Sewing Fantasy Threads: Patterns and Progress on Medieval/Renaissance Fantasy Designs

Love it! Totally subscribing. I've got lots of projects in progress that fall under this category, will post when they're done!

 

I didnt sew this outfit myself, but I had it commissioned by a wonderful person here on DoA. It's supposed to be the female version of Loki. I thought I'd show it off a little bit.

 

It's gorgeous! May I ask why you went with Scottish instead of Nordic for a Loki character?

 

It's actually came from a story that a friend and I started writing. A man became desperate to protect himself and his family and called upon any gods that would listen. It ended up being Odin in an attempt to keep his own gods alive in the christian era and so the Norse gods became a part of Scottland's fight for freedom from England and Christianity.

It's not very historically accurate, but that's why it's within the fantasy section. There's a male couterpart doll to my Lok too, but he's not ready yet.

 

I really like your female Loki outfit! Loki didn't let gender be a constraint, clothing choices are nothing next to that! And besides, aren't gods supposed to belong to every one? (the whole creators of the world etc.)

 

Perfect my project goals all lean to fantasy so I'll be posting more here when I get further along. It saves on apologies for inaccuracies.

I couldn't resist one picture though so here my little elf Aislinn out in the "woods".

 

Wow, what a fun story! I hope you share more pics when he gets his outfit.

 

I can't wait to see more of your projects. Your little elf looks adorable!

 

I'm so glad you started this thread, as my costumes definitely have that "fantasy edge" as opposed to being historically true. I love period fashions, but personally prefer more of a fantasy or fairy tale interpretation, so stopped posting photos in the Noble Thread.

Here's some of the costumes I've made... first Brygid, of the Wildwood, sort of a goddess of spring in greens and earth-tones...


I've made some medieval/renaissance-inspired gowns, and the first ones had padded circular headdresses. My Hazy (with a Super Gem body) in her purple gown from the first set....


and Carina in a lighter purple gown....


For the last set I made Italian Renaissance-inspired, crocheted and beaded headdresses.... This gold one worn by Hazy was inspired by Lucrezia's wedding gown in the Borgias.


I made my Tedros an outfit based on one of Kevin Costner's costumes in the movie 'Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves'. It's a great outfit but nowhere near historically accurate to any period.


My Tedros & Carina pose for a romantic Yule portrait in their fantasy renaissance-inspired outfits.....

 

Lilac, I adore your gowns. I love the dagged sleeves (makes me wish I had a serger) and the beading and studwork is superb.

 

Lilac! I always adore your beautiful dresses. Your boy's clothes are simply amazing!

 

I love your handsome boy's hair. When I get a boy I'm making him wigs using your tutorial. The look is so much more manly than most of the wigs out there for sale.

Also so many studs! His outfit must have taken a long time, it is gorgeous.

 

Thanks! I don't use a serger - don't want one. For the green gown with the dagged hanging sleeves out of stretch velour, I traced the pattern onto the back of the uncut fabric with a pen, then went over the pen line with Fray Check. After that dried, I cut out the dagged edges. Then I hand-painted the edges with gold fabric paints. It's important to use a pen the same colour as the fabric since the Fray Check will make the pen bleed a little. But the gold paint does cover it.

The dagged sleeves on the other gowns are lined, which is a pain to do, but looks nice and neat.

Tedros' outfit has a mix of real studs and beads to simulate studs. The ones vertically on his tunic are real studs - just 1/8" - and the larger pointed silver ones along the edge of the short tunic sleeve are real studs, as are the large silver with spiral designs on his collar and wrist-guards. All the rest are gold or silver metal beads, which are a lot easier to add to a costume - just sew them on.

Here's a better look at his outfit...

 

!!!! I NEVER in a million years would have guessed that was fray-check and fabric paint! Well! Now I am not so intimidated! Thanks! I could tell the ones that were lined instead; I must say they look wonderful.

I've done enough beading (including, ONCE ONLY, a set of native american pieces in 18-0 tiny maco tubes, GAH!) that I could tell what was studs and what was beading on Tedros' outfit. Very very impressive, that is a lot of beading, even if it is easier than setting studs, and just beautifully done.

 

Half the fun of making doll costumes is the challenge of figuring out how to do things, especially keeping bulk down and making things hang properly. Whatever works!

