| Gypsy-Peasant Costume For A Plus Sized Woman |
| Here is an idea for making a Gypsy or Peasant style costume for a plus size woman. Get ready for Renaissance Faire or Reenactment by making yourself a costume like this! This is a Gypsy, Peasant, Renaissance style costume made for a friend of mine. This costume is really simple to make. The costume is made to fit a plus size woman who wears a size 2X (18-22) top and a 2 or 3X (24-32) bottom. Here is how you could make a costume like this for yourself if you wanted to. It all started with the design. I made two different designs and she chose the one shown below to the left. In the end, we decided not to incorporate a piece of slinky fabric across the waist as I had drawn it, and I turned that piece of fabric into a scarf or wrap instead. |
The patterns I used are: For the Bodice, I modified Butterick 6198. The top was a shirt she owned. For both the under skirt and over skirt I used McCall's 4474
as is, with no alterations. Pictures of the patterns used are above: Butterick is sizes 28W-32W. McCall's is 26W-32W as well, and comes in a smaller size range too.
This pattern comes in a smaller size range as well. This pattern is a pretty basic renaissance or wench or ren faire style costume. She wanted the bodice changed,
she wanted the front to have three sets of laces, one on either side of the opening and the one in the center. Plus she wanted it a little lower across the bust line.
So I altered the pattern.
as is, with no alterations. Pictures of the patterns used are above: Butterick is sizes 28W-32W. McCall's is 26W-32W as well, and comes in a smaller size range too.
This pattern comes in a smaller size range as well. This pattern is a pretty basic renaissance or wench or ren faire style costume. She wanted the bodice changed,
she wanted the front to have three sets of laces, one on either side of the opening and the one in the center. Plus she wanted it a little lower across the bust line.
So I altered the pattern.
How I made it from top to bottom:
The Leaf Garland Halo:
I'm lucky in the fact that I have earned allot of floral design experience working in several floral shops ever since I was about 14 years old. Over the years I learned
how to make these hair wreathes. If you know how to make a corsage, you can make these. The idea is the same. I also found a book that shows you in very simple
to understand text how to make them. The title is: "Braids and Bows" (Spiral-bound) by Anne Akers Johnson, Robin Stoneking. Available at Amazon.com or your
local library (possibly), it is a book geared towards young girls. It also has instructions on making fishtail braids and French braids, etc.
If you want to make a hair wreath, here is what you need:
Medium gauge wire- floral wire in green will do fine here, 18 gauge or similar.
Fine gauge wire if you're needing to support delicate blooms 20-24 gauge.
Green floral tape- this is a sticky tape that sticks to itself, but is stretchy like elastic up to a point, then breaks.
Tape measure
Wire cutters
Your choice of floral stems in silk, dried, or fresh* At least 1-2 bunches, or about 12-24 stems.
Ribbon- about 2 yards (optional)
*If you want to make a fresh halo, it's best to make your halo the day before you plan to wear it and then keep it inside a plastic ziploc bag, or a floral plastic box
(the type you get a corsage in) sitting on top of some shredded wax paper for support, and to keep the petals from bruising. Place the fresh wreath inside the
bag, on top of the wax paper and spray a light mist of fresh water into the bag. Blow some air into the bag to keep it full, and place the wreath in the
refrigerator. Keep it chilled up to the time you plan to use it and it will stay looking good for you, spritz it with fresh water before you put it on. Go to your
local florist and ask them to sell you some shredded wax paper they use in the bottom of corsage boxes, tell them what you're doing and they will understand.
Allot of things they use they can sell to you to use, just ask! If you're making one of these with roses, stephanotis flowers, or something real delicate, you can
add some cotton balls soaked in water. Here is what to do: soak some cotton balls in fresh water. When you go to add the rose, take a small pinch of the wet
cotton and place it at the base cut end of the flower. Wrap up the flower with the wire inserted in it for support, and the rose will wick the water from the
cotton over 24 hours. It helps. Stephanotis flowers have special stems that are soaked in water, available through your florist. Ask them.
