Advanced Instructions for
Simplicity Pattern #8881: Elizabethan Costume Collection

"Our Version"

Any period costume will tend to be time consuming, as the fashions were much more complex than modern day dress. The underwear is crucial to the shape of the outerwear and must therefore also be made which means you are making several garments. In order to make these patterns as simple as possible they are not authentic, they do however create a fairly authentic silhouette.

Even if you are only looking for a farthingale pattern and none of the other items this is a worthwhile pattern to have and they are often on sale in chain stores selling fabrics. (We do not sell this pattern, so please do not try to order it from us!)

At the bottom of the page we have listed various products available from Farthingales and the required yardages.

As in everything, following instructions carefully is very important here. Start with the "bum roll".

The Bum Roll

Most research indicates that this garment was worn over the farthingale rather than underneath but for this pattern it is worn underneath and is the first item put on after your own undergarments. The "bum roll" will support both the farthingale and the under and over skirts, this means it needs to be strongly built. You will want fabric that will not be inclined to stretch, for the base (this is what goes around your body). We used our natural duck #26-1250-05.

For the actual "bum roll" a lighter weight fabric works better, the 4.8 oz muslin #26-1594-05 was our choice and we used it for the "farthingale" as well. Be sure to stuff the roll well - it should be VERY firm. The center front closure is "velcro".

The Farthingale

The "farthingale" tends to be a bit complicated to cut as there are several identical and near identical pieces. Be sure to pay close attention and mark the pieces as you cut them out. It appears to be based on an original farthingale pattern from about 1589, but with simplifications. Originally, the casing for the hoops would have been made by sewing tucks into the skirt fabric. Today sewing twill tape on to the fabric is the alternative. We chose our natural cotton twill tape #04-7539-05 to match the 4.8 oz. muslin. When reeds and ropes (three dimensional materials) were used to create the "hoops" the question of whether the casing was sewn on the inside or the outside was important, today flat hoop steel is used and the effect is the same. It is likely easier to slide the steel through the casing if you are not running into seams every bit of the way, so I suggest sewing your casing to the out/right side of the fabric.

When sewing the casing on, be sure to leave a few inches open at the ends to enable sliding the steel through and matching the ends. If the space is too short you may end up inadvertently bending the steel to get it to fit, this will end up as a kink.

Hem length of the "farthingale" is very important. A) You don’t want it seen below the skirt and B) more importantly, you don’t want to step on it when walking. If the bottom hoop is too low/close to the ground it is easy to get your toes caught in it as you walk which could leave you flat on your face with your skirt in the air over your derrière. Getting up will be a challenge and regaining your pride will be even more difficult. To avoid this keep you bottom hoop at least 4-6 inches above the ground, the longer your feet the further off the ground. If your skirt seems to be collapsing below the bottom hoop add a box pleated ruffle to the bottom of the farthingale.

The waistband is also important, a drawstring or elastic is not going to work. If you need to have an adjustable waistband do so with hooks and eyes. Because there are several rows of steel in the farthingale it is heavier than the average long skirt and a sturdy waistband is required to support the weight and keep it from drooping, it also keeps the gathers in place where they belong. Grossgrain ribbon, french belting or webbing are all suitable, twill tape is too light.

The Steel

The steel required for the farthingale needs to be heavy enough that it will not collapse and loose it’s circular shape. We used our product #50-8405-10. It is about 10mm (7/16ths) wide and considering the number of hoops used it is strong enough to support the shape. If you are using heavy upholstery fabric you may require our heavier steel #50-8406-14.

The ends of the steel were attached to each other to form hoops using our hoop steel connectors #00-8400-11.

The Bodice

No special undergarment is required as the bodice is boned. The whole center front panel is completely boned and we have used our plastic boning #50-8125-07 as is could easily be cut to the required lengths and was inexpensive. There is very little boning in the back and we finished the back opening with hook and eye tape #91-706E-90 & #91-706H-90, hooks and eyes are preset on tape and the tape is machine stitched onto the garment.