 

Wow, MB Lilac! Those are some impressive outfits! I love Tedros outfit the best and so want something similar for my Soul Doll Asiter.

I am so bookmarking this - I think it will give me inspiration for my own creations.

 

MB Lilac: WOW! You're gowns are amazing! And your Tedros's outfit is just absolutely stunning! Such amazing talent! I recognized his outfit right away and I am just floored by all the tiny details in all of your designs! Beautiful!

Do you have any particular inspiration other than the renaissance period and do you follow patterns of any kind or just make it all up as you go? Your work is amazing and inspiring! Thanks for sharing...I look forward to seeing more in the future.

I love the renaissance time period but I have such a tiny doll that I'm not sure where to start with sewing all these things I have in my head! LOL


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I like historical fashions, especially Tudor, Elizabethan, Rococo and Victorian, but my favourite is the fantasy medieval-renaissance styles you find in fantasy films and fairytale books. Problem is I have so many dolls and so many ideas that many will never get made.

It looks like we'll be taking another cross-country road trip in late spring, early summer, so I'm thinking of making outfits for several of my MSD group, and taking them along for some "great adventure photos". They'll probably end up being a mix of fantasy medieval, knights, barbarians and one will be in Northwest coast native regalia. I just ordered an Iplehouse JID Kyle so I'd have a slightly more mature young man to head the group. I'm thinking he'll probably get something inspired by Boromir from LOTR. Maybe even some real chain-mail.

I like the msd size for costuming - not too big or too small.

How small is your 'tiny' doll?

 

My fav too! I love the fantasy medieval renaissance styles, especially the ones from films and fairytales. A while back there was a Robin Hood tv series I was rather addicted to watching and I used to re-watch the episodes over and over just to eye the clothing for future reference and inspiration and even sketch ideas out...

This sounds like a cool idea and I can't wait to see what you do with creating a knight costume...chain-mail and all! Awesome!

Ah...I have a Pukifee and a PukiPuki...lol. I have a few fantasy designs in my head for my PKF but I haven't quite got them to my machine...lol.

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Oh cool!! Does this mean that you'll be sewing for the JID boys?? You will LOVE your Kyle....I know I do my Logan!

 

I watch movies just for the costumes too! I just watched "Man in the Iron Mask" because I LOVE the musketeer outfits. One of these days my Tedros NEEDS one.

Pukifees are very small for period fashion, but I guess it would be possible with just the right fabric choice.

I'm looking forward to getting Kyle. First he gets some clothes of his own, as I don't want my dolls to stand around naked. I'll have to wait until he comes before I make anything, as the only other boy I have is a Doll Leaves Maya, and he is a bit smaller in all his measurements.

 

WOW! I absolutely love fantasy outfits, and my DOD being an Elf kinda continues me love of them, but they are so difficult to find, but these are magnificent! they look truly magical! And the Robin Hood based outfit that you have made for Tedros is stunning! I have seen few images of males fantasy clothing outside of capes and simple tunics, but the detail on his clothes makes me smile from ear to ear !

Thank you for inspiring me with some ideas for clothes i can make myself ^___^

 

Well, I ordered Iplehouse JID Kyle a few days ago, and last night I already got the shipping notice! He'll be here later this week - maybe even tomorrow. Of course he'll need a faceup still, but then he can get his 'fantasy adventure' outfit made. My son gave me a stainless steel chain-mail glove last year - the kind butchers and fishermen wear - and I'm thinking this might be the project to cut it up for.

 

You're pretty damn talented, have you tried to make chainmail? There's a bunch of tutorials online and jumprings are cheap/easy to make. I've tried a few times, but beyond 5 rings in my brain starts melting...

 

Yes, I made some tiny chain-mail once using 1/8" jump-rings. It was very fiddly work and it took forever to make a piece just 1" square. It ended up on a tiny elf warrior. I can't imagine the time it would take to make chain-mail for a large BJD - plus my eyesight isn't what it used to be.

I found a company online where you can buy pieces of ready-made chain-mail - http://www.ringmesh.com/product_p/rmm150.htm
I'd seriously consider buying some for a doll costume, especially knowing how long it would take to make it from scratch.

