14th Century Cotehardie – Finishing the Dress
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Read Part 1 – Drafting the Pattern
Read Part 2 – Dyeing the Fabric
Once I had my pattern drawn and fabric dyed, cutting and assembling the dress went quite quickly. I used my sewing machine and modern sewing techniques such as sewing the neckline and front opening right-sides-together, then turning and pressing.
I did do hand sewn button holes and fabric buttons, and I’m so glad I did. They really add a certain something to the overall look. The buttons and buttonholes on my 14th century hood were the practice for this project. The buttons for the dress came out a bit smaller because the fabric is not as bulky as the brown wool I used for the hood. I really like the fabric buttons and have actually used them on some modern projects as well. You get perfectly matching buttons and it uses up fabric scraps.
My hem was just a basic fold up the edge and stitch, and it wasn’t very successful. By the end of the weekend it was falling down at the back where the dress sweeps the ground. I plan to redo it with an extra piece of heavy linen for reinforcement.
Overall, I am very pleased with this dress. For a first try at drafting my own pattern and a first foray into this time period it came out surprisingly well, and was an excellent learning experience.
Cotehardie
Self-drafted based on drawings in The Evolution of Fashion by Margot Hamilton Hill and Peter A Bucknell.
Difficulty
Advanced – You are confident in your sewing skills and ready for a challenge.
Fabric and Trim
Main: Lightweight wool, hand-dyed orange (madder, natural dye) and blue (modern acid dye).
Lining: Midweight, off-white linen.
Instructions
None – I made it up as I went.
Conclusions
This was an interesting experience, and certainly not an easy one, but it was very rewarding! Now that I have my pattern, the next one will be much easier.
