The very versatile chemise - a tutorial

Learn how to make a simple and practical tunic-style garment that can be tweaked and adapted into many different styles and eras!

I am recreating the over 200 items owned by the Englishwoman Mrs. Ann Bamford when she died, sometime around 1780. The inventory mentions 8 white shifts or chemises... and you can never have too much underwear, right?

The inventory of Mrs. Ann Bamford: https://lewiswalpole.wordpress.com/2014/09/12/inventory-of-wearing-apparel-and-other-things-of-the-late-mrs-bamford/?utm_content=bufferbd15e&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

The pieces you need:
2 large rectangles, for the body of the chemise. Length: From your shoulder to your desired hem. Width: Take the width of the widest part of your upper torso (chest or low waist), and divide it by two. Add 5cm to this measurement if you want it to be snug, and 10cm if you want a bit more wriggleroom. This is the width of these rectangles.
2 small 10cm x 10cm squares, for the underarm gores (so you can actually lift your arms without the underarm seam tearing).
2 smaller rectangles, for the sleeves. Length: From your shoulder to as long as you want your sleeves to be. Width: Measure around your upper arm. If you want very wide sleeves, you can add as much as 20cm to this measurement, but if you want narrower sleeves, you add 5cm for ease and seam allowance.

The pieces you might want:
Two or four triangular gores, for the side seams and possibly also the front. Length: Measure from where you want the point of your gore to be and down to the hem. Add 2cm for Seam allowance. Width: As wide at the bottom as you want. The wider the gore, the wider the garment, at the hem.
Two strips, for cuffs. Length: The width of the place on your arms you want your cuffs to hit. Width: I use 10cm.
One strip, for collar. Length: Around your neck, with 2-5cm for seam allowance (make sure you can breathe). Width: Depends on how tall you want your collar. Mine is 10cm in the video.

Oh! A big thank you to my boyfriend, who spent hours in the cold forest with me!

Видео The very versatile chemise - a tutorial канала The Petticoated Swashbuckler