Starting out with a wardrobe analysis Well, the outfits I knew I could wear with a minimal amount of tune-up were the Venetian, the Saxon, the Big Pig, the Augsburg, and my surcote. I first made my surcote in 2002 in a week. I got pregnant and couldn't wear the Big Pig so I just HAD to make a new dress. It's made of hand embroidered crewelwork in wool on cotton over corset & plastron. Cotton velvet trim. Half moon sleeves over silk under-sleeves. Venice lace cuffs. The only problem is that I made it when I was pregnant and no matter what size I am now I still look pregnant in it. I spent a whole evening of precious sewing time trying to tack it here and lace it there and no matter what I did I still looked heavier than I am in it. I was so disappointed because I am SO in love with this fabric. It's all hand done crewel work in wool on a cotton ground and the pastel colors are unusual for our faire so it's a real stand-out. I was distraught. But then my copy of the Tudor Tailor arrived. WHEEE! As I devoured that book I looked closely at their section on fitted English gowns and I devised a plan to turn my surcote into a new fitted English gown. The biggest obstacle was time, since I made this decisions late Friday night and I wanted to wear this on Sunday. Yikes! The Plan Ok, so I had a few thing to do to make this thing work. It had some sloppy work on it that needed correcting because I had made it so quickly in the first place. The trim was crooked down the left front, the machine stitching on the inside edges of the over-sleeves showed too much, I needed to make sure it would fit over my current underwear since it had been made over a pregger-woman in a Victorian corset. Here's the plan and how it changed as I worked on it: Straighten trim down left front Finish attaching jewels up center front Add bars to the hooks & bars to close waist Re-attach over sleeves into armseyes Add trim on inside of over-sleeves to cover machine stitching – still only done on one side, but it’s not visible because I only wear one over-sleeve over my wrist to open it up. Make new shoulder treatments & attach – I made a basic wing with alternating stripes of 2 kinds of leftover trim since I didn't have enough of one kind to do both sides Undo cartridge pleated back, make new bodice back, cut down back fabric, re-pleat to new bodice back waistline. This was the winging-it phase of construction See if I can squeeze back into my taupe corset and re-secure busk Complete and stuff smaller bumroll
Some changes from my original ideas: No farthingale – the skirt isn’t full enough. I didn’t permanently stitch the over-sleeves into the armseye, I just reattached the hooks & eyes. With the shoulder wings it looked fine.
Still left to do when I feel like it: Take in new back just a hair - the waist is just a smidge low Add buttons to close wrists of under-sleeves Re-fit striped silk partlet at center back and add collar that’s already cut & pleated Add some beads or pearls to the trim down the front. Add trim on inside of over-sleeves to cover machine stitching on right sleeve Devise a better closing method so you can’t see lining at front closing – I stitched it up yesterday and it looked fine Add another petticoat, perhaps corded, to add to the skirt fullness
The transformation of the surcote went well considering I was flying by the seat of my pants most of the time. I did not use period techniques when I originally made this so it was harder to take apart than usual. It’s a pain to get in & out of with the corset and all that so I only tried it on once fitting the pattern and the rest was shooting blind and trusting my skills. It went together fairly easily and came out very pretty, in my opinion. It could have gone either way! LOL! Just in case you wonder, I wear this over whatever corset fits at the time with the stomacher pinned on, a small bumroll, the English smock, a petticoat or two, linen drawers, socks of any color, and my Schrader shoes. I can wear it with a farthingale but usually don't. It's my comfy dress and I like to keep it that way. | 