Start by measuring your head. Have someone help you with this. Measure the part of your head that you want to wear the halo at. I mean, if you want to wear it slid
to the front, measure around the top of your head. If you want it slid to the back so that the flowers are behind your ears, measure around your head from the front
to the back in the angle you plan to wear it at. Write down your measurement and add one inch. You'll need an extra inch or so for the closure. Take a piece of
floral wire and cut it to size. It's better to find the wire on bolts, rather than the loose cuts because you can cut off one continuous length. IF you need to put two
pieces together to make the right length, as I did here, just place two pieces together and wrap to secure with the floral tape. Cut it to the length you need plus the
inch or so.
Bend one side at a 90 to 180 degree angle in one direction. Take the other end and bend it the same but in the opposite direction. What you're doing is making the
two sides of a connection. Or tow hooks on either end. For a better visualization of what I mean, click the words highlighted up there to see a pic of an example.
You can also make one end a loop, and the other a hook to go into the loop. Only bend about 1 or 1/2" back on either side. This is where having the extra inches
comes into play. Then you snip off the flowers. Take your bunch of leaves and snip them off the stems. Leaving at least 1/4" of the plastic stem on the leaf intact
only. You do not need the rest of the stem at all. Snip it as if you just wanted the leaf only. Then add the leaves to the wire one by one starting in one direction.
Begin by placing a leaf onto the wire, with the stem facing the hook. Wrap the floral tape around the wire tightly a few times and break it off. You will need allot of
practice to get the hang of using floral tape if you've never used it before. It just takes getting the feel of how tightly you need to wrap it so that you do not let go of it
and have it come loose, it need to be real tight in order to stick to itself. Also, do not use dried out tape, when not using the tape, store it in a plastic bag otherwise
it gets dry and tends not to stick to itself anymore the older it gets, the worse it is to work with. Then place another leaf in front of that leaf, under it to be exact
tuck the stem up near where you taped off the first stem, and then tape off the new one, keep the leaves going in the same general direction until you get to the
middle of the piece. What I like to do is: I then change directions. I turn the wire around and begin again starting at the other end with the leaf stem facing the
other side hook and start wrapping heading towards the center, this way, not all your flowers or leaves are going around in a complete circle but meeting in the
middle in front. If you want it to all head the same way- it will look good too.
Once you have all the leaves or flowers onto the wire, you then check it for fit. Since you left the back hooks exposed, you can now adjust it for size. You cannot
add, unless you take some flowers away, but you can tighten. Once it is where you want it to be, tape off the ends to cover the wire, but leave the "hooks" open if you
want to be able to take it off by unhooking it in the back. On this piece I did what I normally do when making a permanent silk or dried piece, I hook the ends
together, then tighten down. Then I wrap the hooks and wire to cover it all up, and then I add some more leaves to cover the bare spot. The last thing I did here
was add some ribbon in back. You can also use ribbon to cover your bare hooks if you leave them that way. Just make some loops of ribbon into a bow and tie off in
a knot around the wire. Leave some long in the back as streamers. And that is it! Check the piece for stability by gently pulling on it a bit that way, if it falls apart
on you- you know you need to fix it right then rather then while you are wearing it out. I have made several of these in my day- and I love making them. You can
see these for sale readily at a local craft fair or Renaissance Faire- and they are quite expensive to me. They are so easy to make, and if you get flowers on sale, quite
inexpensive too.
The Leaf Garland Halo:
I'm lucky in the fact that I have earned allot of floral design experience working in several floral shops ever since I was about 14 years old. Over the years I learned
how to make these hair wreathes. If you know how to make a corsage, you can make these. The idea is the same. I also found a book that shows you in very simple
to understand text how to make them. The title is: "Braids and Bows" (Spiral-bound) by Anne Akers Johnson, Robin Stoneking. Available at Amazon.com or your
local library (possibly), it is a book geared towards young girls. It also has instructions on making fishtail braids and French braids, etc.
If you want to make a hair wreath, here is what you need:
Medium gauge wire- floral wire in green will do fine here, 18 gauge or similar.
Fine gauge wire if you're needing to support delicate blooms 20-24 gauge.
