October 2015 – February 2016
I wanted to make a hobbit outfit but couldn’t figure out the hair and feet. Now it’s referred to as the Village Maiden dress. Fortuitously, I used all stash fabrics for the project. The largest piece being a length of 5.3oz grass green linen from Fabrics-Store. Blue hanky linen was cut for the apron, and a left-over scrap of India cotton forms the bodice front. The bodice is bound in the same cotton and decorated with a criss-cross of petersham ribbon. A hilariously short blouse from Folkwear’s #123 dirndl pattern, is made from a bit of tea-dyed embroidered lawn. The cartridge pleated skirt is whipped to the bodice, and the dress is worn over my 19th century can-can petticoat.
The bodice for my 1560s Flemish Peasant dress was tested by making this maiden costume. Remove the back lacing, take away the center front piece, wear with stays, and it’s essentially the same pattern. Simplicity’s hobbit pattern #1771, was used as a base. The darts were drafted out and the neckline was changed a bit.
It occurred to me that a blue, heavy linen cloak, which I made with a different project in mind, works very well with this outfit. Also from pattern #1771, this was sewn a couple of years earlier (December 2013-April 2014). So I took some updated photos in order to call it a complete set.
