My first time making a Farthingale (hooped under skirt)

"A"

I used Alcega's pattern for my farthingale. (pic "A")

Supplies:
Queen size sheet
4 Bias Tape Extra Wide (Double Fold, ironed flat)
4 packages of 25' polyethylene tubing, 3/8" OD, 1/4" (pic "B)
1/4 inch dowel, cut into 2 1/2" pieces
Butcher paper roll (I like to have a paper pattern)


"B"

Since I am basically a thrifty person I used a queen size sheet that I already had and ripped down into 22" strips, down the length of the sheet. If you decide to use a sheet make sure it has a high tread count. I did learn that I should have ripped out the large top seam on the sheet. If had ripped it out I wouldn't have had to seam the material together, to get the full 49.5" needed on one of the pieces of fabric.


I used striped fabric because that is what I had, which turned out to be really handy, because it shows the use of the bias and straight

"C"

grains really well. (pic "C")

I used my serger to make 1/4" seams. Turned over the top 1/4" and then a 1" casing for the top of the farthingale.


Going with what I am guessing is approximately Mathew Gnagy's
spacing for the hoops. First one 12" from the waist and 
the next 3 casings, 7" apart. (pic "D")


Sew back seam together last and don't catch the casing in the  
seam, leave both sides open.



"D"

I tried it on with my bum roll underneath to check out how it draped.
Opps, to much stuffing in the bum roll. (pic "E") I then removed the extra stuffing and attached the bum roll directly to the farthingale.

Inserted the first hoop and tried it on again. Better now it has a nice
down slope to it. See finished picture, it doesn't stick straight out anymore.

Now to finish the waistline, I left each front side seam open 6 inches. The front of the skirt is finished with a 2 inch casing, I have a large back area and with the bum roll the front of the skirt was going to drag on the floor,
adjust to your liking.

"E"

I threaded some of the extra bias tape sewn together through the
channel and stitched it down in the middle.

Now on to attaching the back of the skirt to the bum roll. Couple of inches until just after back gore seam is attached flat, no gathers. (pic "F")
After that I used the divide and pin method of gathering in the fabric.
Pinning the fabric to bias tape to stablize the whole thing. I ended up with about one inch pleats across the back. (pic "G") The pleats in the center back face each other. I flipped the bias tape over the raw edges and  sewed it down. I then centered the bum roll on the back of the skirt
and encased both in bias tape, with long ties. (pic "H")




"F"

On to inserting the hoops and connecting with the dowels.
Got them all in. Opps, hoops too large removed 6 inches from each hoop. The material covering the hoops should not be stretching, it should be slightly loose.

Last picture is of the finished Farthingale, just wish I had made the front ties a little longer to wrap around my waist better. I have tied the back ties at the front of my waist and wrapped the front ties all the way around and tied them in front as well. You may have noticed that the back of the skirt is not sitting flush to the back of my waist, this is not a problem. The skirts coving the farthingale sit at my waist and look fine.



"G"

 Various sites that I used for reference:


"H"

Materials List - http://www.elizabethancostume.net/farthingale/materials.html

Making, measuring, layout - http://www.elizabethancostume.net/farthingale/period.html

Making, measuring, layout - http://www.chesholme.com/~jack/farthingale/

Making, measuring, layout - http://www.renaissancetailor.com/demos_farthingale.htm

Translation of Alcega's Farthingale instructions by Gnagy - https://www.facebook.com/notes/elizabethan-costume/translation-of-alcegas-farthingale-instructions-by-gnagy/10152474593818996

Hoop calculations - http://www.karen.htmlcreators.com/farthingales.html

Hoop calculations - http://www.sempstress.org/downloads/cheat-sheet-for-alcega-farthingale-hoop-sizes/

Mathew Gnagy's farthingale - http://www.elizabethancostume.net/blog/author/mathew-gnagy/ 

Finished