How I made my stockings or Stocking-making for beginners - Part Two

Put the sole back underneath your foot and pin it to the leg fabric. This is where my pattern got baptized in blood. When you’re trying to pin this close to a living, breathing thing there might be a few accidents…
When the sole is pinned all the way around you should be left with two triangular holes, one on each side. What I did was to approximate the size and shape of the hole and cut out a slightly larger piece that I stuffed in the hole and then I traced the edges. I ended up with two pieces like these. Remember to mark which piece goes on the inside of the foot and which on the outside. I also drew arrows showing me which was down and which end points towards the toes.



Now comes another interesting step – getting the stocking off. If the stocking is nice and tight around the ankle your foot won’t get through, but you want it to be as tight as possible, since the stocking will be less wrinkled in that area. Carefully try to take the stocking off the leg and move the pins in the ankle area (marked with red dots on the image)





 

We then started on the leg pattern. Take the fabric and put it on the bias around the leg. Ordinary fabric (non-knit) is stretchier on the bias and it helps with the fit if the fabric does have some give to it.

Adding image that explains the difference of bias and straight.

I was wearing Capri leggings so we pinned it at the top just below the knee cap. This is not necessary but was helpful for my friend who’d never done anything like this since the fabric didn’t “escape” before she put in those first pins. When you star putting in the pins make sure you do it as tight as snug as possible, the tighter the better. You start pinning the fabric in the middle of the back of the leg, just like those vintage stockings has a seam in the back. Start at the top and work your way downwards. As yo get to the ankle the fabric gets more and more wrinkled andyou will have to do the side splits. Those should be made on both sides of the foot approximately where the anklebone protrudes: I’ve marked the proper spot on the image.

Continue pinning all the way down to the floor and cut the slits as long as needed to let the fabric become as smooth as possible. You will have some wrinkles – accept that cloth isn’t as stretchy as modern knits! Cut away most of the excess fabric. You should end up with something similar to this

Put the sole back underneath your foot and pin it to the leg fabric. This is where my pattern got baptized in blood. When you’re trying to pin this close to a living, breathing thing there might be a few accidents…
When the sole is pinned all the way around you should be left with two triangular holes, one on each side. What I did was to approximate the size and shape of the hole and cut out a slightly larger piece that I stuffed in the hole and then I traced the edges. I ended up with two pieces like these. Remember to mark which piece goes on the inside of the foot and which on the outside. I also drew arrows showing me which was down and which end points towards the toes.

 

 

Now comes another interesting step – getting the stocking off. If the stocking is nice and tight around the ankle your foot won’t get through, but you want it to be as tight as possible, since the stocking will be less wrinkled in that area. Carefully try to take the stocking off the leg and move the pins in the ankle area (marked with red dots on the image)

Move the pins very little every time ‘til you can wiggle and carefully pull the sock off. When the sock is off take the pen and trace where the pins are. Remember to do both sides before you remove the pins!
I prefer my patterns not to include seam allowance since I never remember how much I added. I therefore cut away all excess fabric and ended up with this:

 

 If your feet are similar in shape you can use the same pattern for both, just flip it over. I chanced it and it worked fine for me.

Now you have a pattern - next post will be about how I sew it together!
 

How I made my stockings or Stocking-making for beginners - Part One

Moved and updated my stocking making blogpost from my old blog.

I’m trying to make a “how-to” that even a beginner can follow that can be used in classes or just to hand out to beginners so I’d appreciate feedback. I will replace and add images when I hacve acces to a scanner. I do not do drawings on the screen well…
 I started out with a big piece of fabric. Choose a fabric that behaves similarly to the fabric you plan to use in the real stocking. I used wool that is so unpleasant to wear but in all other ways is as thin and stretchy as the wool I’m later using in my stockings. Thin wool is usually more stretchy on the bias than linen so you may have to make a different pattern for linen stockings if you’re making both.
 The first thing we did was the sole. I stood on the fabric and my friend traced the foot with the pen slightly angled in under the foot. If you don’t angle the pen the pattern becomes larger and its harder to get that nice tight fit, plus that the seam will end up higher:


Fig. 1

Cut out the sole with a generous seam allowance – mine was around an inch. You should end up with something similar to this, just with more seam allowance:




We then started on the leg pattern. Take the fabric and put it on the bias around the leg. Ordinary fabric (non-knit) is stretchier on the bias and it helps with the fit if the fabric does have some give to it.

I was wearing Capri leggings so we pinned it at the top just below the knee cap. This is not necessary but was helpful for my friend who’d never done anything like this since the fabric didn’t “escape” before she put in those first pins. When you star putting in the pins make sure you do it as tight as snug as possible, the tighter the better. You start pinning the fabric in the middle of the back of the leg, just like those vintage stockings has a seam in the back. Start at the top and work your way downwards. As yo get to the ankle the fabric gets more and more wrinkled andyou will have to do the side splits. Those should be made on both sides of the foot approximately where the anklebone protrudes: I’ve marked the proper spot on the image.



 Continue pinning all the way down to the floor and cut the slits as long as needed to let the fabric become as smooth as possible. You will have some wrinkles – accept that cloth isn’t as stretchy as modern knits! Cut away most of the excess fabric. You should end up with something similar to this:

My white Viking coat

A Simple Wool Hat

Making a hat from pattern piece A:

 

 

Instructions: Use pattern piece A

• Cut 4 pieces, remember to add seam allowance!
• Sew the four pieces together along the sides. Fell the seams.
• Fold the hem and sew it down.
• Done!

 This is my version of it:
 
        

Obviously, the mannequins head is not the same size as mine...

