Winter is Coming mini-challenge begins

Via Renaissance Tailor

Via The Walters Art Museum

I've got a bunch of stuff to do this month, but since some coats are on that list and Realm of Venus has warm clothing as the focus of the current mini-challenge, I figured I'd go with it. I'm planning to make a fur lined coat like the one Countess Livia da Porto Theine is wearing in this Veronese portrait held at The Walters. I have a pink silk satin as well as a lynx faux fur in my stash and it just seems so sumptuous. Not to mention the fact that a surprising number of other projects in the queue are in pink, purple, and orange, so I think it will mix and match well.

Posting to the Realm of Venus group, I seem to be in the minority in my thought that the bunching under the arms and fold at the shoulder tip point to a hanging sleeve. Bella agrees with me, however, and pointed out several other portraits with hanging sleeves as well as the possibility that the overall fullness comes from a cut of gown called a Romane/Romana, Roman style. Even if the portrait gown doesn't really have a hanging sleeve, there are enough Venetian and Roman gowns that do, so mine will.

Via Realm of Venus

Of especial interest is this one from Vecellio titled "Women during the Winter, especially courtesans." It has the folded back fur collar and front edges as well as extra fullness and is referred to as a Romane. Plus it has the nifty hanging sleeves. It doesn't have the secondary full sleeve as well, but you can't have everything. The text also talks about it being belted with a silk sash or veil with two tassels on the end. I love that little detail. I've also made one in the past and like how easy they are to wear as a belt, so that may end up being made.

Another image helping out with design is this one of Irene di Spilimbergo by a follower of Titian held in the National Gallery. Her coat does have both the full regular sleeve as well as a second thin hanging sleeve. She's also in a very similar color scheme to Countess Livia, so that's a bonus.

Via National Gallery of Art

Further happiness ensued when I found the pattern layout for a Ropa Romana de pano al Vso in Diego de Freyle's pattern book. Renaissance Tailor has a copy of the image on her site (first image and link of this post,) or the original manuscript is in the Folger Shakespearean Library and giant zooms can be accessed there.

So, fabrics are getting prepped today. I'll probably start the pattern draft tomorrow. It shouldn't be too difficult. I just drafted a gown from Alcega and this should be similar. There is supposed to be more fullness so I'll get to do a comparison of the two drafts, which sounds like even more fun.