Rectangular Construction

A Brief Discussion on Rectangular Construction

By Ingridthr Roudthkinn (mka Phoebe Welke)

In the sewing world, rectangular construction is the generic term we use for exactly what it sounds like: constructing garments out of rectangular shapes of fabric to make a piece of clothing. Depending on whether you use whole rectangles or if you cut the rectangle (in half to create a triangle or a trapezoid, for instance) you can use this method of construction to make extremely well-fitting articles of clothing that can be linked to styles from a vast array of cultures and times throughout history.

Very few extant samples of the clothing from the Viking Age have survived the centuries. Because of the lack of whole garments to study, it is difficult to claim a concrete “right” way of creating a period garment. Many of the patterns we have are based on fragments of garments that gave us enough of an idea to see how the garments could have been put together. Many patterns have been based on the finds from Hedeby and Birka which give us an idea of how garments of the time were structured. Both of these garments showed evidence of a rectangular body with gores and sleeves added. The major difference that was noted was that the Hedeby garment showed evidence of a shaped armseye which was not considered typical in the early garments. From those pieces we can add in the art from the area and time around what we’re looking at and from that we can extrapolate a fairly decent idea on what the styles looked like during the age.

The garments, or pieces of garments, I have researched are made from either linen or wool, which were the two primary fabrics in the area. While silk and cotton were known of, they were very expensive and hard to come by. If they used cotton at all it was blended with linen and called “fustian”. Silk was ridiculously expensive and hard to come by. Often they would use it as accent pieces on clothing as they would obtain very little of the fabric at one time. Very few examples of garment embellishment have survived, so once again, we must rely on the artwork of the age to give us ideas on how the clothing was decorated. Card-weaving was very common for trim and embellishment on garments. There is also evidence of embroidery and other decorations. There have been very few embroidery stitches found (chain stitch, stem stitch, and couching for the most part, as well as a stitch very similar to the modern-day Van Dyke stitch), and most of the applique pieces of the Norse people were generally seen on wall hangings and tapestries. These hangings give us the idea that they envied the elaborate weavings of other cultures, like the Byzantines, and attempted to reproduce the patterns while not yet having the knowledge of how to weave them.

One thing we do know for certain is that rectangular construction didn’t vary too much for centuries! As you look at examples of rectangular construction throughout history, you will see the similarities of the construction of these garments with many other cultures including older Egyptian and Roman examples and later examples that span across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. All of them have the same general shape and layout and are created using rectangles with gores and gussets to add curves and shape to the garments. The patterns offered in this handout will hopefully give you a starting base to work from as you increase the patterns you use to create period garments for your era and culture.

Let’s Take Some Measurements!

A.   Shoulder to Shoulder ____________________

B.   Shoulder to Wrist Hem ___________________

C.    Waist _________________________________

D.   Bust (at widest point)____________________

E.    Wrist _________________________________

F.    Armpit to Armpit _______________________

G.   Armpit to Waist ________________________

H.   Hem Over Shoulder to Hem ______________

This is the general layout of what your tunic (more fitted style) will look like when it is open and before you have sewn the sides together.

This would be the layout for the simpler, A-Line tunic.

The main body of the garment will be as wide as the shoulders (Measurement A) and as long as the hem to hem measurement (Measurement H). I always use a ½” seam allowance for all measurements. Please add in accordingly as you draft your pattern. Whenever possible, it is best to tear the fabric for the straightest cut. After you cut out the body of your garment you should put the neck hole in as it is easier to work with this piece of fabric alone before you start adding any other pieces. I always hem the neck at this time as I can reach it easier. After this step, your garment should look like this:

The sleeves of your garment are going to be as wide as your armpit to armpit measurement (Measurement F) and as long as your shoulder to wrist measurement (Measurement B). (Don’t forget your seam allowance). Once you cut or tear out your sleeves you will need to decide if you want to create a fitted garment or a simpler A-Line garment. Once you decide the number of gores you will be using, it is time to do math! (Yay!)

To determine the width of the top of your gore you need to figure out how big around you need this part to be. Making a skin-tight dress is generally not what we are trying to do, so you will want to add in some “ease”. I prefer between 4-6” depending on the type of garment I am making.

