So I’m working on this 15th century linen kirtle. The bodice is two layers.. and the skirt is a single layer.

A while back I decided that I’d use a binding on the seam between the skirt and the bodice. It [...]]]> I am a big giant dumb ass with OCD tendencies that run amok.

So I’m working on this 15th century linen kirtle. The bodice is two layers.. and the skirt is a single layer.

A while back I decided that I’d use a binding on the seam between the skirt and the bodice. It seemed like the best way to attach the skirt. I don’t want any raw edges exposed..and the only other thing I could think of was attaching it as a french seam.. and that just seemed awkward.

So I sewed the dress together including hand finishing the second edge of the binding. Then I tried the dress on.. and found out the bodice was a little bit too long in the back.. so I removed the skirt, shortened the bodice and reattached the skirt. Reattached as in I have entirely, 100% finished with the hand finishing on the binding strip.

Then when I started on the sleeves I decided that instead of using a binding strip on the sleeves I’d sew the sleves down on one side.. and then hand finish the other side. I’ve finished one of the sleeves (and I hope to goodness I don’t have to pull it off because the stitching looks lovely) and I’m sitting here.. idly thinking about the dress..and musing to myself how sad it is that the waist seams binding is so bulky.. and is making the waist seam stand out a bit.. and at the same time I happened to stumble on a flickr picture that someone posted about how they attached the skirt on their dress…. and now I’m just kicking myself. They attached the skirt to the front side of the bodice.. and then flipped the other edge of the bodice and hand sewed that down.. it’s much nicer and less bulky than a binding.

Picture 1, attaching the skirt to the outside fabric.

Picture 2, hand finishing the bodice on the inside.

So now that I’m thinking about it.. I’m going to have to do it. Stupid OCD.. now that I see how it should be done.. there’s NO WAY I can leave it as is. So yes, I will be removing my skirt for the second time and sewing the damned thing back together.. AGAIN.

BTW: Is there a sewing term for this kind of seam? I want to be able to use a term to describe what is happening and have people able to understand what I’m talking about without having to redefine the process each time I mention it.

Here we go, I’m working on a 15th century kirtle (or cotehardie, whatever you want to call it) [...]]]> Have you ever noticed that when you start gathering together images as “proof” of whatever historical things you’re planning to sew that suddenly you start seeing things in the images you’ve never seen before? Yeah, it’s like that.

Here we go, I’m working on a 15th century kirtle (or cotehardie, whatever you want to call it) and I’m tickled at the idea that for only the second time during my time in the SCA I’m actually working on a garment which is temporaly correct for my “persona”**

Anyway, I made a pinboard of images that show the kind of dress I’m trying to create and suddenly I’m noticing the weirdest thing.

Here are some example images:

1470 Dancing Peasants

Illustration of mining by Robinet Testard, late 15th century

Maître François in his illuminations of La Cité de dieu by Augustine around 1475-1480

L'Annonce aux bergers. Danse champêtre.Heures de Charles d'Angoulême, Folio 20V. French, late 15th century.

Hans Memling, 1480, Bathsheba in the bath

Master of the Dresden Prayer Book Flemish, Bruges, about 1475 - 1480 Tempera colors and ink on parchment 6 7/8 x 7 5/8 in. MS. 43, RECTO

Just weird.

** As is tradition in the West, Sylvie la chardonnière is relatively persona-less. She is French.. and her surname, “chardonnière” implies that she is a “thistle seller”. She used to be firmly temporaly located in the 14th century. Lately she flouncing about a lot closer to 1535 and looking decidedly Landknecht-y.

I finished sewing down the binding strip between the skirt and bodice and -then- I tried the dress on. Overall I like how the dress is [...]]]> I’m making good progress on my waisted cotehardie. I badly wanted to wear it this last weekend (very hot Mist/Cyn war).. but sadly it’s still far from being done.

I finished sewing down the binding strip between the skirt and bodice and -then- I tried the dress on. Overall I like how the dress is fitting but after nitpicking for a while I decided the bodice was too long across the lower back. So I marked where it needed to be shorter, removed the skirt and binding strip, cut it down and then finally reattached the skirt.

