Project Specs:

• Fabric: a used sari from Miriam's, donated cotton cloth from Sof'ia that just HAPPENED to be a perfect match.

• Pattern: eh.... no, not really.

• First event: Virtual 12th Night 202.

In the interest of full disclosure here, this is a garment that I knew little to nothing about going into this project and coming out of the other side, I'm still pretty sure I still know little to nothing about, just in a slightly different way.

My goal for this project was a continuation of my Tempore Atlantia goal of an event-ready set of garb that would fit a late 15th C Spanish persona. This, in my mind, includes something nicer that I could wear into court or into a ball or feast. I wanted an overgarment that would be ornate enough to stand out for such an occasion, but not be too much hassle to don and doff. And so, before really realizing what I was getting into, I settled on a tabardo.

The way I understand a tabardo is a bit vague, because the information in my go-to text, Hispanic Costume 1480-1530, is a bit limited is this: “a garment, open at the sides, worn over an underdress, occasionally with sleeves.” Most of the paintings with garments that are identified as tabardos include a deep V-neck, and occasionally additional flashy statement sleeves. So that's what I made.

This tabardo is made from predominantly a used sari from Miriam's Yarns and Fibers. It had a very large palu and some truly gorgeous gold embroidery. I also like that it's a deep, sort of burgundy/brownish red, so it's not too flashy (minus the gold). I used the palu to line the large sleeves seen here, and the embroidered trim to decorate the neckline and hems of the skirt.

This was an interesting garment to pattern. I did it based on paintings and drawings but did most of the draping myself. I drew out a vague pattern, established measurements (without help, and given that, I'm pretty thrilled with the fit). Sof'ia had donated the lining fabric and there was substantially more of it than I needed so I decided to cut testers out of that, and if they worked out, great, if not, no sweat. Happily, that first test block worked really nicely.

I tested two different layouts. The first was what I think is the standard layout of tabardos, with the deep V and openings on the sides (shown in red in the first painting, The Birth of Saint John the Baptist by the Maestro de Miraflores). However, there is another painting that is also attributed as tabardos that is square-necked and open to the front and back (shown in red and brown in the second painting, The Virgin of the Catholic Monarchs by the Master of the Virgin of the Catholic Monarchs). This painting ended up being the inspiration for the sleeve shape I chose, so I tested out the front and back openings as well. I ultimately settled on the V neck and side openings. I liked the V neck much better than the square, and the front/back openings just did not work with that.

This piece is built in four body panels and two rectangular sleeves. After deciding on a layout, I refined the neckline by trial and error. The body pieces were pinned sufficiently together, I put them on over the tan saya, and then moved the neckline around until I was satisfied. After the body pieces were finished with fitting, I used them as pattern pieces to cut the silk. I loved the trim and lined sleeves on the Virgin painting so much, that I went with that as inspiration.

Once all the pieces were cut and the layers assembled, I whip stitched the edges together. Then came laying the trim. This was a much bigger challenge than expected. The skirt hems ended up really nicely where they were supposed to. The neckline did not. It took several days worth of pinning, repinning, cursing, and putting the dress in time out to get it right. Once that was finally done, I pinned the sleeve linings in. They were initially supposed to be the same width as the foundations, but I cut the foundations wider than I should have, and each lining comes to about 5" shy of the same width. This ended up being a happy accident- I like that wider width much better than the narrower.

There are things I really like about this gown. The fit is exactly what I wanted it to be- easy don, easy doff. It's comfortable without being stifling- I won't overheat in it, which is an absolute relief. It's also stunning- visually it looked exactly like I imagined it.

There are also some things I would improve:

1. I wish I'd made the panels a bit larger. It would give more volume and body, to more closely mirror the gathering into belts seen in paintings. Some additional width wouldn't be too hard to add next time.

2. The collar is a bit wonky. The trim helped stabilize it a bit, but the collar could use some stiffening. I'm not sure how to tackle this concern quite yet. In practice, I wore a lovely brooch I own and it kept it in place and flatter to my saya.

3. Sleeve linings should have been sewn in when the sleeves were flat. They would have been a bit more flush and lain a little flatter.