How To Make A Renaissance Chemise: Cottage Core Dreams

If you've been dreaming about cottage core fantasies, then watch this Renaissance Chemise tutorial to learn how to make your own and bring your cottage core dreams to live. This Chemise was modeled after a genuine Renaissance chemise on record, so this is the pattern you want to follow for historical accurate Renaissance cosplay
Use a minimum of 4 yards of white fabric for your chemise. Linen and hemp are the most traditional materials to use, but you can also use cotton or silk. I used 34" narrow fabric for mine, but you're welcome to use a wider fabric if you prefer a more voluminous chemise
This Renaissance chemise is perfect for the #sewyourstash challenge because it uses up so much yardage and is a great project for white or off-white fabric. So go on--go make yourself a chemise!

[@kyriea3112]

Holy crap where has that Gusset Tutorial been all my life?! Thank you SO MUCH!! Your chemise turned out so good!

[@StudioCE]

Thank you! Thank you! It took me a bit of trial and error to figure gussets out myself. Glad I could help explain it well

[@BreeQuinn]

This saved my life!! This was technically my 2nd sewn project ever. I messed it up a few times along the way but, my outfit for Ren got a tone of compliments. I had to sew this last minute and opted for shorter sleeves. This was soooo freakin helpful, you have NO idea! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

[@StudioCE]

You're so very welcome! I'm glad your outfit came out great and this tutorial was so helpful. I really appreciate this comment

[@ChristineAllen_yeni]

I watched several videos and this was the best/easiest to follow.

[@StudioCE]

I'm glad! I really try to make my tutorials make sense

[@daisylee4058]

Wonderful tutorial. Mine turned out great!!

[@StudioCE]

That's awesome! Hope you get to enjoy wearing it

[@anastasia10017]

the gusset demo was great. I wish videos would give measurements too so that there is something to use as a base. obviously, people are different sizes, but base measurements give you some comparison and a place to start.

[@StudioCE]

Thank you ☺️ I totally agree using someone else measurements can still be a helpful reference. Most of us have to make alterations to sewing patterns anyway

[@xsillyxtillyx]

I agree I was slightly confused on the sleeves and where the 10 inch panels came from? (The width or the length)Or the overall measurements of the sleeves. Were the 10 inch panels the sleeves or was that just for the gusset?

[@StudioCE]

I took the 10" out of the width of the fabric I cut the sleeves from. The sleeves ended up 24" wide (Sorry it took so long to see this comment)

[@LittleMizSocks]

This chemise was my plan b for the renfair in plan a failed (which it did lol). I'm so glad I finished this chemise pretty quickly! Your instructions are so clear and the end results look fantastic!

[@StudioCE]

I'm so glad your chemise came out well! Hope you have fun at Ren Fair

[@KiaraDex]

you just... how the? how did you just do that all in a way that made everything make sense? this is perfect thank you so much

[@StudioCE]

You're welcome! Sewing doesn't need to be complicated, and simpler is easier to understand

[@essimathews9056]

The great thing about sewing for oneself is that it often ends up fitting so much better. Your dresses are beautiful and suit you very well. Great job!

[@StudioCE]

I totally agree! Making clothes that fit properly is one of the main reasons I started making clothes. Thank you so much

[@dipperdraws942]

Ahhh thank you for this video!! I'm just starting out and this is by far THE BEST video I have found!!!! I never understood gussets until now!!!! Thank you!!! ♡♡♡♡♡

[@StudioCE]

You're welcome! Gussets were a lot more common before the industrial revolution, but they can make your armholes a lot more comfortable. They also get a lot easier to sew once you've tried them a few times

[@RunningRoosterFarm]

I am in the middle of winging in on a chemise, and this is coming in very handy!

[@StudioCE]

Hope it comes out well!

[@lilycelestin1493]

Great tutorial. I was able to make my first chemise with this successfully! Thank you

[@StudioCE]

You're welcome! I'm glad it was so helpful for you

[@CarsonSmash]

You did an absolutely fantastic job on this video! I'm definitely saving this for when I'm ready to sew my own!

[@StudioCE]

Thank you :) I hope yours turns out when get around to it

[@LittleLlamaCrochet]

I like your teaching style :) thank you for sharing, the full outfit looks beautiful together, take care 🌷

[@StudioCE]

Thank you so much! You take care too 😊

[@adeliachambers4031]

Thank you so much. I am going to a Renaissance Fair soon and other tutorials were confusing. Your tutorial was perfect.

[@StudioCE]

You're welcome. Hope you have fun at the Ren Fair!

[@npcpitbull]

this tut was so perfect!! thank you so much :3

[@StudioCE]

You're welcome :)

[@KimmieMvrie]

I greatly appreciate this video! It's amazing and helpful, thank you!

[@StudioCE]

You're welcome 💕

[@rondaks3757]

Very nicely explained. Great job! I look foreword to watching more videos from you :)

[@StudioCE]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate this comment

[@laurieavchen3736]

I love it! You and the outfit look amazing. Kujo too😻

[@StudioCE]

Thank you. I had a ton of fun dressing up for this one!

[@asurya8797]

It looks great! 😍

[@StudioCE]

Thank you so much ☺️

[@danielbutala9748]

So beautiful

[@StudioCE]

Thank you 😊

[@anikaanni3756]

Looking pretty

[@StudioCE]

Thank you

[@decnijfkris3706]

very well done

[@StudioCE]

Thank you☺️

[@Hadassah-KaquoliMReno]

Very pretty!

