Ok, so the corset is done.  Now for the farthinggale. 

I start doing some research on line and find various sites with different patterns for a farthinggale.  They all look easy enough, but a few are complicated in the pattern pieces.  I wanted something easier.  (I say wanted, because this is done).  And for me it was a toss up of just buying a hoop skirt vs making a farthinggale.  But I'm stubborn and know I'll just make one.  No sense giving someone my money for something I can make, right?

I settle on using the instructions from Baroness Briana Etain MacKorkhill.  Those can be found here: http://www2.kumc.edu/itc/staff/rknight/farth1.htm

I take my instructions, get my measurements and pull out the white paper.  Drafting is not always an easy thing for me to do, but these are straight lines and I have an awesome work area and yardstick.  Draft up the pattern and it looks like it should.  No problem.  On to finding the fabric I want to use. 

I dig into my stash and find a wonderful piece of purple sheeting material.  I had probably over 8 yds of it and know I'll have to use about 3-4 for this project.  I get it ironed and lay it out.  Lay the pattern on it, and start cutting.  So far so good.  I also cut out the boning channels from this, as I don't want to use twill tape.  (That stuff is expensive, btw).  Sew it all together and discover it's 2 inches too small.  WTF??  Go back to the instructions and look over the pattern again.  Yup, cut it the way I was suppose to.  Read instructions again.  DAYMN!  There is no call for seam allowances, so I missed it.  Rookie mistake, but one that's easily made.  Make notes on my sheet of paper to include seam allowance.  So, now what?  Cut all over again?  Nope.  I rip out one of the seams, the one that was left open for the waist area.  I cut another piece to make up for the difference that I'm missing, and insert it.  Perfect!

The boning channels sewed in well.  And on to the boning.  I decided to use rigid plastic tubing as described on the Renaissance Tailor here: http://www.vertetsable.com/demos_farthingale.htm.  Go out and buy the recommended amounts thinking this will be finished in no time!  Piece of cake!  NOT!!

The tubing proves to be a pain in my arse!  I can't get it to straighten out no matter what I do.  When I finally think it's right and insert it in the channels, the damn stuff curls up again.  What a pain!  I even left it in the channels, put the damn thing on the dress dummy, stuff things underneath to hold it out, put weights on the bottom of the skirt to hold it down and leave it.  For two weeks.  Ok, so it should have straightened out by now.  Take off the weights and WOOF, it curls back up again. 

End up ordering a hoop skirt off Ebay, and think about getting some more throat drops to soothe the scratchiness from screaming.