Sewing A Themed Wardrobe: Medieval Era - Overview and A Look at Godets

Hi Everyone! Today we kick off a new theme in our Sewing A Themed Wardrobe series. This collection will focus on the Medieval period. Shari Fuller will be exploring this topic while working on a new pattern, the 14th Century Ladies Cotehardie. We invite you to follow along!

 

I got drawn into the Medieval period when I began studying fairy tales last year.  Fairy tales, in and of themselves are timeless, but the ones we are most familiar with are written in a way that fits neatly between the times of the Medieval Period and the 18^th century.  This was was when Western Europe was ruled by a profusion of little kingdoms and the abundance of charming princes available to rescue young damsels in distress from evil step-mothers, witches, and other desperate circumstances made it the perfect backdrop for cautionary tales, romantic dramas, and heroic stories. 

A while back, I had been working on a cloth doll that started to resemble the way I pictured Snow White in my imagination, so I decided to do a little research and make my own historical version of Snow White. 

I was originally looking at making her a 16^th century German princess because I had come across some interesting historical ties, but then I came across a Snow White book illustrated Trina Schart Hyman that placed her in the Medieval period and was completely enamored.  I'd been interested in doing a study on Medieval clothing for some time, and this seemed like a great opportunity.  Besides, I can do another Snow White in 16^th century attire later on. 

 

 

So let's take a look at the European Medieval period, also called, more descriptively, the Middle Ages.  I like to use the Medieval Period because it sounds so much more illustrious and not just a space of time one simply passes through.  It starts with the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5^th  century and continues up until the Renaissance Period in the late 15^th centuries, which explains where the term Middle Ages come from.  But the Middle Ages spans over 1000 years, and a LOT happened during this time that warrants more than a simple passing through.  

(Legend of St Francis, 1295)

 

(the Ellesmere Manuscript, an early 15th-century illuminated manuscript of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales)

With the fall of the Roman Empire, there were large scale migrations throughout Europe that resulted in huge cultural shifts.  By 1000 AD, the population of Europe increased significantly due to agricultural innovations and a warm climate change that became known as the Medieval Warm period.  Things were going well.  Giotto introduced more natural forms to painting, Chaucer refined the art of storytelling, and world travelers such as Marco Polo introduced the West to unknown lands, trade opportunities, and scientific discoveries.  

Early in the 14^th century, Europe faced another great shift that would turn their world upside down.  The Great Famine of 1315 – 1317 occurred as the Medieval Warm period came to an end and ushered in the Little Ice Age.  Just a few years later, between 1347 and 1350, the Black Death killed about a third of the population.  This is where we see much of the upheaval of governments and migrations of people that divided the west into smaller kingdoms and dynasties that were scattered throughout Europe.  It is here where my Medieval project is landing.  

At the beginning of the Medieval Period, people wore simple loose fitting tunics and robes that were influenced by the Romans.  As the climate cooled during the Little Ice Age, clothing was modified to be more fitted which allowed garments to be layered for warmth.   

In the 14^th century the cotehardie became a standard piece of clothing for both men and women.  Men wore them shorter, like a tunic, over a pair of breeches or hose.  Women and girls wore their cotehardies longer, like a dress.  

As the cotehardie became more fitted around the torso, godets were inserted into the skirting for added flare to emphasize the feminine figure.  Godets are simply triangular pieces of fabric that were often gleaned from leftover cuts of fabric.  Inserting these triangular pieces of fabric into a garment completely changed the traditional style of clothing and planted the seeds of fashion that would sprout in the in the 16^th century.  

 

 

Godets are actually pretty easy to add to a garment, the video tutorial for this post will walk you through how to apply them in a seam or a slash.  My 14th Century Ladies Cotehardie pattern was designed with godets, but you can easily add godets to existing garments as well. 

You might be drawn tot he various Chemise's shown with the Cotehardie. The one worn under the yellow variation will be published soon, it's part of this new medieval pattern collection. The one with the blackwork, worn under the blue short sleeve variation is the 16th Century Smocked Hemd.

Can you think of some interesting modern day applications for this Medieval godet? Here are a few examples to get your creative juices flowing.

Stay tuned for the next post in this series where I will show you how to finish the seam allowances with flat felled seams!

~ Shari Fuller

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