The most important thing you need to have ready is your measurements. The ones I use to make a custom sized shirt are: Wrist, arm length, chest length(I go from the top of your shoulder to where you want the shirt to end. Always give yourself an extra inch or two.), chest diameter( in my case my belly is bigger so I measure around it.), and neck diameter. If you plan to not blouse the sleeves at the cuffs, either pleat or get an exact fit, I would measure the largest part of your arm.
Now you must decide as to what you would like your shirt too look like. If you want wide cuffs, a banded collar that is short or tall, or whatever you wish to modify to make it yours. I know. This is general idea of what you should do. Yes, but I do not know what size you are. I am short and wide. If I were to give you my pattern, it may not fit. On to designing our pattern.
*******COPY THIS TO A DOCUMENT AND FILL IN THE _______ WITH YOUR ANSWERS********
Give all answers in inches for correct calculation.
Wrist Diameter _______ + 3 inches = _______ inches for cuff length
Desired width of cuff _______ x 2, then + 1/2 inch = _______ inches for cuff width
Arm length _______ + 2 inches = _______ inches for sleeve length
Chest legnth _______ x 2, then plus 1 inch = _______ inches for body length
Chest diameter _______ /4, then + 2 inches = _______ inches for body width
Neck diameter _______ + 4 inches = _______ inches for collar length
*******End Copy*******
This is the base information needed to build yourself a shirt.
-Medic
Friday, January 1, 2010
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Preparing to hand stitch a shirt.
Yes that is right, I am going to walk you through on what to do to hand stitch a shirt. First we need to go shopping, yes shopping. There are things that you need to have before we can go and just whip out a shirt. The very first thing you need to need to think about is what color of a shirt do you want.
There are many types of material to use. The best options that I have found are prints that have a date on the edge (it was made between 1840-1870. Now it is heavier than a standard cotton, but is period and looks great or at least I think it does), cotton muslin, or a "home spun" material. They are as close as you can get to period without having to dig to hard. Where do you find these materials? JoAnns Fabrics, Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, the local 5 and dime, or sewing shops. There are tons of places to get material.
The material will cost any where from $1 a yard(very rare) to $5 a yard and more. The average I have found is about $2.50 a yard. You will need about 4 yards, this will be more than enough, but we will need some extra for future projects, also in case you make a mistake, which happens. I would get a cheaper(in cost not quality) material for your first hand stitched shirt. That way if you totally bomb it your not out a bunch of money and/or you can get more material to fix the boo boo.
We have our material!!! YaY!! Next issue. Thread. This is a simple dilemma, either white, a contrasting color or a matching color. You choose. I use lots of white because it is cheap and I am lazy and don't want to take a swath of material to 4 different stores to find out they don't have one shade darker than royal blue to match the blue I am using in my white and blue checked shirt. I just use white.
Buttons. Don't use plastic buttons, please. Use a paper back tin, pewter, glass, china, porcelain, bone or wood. eBay, online sutlers, or going to a local sutler or one at en event makes shopping easy. If you buy in bulk you get a better price, but do you need 400 buttons?
Needles. There are tons of types of these, don't sped $2 on a set of 3 needles when you can get them a lot cheaper than that. I loose about 3-4 week and buy them in bulk. Granted my butt and/or feet find quite a few of the needles.
Pins. Just a box of straight pins, you will only need about 15 or 20 but 50 is nice to have if they are the same price.
An old sheet you don't mind cutting up. You can get one real cheap at a consignment store. Don't go out and buy one, use what you have or can get cheap.
Black maker, sharpie, whatever. You will need this to label and so on.
A measuring tape. I have one I bought at the local fabric store, get one, you will need it.
A straight edge I cannot draw straight, let alone free hand cut very straight.
Speaking of which, a good pair of scissors or a new pair for the local Dollar store or Wally World. You want the sharp edge. You will thank me later.
A large table.
Good lighting.
And whatever else you may need to keep yourself happy for a while.
How long does it take a hand sew a shirt? My first shirt took 24 hours. I can sew shirt from start to stop in 20 hours. When sewing the shirt do it in chapters. Only do on thing at a time. Don't be sewing, making a pattern, and cutting another piece out all at the same time. Do all of the pattern making, then cut out the material and then sew it.
But, Medic, I don't have a pattern. YOU ARE CORRECT!!! I am currently converting the pattern to measurements and photos so you can see what the pattern is and I will give you basic assembly instructions. After that I will then show you how to sew a shirt. So, folks, not this post or the next one, but the one after we will begin to sew.
-Medic
There are many types of material to use. The best options that I have found are prints that have a date on the edge (it was made between 1840-1870. Now it is heavier than a standard cotton, but is period and looks great or at least I think it does), cotton muslin, or a "home spun" material. They are as close as you can get to period without having to dig to hard. Where do you find these materials? JoAnns Fabrics, Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, the local 5 and dime, or sewing shops. There are tons of places to get material.
