[Ansteorra] Sewing question while we are on the topic of authenticity

[Sunny Briscoe]

I have learned a couple of tricks for how to do this, but first a couple of
definations (note these are my own, and sometimes corrospond with commercial
sewing books): Gussets - square or round patches inserted into a seam to add
roomyness, often in the underarm area; Gores - triangular pieces added into
a slash or seam to add fullness from a point in the middle to the edge,
often to make skirts fuller from waist to hem.

Okay, to insert a gusset, take a pencil and mark the seam lines on the
gusset.  When inserting the gusset into the underarm seam, so only along the
seam line, not past and into the seam allowances.  You want to keep the seam
allowances free.

To insert a gore, you will probably want the point of the gore to be a
little higher than where you think.  My hips get very full very high up, so
if I just insert the gore where they start to get full, it doesn't get full
enough quickly enough.  Try a couple of inches higher.  I also mark the seam
line of the gore, lay it on the floor, then lay the dress on top of it,
lining up the cut edge of the slit with the marked seam line of the gore.
Then I top stitch the edge of the dress to the seamline of the gore.  It's
terribly mundane construction, but if you were to use a hand buttonhole,
overcast, or embroidery stitch, it would be sturdy and look right as well.

The advantange of this method is that you are not trying to turn seam
allowances at the point, it's all completely flat.

There is some evidence, though I have not researched it much, that the tops
of the gores were inserted into a curve instead of a point (instead of
cutting a slash, cut a "U" out of the fabric.  For details, check out "Woven
Into the Earth"

Please let me know if that's clear enough, I can try to do a drawing, but my
computer drawing skills arent' that great.

Elisabetta Morosini


On 9/20/06, Susan <catmafia at hughes.net> wrote:
>
> I have been working on making some of the geometric tunics as opposed to
> my old friend the 'one curved side-seam' T-tunics.  I'm doing ok with the
> gussets, although I always have to resew at leaste once for getting it
> attached to the wrong part of the seam or something.  I did the trapazoids
> on the side for skirt fullness, the ones where they were attached to two
> side pieces that were attached to the side-if that makes
> sense.
>
> I went looking for the pattern, but can't find it, but this tunic from
> Kass McGann has the part I have the question about,
> http://www.reconstructinghistory.com/beginners/FirstGarb.html
>
> When you are putting the gore into the slit up the middle of the
> back-how do you do this so it lays right and looks nice on the outside?  I
> looked at so many this weekend at Mooneschadowe and am really curious on how
> to get it to really look good.  The next thing I'm planning on making is out
> of a linen I really love and I would so like it to look nice. I can run up a
> trial out of another fabric, to check procedure.
>
> This is two parted, as one is how to securly sew the v so that it is
> secure and lays correctly.  The second part has more to do with where you
> make this v fall.  I noticed that where these fall in the back makes a large
> difference in how they look and flow.  I have a fairly swayed back and not
> small (anything in all actuality), so I would like to have this be as
> flattering as possible.
>
> Thanks for the input,
> Susan
> who tries, but has so many memory problems I often what I even managed to
> get right in the past
>
>
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