Making Pattern Piece A

Making pattern piece A

 Get a piece of paper roughly 60 cm square; Fold it twice (like a napkin). Now comes the tricky part. To make the desired shape you have to decide how poofy you want your hat. The width of the hat (i.e. the diameter) divided in half is measurement A. Measurement B is the bottom edge of the pattern piece. This you calculate from taking a measure of your head. I’m bigheaded so I’ve got 61 cm. To get the measurment for the base just divide by 4. To have some space for hemming witch makes the hat smaller I’ve got a measure of 16 cm, If I want to wear for example a kerchief underneath I need to increase to 16,5 or 17 cm. Measurement C is the length from top to bottom. I got mine by taking a measuring tape and putting it on top of my head, and standing in front of a mirror holding the tape measure so I could approximate the length of the pattern piece, to figure out the bulge bit. Se drawing:

 

 

Now it's a matter of connecting the dots. Look at the desired shape and draw yours to look similar. You can make a mockup of any fairly stiff fabric; I tend to use old sheets or those cheap Indian bedspreads. Too big is easier to fix than too small.

• You’ll need extra space if wearing coif or kerchief – if possible wear it when testing your pattern.
• When hemming the hat the hat will become smaller allow for that too. Attaching a brim will have the same effect.
• Leave enough seam allowance to be able to make adjustments in size.
• You may want to put in lining if the fabric is itchy, that also affects the size
  The thing to remember is that any increase or decrease of the measurement B will be multiplied by four. That means that adding 1 cm width will take you from hat size 60 to 64! So if the desired change in size isn’t that big, we’re talking mm. That can usually be solved by moving the seam a few mm out or inwards.
  
   Pattern piece A done! This is a basic shape that can work on its own, or you can add app 10-15 cm and cut out the front and get the scholars hat that my friend Renika has made for her husband.
  Or there’s a bunch of brim options. Instructions for making these will follow in forthcoming posts!

The Big Floppy Hat

 

Pattern:

 

 

 The way I made these bits were pretty much identical to how I made Pattern A and Pattern E. Big pieces of paper or cardbord to get the right size for the look I was going for. The Hat is made in 8 parts instead of 4. the reason is that 4 gives me a square top and I wanted a more rounded outline, hence 8. Then I proceeded the same way as I did when making Pattern piece A.

On to making the hat:

Instructions:

• Cut 8 pieces of D and 4 pieces of F, remember to add seam allowance!
• Sew the four D pieces together along the sides. Fell the seams. This is the top part of the floppy hat. Now onto the brim:
• You need some sort of stiffener to insert into the brim. A straw hat would be ideal. Reading about other peoples efforts here are some other options; Cardboard (don’t like water), Parchment (period and expensive), Plastic sheeting (non period but weather proof), placemats, starched fabric. A straw hat and cut away the top will also work. Depending on the stiffness of your fabric there are the possibility that vlieseline might work for you. You can also sew a piece of milliners wire into the edge to stiffen it. My options were limited at the time so as this was mostly intended as an experiment I landed on the option of two plastic placemats. I cut out the brim in two pieces – pattern F. I proceeded to cut out the fabric, 4 pieces with seam allowance added.
• Put 2 pieces together with right sides facing each other. Sew along the ends and the outer edge. Trim the allowances and corners and turn. I put some decorative stitching close to the edge.
• Insert the stiffener and secure it by putting a seam along the inner edge. If you don’t mind itchy wool on your forehead you may turn in the edges and sew it shut that way instead.
• Make the second half of the brim in the same manner.

The brim beeing made, and I've got help...sort of...

• Put the two halves together with an overlap. Try it on and adjust it to fit your head.
• Sew the two halves together along the inner edge where they overlap and along the edges about 4 cm on both sides.
• Pin the top of the hat to the brim, if the top is slightly large you can just make pleats evenly to adjust the fit. Sew the parts together.
• I decided to put a few stitches from the inside of the hat securing it to the brim about 8 cm from the inner edge so it wouldn’t flop around in the wind, since my fabric isn’t that heavy.
• When this is being written I still haven’t gotten around to lining the inner edge. This is still to be done with something soft, either silk or velvet. I’ll get a strip roughly the length around my head , ca 65 cm with added seam allowance which I’ll fold and tack down then securely sew into place. I will also be adding ties so I can secure it to my head. Since I often visit a certain windy island…

 

A Slashed Hat

 

This hat I made to be worn sort of crashlanding on top of my Wulsthaube and to sport a lot of feathers. It was my first adventure into german 16th century hats other than the Wulsthaube.

This is how I made it:

First I made a mockup in a stiff cotton fabric similar to those Indian beadspreads. The first thing to get right was the top part: How big a square would I need. Then it was the hole for the head. After a few trial and errors I came up with a pattern that was likely to give me the look I wanted. This is what I came up with:

Instructions:

• First cut two squares 33by 33 cm (add seam allowance) in two different colors. Mine are black and burgundy.
• The black square will be the outer layer and in this I cut a hole to fit my head (17 cm diameter). Then I proceeded to make the slashing. This is what the black piece looked like after I hemmed the slashes: 
• Then put your two squares together, right sides facing and sew them together all the way round. Turn and press.
• Fold each corner towards the middle so that they all meet and stitch them down.
• The top’s done, now onto the brim.
• With a little experimentation I made squares 16 by 8 cm. One black and one burgundy for each of the “flaps” for the brim. I needed 11 to go around the hole.
• Sew two squares together, one of each color, along the long sides. Turn and press. When all are done pin them to the edge of the hole and secure them by sewing

Cut a long strip to cover the edge of the hole. Mine was ca 5 cm by 63 cm. line the edge of the hole with this. Add ties if needed and you’re done!

And of course add a lot of feathers!