A Cotton Print Brunswick

Not entirely finished, mind you. It still wants a good amount of trim - robings, waistcoat, &tc. But it's done enough to wear, and I did so on Saturday, while at the Indian King Tavern for an open house. And they're not very good pictures, I do apologize - very rushed after an afternoon in the 18thc before changing for work!

Both Katherine and Nicole's blog entries on Brunswicks were incredibly helpful to me while I was making this - Nicole's research post contains a portrait of a woman wearing what is obviously a chintz print, which gave me enough of a reference to happily make mine out of this fabric.

(Which is in fact an Ikea duvet set. Yep. Hey, they have some really excellent prints for historical costuming! It's not the last Ikea duvet you're going to see here this year...)

I don't have a habit-shirt yet (someday, but I hate making underwear! So boring!) so I'm wearing it with my Regency shirt. It's a little dorky with the neck-ruffle, and I'd prefer to have ruffled cuffs, but it'll do for now.

There are many possible ways to make a Brunswick, but I chose to make a completely separate hooded waistcoat, so I can detach the lower sleeves and wear it with a stomacher instead if I want.

The hood's a little dorkily large, but I wanted to be able to fit it over fairly large hairstyles! And so I can. :)

As usual, the jacket and waistcoat were made by tweaking my existing 18thc bodice patterns to get what I wanted. And all handsewn. Also as usual! ;)

And yesterday I went to the Jockey Hollow encampent with a couple of friends! I wore my old blue and white stripe linen gown so it didn't merit proper documentation, but I did get one picture:

I do like that outfit! It's very comfortable - except when I've gone to a restaurant and eaten too much shepherd's pie!