This time I tried it on BEFORE finishing the binding strip. Now I -really- like how the dress is fitting. So over the next few days I’ll finish the binding strip and start working on the sleeves.

Flidais gave me a copy of her short-sleeve pattern for her cotehardie. I made a mockup with her pattern and tried it on. The fit is mostly right at the armseye but a bit small in the bicep. I fiddled with the pattern and came up with an update. The update was pretty close but still needed a bit of fiddling. So I fiddled it a bit more and last night attached it to the bodice. Unfortunately I sewed it on backwards. *sigh* (it was late at night and I was watching TV and not paying attention) So tonight I’ll remove the sleeve, re-attach it and then try the dress on. If it works well then I’ll be all set to make the sleeves out of the “real” fabric and get that part of the dress done.

Originally I thought I’d use a binding strip to add the sleeves but I changed my mind. Since the sleeves are two layers of linen I think I’ll sew them in on one side and then hand-finish the other side. This will end up with a less bulky seam than if I’d used a binding strip and should be strong enough to hold up since those seams aren’t -really- under stress.

Assuming I get the mockup sleeve removed and reattached correctly. And assuming that once I try it on I don’t need to fiddle with the sleeve pattern any more, I should be able to make the final short sleeves for this tonight.

Waisted Cotehardie Todo:
– (done) Sew the skirt together
– (done) Cut out the circle for the waist of the skirt
– (done) Sew the skirt and the bodice together with a binding strip (again)
– (in progress) Make the short sleeves (two layers of black linen)
– Attach the short sleeves to the bodice
– Hem the dress
– Make the lower sleeves (I have some lovely gold linen set aside for this)
– Make a chemise to go under the dress.

Anyway. I’ve decided I want to wear my black waisted cotehardie for Cynaguan Coronet May 25-28. A while ago, when I thought I’d be able to wear this for Gaston Phebus, I [...]]]> Ok.. all productivity was put on hold during the move. Luckily the move is done now.. now it’s just the interminable unpacking.

Anyway. I’ve decided I want to wear my black waisted cotehardie for Cynaguan Coronet May 25-28. A while ago, when I thought I’d be able to wear this for Gaston Phebus, I put together the bodice. At the moment it’s totally sewn together and I can pull it on over my head and shimmy into it. It’s fitting.. but not as tight as I’d like it to be. The current plan is to make the skirt portion and attach that to the bodice. Then, if there’s enough time, split the front seam of the bodice open, roll each side back 3/4 of an inch and add eyelets for spiral lacings. The idea is that I really want it to be wearable for Coronet (pull over the head).. but long term I want to be able to lace the dress tighter.

Cutting the skirt panels

If my mental image is right.. I’m doing 8 sections where each section is 1/2 of a 58″x58″ square of linen. The sections will be french seamed together with a bias edge to a straight edge.. and if I figured it out right.. that should just about make a skirt that drapes very fully. In fact, I -think- that will make it a full circle skirt.

After I get the triangles sewn together I’ll cut out the top of the triangles to fit the length of the bottom of the bodice. I think I will be cutting the top of the triangles so that the tops are flat and ~8″ wide. If I was math smart I probably could have laid that out when I cut out the skirt.. but that math eluded me.. and since I didn’t want to mess it up, I decided it was ok to end up tossing a circle of fabric where all the triangle points come together.

When the skirt is attached to the bodice the skirt will be lined up so that one of the seams exactly matches up with the center front seam on the bodice and the opposite seam exactly matches up with the center back seam on the bodice. Then I’ll take up the excess of the skirt by adding a box pleat to the center back..and knife pleats evenly to either side until the excess is taken up. Then I think I’ll us a binding strip to attach the skirt to the bodice. I could french seam it.. but a binding strip seems much cleaner.

The dress will have short sleeves with pin-on lower sleeves. I think I’ll also use a binding strip to attach the short sleeves to the bodice. Changed my mind. See next post.

Then I just have to hem it an I should be good to go.

