Trunkhose Construction part one

I have decided to make a pair of trunkhose using the Tudor Tailor pattern and using Margo Anderson's construction method.

The next step is to choose the fabric. I have picked a black synthetic with an interesting pattern, mostly because I happen to have several metres available. The lining fabric will be a medium weight black linen.
 

Black material for panes and canions

To save the original pattern it gets copied onto tracing interfacing. This is now the pattern I work from. I then redraft the pattern with seam allowance. The pattern calls for several layers. There are the panes that consist of a fashion fabric, a heavy interlining, and a linen lining. The panes attach to a lining of linen. The lining is then matched to a linen foundation, to which the fashion fabric canions are attached. Finally there is the inner lining (linen) and the waistband (fashion fabric) which will hold it all together.

The first section to construct are the panes. The TT pattern has eighteen panes. The interlining for each pane is cut without seam allowance and sewn to the lining. The fashion fabric and the lining are then sewn down both long edges, right sides together. The resultant tubes are turned inside out and pressed flat. The tops and bottoms are left unsewn. Any guimpe or braid should be attached during pane construction.

The two front linings and two back lining pieces are cut out. The outer seams are sewn together and pressed flat. The two front foundations and two back foundations are cut out. The canions are cut out in the fashion fabric and basted to the bottoms halves of the foundation pieces. The foundations are then sewn along the outer seams and pressed flat. The TT lining is much wider than the foundation to allow for puffiness and padding. Lay panes 1-9 onto the right side of a foundation half. The top of the panes should closely match the width of the foundation. Any gap between the panes should be distributed evenly between all the panes. It is important that the pane tops don't overlap. They must lie edge to edge.

The bottom of the panes will have a significant gap due to the way the lining is shaped.The bottom of the lining is darted to ensure that the panes lie flat and edge to edge. Distribute the darts evenly between the panes.

Trunkhose - Which pattern to use

I decided to make a pair of late 16th century trunkhose. Partly to see how they work, and partly to add some variation to my wardrobe. I have made several pairs of breeches but thought I'd try something a bit different.

I bought the Men's Elizabethan Trunkhose pattern from the Tudor Tailor.
http://www.tudortailor.com/shop/?item-details=112984398&item-name=Pattern-for-Men--39-s-Elizabethan-Peascod-Doublet-and-Trunkhose---Small-Sizes

It's based on very thorough research from Janet Arnold and a collection of extant sources. The pattern is nicely printed and is of a high quality. The instructions for trunkhose construction are a single double sided A4 sheet and may as well be in hieroglyphics for their usability. I found their instructions cryptic and terse with only a handful of small grainy photos to help. My own failings may be at fault but as I felt the same way over the instructions for one of their doublet patterns I suspect that blame can be shared.

Enter Margo Anderson. Margo has an extensive background in theatrical costuming. She has published a range of garments including a set of trunkhose.
http://www.margospatterns.com/Products/ElizGntlmnWrdb.html

Margo is aiming for the historical recreation market as well as a more generic ren faire audience.
An example would be that because of her theatrical background Margo sometimes forgets about linings for clothes as stage costumes don't need them.

The Margo Anderson patterns come with a seventy page document on historical sewing techniques quite apart from the actual patterns. I am sure that the patterns aren't as accurate as anything that references Janet Arnold, but they are similar. The enormous advantage over the Tudor Tailor are the thirty pages, with very extensive diagrams, on how to construct the garment.

So which way to go? Since I had bought both patterns I made up the foundation garments for both to see which fitted better.  The Tudor Tailor won easily. It was a much better fit straight off the pattern. So I will compromise. Since the patterns are similar I will use the Tudor Tailor pattern and construct it using the Margo Anderson documentation. I am not sure how well it will work but if I stay with the Tudor Tailor instructions I will have nothing sewn at all.

Working with leather for clothing

Garment grade leather can make stunning clothes. I found that there are several things to think about before sewing that first stitch.

When laying out your pattern check for imperfections in the leather. Marks, blemishes, and holes are quite common on hides and there's no point making a garment that's damaged before you start.

To cut the leather you can use a rotary cutter or a stanley knife. A good pair of shears will also work. A solid cutting board under the hide is essential for a clean cut, and helps make sure that you don't damage your table.

When laying out your pattern take care in deciding where to sew. Once a line is stitched, the holes are there for life. This also means you can't pin leather. When laying out the pattern to cut I use small tins of tuna. You can buy special pattern weights as an alternative.

