Costuming: Basic Tunics

 I've started several new pieces these last few weeks. Mostly I have been working on custom sewing for other people but there has been the occasional nalbound pieces including mittens, slippers, and hats. I plan to make more detailed entries for the nalbinding at a later date. I must admit that after hand sewing my own pants a few months ago, I truly appreciate the speed and precision of the sewing machine.

The scarlet tunic on the left is an archers tunic based on 13th C French over tunics. The person asked for short sleeves and the keyhole for the neckline.

The next is a very light weight charcoal wool made in a very similar style to the last one but the arms were left long and the sleeves were belled to more closely reflect the image of the original in the costume books. It was made for a young man who is very tall and quite thin.

As you can see from the model it fits someone heavier than the intended recipient. To correct this problem I sewed a dart from the beginning of the split up to the neckline on both the front and back seams. By the time I reached the neckline the dart was over two inches, removing a total of 5 inches from the chest area of the tunic. Prof that mistakes can be correctly without starting over or making ugly alterations.