In over my head?

[PhoenixRose]

So I am a total newbie to Ren Fests. Last year was my first time ever going to one. My boyfriend however has been going for ages. And since I can sew he got the 'totally awesome idea' for me to make us some matching garb. Which would be pretty awesome. But now I am thinking maybe not so much that I actually have to start making things. I'm not a complete beginner when it comes to sewing, as I've sewed some dresses and other clothes along with quilting in the last few years. I've mostly done clothes that are pattern based other than simple skirts and such.

So where would be a good place to start looking for garbing patterns? We want to go for a pirate look. He and I both have chemises (is a men's shirt still called a chemise?) and he has a nice pair of black pants. But I would need some sort of bodice and a skirt. He also would like a jacket with fabric that matches my bodice.

Is this even possible to do before faire in the fall? I have no idea where to even start (other than browsing gorgeous garb made by others), so hopefully someone with a tad more experience can guide me in the right direction. 

[isabelladangelo]

I'm guessing 18th C pirate /fantastical pirate rather than 16th C pirate?

A men's shirt is a shirt.  :-) A smock or a chemise is a garment that comes to at least mid thigh.   

For you:  Since you have a top (chemise) a skirt is VERY simple.  Get about 4 yards of fabric.  cut off a strip that is 3" by the width of the fabric (typically 45").  Pleat or gather the yardage to your waist measurement plus 1".  Sew up the two edges of the fabric together and attach the strip and an encasing waistband to the top.  Hem to desired length.

Stays/bodice: You will need one.  Most people automatically gravitate to the big 3 of the pattern companies because they are cheap.  I think it's Simplicity that does have a nice Elizabethan pattern (no princess seams!  Yay!!) and McCalls that has the decent 18h C stays.   However, you can also just google "Elizabethan Corset Generator"and you can draft your own!

For him:  Unless he's paying you or for you to go to faire, I'd tell him to make it himself.  :-) You can do it by fall but it will be a bit stressful.  Besides, how much would he spend on one at faire? Past Patterns (another pattern company) has a good frock coat pattern but I think it's Simplicity that has the almost H/A one with Jack Sparrow on the cover of it.  I've used it for my Dad (with a couple of edits) and it really looks nice.   

[Trillium]

Phoenix, the big 3 pattern companies have lots of ren costume patterns now, simplicity especially.  Check out their costume patterns and see what works for you.

[LadyShadow]

My sister wanted Pirate garb for her and hubby couple years back. She found the patterns she wanted and I sewed it together for her. Both of these are Simplicity patterns.



My BIL is wearing the Jack Sparrow Simplicity pattern. And my Sis is in a Short n Sassy? pattern of Simplicity.

[PhoenixRose]

Thanks for the help! I've found the Jack Sparrow-esque pattern at Joanns, so I think I'll wait until the patterns go on sale next.

The thing I'm nervous about making is a corset. They look so complicated! But I guess I'll just have to dive in and hope for the best! 

[isabelladangelo]

The most basic bodice (technically, a corset is a Victorian era invention.  Before that, there were stays and pair of bodies) is one piece.   Most good bodices are three pieces -a back and two fronts.  (Or a front and two backs.  It depends on where you want the lacing).   

Try this:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/64123122/mccalls-m4863-colonial-misses-costumes  (it's out of print so check ebay as well)

or this:

http://www.simplicity.com/p-1576-costumes.aspx

They really aren't complex in terms of actually making them from a pattern -it can be labor intensive though due to all the channels for the boning.

[Lady Gryphon]

I'm not an accomplished seamstress like some of the fine ladies.  But a good place to find patterns might be E-bay of all places.  I was looking for a good out of print pattern for bodice and skirt variations and found them there.  Just a suggestion. 

Now I'm off to design my friends costume for TRF.  We're going as upper class but not royal.  Her friend is going as a Templar.  That should be easy.

