[Ansteorra] Reconstructing History patterns - Feedback

Bob Davis bob at reconstructinghistory.com
Tue Aug 16 12:25:49 PDT 2011


Hi!  My name is Bob, and I'm one of the partners of Reconstructing
History.  Actually, RH consists of my wife Kass (the pattern designer
and primary researcher), me, and our assistant Robin.

Let me try and address some issues raised on this list.

First, proportional vs. linear sizing.  The pattern industry standard
is linear.  It's math.  You set a few reference sizes, give the
software some rules, and click "grade".  That's how it works.  In our
case, we set one baseline in the middle - for men, that's me, because
I'm Joe Average - grade up and down, and test sizes at the other end
of the spectrum.  Every size is accurately scaled.  If we - or any
other pattern company - tried to give you every possible combination
of shape and size, the pattern page would be black with lines and
completely unusable.

Now, that's not to say you can't adapt the pattern if your
measurements don't coincide with the included lines!  Adapting
patterns in that way is a basic technique of dealing with patterns.
Now, our patterns fit multiple sizes in one envelope.  Let's use the
popular RH503 (Landsknecht Waffenrok) as an example.  Say your chest
is 42" and your waist is 36".  Good - you can cut the line marked "46"
and have the thing fit you pretty well straight out of the bag.  Now,
say your chest is 42" and so is your waist.  You're out of the
industry-standard proportion rules!  That means two different size
lines - "42" for the chest measurement and "46" for your waist.  How
do you fix that?  You mark two points on the pattern lines and draw a
NEW line between them.  Pretty easy; you just have to figure out where
the chest and waist are on the individual pattern pieces.  That's as
close as an email or toll-free phone call.  We tried putting marks on
the pattern pieces, but that confused more people than it helped, so
we scrapped the idea.

Second, let's address the fitting issue.  No pattern will fit
especially well straight out of the bag.  They all require some
measure of fitting.  With historical clothing - draped, not cut from
patterns, and *always* fitted to a greater or lesser extent - fitting
becomes even more crucial.  Mockups (or muslins) are crucial to any
quality sewing project.  A pro doesn't start cutting fashion fabric
for a new project unless she's worked out the kinks with a muslin,
whether she's got a pattern or not; neither should anyone else.

Third, sizing at the extremes of the size ranges.  This is an
impossible nut to crack.  At the smaller end, people tend to remain
proportional to the pattern-grading proportion assumptions (an
industry standard which we follow).  At the upper end, proportion goes
out the window.  Body shapes become totally unpredictable.  That's why
some people at or exceeding the upper limits of our size charts may
encounter fit problems: We simply can't predict your exact shape.

Fourth, stays.  Sabina mentioned working with RH203 - Elizabethan
Bodys (stays).  Kass gives you very clear instructions on how to mock
those up.  I don't know if you followed those or not; if you did, you
should have had no difficulties whatsoever with fit and function.

Let me summarize by making something abundantly clear: WE ARE HERE TO
HELP.  If you encounter a problem or question with one of our
products, you have but to call 1-866-518-1558 (M-F 8AM to 5PM EASTERN)
or email anytime.  Even when we're at a long event we make every
effort to have the help line covered.  As far as we know, we are the
ONLY pattern company to offer this free service.  Why not use it?  We
look forward to hearing from our Ansteorran friends!

Sincerely,

Bob McGann-Davis (SCA: Robert Fairfax, Shire of Eisental, East Kingdom)
Reconstructing History LLC
www.reconstructinghistory.com
1-866-518-1558

P.S. I got hooked on the SCA in the Barony of Bjornsborg, [koffkoff]
years ago. ;-D



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