Tutorial: creating Herjolfsnes-style garments using a ratio system

I've made a few Herjolfsnes-style garments in the last few years. All of these have been based on my or other's own measurements, rather than using a pattern (such as those in Medieval Garments Reconstructed). Obviously, using one's own measurements results in garments that are a different shape/size to those of the originals.

I felt it was important when doing this to try to preserve the proportions of the original garments. In particular, the proportions of the bottom hems (they are huge!) and the proportions of the side gores (they definitely do not form princess seams). Here's how I did it...

Tutorial: Greenland gores (with M-shaped tops)

I've been working on my Herjofsnes challenge dress (finally!) and have been inserting the centre-front and centre-back gores. Now, this means doing those lovely gores that the Greenland garments are so famous for, with their interesting M-shaped tops. I've seen a tutorial or two, but none that really made sense to me, so I invented my own method. Here's how to do it.

Manuscript challenge: pink lowerclass dress

So, as you are probably aware by now, Maria, blogging at In Deme Jare Christi, has issued the Manuscript Challenge.

• You choose a full-colour original image from a manuscript, fresco, statue, effigy, etc. dated 400-1500 and reproduce the entire outfit exactly as in your inspiration.
• You can then ask at the Manuscript Challenge Facebook Page for assitance and encouragement. 
• You must also let everyone know how you are progressing, e.g. by blogging about it.
• And you have 1 year to finish (specifically, 1 year from when you first post your inspiration photo).

I thought this would tie-in perfectly with the project I was already working on - my pink lowerclass dress - as Maria said it was ok to submit projects you'd already started.

So, my inspiration image is:

Haine (Hate), Felonie and Vilanie.
Roman de la Rose, c. 1365, France.
University of Chicago Library, MS 1380, f. 2r.

I will be reproducing Felonie's outfit (the centre figure), with a wrapped wimple and a pink-brown dress. As I mentioned in my previous posts on this project, I will be interpreting the pink-brown dress as a surcoat and using Herjolfsnes #42 as inspiration.

First I have the small issue of a PhD to finish this winter, but I very much hope that I will complete this project. As I've already posted my inspiration image on the Facebook page, my deadline is: 22nd August 2015. However, I'm hoping to go to Azincourt 2015 (my first international show! *fingerscrossed*), so my soft deadline is 25th July 2015.

Pink lower class dress: finding a pattern

I wrote before about my new project, a pink wool dress for scumming about camp in when it's cold and/or wet (as it so often is when reenacting in Wales...). Having found my inspiration, the next thing to do was to find a cutting pattern.