Green floral tape- this is a sticky tape that sticks to itself, but is stretchy like elastic up to a point, then breaks.
Tape measure
Wire cutters
Your choice of floral stems in silk, dried, or fresh* At least 1-2 bunches, or about 12-24 stems.
Ribbon- about 2 yards (optional)
*If you want to make a fresh halo, it's best to make your halo the day before you plan to wear it and then keep it inside a plastic ziploc bag, or a floral plastic box
(the type you get a corsage in) sitting on top of some shredded wax paper for support, and to keep the petals from bruising. Place the fresh wreath inside the
bag, on top of the wax paper and spray a light mist of fresh water into the bag. Blow some air into the bag to keep it full, and place the wreath in the
refrigerator. Keep it chilled up to the time you plan to use it and it will stay looking good for you, spritz it with fresh water before you put it on. Go to your
local florist and ask them to sell you some shredded wax paper they use in the bottom of corsage boxes, tell them what you're doing and they will understand.
Allot of things they use they can sell to you to use, just ask! If you're making one of these with roses, stephanotis flowers, or something real delicate, you can
add some cotton balls soaked in water. Here is what to do: soak some cotton balls in fresh water. When you go to add the rose, take a small pinch of the wet
cotton and place it at the base cut end of the flower. Wrap up the flower with the wire inserted in it for support, and the rose will wick the water from the
cotton over 24 hours. It helps. Stephanotis flowers have special stems that are soaked in water, available through your florist. Ask them.
Start by measuring your head. Have someone help you with this. Measure the part of your head that you want to wear the halo at. I mean, if you want to wear it slid
to the front, measure around the top of your head. If you want it slid to the back so that the flowers are behind your ears, measure around your head from the front
to the back in the angle you plan to wear it at. Write down your measurement and add one inch. You'll need an extra inch or so for the closure. Take a piece of
floral wire and cut it to size. It's better to find the wire on bolts, rather than the loose cuts because you can cut off one continuous length. IF you need to put two
pieces together to make the right length, as I did here, just place two pieces together and wrap to secure with the floral tape. Cut it to the length you need plus the
inch or so.
Bend one side at a 90 to 180 degree angle in one direction. Take the other end and bend it the same but in the opposite direction. What you're doing is making the
two sides of a connection. Or tow hooks on either end. For a better visualization of what I mean, click the words highlighted up there to see a pic of an example.
You can also make one end a loop, and the other a hook to go into the loop. Only bend about 1 or 1/2" back on either side. This is where having the extra inches
comes into play. Then you snip off the flowers. Take your bunch of leaves and snip them off the stems. Leaving at least 1/4" of the plastic stem on the leaf intact
only. You do not need the rest of the stem at all. Snip it as if you just wanted the leaf only. Then add the leaves to the wire one by one starting in one direction.
Begin by placing a leaf onto the wire, with the stem facing the hook. Wrap the floral tape around the wire tightly a few times and break it off. You will need allot of
practice to get the hang of using floral tape if you've never used it before. It just takes getting the feel of how tightly you need to wrap it so that you do not let go of it
and have it come loose, it need to be real tight in order to stick to itself. Also, do not use dried out tape, when not using the tape, store it in a plastic bag otherwise
it gets dry and tends not to stick to itself anymore the older it gets, the worse it is to work with. Then place another leaf in front of that leaf, under it to be exact
tuck the stem up near where you taped off the first stem, and then tape off the new one, keep the leaves going in the same general direction until you get to the
middle of the piece. What I like to do is: I then change directions. I turn the wire around and begin again starting at the other end with the leaf stem facing the
other side hook and start wrapping heading towards the center, this way, not all your flowers or leaves are going around in a complete circle but meeting in the
middle in front. If you want it to all head the same way- it will look good too.
