The Italian Camicia

Of the many projects that are going on in my sewing room, a commissioned camicia has been one of the most recent.  The garment is based on the following extant camicia that is in the Museo del Tessuto, Prato:

Construction

I have drafted the bodice of the garment in the same style as the camicia above.  I have used full sleeves that I will not be gathering at the wrist in the same manner as the extant camicia.

I'm not a smocker, and I like the look of the Eleanor of Toledo portrait with the camicia showing at the sleeve in full ruffles so I'm leaving it ungathered at the sleeve hem.

Eleanor de Toledo by Bronzino

Embroidery

Now while I would attempt all of the embroidery on the seam lines if it were for me and if I had 10 years to have this thing finished but I don't, so the plan was that the hand embroidery that I have chosen will be around the neckline only.  I have considered doing some machine embroidery along the seam lines but I'm thinking that I may do only the handwork at the neck.

One disadvantage of this project is that I did not choose the materials and the linen provided is of a slightly thicker texture than I would have chosen for myself.  But for the person it is being made for, the thicker linen is a better choice at the moment for a wide variety of reasons.

I have chosen to actually do "black" blackwork with some royal blue accents.  I am not re-creating the pattern in the extant camicia but am using a pattern from the Blackwork Embroidery Archives.as a base with my accents added into the "voided" area between the pomegranates. 

My Musings

When the project is completed, I will post plenty of pictures, but until then I'll have to keep you guessing as to what my project looks like and as to why I've made some of the design choices that I have made.

Updated:  I did decide to put a cuff at the sleeve edge...sort of....there is still ruffling that shows at the edge of the sleeve. 

Camicia Images from: © Roberta Orsi Landini and Bruna Niccoli, Moda A Firenze 1540 - 1580: Lo stile de Eleonora di Toledo e la sua influenza.  Florence, Edizione Polistampa, 2005.