A: Kentish Dress Style III – a garment with a vertical front opening clasped by two brooches, one at the throad the other centre-chest, and worn with a buckled belt. B: Kentish Dress Style IV – the same as Dress Style III but with [...]]]>

From Rogers, Penelope Walton. Cloth and Clothing in Early Anglo-Saxon England (p 190).

A: Kentish Dress Style III – a garment with a vertical front opening clasped by two brooches, one at the throad the other centre-chest, and worn with a buckled belt.
B: Kentish Dress Style IV – the same as Dress Style III but with the addition of a front-opening coat or jacket on top. The coat/jacket was fastened by a pair of crossways bow brooches, either at the waist or immediately below, the jacket being worn ourside the belt. The women used both imported and Kentish-made brooches to fasten these garments and bordered the front edges of the jacket with their Jutish-style tablet weaves.
C: Kentish Dress Style IV worn in the Merovingian style

I’m going to focus on Dress Style III and IV. I believe under all of this would be a chemise but I have no proof of that.

Here’s what I’m trying to figure out. (I plan to edit this post as I figure things out)

Undergarments:
– Chemise – no current info about this. I plan to make a standard rectangular construction white linen under-tunic that goes to between my knee and ankle, with sleeves that go almost to my wrist and finish the neckline so it’s hidden under the tunic.
– Braisses – I also plan to wear braisses for comfort though I have no proof about these either.

Head:
– gold brocaded tablet woven strap. How prevalent? Restricted by age?
– Closed rings/staples. How prevalent? How are they used?
– Veil? How prevalent?
As far as I can tell, there are no earrings in the finds it may imply that the ears were covered.
If the closed ring/staple was used to attach the brocaded strap to something.. you have to wonder.. why didn’t they just sew it. Tablet weaving can be sewn through.. so the staple would be unnecessary. I think it was doing something else. Possibly attaching it to leather?
The article about the gold braids says that these have only been found at the head level. Meaning that brocaded tablet weaving does not show up on the edges of the front opening of the tunic or jacket. The only example of tablet weaving found away from the head seems to be a cloak edging or baldric in a man’s grave used near his sword.

Tunic:
– What cut?
– What colors?
– What type of fabric is it made of?
– How far down does the front opening go? ankle? navel?
– How are the edges of the front opening finished? Rolled hem? binding? Tablet weaving?
– How prevalent is the “button loop”?
– How prevalent is the “wrist cuff”?
– “They” say the anglo-saxons wore metal bracelets at the end of the sleeves is there any proof of that?
– Always belted? Sometimes belted?

Jacket:
– What cut?
– What colors?
– What type of fabric is it made of?
– How are the edges of the front opening finished? Rolled hem? binding? Tablet weaving?
– What kind of tablet weaving? how wide, what material?

Belt:
– The threaded in Anglo-Saxon belt found on a strap end may actually date to the 15th century and may not be a good item to use on a 6th century outfit. That said.. it’s pretty.. so I may do it anyway.
– If not tablet woven.. what were the belts made out of?
– Buckles or tied?
– Strap ends? only on men’s or on women’s as well?
– Any other plates on it?

Feet:
– What kind of shoes?
– Naalbinding socks?
– Wickerbander? cross-gartered?

Accessories:
– Beads?
– Chatelaine?
– Crystal ball?
– Pouch?

Shoes: http://www.instructables.com/id/Viking-shoes/
Resources:
Green Kentish brooch-closed dress, 6thc
5th-6th Century Kentish Costume
Hordweard- Anglo Saxon 6th Century

Early Anglo-Saxon Costume: An Archaeological Approach

Jenny Dean’s Anglo-Saxon Dye Experiments Part 1 – Introduction Part 2 – Reds, Yellows, and Browns Part 3 – Blues, Greens, Purple, Brown and Black

Regia: Dye Equivalent Colours DMC

The Colorful Iron Age Interesting conclusions about Medieval/Iron Age dyes and mordants. Researchers dyed some wool samples and then simulated aerobic and anaerobic burial conditions. “The dyes included madder, [...]]]> Saving for future reference:

Jenny Dean’s Anglo-Saxon Dye Experiments
Part 1 – Introduction
Part 2 – Reds, Yellows, and Browns
Part 3 – Blues, Greens, Purple, Brown and Black

Regia: Dye Equivalent Colours DMC

The Colorful Iron Age
Interesting conclusions about Medieval/Iron Age dyes and mordants. Researchers dyed some wool samples and then simulated aerobic and anaerobic burial conditions. “The dyes included madder, cochineal, Brazilwood, indigo, weld, and walnut, and the mordants included alum, copper, cream of tartar, and tin.”

