Spanish Farthingale 1480-1600
Pattern #00-PATTERN-46 By The Mantua Maker
Cut out the paper pattern pieces and tape them together as directed in the
instructions. The instructions call for 5 1/2yds at 45” wide but we used
60” wide muslin #26-1594-05 and it only took 2.5m (2.7yds) but I am only
5’2”. So you may want to have more than 2.5m just to be sure you have enough.
There are custom fitting notes in the pattern so it is not a “one size fits
all”.
The pattern states that: “The farthingale was worn over a shift, a
bumroll and an underskirt” but no bum roll is included in the pattern.
So we made our own – details can be found on the Bum
Roll pattern and instructions page.
There is the option of a center back opening or two side openings and we
chose the two side openings. These opening are to be bound with bias tape
but we chose to cut bias strips of muslin so our bindings would match the
farthingale. This step can be tricky for the novice seamstress.
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This photo shows the binding of the left hand opening.
While the pattern suggests the possibility of attaching the waistband
after the hoops are in we do not recommend this. The hoops make it
very difficult to manipulate the fabric under the sewing machine. You
may want to baste the waistband into place and then slide your hoops
into the casing – test the length and that the bottom hoop is
parallel to the floor, then remove the hoops and make any adjustments
and permanently attach the waistband. |
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Interface the waistband. We used a medium weight sew in interfacing
on one half of the waistband only. |
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Fold the waistband in half to find your center back and center front,
mark these clearly – you will need to know where the CB and CF
are to attach the waistband accurately. |
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Gather the back panel to fit the back waistband. Pin the front panel
to the front waistband and the back panel to the back
waistband.
The pattern also offers instructions for a drawstring rather
than a waistband but we do not
recommend a draw string on any hoop garment.
A waistband keeps a nice flat finish
at the waist which is more comfortable under a corset and the weight
of the hoops
pulling on a draw string waist
is less secure. To accommodate various
sizes we made the waist band as suggested but added long ties to each
end.
The Spanish Farthingale before the hoops… seems
long but the hoop casings
are made by pleating the farthingale so the length gets taken up. Working out the pleats/tucks for the hoops
is the hard part we decided on
only 7 hoops since at 5’2” I am not tall so the skirt is not
long. Seven hoops is reasonable I would not likely consider any less. The
seven hoops took a total of 15m (16.5yds) of hoop steel #50-8405-10 this
is a spring steel and while it will support the circular shape it is flexible
and allows you to walk through narrow doorways, sit down and even ride in
a car – though this is not recommended. |
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Pleats/tucks need to be wide enough to accommodate the hoops steel
and the connectors. Instructions for rope hoops are included in the
pattern as well as instructions for steel. We chose steel as it works
best for theatrical and long wear purposes and it’s less labor
intense.
The photo at left illustrates a sewn tuck and a pinned tuck before
hoops are added. |
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There is an interfaced facing on the hem to limit wear problems and
it can be seen below. The bottom hoop pleat has been pinned and once
sewn the facing will be flipped to the inside of the farthingale and
machine stitched into place. |
IN the photos below, notice how the length has been taken up
with the pleats/tucks that encase the hoops.
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The finished Spanish farthingale without a bumroll |
The finished Spanish farthingale
with our bum roll |
More photos can be seen in the Photo Album.
To make the Bum roll, see Bum Roll Pattern and
Instructions.
