March – July 2018
A pattern for this tunic/underdress/cote was planned out in just a few hours. While I would normally make a muslin even for the most basic garment, in this case it was skipped. Using measurements from earlier pieces, along with instructions in Medieval Tailor’s Assistant, I was able to anticipate the fit quite accurately. The exception was the neckline which required a couple of mock-ups. The tunic has underarm gussets, tapered sleeves, and 4 large triangular gores. No piecing was done on the gores as 4 yards of linen was plenty. (I would have ordered extra just to avoid splitting them in half). The body pieces are slightly tapered at the shoulder to help the fit.
The tunic is made in 3.7oz oatmeal colored linen from Gray Lines Linen. For me, this fabric is worth the extra cost of swatching and shipping across the country. I handsewed the top 2″ of the front and back gores (which are sewn into slashes in the body piece). Then carefully finished the bit inside. The neckline is faced with 1/2″ bias binding. The dress has a hem of 120″. And the rectangular construction made marking the hem a real bear. All visible stitching, including the second pass on each flat felled seam is by hand. The sewing went slowly. Something I often forget when making “simple” garments.
