I'll top these hangers with a piece of outer dress fabric once I've cut out my sleeves and skirt. Since I'll be using scrap fabric, I'll come back to this later in my blog.

I tack down the picture hangers using the holes provided as well as the edges of the triangular hanger itself. I put both sides on the lining of the fabric. This way when the lacing pulls the hangers together the fabric overlaps. I'll sew hooks and eyes on the outer fabric giving a smooth back illusion to the garment. I would do it right now, but my fingers are bruised and blistered from doing all the hand work for the bias. I'll finish this up in a couple of days. :)

Fixing problems:

There is only one way to explain this step- I put on the bodice and take a look at it in the mirror. I like to ask myself- are the lines right? Am I getting bulges in the side seams? Do I like the neckline? and Will the neckline work for what I am trying to do?

Trying it on, I've found that I like everything about the bodice, but the neck is a bit low for the inspiration picture.


With that in mind, I added a piece of the red fabric to the upper edge of the bodice- by cutting a piece of fabric double wide of what I needed plus 5/8ths inch; folded it and ironed it, pinned it in place, and seamed as close to the bias tape as I could. The result I think is lovely...





To do list:

1. Adding the fabric over the corseting,
2. Hooks and eyes on the bodice back

I must say, I have a bodice that I really like. In order to let my fingers heal a bit, and ration out my fabric yardage, I'll be working on the overskirt and underskirt next.

Of Bodice Linings...

With plan in hand and supplies gathered I am starting on my dress...

In case someone who does not normally make garb as a past time is reading this blog, I'll explain how much is required for this to happen:

On average the supplies needed for a renaissance dress are:

• At lease 7 yards of fabric for the gown itself. (That is a modest amount) Total each of my dresses have taken around 12-14 yards depending on the detail work required.
• 9-12 yards of plastic boning,
• 3 yards of fusible interfacing,
• Grommets and grommet pliers
• Hooks and eyes,
  
• Three sets of scissors (Heavy duty for cutting boning and wire, craft scissors for cutting paper and other non-fabric items, and my fabric scissors)
• Two seam rippers. One at the sewing machine, and one by the couch where I hole up when I make a major mistake.
• Bobbins, thread (black, white, and matching the color(s) of the gown.
• I have both the thin regular fabric pins, but I also buy the more heavy duty/ oddly cheaper thick long pins that work so well with drapery fabrics.
• Last but not least is the oddest item in my arsenal of dress making supplies: Three packages of Joann's Craft Essentials Silver Photo Hangers: I use them for my bodice lacings. I'll explain it in a later blog. It's quite innovative- (I don't know what I'll do when they stop selling these things.)

Enough preparation: Let's sew!

Starting out the process I cut out all of the bodice in fabric, lining, and because I like to make sure that my dress has the right shape and holds up to wear well, interfacing.

Because I'm using Simplicity Pattern 8881 as my base, I lay down the pattern on the fold. The pattern calls for the center front of the bodice to be cut and seamed down the center. I personally don't like seams down my front, so I cut my bodice on the fold. I also want it a bit wider than the patter shows, because I'm going for a more Tudor look to my neckline. So, I allow it a bit more width, and I'm also cutting it a bit lower so I can give it a "v" shape rather than the rounded tip. If you would like to keep it narrow, simply cut on the fold and take out the seam allowance provided by the pattern.

For each piece of the bodice I will need: Two of my main fabric (except for the center front), four lining (only two for the center front), and six of the interfacing (only three for the center front)

As you can see I'm cutting my pattern bigger than needed. I'm adding a bit more room to add the lacing that I will explain later in the process. I'm also dropping the bottom of the pattern by about an inch and a half- the reason for this is, I have used this pattern before and found that it rides a bit high on the skirt. The correct Renaissance style should not show any of the waistband, thus I am adding to the length to fix this problem.

Next Step: Interfacing

Taking a hot iron, I fuse the interfacing to my lining and outside fabric. Be careful when you are doing this so you don't accidentally fuse to the wrong side of the fabric.

To alleviate this problem, I pin the pieces of interfacing together when I cut them out double thick. Then I use the interfacing to determine which way the lining should lay on the ironing board, turn the lining over and press. I finish up with my main fabric, thus if there are any problems I haven't ruined my expensive fabric.

Time to adapt the pattern. As I said earlier, I wanted to change the front of this gown to match the style of the dress in my inspiration picture: It has a slightly rounded front. I also wanted a "V" shaped point at the bottom of the dress to go along with my Tudor derived style. Folding the center front, I pulled the bodice pattern from 2589. (Of course it won't fit perfectly, but it does give me the correct angle for the point and has a nice curve to the top.) Laying it atop my center front, I clipped the interfaced fabric to fit my needs.