Once you have all the leaves or flowers onto the wire, you then check it for fit. Since you left the back hooks exposed, you can now adjust it for size. You cannot
add, unless you take some flowers away, but you can tighten. Once it is where you want it to be, tape off the ends to cover the wire, but leave the "hooks" open if you
want to be able to take it off by unhooking it in the back. On this piece I did what I normally do when making a permanent silk or dried piece, I hook the ends
together, then tighten down. Then I wrap the hooks and wire to cover it all up, and then I add some more leaves to cover the bare spot. The last thing I did here
was add some ribbon in back. You can also use ribbon to cover your bare hooks if you leave them that way. Just make some loops of ribbon into a bow and tie off in
a knot around the wire. Leave some long in the back as streamers. And that is it! Check the piece for stability by gently pulling on it a bit that way, if it falls apart
on you- you know you need to fix it right then rather then while you are wearing it out. I have made several of these in my day- and I love making them. You can
see these for sale readily at a local craft fair or Renaissance Faire- and they are quite expensive to me. They are so easy to make, and if you get flowers on sale, quite
inexpensive too.
Making The Rest:
The wrap:
Oh so simple. Not even sewing. She found during the pre-Halloween sales at the fabric store some slinky stretchy shiny glitzy fabric that she liked, it is poly and
nylon and broomstick pleated. It's iridescent and in the color of fuchsia and gold interchangeably with the light. Luckily she had me along on the shopping trip-
because I think I saved her from making a total disco gypsy costume! LOL! But anyway--I did nothing to it other than embellish the ends of it. I bought several bags
of the gold tone dancing bells for sound with movement, and the gold tone coins the trims you would find on a belly dancing costume. I just attached them with
thread along both ends. Soothing her need to make noise while she walks. =0)
The top:
EVEN SIMPLER! She found this top at the local second hand store. It is all cotton in white. It has some white on white embroidery in the style of flowers along
the fabric. The waist is gathered and smocked. The sleeves are short and slightly puffed and have a smocked look as well. The original shirt had button down the
front. I found a trim that complimented the colors of the rest of the fabric and attached the trim along the neckline, and on top of the button placket. I removed
the buttons first, and sewed the placket closed. Then I attached the trim. It takes some careful planning and bending to go around the curves, but other than that it
is really easy to do. Make sure the top you pick can be put on by pulling it on over your head BEFORE you decide to sew it up!!
The Bodice Vest:
Here is where I began the harder of all projects. What I did was: I cut out the pattern piece on the largest size, so that all sizes would remain intact on the original.
I then transferred the pattern and all the markings to a piece of pattern transfer paper. You can find this by clicking HERE. It allows you to place an original
pattern underneath it and you can see through to mark the markings onto the new piece. Then I cut that piece out, to her measurements, that way I would never
change the original. You know, you might be able to use interfacing for this as well, the paper is very similar to interfacing. You can find interfacing at Jo-Ann's or
Hancock, or fabric stores.
Once I had the original transferred, I made new markings on the front bodice piece and the side front piece so that I could make the grommet holes on those
pieces. I just made them spaced apart the same distance that the original front lacing marks were, but I only made 4 instead of 6, because there was not enough
room for 6. I also used the distance from the seam allowance edge as a guide for these new markings. That's all I did to that pattern to alter it to make it like she
wanted. I followed the instructions pretty much as they are in the pattern envelope. But I decided to make the lacing on the sides "faux" lacing. When I got the
outside fabric pieces together, before I put the lining piece on the fabric piece I did the lacing. This way it has the appearance of lacing through but it does not. It
only goes inside the bodice. You do not feel the laces when you are wearing it either, because they are covered on the inside by the lining. So once the laces were
in, I continued on with the instructions.
I would like to recommend to everyone who wants to make bodices, or corsets, or things that have laces like this. PLEASE BUY YOURSELF A HOLE PUNCH
You do not want to know how I used to make holes, but I can tell you it involved really being mean to that fabric, and I hated the whole process. There are more
advanced options out there for punching grommet holes into fabric, and for setting them- allot more expensive tools too. You can find some of these tools at the
Farthingales Website, or the Corset Supply Web Site, or the Corset Making Web Store. But for me, I keep it real simple. I now use a Rotary hole punch. I then use
a hand tool made for closing the grommets available from the fabric store, called the Drtiz Grommet Pliers. So until the day I find these tools do not cut it for me,
I will use them without complaint. I just want to tell you, because if you are new to making bodices or corsets, and you do not know about these tools, you will
THANK me for telling you. Please buy yourself some tools. I even found a grommet pliers kit available at the local Ace Hardware store.