German dresses are lovely.. but if you leave your tata’s uncovered they’re going to get cold. I’ve wanted to make a Gollar for a long time. A Gollar is a short, sometimes fur-lined cape sometimes with a collar worn over many of the German [...]]]> Diary started Feb 23, 2010.
Gollar first worn Sunday December 4, 2011.

Summary

German dresses are lovely.. but if you leave your tata’s uncovered they’re going to get cold. I’ve wanted to make a Gollar for a long time. A Gollar is a short, sometimes fur-lined cape sometimes with a collar worn over many of the German dresses. A few years ago for Valentine’s Day my honey got me a full pelt of sheared beaver. I am totally going to use that to line my Gollar.

Research and Background

Textiler Hausrat mentions that Gollars can be seen as a component of feminine clothing in Durer’s costume study of 1500. While primarily a fashion of the first quarter of the 16th C, it does continue until 1570′s. Even women of lower middle class standing were permitted gollars made of “Atlas, Damaskat, or other silk fabric” and were noted in inventories as damask or atlas and fur lined. (pages 80-83 translated by Katherine Barish, located in the Yahoo Group files of Jutta Zander-Seidel’s “Textiler Hausrat, Kleidung und Textilien in Nurnberg von 1500-1650″, ISBN 3422060677).

My goal is to create a garment that is consistent with the fashions portrayed in the woodcuts of Landsknecht from about 1520 Germany.

Details to include:

• Capelet. Should go to the points of the shoulders and down low enough in the back to cover my back. Smooth fit that still allows use of the arms.
• Dark wool outer fabric
• Lined in fur (sheared beaver)
• Hidden buttons for closure (should be able to be buttoned closed)

There’s some hint that the standing collar is a fashion of Saxony(ie both the “Woman aged 27″ and the black and white next to it are wearing Saxony style dresses). I’ll need to look into this more.

Inspirational Pictures

The German single-leaf woodcut, 1500-1550, Max Geisberg ; rev. and edited by Walter L. Strauss, New York : Hacker Art Books, 1974.
Niklas Stoer – Schuldthos c.1530

Guarded Style:

Paumgartner Altar (detail of right wing) by Albrecht Durer, 1503

c. 1514
Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471-1528). Melancholia I, 1514. Engraving. Approx. 9 1/2 x 7 3/8 in. (24 x 18.5 cm).
© Konrad Liebmann Foundation, Stiftung Niedersachen, Germany(link)

c. 1520 H. Holbein, Baseler Bürgersfrau beim Ausgang
Nach der Handzeichnung. Oeffentliche Kunstammlung, Basel

Hans Baldung

Saxony Style:

Unknown c. 1525 Woman Aged 27

c. 1528

From the Back

Edhard Schoen G.1235-1238. Army Train 1532

Sources

Pearl and Coral Gollar Project

Process

– 11/28/2011 I’ve contemplated this for a few years. This coming Sunday I’m supposed to wear my German dress while walking in a parade. It’s December.. in California.. so I don’t expect to freeze.. but I do expect that a gollar and gloves will be welcomed additions to the outfit. So on Tuesday night I finalized the gollar pattern (based on the bottom portion of my hood pattern) and finally cut out the wool and fur. I had to cut the fur out in two sections in order to be able to get the pattern to fit on the pelt. Even then I will have to patch in a triangle to make up for a bit where the pattern ran off the edge of the pelt. I stitched these two big pieces of the fur together. The seam is obvious.. but the pelt will be on the underside of the gollar so I’m not worried about it.