First you will need to add your shoulder measurement to itself (this is your "body" measurement).

(A+A)

 Then you will subtract that number from your chest measurement. That number will tell you how many inches you need to add to your body measurement to fit around your chest.

D - (A+A)

Next you will add your ease.

[D – (A+A)] + 4

And then you will divide the whole thing by four since you will have four gores in total.

([D – (A+A)] + 4)/4 = top of gore measurement. (Add in your seam allowance)

To figure out the width of the bottom of the gore, you will need to approximate about how large you would like the circumference of your hem to be. Subtract your measurement of A+A from that number, add your ease, and then divide by four. Now you have your bottom measurement. (Seam Allowance)

To cut out your gores you will need to cut a rectangle that is as long as the measurement from the armpit to the hem and as wide as the two gore widths added together. Measure in the width of the top of the gore on each end of your rectangle and draw a line to connect them. Use scissors to cut along your line. You now have four gores that will angle in at the chest and drape beautifully over the hips.

To create the more fitted style of tunic you will follow the above steps to find the top measurement of your gusset (top trapezoid). You will then use the same equation as above for the waist measurement as well. Use your waist measurement (C) instead of your bust measurement (D) for your equation: 

([C – (A+A)] + 4)/4 = bottom of gusset measurement. (Add in your seam allowance)

The above equation tells you to subtract the body number (A+A) from the waist measurement, add four (ease), and then divide the entire amount by four. That will give you the measurement of the bottom of the small gusset. (Don’t forget your seam allowances!!!)  The length of your gusset will be your measurement from armpit to waist (Measurement G). The measurement of the bottom of the gusset will be the same measurement as the top of your gore. Follow the same process as the first tunic above to find the measurement for the bottom of your gore (Desired circumference of hem, minus the body (A+), divided by 4.

After you have cut out your gussets and your gores, you will need to begin to assemble your garment. An important thing to remember is to have the bias (or diagonal) edge of your gusset facing away from the body of the garment and the bias edge of your gore going next to the body. This will allow movement in the armpit and prevent sagging in your gore. It will also prevent any weird shapes when you sew your whole garment together.

Sew your gussets to you gores. Be sure to make sets of two so that you will not have four gores all pointing the same direction.

Attach your gussets to your sleeves.

Attach the combined sleeves with sides to the body of your garment.

Taper your sleeve from the edge of the gusset to your wrist measurement. Cut along the line.

Sew from the cuff to the edge of the hem on both sides.

Hem your cuffs and hems.

You now have a complete garment.

A note on finishing your seams:

It is much easier to finish your seams as you go while completing this garment. Not only does this provide for a longer life of your clothing, but it adds an overall, finished look to the piece. The best way to finish a seam is to fold both seam allowances to one side and fold the top over the bottom to tuck the edges against the seam. When done like this no wind or water will leak through the seam as it would if you folded the seam allowances on each side. With thicker wools it is rather difficult to do this flat-feld seam treatment as it is very thick after you get four layers piled on top of each other and you might consider pressing the seam allowance flat and finishing it to each side.

                                                                                                               

These garments are only two versions of many possibilities of rectangular construction. There is no pattern that is set in stone on the ONLY WAY TO MAKE A TUNIC. This happens to be a style I enjoy and find comfortable and flattering. You can add front and back gores to the body to add fullness to your skirt, cut open the front to turn it into a coat, add a triangle to that opening to create a wrap coat, and many other variations.

 I strongly suggest you look at the extant samples and information available to us. Archaeological finds are our brief look into garment construction and embellishment. These finds can show us how seams were finished and embellished as well as help us understand how the garment was patterned. The art of the region and time can provide you with vast amounts of information on how you can decorate your clothing and further enrich your clothing.

Bibliography

Ostergard, Else. Woven Into The Earth. 2009

Burnham, Dorothy. Cut My Cote. 1997

Hanim Gulenay and Suvia filia Heriberti. Rectangular Construction for Tunics, Coats, and Jackets.

Priest, Carol. Viking Tunic Construction. (http://www.cs.vassar.edu/~capriest/viktunic.

html)