Thank you to all who have given me tips and encouragement in the past.  It has really helped.

Lady Gryphon

[PhoenixRose]

So I ran to the store today to look through the patterns that they have.

I found two that could be good corsets, McCall 4861 http://mccallpattern.mccall.com/m4861-products-5762.php?page_id=493 and Butterick 4254 http://butterick.mccall.com/b4254-products-1465.php?page_id=385. I picked up the Butterick one, since I liked the shape of it more. But I'd also be open to other suggestions.

To be honest, I have absolutely no idea what is historically accurate or not. So I'm not really aiming for incredibly HA, but not something completely off either. Hopefully I'll learn a lot more as I go along.

[isabelladangelo]

Nope, the Butterick one is PERFECT.  It's modeled after a pair of 1760's stays.  I will warn you though, make a mock up.  Cut out the pieces from canvas or something else heavy to see how it will fit you.  I've found it to be a bit short waisted on me and a bit too big in the bust. 

The other one is fantasy.  A couple of the bodice patterns aren't bad but, really, stick with the 18th Century stays.   I've seen them done in really neat ways and you will probably be happier in the long run.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

The SIMPLICITY JAck Sparrow pattern is a very good one for basic Pirate clothing. I happen to like the shirt and Breeches pattern. The Vest is good. The coat is a great starter. Pocket flap instead of functional pockets. Doing a functional pocket is not difficult to do.

Starting simple is a good way to go until one is more comfotable to learning more complex techniques to making more intricate garb. For making barg is a learning process that spans many years. I am still learning new tricks each day. 

[gusjodi]

A little trick I learned along the way was to use 1/4" zip ties for boning instead of the lightweight stuff they sell in fabric stores.
It's a nice way to start out because it's not too expensive (at least not as expensive as steel boning), you can easily trim it to the size you need (curve the edges so they aren't sharp) and it gives more support than the fabric store stuff.

[operafantomet]

If you want to keep it really, really basic, you could both wear your chemise/shirts as the main garb, and add some elements to make it less underwear-y.

For you I'm thinking a matching skirt and bodice, maybe with some fancy guard on neck opening and hem. The sleeves of the chemise are left uncovered, and instead you make a fancy hairdo and wear some jewelry. Something similar to this in terms of chemise being visible:





For him I'm thinking knee-long breeches and stockings matching either the main fabric of the breeches, or eventual trims they might have. A hat or beret of some sort would also be cool, plus whatever accessories he might have. A sword? A gold chain? Something like this (and I swear, it don't get sexier! ) :




I swear, you'll be the hottest couple on the faire! And you could make the breeches and dress/bodice+skirt match one another.

Making good basic garbs looking as plain as the ones above is hard, I know. But it also makes you get away with a lot in terms of wearing. And I think it would be easier than crash making a pirate coat or similar. Anyway, I hope this gives you some ideas of how you can use the items you already have to the max. People didn't show their chemise/shirt too much in public in the 16th century, but as you can see from the paintings there are exceptions and settings where it would be perfectly acceptable. If historical accuracy is important to you, that is.

[PhoenixRose]

Well I lucked out that my roommate had a bodice she was looking to get rid of, so I took that off her hand willingly! So the BF and I's garb will not be matching quite yet, but I did manage to get a skirt made to wear this weekend at Silver Leaf. Which means that I won't have to go naked if I don't get mine done! Hopefully I'll find some pics to put up.

Thanks for all the advice you have given me thus far, its been really helpful. I stared on the McCall's Jack Sparrow coat, and thus far it seems to going rather smoothly. (knock on wood.) I cut out the pattern pieces to make my own corset, but it was really short for my larger chest, so I need to work on some alterations for that. But I feel as if things aren't really as bad as I thought in my head! Thanks again for the advice! It's been a huge help!! 

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Take things in small steps. Too much information all at the same time can be overwhelming. Onme task at a time will aid you through complex situations.

Good Luck!