Thursday, October 14, 2010

A Medieval Lady's Smock

I put in the last stitches for my 14th century underwear today. The smock took only a few days to make and now that it is finished, I can fine tune the kirtle mock up fitted overtop of it and start the gown at last.
And there ya have it, folks. The underwear of a 14th century lady. As Edgar Allan Poe so poignantly put it (although in reference to a tapping), only this and nothing more.

I made mine based on the square cut method. I used a big rectangle for the body, two triangles on each side for the width at the hem, two rectangles narrowed at one end for the sleeves and squares for the gussets. It actually took me longer to cut this out than to sew it together. Because this fabric does not tear, I had to pick out individual threads to mark the dimensions and cut along the line the removed thread left. Can I say tedious? But it is done now and I am happy with the result though I wish I had made the smock a bit longer. It is currently mid calf length but I think a few extra inhes would not have hurt anything. Oh well. No one will see this, anyway.

Last fitting for the kirtle tomorrow, hopefully!


Love,
Sarah

12 comments:

  1. It looks very good from where I'm sitting :)

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  2. Lovely!

    I'm so inspired now to branch out to different eras.

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  3. So much less to get into than civil war era! Looking comfy; I can't wait to see the final project :)

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  4. Looks very nice! This whole project is bringing back so many memories from my beginner sewing days...

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  5. Hello,
    I was wondering if you had a good patten for Militia Uniform, and for a mens Waistcoat. I am the Costumier for a spring production, and i currently have no Regency products for the men!
    In Christ
    Mia

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  6. That looks so comfy! :)

    Blessings,
    Luci

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  7. Beautiful. You look like a painting. It's incredible to watch you 'transform' into every era you portray.

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  8. Hello,

    I know you're very busy with home and kids and sewing, but I can't find an answer to my question anywhere. I am making tunics/ smocks for my 4 little kids with the Elizabethan Generator... and I can't help but notice that when put together as instructed they all have points in the hem- one on each side- that hang down (because of the gores). Yours doesn't. Did you sew it differently or round it off?

    Thank you so much,

    Tabitha

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  9. Tabitha, mine also did hang in points. It is the drape and cut and the body of the wearer. To get a more even hem that did not droop at the sides, I did round off the edges. I just eyeballed it - (and I also did this with my kirtle and David's and the boys tunics as well). So, I cut and constructed them as is usual, but did even out the curve of the hem before hemming the bottom. Hope this helps!

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  10. I know this is a way late-comer comment, but I was wondering how you finished the neckline. I'm having trouble trying to figure it out from the picture provided.

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  11. Hi! For the neckline, I pressed under an itty-bitty little hem all around the neck and slip stitched it down to secure it.

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Thank you for your lovely thoughts!