FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
Daine of Tortall
(click images to to enlarge)
Other Credits
Photographer: Nathanael Card
Outline the story …
Tamora Pierce’s Tortall world was foundational in my youth, so I wanted to use this contest to design an outfit for the heroine of The Immortals Quartet: the Wildmage, Veralidaine Sarrasri.
My primary goals for this project were twofold:
-Level up my sewing by adapting a creative problem-solving mindset, rather than relying upon instructions.
-Keep my sewing sustainable by designing an outfit suitable for both Daine *and* myself. In other words, make garments that I will continue to wear outside of this competition.
Daine, as she’s known to her friends, has magic that’s unusual even in the magical world of Tortall. It allows her to talk to animals, heal them, and even shapeshift into animal forms. I wanted to design her something that would fit her lifestyle; it had to be practical enough for hunting or working, and durable enough to withstand plenty of muck and grime from her animal friends. The books describe her as favoring a simple shirt and breeches, like many of the women in Tortall. I wanted to find a style that seemed comfortable for someone who had grown up wearing petticoats and skirts and only transitioned to breeches in her teens. As such, it made sense to go for fuller breeches and shirt, which also allowed for comfort and easy movement. I kept the pants long for my own style preferences, since they could still easily be tucked into boots. I went for an equally full shirt, neatening things up with a fitted, buttoned waistband.
Outline the construction…
Given the necessity of durability in her outfits, linen seemed like an excellent choice for Daine. The shirt is made from Monaco Linen in Olive, and the breeches are Brussels Washer Linen/Rayon in Brown, both from Stonemountain and Daughter Fabrics. I used the pattern in Bernadette Banner’s “Pirate Shirt” video for the shirt. This was my first ever entirely handsewn project, and it ended up involving almost as much un-sewing as it did sewing. The shoulders and neckline in particular were redone numerous times to get them to drape more naturally, and could still be further refined in future versions. For the breeches, I adapted the Arthur Pants pattern by Sew Liberated. They have the fabulous full leg I was looking for (and in fact remind me of riding jodhpurs or Venetian-style breeches), but are originally designed with an elastic waistband. Elastic seemed unlikely for Tortall (even with magic involved), so I adapted the waist to have an exposed button fly, with lacing in the back inspired by men’s fall-front breeches. This way the waistband is extremely comfortable, and can still accommodate fluctuations in size. The pants were constructed by machine, except the waistband which was finished by hand. This was my first time hand sewing eyelets or buttonholes, which I actually ended up really enjoying. All in all, I am very pleased with the outcome and feel I met both of my primary goals, while also winding up with something I imagine Daine would have liked to wear.
I LOVE this! And this looks like the ultimate summer outfit.
I love the fit and the colors. Looks so natural for that environment (pun definitely intended). Excellent work!
God I want this whole outfit so bad. Well done!
Wonderful Daine outfit!
Tamora Pierce has been one of my favorite authors since I was 9 years old. It is so lovely to see your interpretation of Daine! The eyelets and buttonholes are well done, particularly for your first time. Well done! ❤️Thank you for bringing one of my favorite characters to life.
Beautiful and practical! (Rather like Daine herself) I would love to wear that as everyday clothing
everything is so cool. I love the textures, colors and patterns. I think it works really well as a costume and will continue to work well as clothes 😀
The color combination is so good!
Daine is such an amazing character. I think you did her justice in your choices of fabric and style. Great job!
This is so perfect for Diane. I love her story and this definitely seems appropriate for wandering in the more untamed parts of Tortall. I love the little details – the buttonholes and eyelets, the lacing at the back of the pants, and the shell buttons. I agree that linen is a good choice for a durable but comfortable fabric. Nicely done. 🙂
oops… I meant “Daine” rather than “Diane”
I think I read it as Diane in my head while reading the story originally and it just kind of stuck.
Wow, such beautiful construction and design. I love this! Thank you!
This is a great outfit and looks super comfortable to wear, I’m in love with those trousers! Your eyelets are really nicely done too, so satisfying to look at!
Yay for a Daine outfit!!!! Lovely work!