Friday, October 31, 2014

HSF14 Challenge #20 - Alternative Universe

I picked up a commission a few weeks ago for one of my friends who does another Renaissance Festival in the fall.  He wanted a garment he could wear over or under his regular doublet that would have sleeves for when in what chilly.  The basic design he wanted was: like a doublet, but shorter, no collar or flanges, and with buckles down the front.  While not particularly historically accurate, he's the client, so he gets what he wants.  Plus it makes a great entry for Alternative Universe.

I apologize for the complete lack of progress shots.  It was mostly from Simplicity 4059, with the length shortened and the sleeves a slightly different shape.  I used basic cotton twill for the outside and quilting cotton for the lining.  It went together very easily, and I brought it in for him to try on, just in case.  Good thing I did, as he said the sleeves were shorter than he'd like.  I didn't have much fabric left, so I added cuffs, that could be rolled to give anywhere from no addition at all, to an extra three inches in length.  I brought that back in and delivered it minus buckles for him to wear to rehearsal and make sure everything else worked.

It didn't.  Like me, he is a stage combat performer.   Although it fit fine when he was moving like anyone else, some of his fight moves were impeded by the jacket.  He needed a bit more room.  I took the jacket back and added gussets to the back of the shoulders to give him more range of movement.  And then I finally added the buckles, which I found at Tandy Leather.  That was a new thing for me, and it took a little finagling to figure out how to attach everything.

The Challenge: Alternative Universe

Fabric: Black cotton twill, black quilting cotton
Pattern:  Simplicity 4059
Year: Who knows...at this faire (not my home faire) most everyone is in Tudor/Elizabethan garb, but they have King James and Musketeers.  
Notions: Buckles
How historically accurate is it? It fits into this faire and this challenge perfectly, I'll say that. 

Hours to complete: Look!  A puppy!
First worn: This coming Saturday
Total cost: $40ish

And the result:


Yes, he wanted it that short.


The back

Close up of the buckles

The cuffs

Last-minute gussets

The jacket under his regular doublet

Very Alternative History

2 comments:

  1. Lucky him for having a talented friend.
    Arm gussets are neat, so simple and yet really aid movement. I can't understand why modern clothes don't have them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fantastic! I really like the shoulder gussets - they really make the jacket look historical/not modern even if it technically isn't.

    And I think "Look, a puppy!" is the best description ever of how long something took!

    ReplyDelete