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. 

Tudor court gown "Queen Anne"

It took me a month and a half to finish it but - tadah!! - now it's complete!

I was planning to sew a new Tudor costume inspired by "The other Boleyn girl" from last summer, after watching the movie for the first time (ok, the movie came out in 2008 but you know I'm NOT a big fan of cinemas so I watch movies really late). Ok, they're inaccurate, but some details are really pretty. I fell in love with Mary Boleyn red gown and I used it as reference for my first Tudor costume (read here the last part of the construction diaries and some updates) but how can I ignore the amazing green dress worn by Anne during this scene?

The emerald green is simply stunning and matches perfectly Natalie Portman's dark hair. I had to wait until last January to start collecting fabrics for my own project 'cause I had previous costumes to finish and my trip to Rome took me a whole week in December. So, with the new year, I've been able to start my project: I immediately realized I couldn't reproduce a perfect replica of the dress due to my budget but I tried to be the most accurate as possible. I bought at my local market a beautiful silk taffeta at a very cheap price and for the gown, black lining, spiral steel boning for the bodice, heavy cotton for bodice interlining, white pearls. I already had in my stash the black satin for the veil of the french hood, the green cotton for the contrasting sleeves and the golden cotton satin for underskirt and foresleeves. This time I wanted a more accurate dress so I decided to use the Tudor Tailor book which contains a truly historical accurate pattern for french gowns. I had lot of fun in resizing the pattern and it looked good as I put it on the dressform. 

 The whole construction of the dress took me a lot. The silk taffeta was really delicate and I had to be really careful to avoid holes in the fabric fibres. I used four panels for the skirt and I left the front without pleats. The bodice is boned with the spiral steels boning and gives me lot of support but - alas - I'll have to shorten it next time (nature hasn't been generous with my breast). The placard is attached to the bodice with small pins and it's embellished with some pearls sewn on black bias tape. The foresleeves are trimmed with black bias tape and golden buttons, attached to the upper sleeves with cotton ribbons. The underskirt is a piece of my first Tudor costume and is trimmed with red bias tape instead of black but this part is not visible when wearing the main gown. It was my first attempt with beading and I've to admit it's not my job.

For the french hood I used a great tutorial provided by Prior Attire. The base is fully wired and lined with green cotton, which doesn't make my head sweat. The crescent is embellished with white pearls onto the bias tape. I had lot of fun in sewing the pleated frill and - okay- it should be between fabric and lining but I forgot this step and I didn't want to rip everything when I realized my mistake. As final touch I added a single thread of small white pearls to hide the stitches. 

Okay, some details are not 100% accurate but I didn't have a huge budget (as usual). It's surely a better costume than my first one from a Simplicity pattern and I'm so proud of that, if you think I started sewing two years ago only :) 

I used this costume this week for a shooting and I can't wait to receive the shots! I just have some backstage previews:

Selfie time! That's me and my boyfriend Lele. 

And the dress in action:

The jewels you can see in these photos are by Aeternum Nocturne from Bulgary and Red Rose Creation from Italy!