 

Fantastic costumes everyone! Truly, each and every one is so individual and amazing! I get such a rush of inspiration every time I browse this thread.

Well, I finally have some spam of my own~ Behold, the three most medieval costumes I've made so far--



Fawn [BBB Weylin] is one of my bard/druid characters wearing a more Rennaissance (sp?! lol) inspired outfit, Kanicka [Iple Freezia on Glorydoll body] is wearing a crochet dress that happened to turn out looking medieval/fantasy, and Link [RS Long 60cm] is wearing an Elvish...thing...that I think looks a bit Norse. Anyway! Enjoy ^_^

 

Great outfits! Fawn does look very 'Italian Renaissance' - like Romeo. Your knit dress certainly has that Medieval/fantasy feel. Isn't it great how some costumes just have a mind of their own, and turn out differently - and often better - than you had originally planned?

 

I'm working on a LOTR-inspired outfit for my IH Kyle. I made him a human hair wig, and some black pants, and have just finished his under-tunic. Next he needs his arm-guards, over-tunic, belts and scabbard - and maybe a cloak too.

 

>MB Lilac, thank you for the compliments! And WOW, your new boy's outfit looks amazing so far! It definitely needs a cloak.

 

Here's Kyle in his finished outfit.

 

MB Lilac, I look forward to your posts with great anticipation. This time, your flair for design and attention to detail have far surpassed the mark of excellence. WOW! Thank you so much for sharing your magnificent work. I'm inspired to pick up my scissors and thread.

Lynne from Colorado

 

Thank you! Here's a full length shot showing the entire outfit, and now he has his own cloak, which is a bit more appropriate considering his station. Underneath it all he is wearing black pants and boots. I also changed Kyle's eyes to another size smaller.

 

MB Lilac - Wow - I love your guys outfit! Very cool. He looks like a real knight.

 

I have plans to make my Bobobie sprite into a fairy. I already know where to get the wings. But I need some ideas on how to make her an outfit that is fit for a fairy. If anyone has any links to tutorials or have pics of outfits that would be awesome. I would even consider getting it comissioned if I can't make it myself lol.

 

MB Lilac has awesome tutorials (you might find yourself making your own wings in fact) on her website: http://www.antiquelilac.com/tutorials.html

 

That Boromir outfit is one of my favorite costumes in all of Fantasy, and you made it look great! For my medieval fantasy Court, I plan on doing at least one outfit like that for my Guard captain Donovan.

 

*envies at the dresses* Maybe someone can point me in the right area or help me with my project.

I have a doll that I want to make her into Flidais, the Celtic goddess from the early Celtic literature. From research I have done on the literature revolving around her, it said the tales relate to the second half of the Stone Age which was 50AD to 500AD, and Medieval Ireland (AD 500 – 800)

I'm having a tough time finding accurate clothing that is not Viking related from these time periods, and what kind of textiles they used (most likely wool and probably fur from animals) and any trimmings, accents they might have used. I'm going poke around on the net to see if I can find anything.

 

MB Lilac, I adore your clothes

 

The problem there is that "Celtic" is a massively broad term covering everyone who spoke a Goidelic related language. Irish. Scots. Dalriada Irish-scots. Picts, possibly. Welsh. Bretons. Manx. Cornish. Some Gallic-Celtic tribes. Celt-Iberians. Germanic Celts. And so on, and so forth.
When you say Celtic, do you mean Irish? I'm guessing that's what you're aiming for since some of your source materials are stories out of Ireland.
(There was very little in that part of the world that wasn't Viking-related at that time. Vikings got everywhere with a coastline, and they reamed Ireland's shores for a few centuries.. Most of the knotwork that Irish art is so famous for is due to heavy Viking influence.)

You'll probably have the best luck looking for Ancient Irish information. Much of what we know about their clothing is from images in art and descriptions in epics like the Tain and the Ulster Cycle. Look for sites focused on reenactment and historical info, as they're more likely to give you correct information than, say, a storybook with Victorian illustrations.
Here, try this: http://www.florilegium.org/ It's a site with info for reenactors, but they might have an article or two under Clothing about Irish dress in the early medieval period.
Blergh, ignore that link, it's got nothing for the period you want. This, on the other hand : http://www.libraryireland.com/SocialHistoryAncientIreland/III-XVIII-2.php I'd try looking up some of the books cited as sources for this article snippet. It looks like they've got the full text of a book in here, and a good chunk of it is about Ancient Irish dress and clothing. I might have to read this myself, it's pretty cool!

