To sew or not to sew!

[Marchbanks02]

I have decided that I want to wear a long tunic for the MD Ren Faire this year. I have limited sewing experience and zero equipment at the moment. I have scouted out what I would need including hardware, patterns and choice materials. Should I attempt to sew together a long tunic and invest time into it or would it be easier to purchase one. I want some honest opinions.

-March

[Lady De Rue Rue]

I have decided that I want to wear a long tunic for the MD Ren Faire this year. I have limited sewing experience and zero equipment at the moment. I have scouted out what I would need including hardware, patterns and choice materials. Should I attempt to sew together a long tunic and invest time into it or would it be easier to purchase one. I want some honest opinions.

-March

Hi March,

Here is my humble opinion (about two cent worth or a cup a tea).  It kind of come down to two aspects how much money do you want to spend and how much time you have? 

If you have to buy a sewing machine it could be cheap (Craig's List/Garage Sales) or costly (store bought), all depending on if you buy new or used.  Secondly, what type of pattern do you have in mind?  I did a lot of sewing in the mid 80's to early 90's and did not start sewing again until 2003 and then stopped until 2010.  I feel (my humble opinion) that some patterns that are made now in 2011 assume that you know how to sew therefore, an illustration or a sentence or two maybe taken out.  I found a lot of patterns from the 80's were very detailed and explained step by step and very detailed.  There was one pattern I looked at this year and I had to ask the woman at the fabric store "did they leave something out?"  She agreed with me that the instructions in patterns today are not as detailed or as well illustrated.

With all that being said, save your money and take a class in beginning sewing or do you have someone that you know that can take the time to help you sew the tunic?  What you don't want to happen is to spend a lot of money on equipment and materials and work your tail off and not have your tunic come out the way you want.   I am kind of a perfectionist so, when I sew I want it to look as professional as possible. 

This year I had the grand idea I was going to make my husband this really cool shirt for Bristol and my reality hit me in the head!  I did not have the time, the pattern was much harder than I thought, I spent a fair amount of money on good fabric and I was in over my head!  It was in my best interests to call in a professional,  because I had no more money to waste and was quickly running out of time.  Talk about eating humble pie   Being a sewer and unable to do a shirt, I was upset for a couple days and swallowed my pride and called costume lady to see if she could fit me and I was very lucky to find someone.

If in doubt do try the listed Grab dealers on the forum and see if they can help you, the cost may not be as much as you expect if you have the materials and pattern, it would be a matter of their time and construction the tunic for you (and shipping costs if one is not near you).

Best of luck to you and I hope this helps.

The Lady De Rue Rue

[redkimba]

I have decided that I want to wear a long tunic for the MD Ren Faire this year. I have limited sewing experience and zero equipment at the moment. I have scouted out what I would need including hardware, patterns and choice materials. Should I attempt to sew together a long tunic and invest time into it or would it be easier to purchase one. I want some honest opinions.

-March

Although Lady de Rue Rue asked very good questions, very basic equipment is needle, thread, measuring tape (for seam allowances), and fabric.  This board has LOTS of good knowledgeable people if you get stuck or have a problem with a pattern. 

[gem]

It's almost *always* "easier" to buy something! "Easier" is not usually why we sew--it's typically because we enjoy the process and the idea of making things ourselves and the challenge and satisfaction of getting precisely what you want. If you know a garb dealer who makes what you like, that's one step: buy it.  But that's not the only consideration, of course.

When is your fair? Are you wanting to sew this by hand or hoping to use a machine? If you tell us the patterns you're thinking of using, we can give you a good idea of how long it might take and how complicated it might be.  But generally speaking, a tunic should be a forgiving first project. You'll want to choose fabrics that are also beginner-friendly, like linen or wool.

Good luck!

[Marchbanks02]

Thank you for your replies thus far! I agree that it is definately easier to purchase on rather than make it myself. My major concern is that if I am purchasing something online I wont know how it feels or fits until I get it. Choosing my own fabric and adding a personal touch sounds so much more appealing than praying something turns out to be all that I dream.

Here is the pattern I am looking at currently. If you have links to other long tunic patterns, by all means share.
http://www.amazon.com/Long-Short-Medieval-Tunics-Pattern/dp/B001884J9Q

This is what I am aiming for currently.
http://www.pearsonsrenaissanceshoppe.com/long-tunic-and-overcoat.html

As mentioned, it seems like making a tunic would be much more forgiving than some other pieces.

-March

[gem]

From what I've heard from other costumers, Period Patterns (the brand you've linked to) tend to be tricky--I've heard reports of confusing, incorrect, or missing instructions; pattern pieces that don't line up properly, etc. My educated guess is that using one for a first project will be setting yourself up for frustration. $22 is also a lot of money to invest in a hobby you might not end up enjoying, IMO.  A pattern like Simplicity 4795 is going to be less expensive (they frequently go on sale for 99 cents at major fabric stores) and probably easier to follow, though it won't be historically accurate (not that I can say the same for the ready-to-wear tunic you linked to). Also, there are many free tunic patterns available online, like this one, that may be easier for you to use. (The tunic is the foundation garment for hundreds of years during the ancient and medieval eras, and therefore very popular among the SCA and other early re-enactment groups.)

[Lady De Rue Rue]

Hi March,

I agree with Gem that it is easier to buy something than rather make it.  With my situation I have worked with several costume ladies and I have bought my own materials, trims, buttons, etc.  So, it is everything that I want and then I pay for the construction/design of the garment and that works for me.

As for the tunic Gem is right, there are a lot of free tunic patterns on-line and may not be as complicated as the one you posted.  Depending on the tunic it could be a very easy garment to construct or it can be very complicated so, the choice is really up to you and how you want to proceed.

The sewing board is filled with great tips and there are so many experienced and knowledgeable people you should be able to post questions and get help if you need it.

[Dinobabe]

My friend has a great T-tunic pattern where take your own measurements and draw it on the fabric.  Just rectangles and triangles basically.  It takes advantage of the entire yardage, much like they really did!

[Marchbanks02]

Yet again, thank you all for your help and input. I will be having a coffer meeting with the misses to determine our next course of action. I'm sure to let you know the outcome of this fiasco!

[isabelladangelo]

The good thing about making it yourself it's a)more authentic looking b)you know exactly what it is made out of and c)you can make it fit YOU.   Being long waisted and 5'8" made finding a proper bodice for me next to impossible which is why I started sewing.   

Hand sewing does take longer than machine sewing but, really, it's not that much longer.  People hand sewed their own clothing for thousands of years; we've only been machine sewing for a little over 100 years. 

Some pattern links: http://muirgheinsas50.blogspot.com/2010/06/rectangular-construction-tunic-pattern.html

http://forest.gen.nz/Medieval/articles/Tunics/TUNICS.HTML

http://www.feoragdubh.eastkingdom.org/Patterns/Tunics.gif


Don't waste money on a paper pattern.  Just cut the body out to your desired length and add the gores and sleeves.   Given MD Renn Fest weather, go with linen if you are going at the beginning of the season and wool if you plan on going towards the end.  Don't forget to make a chemise tunic to go beneath the colorful one, either.