1330s peasant set (living history)

I have always loved the simple elegance of the clothes worn by many of the 14th Century living history groups in the UK and Europe. Unlike the SCA, where most 14th C costume focuses on the tightfitting dresses common from 1370 onwards, many groups abroad focus on earlier styles as depicted in the Luttrell Psalter and Maastricht Hours.

I decided to branch out into this period by making a dress based on the construction of one of the Herjolfsnes finds. Although there are serious issues with using Herjolfsnes as one's only reference (and I maintain that, although they are carbon dated to the 15th century, they are actually more representative of the styles shown here) (that's another rant), the seamlines are elegant and it was a different construction method to try. Previously I had only made four-panel 1370s fitted dresses for the 14th century.

All of the garments found in Herjolfsnes are made of a 2/2 wool twill and sewn with wool thread as well. For the underdress of this set I used a 2/2 wool twill in a slightly variegated grey. However, since I had yet to find a satisfactory source of wool sewing thread, I was forced to sew the garment with linen thread instead.

Also, while this was quite a nice modern wool (massively discounted to $25/yd from $200, I love Discount Fabrics in Berkeley!), it is nearly impossible to find wool fabrics that resemble handspun and handwoven ones. The main difference I've found is that the threads used are not as tightly twisted, so the fabrics tend to be stretchier than period ones, and the drape is different. As a result I had to make a couple construction changes.

While the originals are sewn entirely in running stitch, due to the materials incompatibility I chose to sew all my seams with a running back stitch instead, which lends more strength and resistance to stretch. I also backstitched two lines of topstitching around the neckline instead of using an angled stab stitch. The appearance from the front is the same, but the backstitch once again helps prevent stretch.

My first outing for this set was at Boar's Hunt 2019. The wool cote is worn with an unbleached linen veil knotted in a style reminiscent of the baker's wife from the Maastricht Hours. The belt is tablet-woven from naturally dyed wool, and the bag....has since been replaced. It had some problems. I still need to buy better 14th century turn shoes, as the ones I'm wearing here are not quite seamed correctly.

One of the great things about living in Scotland is that the fabric shops sometimes have beautiful wool. I picked up some of this dark brown tweed to make a second layer for this set shortly after I moved to Glasgow. The surcote is patterned very similarly to the cote, but with short sleeves and a pocket slit. This is edged with a fingerloop braid made from yarn I spun on a reproduction medieval spindle (which unfortunately is not strong enough and needs to be replaced! It's on the list). This surcote is sewn in wool embroidery thread from Devere Yarns, which I have found to be an acceptable wool sewing thread until I get around to spinning enough for a garment.

Originally I secured the hem of the surcote with a herringbone stitch (as slightly visible in the RH picture above). After reviewing my Norlund I replaced that with whip stitches and reduced the depth of the hem significantly. The seam allowances on the Herjolfsnes finds are super tiny to save fabric, so I have been trying to go through and cut mine down from my very modern 3/4". I have also been topstitching the neckline, sleeve hems, sleeve caps, and the top of the gores for just a bit of subtle definition. I have a bad habit of not going back to work on garments more after I have finished them, but I'm trying to shake that here. Plus, doing some running stitch in a lovely wool thread on lovely wool fabric is a nice break from a lot of my more technical work!

References

Fransen, Lilli, Anna Nørgaard, and Østergård Else. Medieval Garments Reconstructed: Norse Clothing Patterns. Aarhus: Aarhus University Press, 2011.

Carlson, Marc, and Maggie Forest. “Herjolfsnes No. 39” Some Clothing of the Middle Ages -- Kyrtles/Cotes/Tunics/Gowns -- Herjolfsnes 39, 2003. http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/cloth/herjol39.html.

Thursfield, Sarah. The Medieval Tailor's Assistant: Common Garments, 1100-1480. Ramsbury: The Crowood Press, 2017.