The farmer folks

I have clothing representing all the different social classes of renaissance Germany. Its important to me to be wearing clothing that are as accurate as I can make them. Yes, embroideries are beautiful, but farmers where not allowed to wear it, nor was the most women of the tross. So I dont wear it when I represent any other social class then the ones there where allowed to according to the law of the time. To me, that makes a more credible picture. When Im planing a new outfit I start with the social class. Who am I going to be this time? I might upset someone by this, but its only apply to me, everyone else can do as they please, this is just they way I want to play out my hobby.

But maybe I went a bit to far this time...

Im working on a new outfit, a farmers outfit, or Bauren in German, low class clothing.This is me in farmers clothing. A simple hemd in undyed linen, a unterrock in undyed wool, apron in linen, a gollar in linen and a stechlein, the headwear. Simple, grey.

 

 

 

The dresses, both the unterrock and the rock, kirtle and gown, are shorter, possible to work in. In some woodcuts they are so short that they barely covers the knees, at least the unterrocks. The unterrock in the picture above is short enough, but when I made the rock I wasnt brave enough to cut it, it works but I wanted it shorter. Just because there are se few that know to use this types of dresses.

Here you see it, to long, I know! I wont do that mistake with the new one. But I really do like this outfit. A part of me want to cut it...but I made it with a hem facing so its about tree seams of 300 cm each to redo... A hem facing is a seperate pattern piece used to finish the hem of a garment rather then just turning up the hem and whip stitch it. And why do I do that? Well, its common on historical clothing. All the dresses in Janet Arnolds 16th century book have it. If the farmers clothing had it might be impossible to say, there are no garments preserved. But it looks good and it make the hems a little bit more firm, presses the fabric out a bit and creates a good looking skirt. I will show pictures of it further down in this post. 

It is also made with very few pleats around the waist. According to the sumptuary law of the time  the men were only allowed six foldes around the waist. I have more, but not that many more...

But Im getting a bit of topic here...

I have made a new unterrock. I bought the fabric during last years medievalweek in Visby just because I thought it looked a bit home made, like it had not been in the fulling mills that long...and its grey. I thought it was perfect and I cut it in camp that afternoon. A new medievalweek is soon upon us and the unterrock is finally done. But when I was working on it, it hit me, its grey... And my hemd is grey, and my new headcloth is grey, and my socks are yellowich grey... Im going to look like porridge!

Well, here it is, my porridge-dress...

 

 

Its an unterrock so I made it with eyelets, inspired by the unterrock in the woodcut - The domestic quarrel made by Sebald Beham 1535. 

 

But I made some more, I wanted a little bit more support in the bodice. 

Its handsewn with waxed linen thread and the seam allowance is folded down and whip stitched. The skirt is supported by a extra pattern piece to secure the weight of the skirt. It makes it last longer. Its still a bit stiff but it will go down when I starting using it. And the lining is undyed linen. I know, I forgot about the part with not having that many pleats...but I placed most of them in the back, as in the woodcut above. Its easier to work in it when the fabric is mostly gathered in the back.

And this is what a hem facing looks like. Its a separate piece sewn in at the right side of the skirt and folded back and sewn again.

I might just put the whole dress in a colour-bath if I could find one...just a little colour would be nice. Hopefully I can get some pictures of me in it next weekend. It is a medieval market in a town close to mine so we might go there for a day. Then we will see if its porridge or not!