[@Hadassah-KaquoliMReno]

I could never have a chemise that low, I’m 69.

[@StudioCE]

Thank you!

[@ergonomist]

So pretty!

[@StudioCE]

Thanx 😊

[@jeremyludwig5323]

Love it!

[@StudioCE]

Thank you 😊

[@erinhallmakes777]

Very simple and easy to follow thank you. I was wondering if you have any suggestions on how to make the collar Less open? I have a Renaissance dress I'm going to be wearing for Halloween and I want something underneath it but I don't want an open collar because this is Canada and I'm going trick-or-treating with my kids and I don't want to freeze

[@StudioCE]

That's a good question. You could probably make the gussets 20" wide and use the extra fabric that gives around the neck to really scrunch everything up closer to the neck. This might affect the length and arm lengths, and the way the gussets fit in the armpits, but it's the simplest alteration I can think of that would achieve more coverage Another alternative would be to make a tippet, a type of wide scarf worn around the neck and shoulders during the Renaissance. Crepe and gauze tippets are fairly common in portraits from the 1400/1500s, and fur or velvet zibellinos were popular after. You could even adjust the neckline and make a warm tippet to go over it for some extra warm

[@steffirossmann1168]

Your voice is so lovely🙏

[@StudioCE]

Thank you 😊 It always sounds so high-pitched in recordings

[@robertalana2608]

Amei! gratidão por ensinar

[@StudioCE]

de nada

[@kaisalidstrom]

Can I use a different color? White does not agree with me.

[@StudioCE]

That's a personal choice depending on how historically accurate you want your chemise and final Renaissance look to be White is the historically accurate color for chemises, but they were often yellowed and stained from sweat and dirt, especially those worn by peasants. You could use an off-white, very light white-beige or grey, or tea dye some linen or cotton if you are going for a commoner/peasant look But if you're going for an upper-class look, white is the best. During the Renaissance era, the whiteness of your chemise showed wealth and cleanliness. They would "bleach" their undergarments in the sun or with animal urine, so white would be most accurate A chemise is also an undergarment, so only the neckline and wrists would show for most people, except for the working class who would reveal their chemise sleeves while working (much like how I styled it in my video) Many very wealthy women wore 2 or 3 layers over their chemises (such as a kirtle, dress, and overdress), completely hiding the chemise underneath. So if you want to style your outfit where the chemise is visible and you're not going for a historically accurate peasant/working class look, then feel free to make your chemise in whatever color you want I personally like red and black chemises the best for historically inaccurate Renaissance cosplay

[@saramorrison3578]

I’m kind of confused, did you fold your fabric in half to cut it?

[@StudioCE]

Yes. I cut the front/back and the two sleeves at the same time just like you would with a pattern you got at a fabric store

[@saramorrison3578]

@@StudioCE Thanks girl!! I just started sewing again after like...10 years hahaha its been a relearning process but this tutorial was amazing!

[@spikehere5866]

I can't understand why anyone would want to mess up Bach.

[@StudioCE]

Me neither, Bach is so classic

[@AlexandraLynch1]

This also largely makes a man's shirt from the era and thereafter.

[@StudioCE]

It definitely would! All you would have to do is shorten it a bit. Thanks for pointing that out 🙂

[@notashrimp16]

What's the width of the sleeves? I got length measured but I feel like it can't be the 34 inches of the fabric, right?

[@StudioCE]

You can make your sleeves the full 34" wide if you have enough fabric to fit it. Historically you would've used a 28" wide panel for the sleeves (fabric was a standard 28" wide at the time) Mine are made from the width of my fabric minus 10", so they were 24". I used the 10" wide piece I cut off the sleeves to make my gussets and binding

[@kermitchico]

So your sleeves were 24" x ?

[@natsuss]

@@kermitchico 24 x 28, she says it in the first minute of the video when she says there are two measurements we need

[@ShellieWard-gx3bi]

This tutorial is useless without proper instructions on turning the corners of the binding. It’s not enough to just say ‘make triangles’ & ‘you might have to trim them’… then what? How do you actually turn & sew them down? 🤷‍♀️

[@StudioCE]

I cut my binding, folded the edges down, pinned the corners together, and sewed them down. You can also cut the pieces and sew them together at an angle before pinning, or sew it all down in one continuous piece, mitering the corners as you sew. There's no proper way to turn binding, so you're welcome to use whatever method is most comfortable for you This is an intermediate level sewing project, so it requires an understanding of certain basic sewing skills, like sewing binding. I encourage you to practice sewing binding until you're comfortable with it before attempting a project that requires binding. Once you improve your sewing skills, you may not find this tutorial useless Thank you for your feedback

[@ShellieWard-gx3bi]

The rest of your tutorial is fine - it is clearer than some others I have watched. Your explanation of the corners is helpful - perhaps you could do a tutorial on that bit to compliment this one - I have also watched several videos on mitred corners and have yet to find one that satisfactorily explains this technique. 🤷‍♀️

[@StudioCE]

@@ShellieWard-gx3bi Thank you for your response. I agree it is difficult to find good explanations on mitered corners, probably because they're tricky to get right and difficult to explain. I'll make a point to better explain that portion next time it comes up so there's no confusion. For future reference, it is much easier to miter corners with bias tape rather than binding because it will give a little more around the point. This tutorial uses binding rather than bias tape for historical accuracy, but it can be done with bias tape instead. You can also try ironing it into the proper shape before pinning/sewing. Ironing bias tape into shape is really useful if you're binding a curve or an angle

[@Omar-dy2bn]

0😂👎