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This class came about because when other sewers in the SCA, especially if all of their experience in sewing has been in the SCA, find out I have been sewing for a long time, ask me is how to make this or that fit better. This class is intended to help you as a sewer to be able to make better fitting garments both in the SCA and in mundane life.
The first step in fitting anything is taking proper measurements. Not what you think your measurements are but the accurate ones (everyone is guilty of this at some time). Elizabethan Costuming by Janet Winter and Carolyn Savoy has a very nice measurement chart in it, but you can find one in most good sewing books. I really can not stress how important good measurements are to good fitting garments. To do this properly you will need another person to take these measurements, this is because your movements can affect them. Some of these measurements you will need for almost all of the garments you will make, while other specialised garments will need measurements specific to the garment.
Once you are equipped with a good set of measurements, now we need to know what you are trying to make. If this is for the SCA, what time period? Do you know the silhouette of the culture and time? This is where costume books and web-sites come in handy. How structured is the clothing of this time? What will you need as under garments (you will need some, at least a shirt)? If you are doing a time period that is very structured, such as late period Spanish, you will need to start with your undergarments, since they are what forms the silhouette. This does apply to both men and women, although it is more obvious in women’s clothing.
Now you have an idea on what you want to make, you have to find a pattern. This can be as simple as having someone show you how to cut a T-tunic, to drafting the pattern for an Elizabethan gown. A lot of new sewers want to use commercial patterns. There is nothing wrong with this. The costume sections of the main companies have improved amazingly in the last couple of years. Simplicity at this moment seems to have the lead on McCall’s, but who knows what the fall will bring. One warning for women, all commercial company’s think that if you are a size 6 to 16 you have a B-cup and if you are over this you have a C-cup. If you are either smaller or bigger, this will have to be allowed for within your pattern.
If you want something a little more authentic there are the Mediaeval Miscellanea and Rocking Horse Farm patterns. Some of these can be intimidating to the new sewer, but don’t panic, just try it out on some cheap fabric of the same weight.
Now comes the fun part. You take your measurements and the measurement chart from the pattern company and compare them. Do not be surprised if it says that you do not wear the size that you normally buy at the mall. Ready-to-wear companies have been indulging in something called "Vanity Sizing" since there were Ready-to-wear companies. This means don’t trust the size label. Each companies sizing is a little different, that is why we compare our measurements to theirs.
When you have your pattern at home, pull out the main pattern pieces and compare them to your measurements again. Now we are seeing something called "style ease". The style ease is the amount of fabric that whoever drafted the pattern put into the garment. This is great for the garments you wear at home, but does not always work in period garments. Some period were cut very loose by today’s standard, and some were cut much too tight by the same standards. This where the silhouette comes in. So whether you are looking at Simplicity’s #8881 or Mediaeval Miscellanea’s Period Patterns’ #56 (both Elizabethan gowns patterns), you know that since the silhouette was very tight in the bodice at this time you should not have very much or no ease allowed from your measurements.
After you have found out where your pattern will and won’t fit, is when you will make your changes to your pattern. You can make these changes to the actual pattern, or copy the pattern and the changes to another piece of paper. (This is a good idea if you have borrowed the pattern, and you will have your own copy of the pattern then.) There are several different ways to make the changes to your pattern, "pivots and slide" or "cut and spread" are two of the most common. We will not have enough time to cover either of these in the depth you would need to understand them, so I would suggest picking up a basic sewing guide at either a bookstore or the library. You may have an old sewing book at home, which you can use since the basics do not change, just the styles.
I do want to cover a very important point, though. If you look at the body measurement chart on the back of the pattern you have, you will notice there is not much difference in between the sizes, approximately 1½" to 2". When you are enlarging or reducing a pattern the key thing to remember is this ratio. The formula for this is: The amount change in the pattern divided by number of seams around the garment divided by 2 (because you have two sides to each seam) = the amount to change each seam. I have seen garments that were almost twice the size that they were supposed to be because they didn’t follow this formula. In general you should not enlarge a pattern more than 2 sizes. Part of the problem is that if you enlarge all the seams overall you will throw the shoulder width off and the garment will not hang right.
After all your changes have been made, cut out your pattern. I would suggest, especially if you have made a lot of changes to the pattern, cutting out and making the garment the first time out of cheap fabric. You will need to make sure that you use the same approximate weight of fabric, don’t use broadcloth if it suppose to be denim. This will become your fitting pattern now. You will need someone else to fit this to you. After this has been pinned, mark the changes on the inside, and take it up. Do not be surprised if this step has to be repeated more than once. When you get it fitted the way you want, transfer all your changes to your paper pattern, and this will save you from having to do so much fitting of this pattern again. Now make your wonderful garb, and blow everyone away at the next event.
In the fitting step, the rule is if it has horizontal folds it is too tight. If it has vertical folds it is too big. I know this is very simplified, but it is the easiest way to explain it. This is another place where a good sewing book comes in handy. The more you alter patterns, the more you will understand the procedure, and find your own shortcuts that work for you specifically.
BOOKS:
How to Make Your Own Sewing Patterns,
Donald H. McCunn, 1973, ISBN 0883652609,
LLC# 74-16562
How To Make Clothes That Fit and Flatter, Adele P. Margolis, 1969, LLC# 68-22517
The Complete Family Sewing Book, Cathi Hunt, editor, 1972
Patterns for Theatrical Costumes, Katherine Strand Holdeboer, 1984, ISBN 0896761258,
LLC# 92-34985
Elizabethan Costuming For the Year 1550-1580, Janet Winter and Carolyn Savoy,
ISBN 0963022008
WEBSITES:
Carol
Gerten’s Fine Arts, an index of fine art and artiste in history.
La Couturière Parisienne study page, a collection costume illustrations in contemporary art of various time periods
Clothing and Costume Links, the Kingdom of Atlantia’s A&S web site costume links.
Timeline of Costume History, illustrations of costumes through out history.
Drafting Early Period Garb, a how to on drafting early period costume.
Elizabethan Costume: History and Technique, an article on Elizabethan costume with a section on how to make the Simplicity’s Elizabethan pattern more period.
The Elizabethan Costuming Page, if you are interested in late period clothing this site is for you, the most complete Elizabethan site I know of.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Dinah bint Ismai’l
/ Dinah Tackett
Incp. Shire of Camden Tor, Meridies
96 Von Steuben
St. Marys, Ga 31558