Sarah Thursfield is a well-known costumier in the British re-enactment circuit; she makes excellent costumes, patterns and embroidery from any period, and gives talks and demonstrations as well. She has kindly allowed me to reprint some of her work on medieval costumes, which will appear in this and future FLAMES. She can be reached at Ashgrove, Overton Road, St. Martins, OSWESTRY, Shropshire SY1 I 3DG, tele (0691) 778019.

Part 1: Early Medieval Dresses and Tunics

This is the "Straight cut" garment in general use for everyday wear up to about 1350. it is loose, unshaped and simple to make. Mens' and women's garments differ only in the length and the amount of fullness in the hem: tunics are about knee-length, often slit at the front and back or sides. Dresses are always ground length: they can be pouched over the girdle for working.

The cut is based on the normal width of hand-woven fabrics of the period, usually about 50-60 cm (20-24"). The central body panel is a straight length of fabric running from back to front, with the neck hole cut out. The sleeves may be cut along or across the weave. the gores are cut in pairs as shown. Gussets and any small reinforcing patches are cut from the waste.

No pattern, as such, is needed. Study the sketches and layouts: none of these is definitive and any of them may be used for men or women. Take your own measurements, choose your style and then cut your cote according to your cloth.

Basic measurtnents needed: Chest/bust, Arm length, Garment length from shoulder.

Other dimensions to keep in mind: Neck hole. This must either be big enough to fit over the head, or else incorporate a slit. A 60 cm (24") circumference will fit all but the largest head, for example a 40 cm (16") hole with a 10 cm (4") deep slit.

Sleeves. Normally about 40 cm (16") wide at the shoulder they may be straight or tapered to the wrist. Wrist size should be between 20-25 cm to fit over your hand.

Ease. Add 15 cm (6") or more to your chest measurement to give the full width of the body of the garment. Any less and you may have difficulty wriggling in and out of it. Add 10-20 cm (4-8") to the length, especially on women's' dresses, to pouch over the girdle.

The following examples are cut from 150 cm/60" wool fabric. Dimensions are approximate, for guidance only. They include 1.5 cm (5/8") seams.

Example One: Dress for small woman (chest 85 cm/34", length 150 cm/60"). The neck is small with a front slit. The sleeves are widened by taking the triangles from the wrist ends and setting them onto the shoulder ends as gussets. There are gores at sides and centre front and back; the back gore is made up of two pieces. For economy, this is cut with a shoulder seam, instead of making the front and back in one. 2 meters of fabric needed.

Dimensions on the cutting plan are in cm only. Dimensions for sleeves and gores are for the basic rectangle, before cutting the diagonals, which are marked with dotted lines. Remember that the diagonal edges of the gores will be longer than the straight edges. Leave surplus at lower edge and trim before hemming.

Example Two: Man's tunic. Chest 1 10 em (44"), length 100 cm (40"). The neck is square with the slit off-centre and the tunic is slit up centre front and back. The side pieces combine gores and gussets in one. 2 meters of fabric needed.

Example Three: Woman's dress, chest 100 cm (40"), length 180 cm (90"). The neck is wide enough not to need a slit. the side width is increased by underarm gussets which meet the skirt gores. The sleeves have the "batwing" effect which was popular in the 13th century and the skirt is very wide. 3.6 meters of fabric needed.

Making-up instructions are hardly necessary for such basic garments, but the following suggestions may give guidance to the nervous.

Example One. Stitch shoulder seams. Hem neck hole and slit. Stitch triangles to sleeves, then sleeves to body to form a cross shape (left). Stitch straight edges of centre back gore. Slash back and front body, insert back and front gores. Stitch sloping edges of side gores to back and front body (right). Stitch side seams and sleeves in one seam. Hem sleeve ends and skirt, leveling off as necessary.

Example Two: Hem neck hole and slit. Stitch 2 gores to each sleeve as shown left. Stitch sleeve-and-gore assemblies to sides of body. Stitch side seams and sleeves in one. Hem sleeve ends, skirt and front and back slashes.

Example Three: Hem neck hole. Stitch straight edges of centre back gore. Slash back and front body, insert back and front gores. Stitch together straight edges of side gores, in pairs. Stitch flat ends of gussets to tops of gores as shown, left. Stitch gussets to sleeves and stitch sleeve seams as shown, right. Hem sleeve ends. Stitch completed "side assemblies" to sides of body. Hem skirt, leveling off gores.

You will, of course, be sewing entirely by hand (or at least ensuring that no machine work is visible in wear). For hand stitching, try using fine yarn, linen or silk thread, according to the quality of the cloth, and consider one of the seams shown below.

For heavy cloth not too likely to fray, a lapped seam: (work this stitch on each side to secure both edges.

Finish slit ends with blanket stitching or with a patch.

Reinforce corners of neck to take a brooch:

Or make a latchet fastening with two eyelets and a thong: