The Kings Cotehardie

Basic construction breakdown:

Black light weight linen, brown light weight linen.

Washed on the hottest (with vinegar to set the color) and dried on the hottest setting. I wanted all the shrink and color to be set, and cleaning the fabric on the hottest and vinegar helps to set the colors. I then ironed the fabric prior to laying out my pattern and cutting. This makes the pattern lay right, and you don’t fight the fabric when it's wrinkled.

I drafted a couple of patterns to fit Uther, and we met for at least three fittings to make sure everything fit just right. I wanted to make sure the arms and armseye fit right so that the seams didn’t blow out when he was moving or helping to set things up.

Once the pattern fit, we met again after I cut the primary layer (black linen) and did one last fitting before block printing and finishing the cote.

I hand carved a linograph block ( period would be a wood carved block, but my elbow can't take the intensity carving wood offers.) Linograph blocks are linoleum glued to a wooden block. I carved the design that Uther wanted on his cote into the lino block. Then printed the black fabric by chalking the black with guidelines. What I did was cut out about 7 blank paper circles the same size as the block and layed out the design on the cut black linen pattern (I had finished the edges but had not put the cote together completely, I sewed the center back together so that I could print the design on flat and the seams would line up nicely). I let the paint( fabric paint) dry for two days then I heat set the entire cote by ironing (with a piece of muslin between the iron and the cote).