The material will cost any where from $1 a yard(very rare) to $5 a yard and more. The average I have found is about $2.50 a yard. You will need about 4 yards, this will be more than enough, but we will need some extra for future projects, also in case you make a mistake, which happens. I would get a cheaper(in cost not quality) material for your first hand stitched shirt. That way if you totally bomb it your not out a bunch of money and/or you can get more material to fix the boo boo.
We have our material!!! YaY!! Next issue. Thread. This is a simple dilemma, either white, a contrasting color or a matching color. You choose. I use lots of white because it is cheap and I am lazy and don't want to take a swath of material to 4 different stores to find out they don't have one shade darker than royal blue to match the blue I am using in my white and blue checked shirt. I just use white.
Buttons. Don't use plastic buttons, please. Use a paper back tin, pewter, glass, china, porcelain, bone or wood. eBay, online sutlers, or going to a local sutler or one at en event makes shopping easy. If you buy in bulk you get a better price, but do you need 400 buttons?
Needles. There are tons of types of these, don't sped $2 on a set of 3 needles when you can get them a lot cheaper than that. I loose about 3-4 week and buy them in bulk. Granted my butt and/or feet find quite a few of the needles.
Pins. Just a box of straight pins, you will only need about 15 or 20 but 50 is nice to have if they are the same price.
An old sheet you don't mind cutting up. You can get one real cheap at a consignment store. Don't go out and buy one, use what you have or can get cheap.
Black maker, sharpie, whatever. You will need this to label and so on.
A measuring tape. I have one I bought at the local fabric store, get one, you will need it.
A straight edge I cannot draw straight, let alone free hand cut very straight.
Speaking of which, a good pair of scissors or a new pair for the local Dollar store or Wally World. You want the sharp edge. You will thank me later.
A large table.
Good lighting.
And whatever else you may need to keep yourself happy for a while.
How long does it take a hand sew a shirt? My first shirt took 24 hours. I can sew shirt from start to stop in 20 hours. When sewing the shirt do it in chapters. Only do on thing at a time. Don't be sewing, making a pattern, and cutting another piece out all at the same time. Do all of the pattern making, then cut out the material and then sew it.
But, Medic, I don't have a pattern. YOU ARE CORRECT!!! I am currently converting the pattern to measurements and photos so you can see what the pattern is and I will give you basic assembly instructions. After that I will then show you how to sew a shirt. So, folks, not this post or the next one, but the one after we will begin to sew.
-Medic
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Hand Sewn Clothing?
I have some good friends who firmly believe that hand sewn clothing is the only way to reenact and have the best impression. I have met other people who couldn't tell the difference between hand stitched or machine sewn item. So what is the big fuss?
I don't wear all hand sewn items. As a matter of fact I currently have one blue and white checked hand sewn shirt(as seen in the picture on the left). I sewed it myself and I think I did a fine job. It took about 40 hours to sew by hand. I did make a few errors, nothing noticeable.
I do not own any other item that are hand sewn. I have mended my trousers, haversack, frog and cartridge box. But I have not gone to the far outer edges and pulled the seams out of my clothing and hand stitched them back together for that "period look." I am not saying I am not tempted, but I have my time invested else where, for now.
That is what it comes down to, time. And if not time, then the money to buy the thing that took somebody almost 4 times as long to hand sew the item. The look is outstanding, if you know what you are looking for. By the time you have gotten good at sewing and/or buy a good quality item you really can't tell, unless you flip the item inside out to see the seam or look closely at the top stitching to see if it is really hand sewn.
Personally I would love to wear all hand sewn clothing to specs, with proper colors, and made by the actual manufacturers from the 1850's and 60's. I have a hard enough time paying the bills and taking the wife out dinner.
In the end, Civil War Reenacting is about educating people on what happened. If you can't afford, don't have the time, or the skill/know-how to have hand sewn items, then don't. I won't look down upon a person who doesn't have hand sewn items. I firmly believe we are all in this together and we need to support each other.
So, if you see a person who is criticizing a
someone for not wearing hand sewn items, remind them, "This is not the 1860's. They are doing the best they can." I do have some friends who are bivwakers, hard-corers, bushwackers, so on. Their impression is far better than mine, because they don't sleep in an A-Frame, have a cooler with Powerade in it, carry their cell phone, have a bag of medications/medical supplies(my medic pack that travels in my mini-van with me always) and baby supplies and children(Sam, my 2 year old son pictured on the right, inspecting the troops). I take all of the above. This is our vacation spot.
