In the 16th century most household fabrics, especially dowry linen bolts, were hand spun, hand woven, and very expensive, so fabric economy was of the utmost importance. To make the most out of every scrap of fabric, smocks were made from a series of rectangular pieces that were laid out in such a way to utilize every scrap of fabric. Gussets were added at the underarms and anywhere else a little extra give was needed to ease the fit and reinforce seamlines.
I have always balked at making gussets because they don't follow nice unbroken seams. That being said, they had a very important purpose in a time where fabric was precious so I designed my 16th Century German Hemd with gussets and this tutorial my attempt at making friends with them.
Follow along in this video to see two ways to insert gussets in this garment.
More on the French Seam method:
Because cloth was so expensive and clothing had to be entirely sewn by hand back in the 16th century, even the most basic undergarments, were made to last. One technique used to extend the life of garments was to finish all seam allowances.
Today we make quick work of that using an edge stitch on our sewing machine or serger. In the past, however, seam allowances needed to be finished by hand and there were many different ways to do this. After a bit of research and a lot of pondering, I found a way to finish the seam allowances on a gusset with a French seam and it is surprisingly easy to do.
To make the French seams on this 16th Century German Hemd though, we're going to have to go back to the beginning and adjust the order of construction so that all the seams are sewn before we begin any smocking. In the video tutorial, I'm making this hemd in a print so you can more easily see the right and wrong sides of the fabric as I work.
I love how French Seamed gussets are finished and look inside and out.
Now go back to Steps 12 – 49 in the pattern instructions to do the smocking on the collar. Then, hem the sleeves and mark the smocking grid as in Step 51 and you will be ready to smock the sleeves in our next tutorial.
I have to admit, I enjoyed slowing down a bit and taking the time to make these gussets and the satisfaction of making them with neat and tidy French seams has sealed my friendship with them.
In the next tutorial, we're going to finish up this project as I show you how to smock the sleeves, we will also talk about our upcoming Fairy Tale Princess project where we will be making a brand new 16th century gown to wear over this beautiful hemd. See you then!
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Chris
March 21, 2024
I loved this, as it looks so nice when done. I am going to try to focus on some pretty small prints to work with for the historical garments, because they turn out so pretty. I know some things are supposed to be plain as well, and that’s fine, for historical accuracy, and I also know i have to learn what is appropriate for the different eras. Most of these classes teach me something I didn’t know, as I have been self taught and my mother before me, who taught me her tricks, so I enjoy learning different technics.