Brüstlein - the German jacket

A lot is happening right now! I bought a jacket from a friend a couple of years ago but it has always been to big for me. So instead of remake that one I desided to make a new one from scratch. Its more fun to wear clothes I made by my self. It got ready yesterday. And Im going to Cudjel today, a SCA event in Finland, so it got ready in the last minute!

I wanted to make a jacket for a Bauer, a farmer, or a Bruger, towns dwellers. But the wammes (doublet) are seen on woman from all classes. In Nürnberg the jacket was called Brüstlein or Brüstla but in other parts of Germany the jacket was also called Joppe, Wams, Leib, Brustleib, Brüstle, Leibstück, Leibchen, Prüstla, and Mieder. Ärmelbrüstlein is also used which might mean that the word brüstlein is used for jacketlike garments without sleevs too. The German coats look a lot like the English versions but seem to lack the wings on the shoulder. The neckline can vary, from high-necked to square and rounded. The sleeves can be tight fitted like mine or puffy around the shoulders. They can have gussets for fitting at the waist or more like a short skirt. 
In Sebald Behams Die große Kirchweih there is a lot of different jackets, a lot of inspiration! Here are some of the most clear ones.

I looked at the pattern for a Burger Womans wammes from the patternbook from Enns presented in Drei Schnittbücher but I desided not to use it. In that patternbook the jacket is called wamas. To make one from the book would have taken me to much time. Instead I remade a pattern I got from my friend who sold me the other jacket. But I wanted a different neckline so I needed to change it.

Beeing in a bit of a hurry I used a fabric, a brown wool, that I had at home already. It might be of a higher quality then what a farmer would have been able to wear. And the colour is a bit to dark/strong too. So, for a woman living in town then! I lined it with natural coloured linen.

I have used waxed linen thread for sewing the jacket. According to the Patterns of fashion linen, silk and wool thread where used in German 16^th century clothing. I wanted to use linen beacuse a farmer or towns dwellers would probably do so. And I had a lot of linen thread at home already. The seams are back stitched and the seam allowens are folded down and wipstitched or hidden under the lining. The sleeves are sewn in between the lining and the outer fabric.

I have always found it difficult with sleeves. So this time, when I made something not as tight fitted as a dress, I tried to attach the sleeve before I continued with the rest of the bodies. I dont know if this is a good way to do it, but it worked this time. 

Sources:

Textilier hausrat

The Tudor Tailor

Drei Schnittbücher

Annika Madejska Documentation fruenwams.

Pattern made by Linda at Handcrafted history. 

Edit 29/10 -19. 

And this is the result when you try to make a jacket in just one week. Two laurels and one protége needs to help you fix it...! The picture is taken at Cudjel wars in Aarnimetsä (Finland).