The remaining parts of the bodice do not need to be adapted at this time. The sections of the center front that I adapted do not really change the seams so I'll be fine with these few modifications.

Next step. Pinning the lining together interfacing to interfacing, I sewed around each of the pieces leaving the top of the center front open and the bottoms of the other pieces open so I can add the boning.

Starting at the center line of the center front, I sew a single seam in the lining. This will be my marker for the boning channels. Using the foot of my sewing machine as a guide, I make 1/2 inch apart seams across to either end of the bodice front.

I step away from the pattern instructions for a second. I've found that if you sew in the front side before you add the channels for the boning you will get a better fit. Matching the marks, I sew the center front and the front side together. Going back, I add the channels in the places required by pattern 8881. Next, I follow the pattern instructions for the back and the back sides. Last I seam the sides together, followed by the shoulders.

Usually at this time, I make any adaptations I need to with the size of the bodice. In general Simplicity patterns tend to run a size large, thus I add a tuck under the armseye and another tuck in the back in order to get the best fit possible.

Clipping my seams, I press the lining of the garment flat. Next I add the boning. Using my craft scissors I clip the ends into a "U" shape. This will make it more comfortable and will lessen the likelyhood of the boning ripping through your fabric.

I prefer to measure the boning by sliding it into the channel until it fits snuggly, then clip the other end. I've found that this makes for less waste.

It's also important to remember the boning up against the side seams. Having boning in these locations will make sure that your bodice doesn't buckle in these places and look bulky.

Your finished piece will bend a bit in the middle. this is to be expected and will stop happening after you attach the main fabric and/or wear the garment for the first time.

Now that I have made the required changes to the bodice, I can work with the main fabric without experimenting and ruining the fabric.

Colors, fabric, and beads... Oh My!

The colors have been decided! I have wanted a red dress for a while now. Since I am making this a cold weather dress, I'm using more earthy colors. I like the idea of brick red, chocolate brown, and golds.

I was delighted with the selection of fabrics at Joanne's Fabric. I found a brick red heavy drapery fabric for the skirt, upper sleeves, and bodice back and sides. At 50% off I couldn't even bicker on the cost of the fabric. It came to about 5.00 a yard.

The image in my head adjusted when I discovered the paisley tapestry near by also 50% off. The colors are perfect and blend well with the brick red. I've decided to put this as the center front of my dress. By giving a contrast it will slim my waist. I plan to used this fabric on the under sleeves as well to give a repetition of print.

The underskirt was more difficult. I'm still not sure whether I'm going to be happy with the gold fabric I selected. I may find it too shiny, but I think it is ok. I liked the fact that it has a red undertone to it. I plan to reuse this as well in the lining for the fur sleeves.

Last but not least I wanted a nice faux fur. This is not easy to find in St. George, UT in the middle of the summer given that it is 105 today. However, I stopped at Target. I remembered that during Christmas they were selling faux mink throws. Sure enough there were two rolls on sale. Yay. It is a beautiful fabric and I knew I wouldn't have the strength to cut into it for the sleeves, so I bought both rolls. One for the dress and one for my couch. :)

As you can see I've also been working with the beading for the pearl lattice that sits over the partlet. I found some small craft beads 4mm and added 1mm rhinestones using bead glue. I strung eye wire through the bead and made a second loop. I attached a jump ring to either end.

Next using eyewire again, I strung six 6mm beads and made another loop on the other end. I attached two of these to each jump ring and connected them together. Voila! I'm 80% sure that this will work really well for the dress. :)

I've also been having problems coming up with the gemstones required for connecting the pucker and slash elements of the dress. If you look at the inspiration portrait, you can see that every pucker is connected with a pearl and rhinestone flower. While I can find pearls ringed by rhinestones, I don't know that I'm up for a $3.00 a button price tag. Once again I headed to the store. This time Roberts craft. There I found these great little beads. Inside each silver casing, is a clear plastic stone. I removed the stone and added a pearl. It works as a reasonable facsimile and I can't beat the price at $2.00 for ten.

The remaining items that I needed to pick up was boning, interfacing, needles, thread, oil for the sewing machine (Important if you want to take care of your machinery), and bias tape. I selected a chocolate brown. though I may break down and make my own if the fabric cooperates.

You may have noticed that I have not yet picked up the material for the partlet or the neck ruff. Since they will be the last elements that I do on this project, I will be holding off buying those items until a bit later.

Next Post: It's bodice time!