Patterns for the Renaissance Era & Ratings

[Cilean]

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I was thinking we need to have a pattern review so that new to sewing or new to making Ren Gear can check out the new and upcoming patterns and if they work well.
You can give the pattern up to 5 happy faces for; good  to work with, ease of use,  beginning to advance level, Instructions are there and able to be understood.


Margo Anderson's Patterns    4 out of 5
Yahoo Group
I own the Gentlemen's Patterns, Ladies Patterns Gown, Ladies Patterns Undergarments. Comfort Pattern. 

Margo's patterns are really great they have a huge variety of sizing and they come with a small booklet of information, and it is not in sewingese!!! 
however, you need to really work with the patterns, and you will need at least 1 mock up with several fittings.  I suggest to all to have a sewing buddy
so that you can work together if you are a beginner, if you are further advanced then perhaps you will not need a sewing buddy. You can email Margo and she will respond very quickly or you can go to her yahoo group and speak with tons of people that also make her clothing.

Reconstructing History    3 out of 5
Yahoo Group
I own:
RH201 - English Jacket & Petticote, RH001 - Cloth Hose, RH204 - Kirtle, Gown & Sleeves, RH203 - Elizabethan Corsets, RH601 - Tudor Lady's Gown & Kirtle,
RH602 - Tudor Lady's Skivvies

Kass McGann has some great research, she has also a wider variety of patterns now and has moved into bringing fabrics & notions to her site.
However, I have noticed issues with larger sized patterns to fit.  Kass does not have the best guides with her patterns to make the clothing. I am now working on an Henrician and it is a good thing I have 3 people who know what to do because some of the information is just not there in the pattern.  Kass is awesome at sending her a note and she will attempt to help you with anything you need. 


Tudor Tailor Book and Patterns   4 out of 5
Yahoo Group
I own; Tudor Bodies, Tudor boy's doublet & hose, Henrician Lady's petticoat, French kirtle & gown

Ninya and Jane of Tudor Tailor are wonderful and their book the Tudor Tailor is amazing, they have actual modern equivalents to historic fabric and an explanation of what some of these historical fabrics are like "Mockado" which looks like Corduroy. They have patterns but again I think they are made for advanced sewers people who are used to how a garment should look and that so the information involved is not what I would like it to be. However you can drop them a note about this and I am sure they will revise their paper work


Lynn McMasters Patterns 
Lynn does hats, she does amazing wondrous hats! They are pretty easy to create but they do take time.  Good price, easy to use and simple to understand.


Anyone else?

Cilean



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[Master James]

We own all the Margo Anderson patterns and while we love them the directions many times leaves a lot to be desired as well as how the patters fit.  We just made the paned slops for the first time and the pattern pieces don't completely work.  The crotch and rear pieces are 4 inches too long and have to be cut off but no where in the instructions does it say that and that is the only way it works.  Her Tall Hat is a good pattern but again the directions on how to put it together is so confusing I finally gave up on it.  Even my wife who has been sewing for years couldn't figure it out.  So while the patterns are very good starting points, they don't always fit properly or are correct and the directions are sometimes very hard to understand.

[DonaCatalina]

I own all the Period Patterns; the pattern pieces and instructions leave a LOT to be desired.
But the results are fabulous.  3 out of 5
I actually like the Fantasy Fashions patterns because I can tweak them to be more historic as well as fitting for his excellency. 3 out of 5