Edit: http://www.celticgarb.org/clothing/main.html Even MORE useful stuff here. Much better broken down into bits, and includes a bibliography for more sources.

 

Wow this is absolutely stunning!! Your work is amazing and truly inspiring., with amazing detail. This caught my eye and my jaw dropped to the floor.

 

My Kyle now has a companion to go with him on a big adventure. Narae is wearing an outfit inspired by a Celtic Warrior Maiden fantasy piece I did a long time ago. She has real chain-maille sleeves - two more fingers off the same glove Kyle's chain-maille was taken from.

 

Wow - I so enjoy your outfits. When I see this I know that I still have a lot to learn. I like your attention for detail and they just look perfectly made. Do you have a page somewhere that shows your girls outfit in stages?

 

Just go to my website - at bottom of post - and go to Galleries. I make Gallery pages for all my costumes, and they show the layers of the outfit. It's just that Narae's Celtic outfit isn't there yet as I'm considering dyeing it because I find the light threads in the tartan too "busy-looking". It looks fine in real life, but in photos the light threads stand out too much for my taste. There were other Celtic outfits last year though - in Gallery 2011 - so you can look at those in the meantime.

 

I really love old dress costume especially medieval ~ Queen Elizabeth generation and Victorian and here every costume is really amazing

 

MB Lilac, thank you for sharing your wonderful skills and brilliant ideas - I'm so inspired!

 

You are very welcome!

I decided I wasn't happy with the way the light threads in my Narae's Celtic outfit were just "screaming for attention", so I bought some blue dye and over-dyed her skirt and cloak. I'm liking it a lot better now. I also made a scabbard for her sword.

 

Oh! So beautiful outfits! Really gorgeous! I like these outfits! >w<

 

MB Lilac, I really like the colour change you made to your Narae's Celtic outfit. It seems to make the outfit that much more real and to scale, good call!

Oh, and I also wanted to say I've always admired your fantastic work too! ^______________^

 

Wow, fantastic outfits here. Maybe I can also make a contribution sometimes...

Anyways, I need to subscribe here!

 

Thanks! I did like Narae's outfit before dying - at least in real life - but now it works much better in photos - it's much more "unified now - and that's what counts as I'm planning on taking several dolls on a LOTR type of photo adventure soon. We have to go all the way to Vancouver Canada, to visit our son, and will be passing through some of the most spectacular scenery in the US and Canada (snow-covered mountains, glacial lakes, etc), so I have to take advantage of the opportunity and dress my dolls accordingly. My Kyle will be "expedition leader", and Maya (Doll Leaves) will joint the party too. Two other dolls - Iplehouse JID Asa, and little Byuri, will be Northwest Coast native girls.

 

MB Lilac : You are so talented ! I didn't know your worlk, it's really beautiful !

Adding an outfit I just made for a friend's birthday...

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What a lucky friend! I love the bodice detail, and the stand-up collar.

 

My outfit is not as amazing as MB Lilac, but I hope to attain that level of awesomeness someday. In the meantime, I am very pleased with my latest creation - made for my first commission:

 

EilonwyG nice work! It looks rather Elizabethan, what with the gathered cuffed sleeves and the breeches and vest.





This is Elinore, my Migidoll Jina/Aoi Tuki girl, in her Court Dress. It is an underdress with flared sleeves and a sideless surcote, but the whole shoulder collar was definitely Fantasy, so I thought I oughta post it over here instead of the Historical thread.
I was insane and did all that beading and trimming by hand and it did take a long time, but it worked out and it taught me that if I'll just shuttup and be patient, I can get nifty results.

 

Huh, it does! Thanks!

That is an amazing outfit. What did you use for the collar - it looks stiffer than the rest of the dress.

 

Thank you very much! The collar is stiffer- it's actually acrylic felt. It looks like wool, and it's got brass beading and brown thread embroidery all round the bottom edge, and brass beads and vine filigree sewn on it. The top edge is embroidered with red silk thread.

I realized I didn't have a detail shot of that part ready to post, so I whipped one up: