Middle Ages – Fashion Through Herstory

My Green Medieval dress – photos

Published on November 13, 2013 by fashionthrougherstory5 Comments

The day after the Medieval Feast me and my sister went outside to shoot some pictures of our dresses. And since the medieval clothes feels and looks best in religous and grand settings, we walked the 500m to the city Chatehdral.

I wore my new green dress, the whimple, the braids and velvet cape.

This beautiful “Mary and child” statue sits right outside the museum.

The Chathedral of Linköping is a beautiful building finished in the 1490s, and restorated and added to since.

Not exactly the right footwear…

But what happened here?

I do think the Gothic building style come into fashion a bit sudden…

Medieval Feast

Published on November 10, 2013 by fashionthrougherstory2 Comments

Yesterday (nov 9th) It was finaly time for the medieval feast, arranged by my dancing company. And as this was to be my first medievel event I’ve planed and prepered my dress for weeks.

I wore my new Green Cotehardie with the Outerwear Sleeves and a new pair of white tippets.

On my head I wore my new whimple and faux braids. (read more here) And I actually managed to ge them to look like I wanted.

The feast started with some mingel, walking around and talking to the other guests (and I’ve forgot to grab my camera, bummer).

Then we all sat down to dine.

Me and my sister.

The food was really cool, and well planed – and must have taken forever to prepare…

We got: Boiled eggs in a bowl made of bread, with a bird made of butter sitting on topp.

Salmon served with hearbs on enormous plates.

Soup made of peas, serwed in desposabe “wooden” plates, and fruit stuffed with meat.

Chees, fruit-cream and peaches with nuts.

Cookies.

And wine pored from a guilded tower into animal-shaped wine-jugs.

But wait a minute, Im sure I’ve forgot something…

Oh yes! A grilled pig served whole, with a chicken “knight”on top.

Omg, look at that little chicken rinding the pig!

He actually wears a helmet, shield and sword.

My amusment faded fast when they started to cut it up…Yuk…

After dinner it was time for some dancing.

In a dancing break I grabbed my sister and some friends and we snaped some quick photos in the basment.

My sister in a dress I finished just hours befor the feast.

And a friend from my dancgroup, who also made her outfit herself.

The mandetory “Ugly-shoot”

Then I got he whole “sewing group” togheter for some photos. During the autumn we have all taken a medieval sewing class, held by the “medieval all-knowing” Karin (front left). It’s been so much fun learning authenticity, and to watch everybodys cloths coming togheter. (Even though I’ve heard we have a few cheeters in the group, bying theire clothes…)

Doing the “14th century everyday pose”.

And the mandetory “Jump shoot”.

I’ve had so much fun at the feast – eating, dancing and meeting new interesting people.

But most of all I liked wearing and feeling pretty in my dress and braids. Looks like there will be some medieval fairs to get o this summer…

A Green Medieval Cote

Published on October 21, 2013 by fashionthrougherstory6 Comments

My entry for the HSF challenge 21: Green, is a medieval dress called a Cotiehardie. Its a outer gown which is ment to be worn over a kirtle and a chemise.

My inspiration pic.

I used the “Medieval Tailor’s Assistant” as a guide, and did my patten from the basic pattern block, and toile I’ve previously made from the book.

I used a thick green woolen fabric, and cut and basted the dress together for a fitting.

I needed to adjust the sleeve and neck a bit. So I took it apart and made the alterations.

Then I started the time consuming task of working about 30 button-holes.

I’ve already compleated the buttons in advance and sewed them on the outer edge of the right front piece.

I’ve used some cotton leftover as facing in the neck and as a buttonhole stand.

Then I sewed the rest of the dress together – did the gores, side seams and sewed on the sleeves.

Just the facts:

Challenge: 21 – Green

What: A medieval cotehardie.

Year: 1350 -1400.

Pattern: Drafted my own based on the “Cotehardie” pattern from “The Medieval Tailor’s Assistant”.

Fabric: 3m of green wool and some cotton scraps.

Notions: Thread and buttonhole thread.

How historical accurate: Pretty good. The dress is compleatly hand sewn, with historical methodes. I do however think the fabric is a bit thick for this type of dress. 7/10

Time: About 30 hours

Cost: 400 sek (44 Usd)

First worn: Not yet, but will be on the Medieval dinner party my dance group is hosting on 9th of nov.