When pinning seams for sewing I use hair clips. They hold the pieces together firmly yet don't damage anything. They are not as robust as pins so care will be needed when handling the pieces and feeding them into the sewing machine.

Leather doesn't need a 5/8" or 1/2" seam allowance. No fraying means a smaller seam allowance is possible.

A standard sewing machine (such as a Brother NS30) will happily sew simple seams so don't be put off by the idea of sewing leather. It's true that thicker skins or many layered seams will need a more powerful machine but get some offcuts and test what your machine can do. Trimming and layering seams will help. Remember that leather won't fray around the edges.

Your sewing machine will need a couple of extra toys to sew successfully.

• A leather sewing needle will help. This will have a triangular head and is designed for punching a small neat hole rather than opening a gap between threads.
• You'll also need a teflon pressor foot. This will allow the leather to slide easier so the stitches will stay even. Sticky tape over the base of the pressor foot can also be used, but I haven't tested it.
• A heavier upholstery weight thread will help keep things together.

Increase your stitch length. Close stitches are more likely to tear through the leather and open the seam.

While we are on seams you will need to decide how they will be finished. There are several alternatives you can use.

• Spread the seam open and pound it with a rubber mallet. This will make your seams flatter and they will stay mostly open. Trim them if they are too wide. In my opinion it's not that great a solution.
• Ironing a seam flat. This takes great care as leather burns just like any other skin and is very easy to damage with excessive heat. Use a press cloth and practice first. It works really well to hold the seam open, but I have badly scorched at least one large piece that I had to replace.
• A flat fell seam works well. Trim the excess from one side and fold both seams over in the same direction. Sew flat. It also helps reinforce a seam. This is my preferred method.
• Spread open the seam and sew it open with a second line on either side of the main seam. Keep the secondary lines close to the main seam. Basically top stitching the seam open. Trim back the excess on both sides.
• Glue or tape the seams open. Spread the seam and flatten with a mallet then use leather glue. It's rubbery so the seam will move with the garment but the seam will stay open. I found this a messy option but it does work.

Finally there is the hand sewing. There seems to always be a section that is just easier when sewed by hand. Hand sewing needles for leather are called glover's needles. The needles have the same triangular head as the sewing machine needles so they pierce leather easily. This also means that they pierce skin very easily. Please take care with these needles, they are crazy sharp.

None of this information was created by me. It's the result of many generous people who posted blogs on working with leather. Here are the sites that I have found most useful.

• http://www.designsponge.com/2012/02/diy-project-leather-lunch-tote.html
• http://fivemuses.blogspot.ca/2012/06/sewing-on-leather-stitching-and-seams.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+ClioPhineas+%28Clio+%26amp;+Phineas%29
• http://andreasnotebook.com/how-to-sew-leather-straps-for-handbags-and-purses-guest-post-by-paradiso-designs/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+typepad/1214749844s27842/the_train_to_crazy+%28The+Train+To+Crazy%29
• http://nicolemdesign.blogspot.com.au/2010/07/how-to-sew-leather-few-tips.html

Links to all of these and others can be found here.
https://www.pinterest.com/raygleeson/leather-working/

Sewing Prerequisites

After the obvious sewing tools there are a few extra things that will make life easier.

Firstly, use a block / sloper as the basis for your patterns. If you don't have one then make one. This will be the basis for a lot of your clothes. I didn't have one for the first few years and it made pattern making much harder than it needed to be. There are may good sites for making a block. A few I like are:
http://curiousfrau.com/patterns/pattern-drafting

Second have a tailors dummy. If you don't have one make one from a T-shirt, duct tape, and stuffing. I used this site for guidance. http://offbeatbride.com/2010/11/duct-tape-dress-form Without a dummy I could not easily see how clothing draped or where it fitted poorly. Endlessly taking the same garment on and off is not fun, and the pins!

Third have a Pinterest page. As a way to keep track of paintings, tapestries, fabrics, how to guides, etc it is very worthwhile. If I'm unsure how accurate something looks I check it with the appropriate period art. Mine is https://www.pinterest.com/raygleeson/

Initial thoughts

This blog is to help me try and keep track of the tricks, quirks, and silly mistakes that I find as I make different garments. It should also help me to keep a record of what I am making and give me a better idea of how long these tasks are taking. If I get time I will go back through some earlier projects and document the steps taken and the things to avoid or keep in mind for next time.