The skirts: Over skirt and Under skirt
I made the skirts in a style not typical of traditional Renaissance style fashions, because this is what she wanted. So don't forget you can mix patterns up, you can
use patterns in the fashion section with costume patterns to get what you want. This skirt pattern is quite simple. However, I must warn you all about the
hemline instructions, or I should say, the lack there of... When you have never tried making a handkerchief hemline before, a little instruction would have been
nice! The instructions literally read: "Make a hem". LOL Oh, thanks! That helps so much. It took some patience, and a few tries to get the hemline correct. So
practice this on scrap if you have not done a handkerchief hem before. The Underskirt is made of a gold and beige colored poly silky material. It has a slightly
metallic sheen to it. The over skirt is made from a fabric which is patchwork. Each square is made of a sheer fabric printed with gold. The background or main
color is burgundy- then gold, and then red. Each square is decorated with gold paisley, or stripes, or dots. I think this can best be seen in the third photograph. I
used view B on the pattern envelope for the under skirt, and view C for the over skirt. View B has four godets two in front and two in back, and view C has an
asymmetrical hemline to one side with a godet on the longer side.
Accessories for this costume, I had no play in. But I recommend wearing sandals if weather permits. Bangle bracelets and beaded necklaces and earrings are a good
choice.
Overall time spent making the costume: about two weeks total. This is while taking care of a little one, and living life. Allot less time will be spent if you have the
luxury of just setting down an making it all in one weekend, it could be done.
Overall money spent for materials on this costume: $130.00 USD. Not bad, compared to how much it would cost you to buy pieces at the faire dealers! I have seen
bodices priced $70 and up- and that was years ago. Things I did to save money: Buy fabric when it is on sale or get on the fabric store mailing list and use those
40-50% off coupons. I swear, my tombstone will have the words, "Wait!, I gotta coupon for that.." on it, LOL! Also, find pieces at the second hand store, or pieces
from your closet that you can convert into garb. There is a great book out there on this subject, titled: "Elegantly Frugal Costumes: The Poor Man's Do-It-Yourself
Costume Maker's Guide". Available at Amazon.com.
So there you have it, another how to guide made just for you- all of my fellow Pre-Raphaelite women out there. Have fun.
The wrap:
Oh so simple. Not even sewing. She found during the pre-Halloween sales at the fabric store some slinky stretchy shiny glitzy fabric that she liked, it is poly and
nylon and broomstick pleated. It's iridescent and in the color of fuchsia and gold interchangeably with the light. Luckily she had me along on the shopping trip-
because I think I saved her from making a total disco gypsy costume! LOL! But anyway--I did nothing to it other than embellish the ends of it. I bought several bags
of the gold tone dancing bells for sound with movement, and the gold tone coins the trims you would find on a belly dancing costume. I just attached them with
thread along both ends. Soothing her need to make noise while she walks. =0)
The top:
EVEN SIMPLER! She found this top at the local second hand store. It is all cotton in white. It has some white on white embroidery in the style of flowers along
the fabric. The waist is gathered and smocked. The sleeves are short and slightly puffed and have a smocked look as well. The original shirt had button down the
front. I found a trim that complimented the colors of the rest of the fabric and attached the trim along the neckline, and on top of the button placket. I removed
the buttons first, and sewed the placket closed. Then I attached the trim. It takes some careful planning and bending to go around the curves, but other than that it
is really easy to do. Make sure the top you pick can be put on by pulling it on over your head BEFORE you decide to sew it up!!
The Bodice Vest:
Here is where I began the harder of all projects. What I did was: I cut out the pattern piece on the largest size, so that all sizes would remain intact on the original.
I then transferred the pattern and all the markings to a piece of pattern transfer paper. You can find this by clicking HERE. It allows you to place an original
pattern underneath it and you can see through to mark the markings onto the new piece. Then I cut that piece out, to her measurements, that way I would never
change the original. You know, you might be able to use interfacing for this as well, the paper is very similar to interfacing. You can find interfacing at Jo-Ann's or
Hancock, or fabric stores.
