Men's shirt

Unrelated to dyeing and undergarments, does anyone have a general amount of yardage that's appropriate for the previously shown Gilgun pattern?

 That's why I usually will over purchase on the fabric.
 I was trying to be conservative because of how expensive it is but you know where being cheap gets you...Want to buy and India musket!?
 When you ask about size do you mean S,M,L or numbered sizing?

 I'll have to measure my shoulders.
 I'm 6' 195lbs but I have gorilla arms... 
Where does that lower seam fall out on you?
 Mid-thigh? Shorter. longer?

My advice is to make the shirt large and roomy, especially so it doesn't bind in the armpits, and isn't too snug in the arms. Keep the cuff and neck bands small enough that they look more in line with the last half of the 18th century instead of the first half of the 19th. If you know what thread buttons are (they look like small life preservers), these are break resistant unlike metal, bone, or other hard buttons. Unless you've made a period shirt before, don't cut the material or start work using the linen until after you've tried making one using the cheapest material you can get your hands on, as a practice piece first.

Breeches were sometimes worn with drawers, but mostly not. Shirts were worn long enough to wear as a night-shirt, and the ends could also be wrapped around the legs and crotch in lieu of underwear and to prevent chaffing if the breeches were wool, or coarse material (osnaburg, etc).

Don't try to make the shirt using the least possible amount of material you -think- you will need. If you haven't made many, an extra amount will be needed if you screw something up, and the excess can always be used to make small bags and many other little things. (A "housewife" or period sewing kit is good to have and doesn't require that much material.) A little extra also means not having to make a second trip to the store to buy a small amount of material that in the long run actually cost you more the second time around (gas money, time spent...).



If you can find photos of period originals on line and also other period garments, you'll notice that many garments have small amount of material spliced into the width of the material. That's because period looms tended to be less than 48" wide, and even smaller. This means the extra wide bolts of 60" wide modern fabrics now let people get away with making garments without having to splice material onto the sides of garment panels.

You don't need to flat-fell the seams or do much more to them other than apply a whip-stich or blanket stitch to the raw edges to avoid unraveling or fraying of cut edges. More than a few period garments were made the same way. Don't worry too much about making your hand stitches small and neat because you can make it to wear, and later go back and work on sewing smaller and neater stitches.

Thread color? It doesn't have to match, although use a natural linen or cotton thread in case you want to die it later. Any polyester thread won't take a dye, or show dirt and stains the cloth used for the shirt (or other garment) will show, and a bright white polyester will always show...almost forever.

Make your shirt with the front and back panels each about 48" wide....you'll be glad you did even though now it might sound too large. The excess material around the stomach and waist won't be affected by weight gain, or adding an extra shirt or two for colder weather. Also, if you wear a waistcoat over the shirt, it will snug up the excess and help create a layering effect that can soak up sweat and help provide insulation in cold or hot weather.

I usually suggest looking around for plain linen table-cloths, and old linen bed-sheets. A normal sized table cloth usually had enough material to make at least one large shirt, and if you find a really large one, might even be able to make two. Used tablecloths turn up at flea markets, Goodwill and Salvation Army stores, etc, and can usually be had for less than $10.

BH,

Thanks for commenting. I should have proof read what I wrote before posting.

36" wide would be about the maximum width for both panels so the shirt has a drop-sleeve appearance. Wider than that, the body of the shirt would be too large and the sleeves would also look far too short. The image of sleeve seams starting around the elbows comes to mind....