The Brief
Pattern and make up the hose described in this document: https://companie-of-st-george.ch/publications/costume-guide/
Tools and supplies for draping and drafting:
- Calico
- Soft pencil 2B/3B (my pref way of marking calico, you do you)
- Tailor’s chalk
- Ruler – tailor’s yardstick is nice, whatever you’ve got is fine
- Tailor’s square (optional)
- Quilter’s ruler (optional)
- Tape measure, 2 if possible
- Safety pins
- Fabric shears
- Iron and board
Tools and supplies for cutting and making up (additional to draping)
- all-purpose polyester thread and needles
- Cloth – thin twill wool pre-washed, or as preferred
- Interlining – small amount of interlining for cod piece, suitable linen is lovely, calico will work
- Lining – Small amount of lining for cod piece, more lining if lining upper part of hose – a more advanced deluxe upgrade. Soft, light linen, prewashed, else lining fabric as preferred
Hand sewing
- basting thread
- construction thread
- eyelet thread (16/2 linen, 20/2 silk etc)
- Tailor’s awl
- seam allowance guide (optional)
- pins, snips and your other hand-sewing bits
Machine construction
- Sewing machine (ideally with zig-zag)
Options
- Footed with separate sole or footed with integral sole or Stirrupped
- Historical hip-band or structured hip-band (for hose without doublet)
Draping the Leg
- Chart the leg by measuring with two tapes, one secured in a belt and the other around the leg at key points from hip to ankle (list of points here, good spot for a diagram)
- Transfer measurements to draping fabric on the fold to get a basic block. If any measurements are smaller than the short-heel measure, use the short-heel measure. This usually results in a tubular ankle section. Similarly if anything above the calf is smaller than the calf measurement, adjust out.
- Place pins at key points on the block from floor to crotch, mark 10cm allowance and cut floor to crotch excess away
- Put draping block on model, belt at the hip-line, mark belt location on block
- Adjust pins from crotch to ankle, mark ankle key points
- Check back seam line, mark front opening and crotch point
- Remove block, cut ankle and crotch.
Draping the Foot
Put block on model
For stirrup – seat model, drape block under arch, mark and cut.
For footed integral sole – seat model, drape heel, drape fore-foot
For footed separate sole – Model stands on sole block, trace foot onto inside of sole block, pin heel to sole block, drape fore-foot to ankle and sole block
Draping the Crotch, Buttock and Hip Line
Check back seam, hip line and front opening
Check crotch height – high as possible and then some.
Mark cod-piece attachment point – just behind genitals
Drape hip-line to centre back
Mark from back seam under-buttock to centre-back ~45 degrees, fullest part of buttock.
For hip line, have model sit (carefully) on a chair, low chair if avail. Mark new hip line. Usually, split the diff between sitting and standing hip line for goldilocks butt sag.
Trueing the Pattern
Remove and mark all pin locations on both sides. Even up unevenness at the right places but not at the wrong places.
Cut away seam allowances, usually. Notch pattern pieces. Label well.
Drafting the Cod Piece
Outside edge to match front opening to attachment point, top edge I like ~10cm. Fullest point 14cm?
Laying Out and Cutting
Most* period evidence suggests cut on the bias-ish. Piecing is period, piece along grain, you might not want to though.