Once I had the original transferred, I made new markings on the front bodice piece and the side front piece so that I could make the grommet holes on those
pieces. I just made them spaced apart the same distance that the original front lacing marks were, but I only made 4 instead of 6, because there was not enough
room for 6. I also used the distance from the seam allowance edge as a guide for these new markings. That's all I did to that pattern to alter it to make it like she
wanted. I followed the instructions pretty much as they are in the pattern envelope. But I decided to make the lacing on the sides "faux" lacing. When I got the
outside fabric pieces together, before I put the lining piece on the fabric piece I did the lacing. This way it has the appearance of lacing through but it does not. It
only goes inside the bodice. You do not feel the laces when you are wearing it either, because they are covered on the inside by the lining. So once the laces were
in, I continued on with the instructions.
I would like to recommend to everyone who wants to make bodices, or corsets, or things that have laces like this. PLEASE BUY YOURSELF A HOLE PUNCH
You do not want to know how I used to make holes, but I can tell you it involved really being mean to that fabric, and I hated the whole process. There are more
advanced options out there for punching grommet holes into fabric, and for setting them- allot more expensive tools too. You can find some of these tools at the
Farthingales Website, or the Corset Supply Web Site, or the Corset Making Web Store. But for me, I keep it real simple. I now use a Rotary hole punch. I then use
a hand tool made for closing the grommets available from the fabric store, called the Drtiz Grommet Pliers. So until the day I find these tools do not cut it for me,
I will use them without complaint. I just want to tell you, because if you are new to making bodices or corsets, and you do not know about these tools, you will
THANK me for telling you. Please buy yourself some tools. I even found a grommet pliers kit available at the local Ace Hardware store.
The skirts: Over skirt and Under skirt
I made the skirts in a style not typical of traditional Renaissance style fashions, because this is what she wanted. So don't forget you can mix patterns up, you can
use patterns in the fashion section with costume patterns to get what you want. This skirt pattern is quite simple. However, I must warn you all about the
hemline instructions, or I should say, the lack there of... When you have never tried making a handkerchief hemline before, a little instruction would have been
nice! The instructions literally read: "Make a hem". LOL Oh, thanks! That helps so much. It took some patience, and a few tries to get the hemline correct. So
practice this on scrap if you have not done a handkerchief hem before. The Underskirt is made of a gold and beige colored poly silky material. It has a slightly
metallic sheen to it. The over skirt is made from a fabric which is patchwork. Each square is made of a sheer fabric printed with gold. The background or main
color is burgundy- then gold, and then red. Each square is decorated with gold paisley, or stripes, or dots. I think this can best be seen in the third photograph. I
used view B on the pattern envelope for the under skirt, and view C for the over skirt. View B has four godets two in front and two in back, and view C has an
asymmetrical hemline to one side with a godet on the longer side.
Accessories for this costume, I had no play in. But I recommend wearing sandals if weather permits. Bangle bracelets and beaded necklaces and earrings are a good
choice.
Overall time spent making the costume: about two weeks total. This is while taking care of a little one, and living life. Allot less time will be spent if you have the
luxury of just setting down an making it all in one weekend, it could be done.
Overall money spent for materials on this costume: $130.00 USD. Not bad, compared to how much it would cost you to buy pieces at the faire dealers! I have seen
bodices priced $70 and up- and that was years ago. Things I did to save money: Buy fabric when it is on sale or get on the fabric store mailing list and use those
40-50% off coupons. I swear, my tombstone will have the words, "Wait!, I gotta coupon for that.." on it, LOL! Also, find pieces at the second hand store, or pieces
from your closet that you can convert into garb. There is a great book out there on this subject, titled: "Elegantly Frugal Costumes: The Poor Man's Do-It-Yourself
Costume Maker's Guide". Available at Amazon.com.
So there you have it, another how to guide made just for you- all of my fellow Pre-Raphaelite women out there. Have fun.