Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 20:29:30 -1000
From: "Sara J. Davitt"
Subject: Re: H-COST: Bliants
Simple. take a *long* (1-1/2 torso length) fitted T-tunic with gussets, that has
been cut on the *bias.* it will be one piece to the elbow. kep the arment split
down the side, and reinforce it with interfacing, and other such goodies. Make about
one hole for every 1.5-2 inches, parallel buttonholes. then extend the sleves using a contrasing
band of fabric to hide the seam...use the same contrasting fabric on neckline and
cuffs.. (and hemline if you feel ambitious) the whole of the sleeve should also
be cut on the bias... and doing this in two pieces saves an awful lot of fabric...
while working on the bias... and it increases mobility too!)
Then take the remaining yardage (the more the merrier) devide it in 1/2 and sew one
half to the front and 1/2 to the back... pleated. (pin pin pin) finish the 3 edges,
so that the sides of the dress remain open..(wear a t-dress beneath, or a lace up
front dress.. straight sleves, simple, or similar neckline... (this makes the dress cooler,
and you can use it for an apron, or simple pull it up and tick the front into the
lacing.. to keep it out of the fire, or dirt )
then string alot of ribbon through the buttonholes, and pull the lacing tight, so
the fabric crunches up actross your belly... (the tighter the initial t-tunic the
batter this looks)
I made mine this way, and I like it.. but since then, I think that the blaiut is a
figment of the artists recreation.. becasue during this time, it was important in
illuminations to show that the person was a godly individual.. hence, the swirling
drapery.. which represented the word of god... so it may have been a side laced 'tunic' in
the end...
anyway, let me know if you have any questions.
take care!
Sarahj
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Date: Sun, 22 Mar 1998 13:27:30 -1000
From: The Purple Elephant
Subject: Re: H-COST: Re: Bliauts
I find it quite bizarre that one garment has been so wildly misinterpreted.
Like you two, I also think that there is a very clear progression in the cut of clothing
from the straight out t-tunic to the cote-hardie, and you can make a lot of sense
out of the bliaut by considering it in such a context (out of a lot of garb really). I spent almost a year trying to work out how this garment was made, because everything
I read seemed to say something different. Finally I read an article in TI (Tournaments
Illuminated for the non-SCA - I can get the number tomorrow if you're interested, it's at home) that made an
awful lot of sense. I hadn't even considered side-lacing before. Anyway, I made two
dresses, opting for a slightly earlier style, because I still wasn't entirely happy
about the attached skirt (though I can't get away from the fact that that seems to
be how it was done). I did try to get the wrinkly middle bit, but failed for two reasons
- I didn't make the middles much longer than mine, and it was too wide over the
hips so it just slipped down. So what I got was two one piece dresses (I had wide
fabric so I cut the sleeves as part of the dress, and used the arm-bands to hide this) which
fit me quite tightly from breast to hip. One is very much in the Henry I "let's go
berserk with miles of stuff" style, with incredibly voluminous skirts, and sleeves
that I really do have to knot up to keep them out of the dust. The other one is a bit more
sedate. Oh, and an underdress in a similar style, but with tightfitting sleeves.
My next bliaut however will be made as follows:
Bodice - cut on the straight-grain about half again as long as my torso and definitely
tighter than my hips so it doesn't slip, including the sleeves to just above the
elbow.
Sleeves - widen out below the elbow, either as an "angel-wing" sleeve
or one of those bizarre 'pendant cuff' jobs (actually I think they look awful, but
they're certainly easier to document for the period than pointy sleeves).
Skirt - cut like a man's bliaut skirt (ie a kind of flattened semi-circle)
but wider and sewn down the side-seams.
A word of caution though about 12th century illumination - it is very stylistic when
it comes to depicting people, and you can pick the similarities in posture and all
those clothing folds right out of Byzantine illumination. This goes double for pictures of religious characters (and in fact, being very careful with these is a good general
rule for much of mediaeval illumination).
Sorry for going on for so long, but this is one of my pet bug-bears now *grin*
(Oh and don't forget that no 12th century lady was properly dressed without
her girdle and veil...)
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