As for the hand sewing thing, it is easy. As a matter of fact I am going to show you how to hand sew a shirt, pokes, a haversack(tapestry style), a camp dress, a pair of drawers and anything else I may need to make. If a paramedic can do it while he is waiting for his next call, then any person who sits in front of the t.v. can do it.
-Medic
I don't wear all hand sewn items. As a matter of fact I currently have one blue and white checked hand sewn shirt(as seen in the picture on the left). I sewed it myself and I think I did a fine job. It took about 40 hours to sew by hand. I did make a few errors, nothing noticeable.I do not own any other item that are hand sewn. I have mended my trousers, haversack, frog and cartridge box. But I have not gone to the far outer edges and pulled the seams out of my clothing and hand stitched them back together for that "period look." I am not saying I am not tempted, but I have my time invested else where, for now.
That is what it comes down to, time. And if not time, then the money to buy the thing that took somebody almost 4 times as long to hand sew the item. The look is outstanding, if you know what you are looking for. By the time you have gotten good at sewing and/or buy a good quality item you really can't tell, unless you flip the item inside out to see the seam or look closely at the top stitching to see if it is really hand sewn.
Personally I would love to wear all hand sewn clothing to specs, with proper colors, and made by the actual manufacturers from the 1850's and 60's. I have a hard enough time paying the bills and taking the wife out dinner.
In the end, Civil War Reenacting is about educating people on what happened. If you can't afford, don't have the time, or the skill/know-how to have hand sewn items, then don't. I won't look down upon a person who doesn't have hand sewn items. I firmly believe we are all in this together and we need to support each other.
So, if you see a person who is criticizing a
someone for not wearing hand sewn items, remind them, "This is not the 1860's. They are doing the best they can." I do have some friends who are bivwakers, hard-corers, bushwackers, so on. Their impression is far better than mine, because they don't sleep in an A-Frame, have a cooler with Powerade in it, carry their cell phone, have a bag of medications/medical supplies(my medic pack that travels in my mini-van with me always) and baby supplies and children(Sam, my 2 year old son pictured on the right, inspecting the troops). I take all of the above. This is our vacation spot.As for the hand sewing thing, it is easy. As a matter of fact I am going to show you how to hand sew a shirt, pokes, a haversack(tapestry style), a camp dress, a pair of drawers and anything else I may need to make. If a paramedic can do it while he is waiting for his next call, then any person who sits in front of the t.v. can do it.
-Medic
Monday, December 14, 2009
Which manual maneuvers are correct? Which one should I use?
This question is hard to say what is right and what is wrong. All manuals are correct when they are used by the right unit. I know, through research, that the Civil War Reenacting Unit I belong to, Co. B, 32nd Iowa, found out which manual was used by our company, Rifle and light infantry tactics: for the exercise and maneuvers of troops when acting as infantry or riflemen, by Brevet Lt.-Col. W. J. Hardee, or as we lovingly call it "Hardee's."
Research your company. Call or write the state historical society, National Military archives, museums or any other source you can think of to get the information you need to know about your company.
Obviously there is no possible way to do exactly as the company you portray did. The interpretation of that manual was left to that company, battalion, brigade, regimen, corps, or division command who read it or was taught at one of the many military schools. Even then some commanders did things a tad differently due to how they thought things should be done.The best I can offer anyone looking to portray the best impression they can is to read the manual, try to understand what they maneuver the book is explaining, and use physical models. I like to use chess pieces. I use about 30 or so and lay out a small company to get a feel for how it should look. There are some great websites that show how to do many maneuvers and even have video to watch. This is a nice one to quick refresh you here. (hosted by the 10th Battalion, AVN, 1st Division)
If you cannot find the manual you want, are short on cash, or just have free time online Google books has a nice collection of Civil War Military Manuals. I have found many on there. I found the manual for 1st Iowa Co. K, Scott's Militia Tactics, I could then read and get a better grip on what I needed to know as a breveted corporal.
The best thing any one person can do is cuddle up with the manual of choice and struggle through it. When you get stuck find someone who can explain it to you.
It doesn't matter which manual you use, whether it is Baxter's, Gilham's, Casey's or one of the many manuals used, read it and do your best to understand what you are doing. If you can explain to another person what you read then, I hope, you have gotten the idea. Happy hunting.
-Medic
All images used from Baxter's Volunteer Manual, hosted by Google Books, images located on page 55.
All Manuals linked are hosted by Google Books.
What am I doing?
I have debated for quite sometime about publishing my thoughts and idea of the topics of Civil War Reenacting. Although I am not new to this, I am not well weathered either. I just think that I might have something worth saying, doesn't everyone?
A for tonight let start with saying I am here and I am going to write some stuff down.
-Medic
A for tonight let start with saying I am here and I am going to write some stuff down.
-Medic
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