Seriously. How can I not freak out over a textbook that includes an iconic picture of Elizabeth I that I've literally grown up with? And not because it's talking about the queen, but because it's talking about her DRESS!
680 pages of awesomeness.
Almost TWO INCHES thick! (No, I haven't weighed it... yet...)
Back Cover
EEEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!
I. Cannot. Wait.
Since I don't have a serger, the neck and arm holes were going to remain raw edges. I wanted the bottom to match and also wanted to get as much length as I could, so I let down the hem. Every half inch counts!
I then fitted the side seams to give the top some shape. (Remember how it was boxy before? Well, no more!)
Ta da! Isn't it looking great?
However I knew the edges were going to stretch and they looked a little unprofessional without any finishing. So I took some brown ribbon and ran it through all the raw edges.
The result? A cute, modest tank that looks like it came from a boutique! Win.
A closer look at the really cool fabric. The picture actually doesn't do it justice -- it looked like it was actually woven on an old fashioned loom.
Said old fashioned loom look meant that it unraveled easily and needed extra reinforcement on high use seams like the armholes.
Sewing the top to the lining was a very involved process that required first sewing along the crimson, then pulling the sleeves out through the bottom to hem, and finally sewing half of the hem on machine and the other half by hand. It was tricky but the end result was fabulous!
Speaking of which...
Like it? Want a robe of your own for Hogwarts, Middle Earth, Narnia, Renaissance Fair, random medieval RPG? Commission cost would be $60 + materials, so if you're interested, send me an e-mail at historyswardrobe [at] gmx [dot] com.
We had five yards of fabric and the pattern called for six, but with a bit of folding I was able to make everything fit. With a robe this voluminous it wasn't a big deal.
Also, my pattern only went up to a medium and my friend was a large! So I had to compute the next size up based on the changes between the sizes marked on my pattern. It actually worked perfectly!
For a Gryffindor Robe it is of course necessary to have a bit of red lining in the front and hood. Rather than line the whole thing in the more costly red, I just cut a width for the front.
The dart also had to be moved to accommodate the larger size!
Front lining assembled.
Stay tuned for part two, which includes pictures of the final product and pricing information if you want to order your own fantasy/medieval robe!
Taking the tee off with pins on proved impossible, so I used my dressmakers wax to mark the pin line.
Sewed a straight line on the wax, then reinforced with zig zag, always a good idea with knit fabric.
Fits perfectly!
Now, how to place the front logo so that it's centered and not running off the sides? I placed the safety pin while wearing the Tee, then used a ruler to measure off the rest of the rectangle.
I wanted the Harry Potter logo on the front, so I looked up a picture on the internet and freehanded the lettering.
Filling in the lettering. It's important not to get too much paint in there, so actually if I just did a single line down the middle and swirled the sides and middle together, it filled everything in nicely.
And done! Up close it's kind of bumpy, but two or three feet away it looks great!
Let dry for four hours, then repeat on opposite side!
I pondered for quite awhile over what I wanted to do on the back. Finally I decided on the Ravenclaw theme because it's cool and suits me and didn't give away any plot things so I can wear it wherever I want and not worry about spoiling fans who haven't read/seen everything yet. 
