Use cold to lukewarm water and wool detergent. Wool: wash by hand or use the wool setting in the washing machine. Wash the wet fabric in 40- 60 degrees C (the temperature you would like to wash your linen shift/shirt in later) hang to dry and then iron on a high temperature. Fold it loosely in the bathtub for example. Linen: soak in water a while before washing, to get a smoother fabric. Or rub off on your body… Not a good thought, right? Always prewash your fabrics! To achieve this most fabrics (and ready-made garments) are treated with different kind of chemicals, which will wash out in the washing process. Fabric today needs to last for longer times during shipping and warehousing, and look good when arriving on the shelf in the fabric store. You could get the same result by steaming the fabric with an iron before sewing, but that won’t remove the…Ĭhemicals and anti-mould treatments. Those things totally existed in the medieval ages, it would be strange if your medieval outfit couldn’t endure the same right?įurthermore, prewashing fabrics will release the weaving tension in the warp, making it shrink slightly and give you the fall it will have after ironing/washing/a rainstorm. They should be made to endure everyday wear and wet weather, washing, food stains and so on. But you know what? That is not ok for garment fabrics. Bad ones? Might shrink uneven, get too much wear or completely change the look, feel and even the colour in contact with water. Of course you can wash fabrics, at least good ones. I know that many in the field claim that you can’t wash wool fabrics in water, but that’s just bullsh*t. I always prewash fabrics before sewing, even for my customers. That way you may save both money and effort instead of buying the first fabric you find, and then get disappointed.
If you have friends, a group of other people around you that are good at different fabrics, ask them for advice (or use a forum online) and always state what kind of garment you would like to make (a kirtle) for what period (14th century) and for what kind of use (reenactment event during winter etc). It is always best to be able to see and feel the fabric yourself, and now when we stay at home, fabric samples are a good choice. Thin, medium and heavy are different weights in wool fabrics, whereas 120 grams etc are the weight of an m2 fabric.įabric shopping at The historical fabric store Felted means the fabric has been fulled and is often less stretchy, but more weather resistant and smooth. Look at what others say about the seller and the different fabrics they offer and learn some useful words: tabby and twill are weaving techniques, and twill is often more stretchy. The quality of the fabric will differ with manufacturers, places of origin, type of material etc so make sure to read up a bit on what material would be good for your individual project. The chance will also be that they are knowledgeable in historical fabrics so you can find materials, colours and qualities that resemble the historical originals, whilst giving you a fabric that will last for a long time at an affordable price. The places that sell fabrics especially for reenactors often produce high-quality fabrics, and their customers will come back to buy more if they like it. Seems boring at first, right? But instead of wanting to make that perfect deal on super-cheap wool in a really unique colour think about what historical look you want to achieve with your outfit, and what qualities you would like the garment to have.
Here are some great things I have learned over the years, that I like to share whenever I can!Ĭhoosing materials is clearly one of the more difficult things when starting with historical handcrafting, and often the simplest way to succeed in making a good outfit is to pay the price for good material and buy the same as everyone else. And there are lots of others that love to share their knowledge in this field as well.
“Just read this book, and then you will know everything”… I haven’t found it at least.īut don’t feel overwhelmed! It is such an interesting journey you have ahead, exploring and experiencing other times and new handcrafting. Being new in any branch of historical reenacting or costuming can be overwhelming, and just like with all other things in life there’s no simple answers or an ultimate guide. I wanted to share some thoughts with you today things I have learned and things I find important when I design medieval clothing.
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