The Elizabethan Bumroll, done!

"Horn of Plenty", "Oh my goodnplenty!" (my favourite all time dyac iphone fail!) and scenes from True Blood (season two) have been scattering through my brain this week as I made the Elizabethan bumroll, you'll see why....

I decided to line the cream cotton twill with the black cotton drill.  I sandwiched all four layers together, putting the ribbon ties in between the two cream layers and pinned everything together.

I used my favourite cheat and sewed around the pattern, rather than tracing it.

Once sewn, I trimmed the excess fabric away, clipped the inside and outside curves, turned it inside out and curled up on the sofa with the leftover fabric to start the stuffing.  I intended to only use the leftovers and then buy foam wadding, but the fabric stuffing went so well that I decided to continue with it.  I should have taken photos but it was a very cold night and the fire was going strong, I decided to be lazy and remain warm!  Mid-way through the stuffing and I had what looked more like Viking horns than anything you would want to wear round your waist and hips, and my bumroll has quickly become the source of much hilarity... 

The stuffing takes some patience, and muscle, but once stuffed and with the seam sewn closed, it looks good.  Miss G is now back in work mode and models it well I think!  The corset is only loosely laced on (the laces now follow a more correct pattern) and I'm not sure it's sitting correctly in the photos but it fits my hips like a glove.  I can see, now it's complete, why the original pattern was larger, it seems smaller than it looked on paper, but I still think that the smaller size will suit me better.  I also weighed the bumroll and it's well over 2 lbs, the corset is another 1lb+ - at this rate I will need to take up weight training!  

I couldn't resist a few close up pictures too, an attempt to give you an idea of the size of it in relation to my waist. 

I'm itching to get started on the farthingale now, the final step in creating the structure under the final outfit.  The final piece of the underpinnings is the chemise, but I will need a pattern specifically tailored to match the kirtle and gown sleeves; that I can't do myself from instructions online as I think that I am pretty much decided on buying the Margo Anderson pattern and then adapting it if needed.

An Elizabethan Bumroll, drafting the pattern

After a busy day and going to see War Horse (a truly brilliant piece of film-making, alternating masterfully between the horrific, the beautiful, the inspiring and great love; and yes, I cried pretty much throughout!) I needed something quiet and relaxing to do.  I decided to draw up the pattern for my bumroll. 

Once again, using the instructions on elizabethancostume.net I slipped back into my corset and took a measurement a couple of inches below my hip.  I followed an interesting tip of using a length of rolled up tin foil, which allowed me to both measure and retain a shape. To keep her from the TV, I enlisted the help of the 10yr old, she took the photos and learnt a little about pattern making for half an hour or so.

We laid the tin foil on a length of greaseproof paper, the 10yr old held it flat and I traced the internal circumference.  I then evened out our rather wonky line by hand.

The instructions suggested adding 5" to each side edge and 8" to the top edge to create the outer edge of the bumroll.  The author of the pattern is 5'11" and "busty"; now whilst I can't claim any bustiness, I am almost equal in height so I started with her suggested measurements.  It was immediately obvious that "busty" counts, after a little discussion the 10yr old and I went for a redraw by eye.

We reduced the outer circumference and then drew a centre parting; the width of the front edges is not stated, we chose to use the width of the ribbon which will be used to tie the bumroll on.

As my drawing wasn't going to be entirely exact both sides, I folded the pattern in half, picked the narrower of the two sides and cut out a now perfectly matched pattern.  The top is extended by 5" and the sides by 3.5".

It still looks rather big so I did a little googling; always a great Google search, "Bumroll", Images!  Most bumrolls look a little thin and insubstantial, not what I imagine them to be at all, certainly not when you look at the historical data.  The TT also has a relatively thin one in their patterns.  I may yet find that this needs amending, I won't know until its at least in fabric form, but I am aiming high... or is it large... with a bumroll that shouts "I'm here" rather than one that disappears under the dress.  Apart from anything else, I am looking at quite heavy fabrics for my main dress, I need a bumroll that can withstand the weight.

The bumroll will be made in the same cream cotton twill, I may line it in the black cotton drill as it is flexible.  It will be tied with black gosgrain ribbon.  I am undecided as to whether to stuff it with fabric (free as I'll raid the stash but harder to do and achieve a good shape, heavier) or polyester batting (better for the shape and firm but light).  I just wish I'd had time to sew it up tonight!