Third Tudor dress: Anne Boleyn's portrait

Today I'd like to introduce you my latest costume: my own version of the famous gown shown in Anne Boleyn's portrait!

The story of this costume is quite long: I wore it during an event last month but this is the final part of the process. The dresscode came out last year and it was strictly accurate and dark colours were recommended. I already decided to dress up like a Tudor lady but I really didn't know why. I couldn't use my green gown and the burgundy one was not so accurate. So I had to struggle between black, dark purple and dark blue: the black won since I was planning a black gown for the future.
I couldn't start to work on my costume until March 2015. It was completely no sense since the event was in May, I know, but I got so many commissions by the beginning of the year and I couldn't concentrate myself on a gown. I used Tudor Tailor pattern as reference again but I changed the neckline and other small details.
(Oh, I forgot: I was following sewing classes in the meanwhile, I had to prepare a final exam so you can understand why I was so slow in finishing it!)

I fully lined the bodice and I boned the front. The bodice gives a really nice shape to my body and gives the idea of a tiny waist. I chose burgundy taffeta dupion for the lower sleeves and and I basted the placard. The bodice took a few to be completed but the skirt has been a real nightmare. I had to line it and then pleat it by hand but, in the end, I attachted the skirt to the bodice by machine. After putting the ensemble on the dressform I noticed it was too "empty": the skirt was really well pleated but it looked so poor without a trim on the front. I had at home a beautiful velvet ribbon and - tadah! - it machted the lower sleeves perfectly! The result was so nice I had to trim the neckline as well :) 

Now it was the turn of the french hood. This process took me almost a week 'cause I hate beading! Anne's french hood presents two rows of white pearls and I followed the portrait. Every pearl has been hand sewn with lot of pain...

Last but not least, I started beading the neckline of the bodice. It was really empty, not suitable for a queen! It was the beginning of May, only two weeks separated me from the event: a disaster!! I made my hand fly while beading and I could complete the gown a few days later. But then, three days before (in the meanwhile I was sewing 4 medieval costumes for a renfaire!) I had a beautiful brocade in gift from my aunt: the perfect underskirt and foresleeves a Tudor lady would dream! 

Look at this beauty!

And so, just a day before the event I could say the outfit was completed! What a pain! I definitely won't sew Tudor gowns for a while.

Some photos of the costume worn: 

I felt so royal, I can't wait to wear the costume again! It's a sin we don't have renaissance fairs in Italy, we have few festival (mostly medieval) and they are often quite far from my local area.