Medieval pattern drafting

Published on October 9, 2013 by fashionthrougherstory2 Comments

This fall/winter I will attend my first medieval event and therefor will need something to wear.

Odly enough I must admit the middle ages never tempted me before. I tought the costumes and styles of the period seamed pretty plain and boring, and I figured I would never have the use of one.

But when the invitation for a Medieval feast arrived from my dancing company I didn’t heasitate. I signed up for both the party, the medieval dance course and the medieval sewing course. If you haven’t noticed, I have a tendency to go all in with things like this.

So now it was time to make an medieval outfit – and we only had about 1,5 months to do it. The first challenge was to decide on wich style of dress I was going to make.

The stylished simple Cotehartie

Or the pretty high waisted gown from later in the period.

The sewing group was asked to by the book “The Medieval Tailor Assistant”, (I’ve already read through it), and will treat it as my construction bible for this project.

While still unsure about the dress style, I draped a fitted bodice pattern on my dressform.

I adjusted her size to my mesurments and putt a sports-bra on her.

Following the instructions in the book, I cut and draped two pieces of fabric over the dressform.

Starting with the shoulders, pinning the fabric close to the dressform.

And then the waist.

I did the center back and neck shaping. And then the same at the front.

The front neck needed some big darts to lie nice and flat.

Side view of the front.

Then it was time to mark the armholes.

Cutting the exess fabric from the neck and armhole.

Then I marked the lines with a red marker, making sure not to miss any needels.

And removed it from the dressform. Lying falt on the floor, I traced the dotts to make some nice looking lines.

The vertical darts will be left closed while cutting the toile.

Cut the pieces out, and place the front pieces (and then the back pieces) on top of each other. Adust the lines.

Trace the pieces to a cotton fabric, and cut the toile.

Make it up and try it on.

Since I draped mine on a dressform and not straight on my body, there was a few adjustments that needed to be done. I took out some width at the center back and also placed a vertical dart at the shoulder blades.

And there you have it – your bodice blocks to make your pattern from.

Now it is time to start with the actual pattern.

Which dress I will make?

You will just have to wait and se…

Medieval Sleeves as Outerwear

Published on October 7, 2013 by fashionthrougherstoryLeave a comment

As the deadline for the HSF challenge 20: Outerwear, drew closer I needed to decide what to make. The time was pressing and I had a couple of other costuming deadlines lurking close by, so I know I needed to make it an easy and quick one.

So why not make something I could use for the up-coming medieval event my dance group are hosting.

I knew that I wouldn’t be able to make the whole medieval outfit from the inside out, so I needed to prioritate. The gown will be made in time for the “Green” challenge, and as “Outerwear” I will make a pair of lose sleeves.

“The Birth of Mary” shows a servant with one of her lose sleeves taken of.

Technically they don’t count as outerwear as they will be worn under the short sleeve of the cotehardie, but as they are separate they can also be worn together with a sleeveles kirtle over a shift – thus becoming outerwear…

I bought a light brown/beige colored wool with a soft feel to it.

I the drafted the pattern, using “The Medieval Tailor Assistance” diagram for – a Kirtles fitted sleeve.

I didn’t make a mock-up, but cut and basted one sleeve togheter and then fitted it to my arm. It needed some taking in across the upper and lower arm.

I stiched and felled the seams, reinforced the buttonhole stand and the wrist with some brown cotton..

Then it was time to make the buttons.

Cutting about 30 circles of fabric, and sewing the buttons when ever I got some spair time, really saved me a lots of time and effort.

I sewed the finished buttons on to the sleeves, putting them close togheter.

Then I made all the buttonholes, using a buttonhole-thread and all of my patience and determination to get them finished in time.

And the finished sleeves.

And being worn, paired with my Peasant Kirtle.

“Knitta please” are maching my outfit

Just the facts:

Challenge: 20 outerwear.

What: A pair of lose sleeves.

Year: 1300 -1450

Pattern: Drafted from “The Medieval Tailor Assistent” – Kirtle, fitted sleeve.

Fabric: 1 m thin light brown wool.

Notions: Thread

How historical accurate: Pretty good. The fabric, thread and methodes where all used during the time. I give them 8/10.

Time: About 15 hours (the button-holes took like forever).

Cost: 150 Sek (16 Usd)

First worn: On the photoshoot begining okt.

Final toughts: The sleeve cap is a bit low, and needs to be either raised a bit or tied to a very firm shoulder-strap that won’t slipp of the shoulder.