FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
The Star Talers
(click images to to enlarge)
Outline the story …
I decided to let the linen shirt from the brothers Grimms fairy tale "The Star Talers" be my project since it is a story that my grandparents always told me as a child and I like how different people have completely different interpretations of the ending.
Being a beginner and being generally scared of making mistakes I decided that the simple desing of a linen shirt would be a good project I could realisticly produce in given time. It is the very first piece of clothing I ever finished and also sewn completely by hand. I decided to do a simple linen shirt, with a lace trim and a "Taler" as button for the keyhole in the back (I realised later that Taler were actually made out of silver, but I always imagined them to be gold). For the overall shape of the shirt itself, I decided to make it as I always imagined it, not how it would have been historically correct.
Outline the construction…
The materials of the shirt is linen fabric, linen yarn, cotton lace and a gold plated brass coin charm. For the construction of the shirt, I took the trapezette pattern from merchant & mills and changed the measurements as well as parts of the silouette to fit my 18 month old (the pattern was designed to 3 years and above) and my idea of what the shirt of the Star Talers looked like. Unfortunately, I did not have enough fabric for a mockup, but changed the pieces from fitting to fitting. To put the pieces together, I used a felled seam, for the hems I used the rolled hem and for the opening in the back I tried to copy a technique I saw in "Patterns of Fashion 4", page 26, picture 15H. For the keyhole with button loop I used twisted yarn and the gold plated coin charm to pick up the idea of the fallen talers mentioned in the story. I later carefully attached the lace as shown in the pictures.
I realised after I started with the felled seam that I had no idea how to join the hem and the seam where they meet. I tried my best to make it as neat and clean as I could but realised that I willl have to do more research on the garments I want to create before I start. Since I had not enough fabric to start over I had made do with what I already had.
Aw, it’s lovely. So simple, yet beautiful. And clearly made with love. Best of luck x
Simple can be harder to accomplish elegantly than a very busy pattern. This is elegant and beautiful. Well done.
This looks like a wonderfully polished item, especially if you had to keep altering it as you went, very impressive. You’ve managed to make it look wonderfully delicate but I suspect it would last for a long long while
Very clear design, beautiful made. I can imagine the little girl from the story in this dress, holding the skirt up to catch the falling “sterntaler”.
Sometimes less is more, and here that definitely goes. I love the simplicity. It puts all the attention on the design and beautiful finish. Love it!
It’s like I imagined the girl from the fairy tale.
Lovely delicate work! I’m in love with your felled seams.
I loved this tale as a child – your creation is as exquisite and angelic as I imagined her new shift would be, and you did an amazing job with the seams and hems!
Simple, yet elegant. I love the shape! Thank you so much!
Thank you for the confidence boost!
Wait, Taler are silver? I never knew, always thought they’d be gold as well! (Must have been due to all those illustrations in fairy tales books.) This shift is lovely, just the kind of finest white linen and beautiful sewing one would imagine for Sterntaler. Great job!
You may have chosen something simple, but you did it marvelously! Amazing job