Everytime I’m designing a new project I think about the kind of costume I want to make, the era and the character.
I found very interesting the historical character of Jacquette de Luxembourg, mother of Elizabeth of York, grandmother of Elizabeth Woodville, great-grandmother of Henry VIII, great-great-grandmother of Elizabeth I.
According to Philippa Gregory’s saga, Jacquette descended from the Goddess Melusine, a female spirit of fresh water, usually depicted as a woman who is a serpent or fish from the waist down, and she supposed to be a witch (despite she was exonerated from the charge of witchcraft).
While I was making this “robe à tassel” I looked for embossed velvet, since it wasn’t available, I worked with a deep blue velvet, the same color of the water, embellished with white faux fur and golden trimming.
The butterfly Hennin was the most challenging part of the costume, first of all because I could not find the proper materials (the buckram) so I had to improvised.
The kirtle is in yellow damask, trimmed with a golden braid, as per the hennin.
The original pattern is from “The Medieval Tailor’s Assistant” by Sarah Thursfield.
