Late period chemise

About a month ago I made a deal with a friend. She gave me a whole pile of leather in exchange for me sewing her a flemish outfit. Win win if you ask me.

So yesterday I made the chemise. From start to finish it took me about 8 hours including drawing up the pattern. I still have to finish the neckline but I need her to try it on first as I don't have a dress form or anything. If I tried to finish it now chances are her boobs could end up falling out of it or it might choke her. So I'm waiting.

I based the pattern off this one here.

Flemish chemise pattern by Vanessa Agnes Nessayem

I hadn't used this pattern before but I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. Last time I made a chemise that wasn't a big poofy Italian style one it turned out a bit retarded. The arms were too short and tight and the shape was just all wrong. To be fair I wasn't very experienced in pattern drafting back then so I probably made heaps of mistakes. But I think I did allright this time around.

I wanted this chemise to be pretty versatile as my friend doesn't have a lot of garb. She could wear this with any later period style I think. I also wanted the sleeves to be able to be rolled up so I changed the sleeve pattern to be a straight and gathered into a cuff. That way they are nice a fitted when she wants to wear sleeves, but can be rolled up out of the way if need be. It's also only knee length. I made a floor length chemise once and I hated it.

So this is the pattern I drafted for Morgaine's measurements.

Flemish chemise pattern

So if you are the the exact same size as my friend (whose measurements I included above just in case someone is) then you're in luck! I've drafted you a free chemise pattern! If not I'm sorry. Get your calculator out. Or you can plug your measurements into Drea Leed's smock generator but that's what I tried to use last time and came out with something strange. I find it helps to understand how to draft a pattern so that you can make the necessary adjustments for yourself that a generator or a commercial pattern won't do. My body shape in particular doesn't like "choose the bigger measurement - bust or hips - and make that the width of your body piece" because my shoulders aren't as broad as the rest of me and if I follow a pattern like that my sleeves end up attaching half way down my arms. But with this pattern I can make my shoulder to shoulder measurement the width of the body piece, and add the extra room in for the bust/hips using the gores. So yeah I'll be using this one from now on.

I finally got to benefit from my large aldi sewing table too. It made rolling out fabric and drawing pattern pieces so much easier. And I love how medieval patterns have so little fabric wastage. All up I used about 2 metres of linen.

Pattern pieces cut out, and tiny pile of scraps

I didn't actually take many photos of the construction as it is pretty similar to a standard t-tunic. Join the two body pieces at the top. Sew the sleeves to the body. Add the gores. Cut the head hole.

That's something I always struggled with when I started my costuming journey. How big to make the head hole. And how to get it the right shape. Many times I cut a head hole way to big or too small or off centre. I've made every mistake in the book. But I eventually found a way that works. It's just big enough for my head and more importantly puts me head in the right spot. When I've got it on I trace the neckline shape I want in the mirror. And incidentally it is ten times easier to mark out the head hole before you sew up the side seams.

Head hole shape

Sew the side seams. Gather the sleeves up. Attach the cuff. 

I included photos of this as it can be fiddly folding everything the right way so it sits nicely.

Start by machine sewing the gathered sleeve onto on side of the cuff but don't sew the 1.5cm seam allowance at each end.

Machine sew the gathered sleeve to the cuff,
leaving 1.5cm at each end open.

Fold the raw edge of the sleeve over twice and pin

Fold the cuff SA over and pin.

Do it to both sides

Fold up the bottom edge of the cuff 1.5 cm and iron flat

Refold the SA on the ends of the cuff

Fold the cuff in half so that the ironed edge meets up with the row of stitching,
and the corners match up perfectly

Pin in place

Before you hand sew that together, work out what type of cuff fastening you want. I chose buttons and luceted button loops.

Pewter fleur de lis buttons

So I needed to stop and lucet the button loops. It didn't take too long as they are only about 3cm long each. I used linen thread so they were nice and thin. I also left nice long ends on my luceting so I could use the ends to sew them in place. I don't know if you've ever tried to sew through a luceted cord but let me tell you your fingers will hate you for it.

Unfold the end of the cuff and sew your button loops in

Refold and pin

Whipstich edges and along the cuff

Sew the buttons on

Finished Sleeve Cuff

Hem the bottom. And at some point when I see her next, finish the neckline.

So this is what it looks like at the moment

Front

Back

It might be a few weeks before I see her again to mark and finish the neckline. I'll update with finished photos when it's done. I'm even thinking of setting up an etsy store to sell them and other things later down the track too. So stay tuned ;)

Viking Rus Pants

Things have been a bit quiet here this week. I was sick for a few days, and I had a whole heap of housework to catch up on so I didn't really get much sewing done. I'm still slowly working on the silk facing for the lining of my kirtle, which I hope to be finished by next week.

So today my dad told me he wanted to start making some pants tonight at our weekly sca meeting. I was originally going to just do a pattern for a basic pant like this to go with the tunic I made him before festival.

Basic pant pattern

But then I thought if he wants to really get into SCA we should choose a proper style for him. He originally wanted to be all Henry VIII with the big fancy coat, but when we flicked through The Tudor Tailor he realised that all the pants are tight hose from the knee down. For medical reasons that just won't work for him. So no fancy Tudor coat for dad.

Henrician man's ensemble from The Tudor Tailor

I haven't really done much looking at mens garb really, so I didn't know what style would enable loose fitting pants. My first thought was viking. I was sure I'd seem pictures of really poofy viking pants. So I looked up men's viking garb on pinterest and came up with these.

Rus trader ensemble

Viking pants

He seemed to like the 'rus trader' type style so we decided to go with that. (If you're like me and thinking what the hell is a rus trader? then have a look here. The viking answer lady seems pretty reliable)

So I did a google search for viking rus pants pattern and came up with this pretty awesome handout. I used the poofy pants diagram to make a pattern but adjusted it so the poofy part went right down to his mid calf.

Poofy pants pattern from here

My pattern for dad's pants. He's a big guy so no my measurements aren't obscene

I suspect I will need to add some sort of gusset in the crotch. This person just used a diamond shape cut on the bias which seems to make sense so I will probably do that.

Crotch gusset cut on the bias

So now my dad is on his way to spotlight to but some cotton drill to make his pants out of. I find it ironic that he wants to learn how to make his own garb when he won't even hem his own pants. We'll see how he goes.

And since I went to the effort of working out the pattern, I'm going to make some for my husband too. A few years ago I made him a blue linen tunic that really needs some pants to go with it, so I dug this nice linen out for him. I think it'll look nice.

Dan's blue tunic over the linen for his pants

And I'll make some wider inkle woven leg wraps so he can do this

Inkle woven band wrapped around the lower leg

And then he might get a kaftan

Viking Kaftan

And then he'll be a super spiffy viking :)

Inkle Pattern Chosen

I was playing on the pattern generator for way too long and getting nowhere. Then I went out, bought ten kilos of chicken breasts for insanely cheap ($3.99/kg rather than at least $9.99/kg from woolworths), cut it all up and froze it in portions. Which took HOURS!!!

Afterwards I sat back down and this pattern just sort of created itself.

1550-1575 French Kirtle Pattern

Jonathon was nice enough to sleep for a few hours so I managed to get my kirtle pattern sorted. Thanks again to Lady Christine Duvant for her amazing bodice pattern. I was fortunate enough to be able to try on a pattern she had made for someone else and it fit me exactly. It just needed to be lengthened a bit as it sat right under my bust. I then altered the neckline and made the bottom edge dip slightly to fit with the French style gown I want to make. (Nb: The front pattern piece is not symmetrical because I am not symmetrical)

Lady Christine's Pattern

My adjusted kirtle pattern