– 11/29/2011 Started stitching the wool to the fur along the neckline. The plan is to stitch the two pieces together inside-out and then flip them around so the right-sides are on the outside of the gollar. Stitching is going faster than anticipated. That said, I need a thimble. Ow.

– 12/1/2011 Acquired a thimble.
– 12/3/2011 Finally finished sewing the gollar together.
– 12/4/2011 Trevor gave me a set of hooks to use to hold the gollar on. Sadly it wasn’t until I sewed the first hook/eye on that I noticed that the right front and the left front are different length. I’ll need to shorten one side to even them up. Other than that.. I wore this in the parade. It was nice and toasty. Gollars are made of win (even badly uneven ones).

Fearghus at Beltane 2012

Fearghus is on the guard for TRH Uther and Kara. They are stepping up in “late period” and have asked their court and guard to match their colors (black and grey). Fearghus mentioned he would really like a new Waffenrock for [...]]]>

Fearghus at Beltane 2012

Summary

Fearghus is on the guard for TRH Uther and Kara. They are stepping up in “late period” and have asked their court and guard to match their colors (black and grey). Fearghus mentioned he would really like a new Waffenrock for 12th night. After looking over the images he decided he liked the look of the “Master Bear Hunter” outfit from the The Triumph of Maximilian.

Inspirational Pictures

Master Bear Hunter

Details to include

– Base fabric is dark grey herringbone will use red and grey slashed guards.
– The waffenrock will be split front and back to lie correctly when riding, ie a Reitrock aka: riding coat. Decided not to do this.
– The doublet “sleeves” will be about 2 inches long around 3/4 of the armscye and have hidden attachment points around the inside for “fancy” sleeves.
– I’m going to make this with removable fancy sleeves. That way if he gets overheated he can remove the sleeves and still wear the waffenrock.
– Fancy sleeves will be fancy. (still working out what they’ll look like).
– He’s asked for sleeves similar to the sleeves I did for my blue dress.
– The back of the doublet will have 2 vertical guards and one horizontal guard (top edge). The vertical guards will go up, over the shoulder straps and then down each side of the front. The front of the doublet, will also have one horizontal guard at the top edge.
– skirt will have one guard 3-4″ wide 3-4″ up from the bottom.
– The guard on the skirt portion doesn’t look like it lies flat to the skirt. It’s sewn bubbled and this looks like it would cause the slashes on the guard to open wider.
– Guards are red base fabric with grey slashed top fabric. Grey will need to be cut on the bias and sewn on “bubbled” to give the proper appearance. The grey will need a turned edge.. the red may be ok w/o a turned edge.
– Where possible I’m going to use the buttons I have which have bear paw prints on them.
– new black hat with lots of feathers
– New shoes. (on order from Boots by Bohemond)
– New pants (I cut up his old pants to take a pattern)

Fabric

– 8 yards of black herringbone wool. It feels like wool flannel.
– 4 yards red wool for the under layer of the guarding
– 4+ yards of grey/silver/green fabric for the top layer of the guards
– 4 yards black linen for lining.

Pattern

– Pull old Waff apart. Use that for a pattern with noted alterations.
– cut down width of back piece by 1 inch
– cut down shoulder straps to a total of 12 inches (not including seam allowance)
– Add to bottom of the front placket 3 inches + inches lost from the straps
– Skirt is good length and fullness. Use the same.

TODO:

– (done) Pull old Waff apart. Use that for a pattern with noted alterations.
– (done) Make guards.
Doublet
– (done) Cut out doublet exterior and interior.
– (done) Sew doublet together around all edges except sides and armsceye.
– (done) Sew sides of doublet together with a 1/2″ seam turning the seams to the interior of the doublet.
– (done) Hand finish armsceye with tabbed mini sleeves
– (done) Add attachment points for fancy sleeves.
– (done) Add guards
Skirt
– (done) cut out skirt
– (done) Add guard
– (done) Pleat skirt to a band
– (done) Attach band to bottom of the doublet.
Fancy Sleeves
– (done) cut out a red linen sleeve
– (done) cut out the grey herringbone wool (the wool is twice as long as the red sleeve but the same width)
– (done) Add ties on the slashes to hold them in place