Customer Reviews

Medieval Tailor's Assistant: Making Common Garments 1200-1500

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For anyone interested in making a medieval garment, but who doesn't know where to begin: this book is for you.

This book covers everything you ever wanted to know about medieval clothing, from measurements, patterns and materials to methods of construction. It has over 400 illustrations of medieval clothing, and 121 patterns for shirts and smocks, cotes, doublets, kirtles, hose, surcotes, cotehardies, gowns, overkirtles, cloaks, children's clothing, headwear, and accessories.

Current books on the subject of Medieval costume concentrate either on research (with good information on what was worn, but little on how to actually make it) or towards theatrical costume (with information on how to make the items, but dubious historical accuracy.) The Medieval Tailor's Assistant is the best of both worlds, combining solid research and detailed "how-to" information into one volume.

This book is geared more toward the novice or intermediate costumer and sewer than toward the advanced historic costume researcher. As it is not primarily a research work, it doesn't delve into original sources as much as books like Janet Arnold's "Patterns of Fashion." The research which went into it is very good, however, and it gives less experienced historic costumers a splendid place to start.

This is one of the best books for creating patterns, choosing fabrics, editing a pattern for your personal size, as well as a great primer for what to wear that I have seen. Not being an expert in the sewing craft I need a little extra guidance, and this book delivers.
This book first of all does feature a nice area on garments on when they were worn historically. In a simple time line she demonstrates proper fabric choices as well as the styles that were around during those years.
The book is one of the few that features patterns for men, women, children, and even babies. Also included are maturnity patterns, shoes, and some hats. So its great for the variety of patterns it will provide you.
So now that we know what styles are appropriate, what fabric will work, and we can do the basics, the book is kind enough to help you with making your pattern in terms of suggesting great ways to customize patterns for you own body.
This book really sets itself appart with the breadth of patterns it offers, suggestions on how to make your garmets look period by even getting embroidery patterns for buttons, and other finishing stitches, and tells you how to make them look best on you. The book is easy to read, and the illustrations are clean, clear, and concise. A definate one to pick up if you want to create clothes from years past. I would personally jump on this one, as you know some books like this have small print runs, and who knows when you can get your hands on one like this again.

As a medievalist and costumer whose focus is early 14th century England and France, I found this to be a wonderful book and said to myself "FINALLY!" For those looking for instructions on how to move from costuming to making actual clothing, I am certain you will be pleased.

I disagreed with very little within the text and found this to be a very pleasant surprise (although I do disagree quite strongly with the modern draping methods suggested. Highly suspicious for a medieval technique in my opinion).

While I would hesitate to say that all the methods are completely accurate (how could we know this? Some things we do know were not included or were replaced with easier, more modern methods), they are certainly far superior to anything else out there for this time period and place. Well done.

I would stay away from much of the suggested reading on the left side of that page simply because once someone has reached this stage in their costuming development they have grown out of Houston etc... with the exception of Newton's Fashion in the Age of the Black Prince (this is worth the price for certain).

The Museum of London books and the book on Queen Margareta's gown on the right side of the selected reading page are worth every penny however.

I think it was worth the $... and that we are soon to see a sudden surge of truly medieval looking clothing in our living history groups and I am all for that. 100%

Many, many thanks to Sarah Thurfield for so wonderfully beginning to fill of a huge costuming void.

Cynthia / Merouda

This is an excellent how-to for the medievalist. It presents clothing from the skin out with clear, no nonsense instructions. The author assumes that the costumer is intending to create as authentic clothes as possible and, as the reader, I found myself assuming that there was no other way. It's inclusion of accessories and headwear is fabulous.

While I wouldn't necessarily recommend this to an absolute beginner and leave them alone to sew, I would certainly highly recommend it to anyone wanting just a little more authenticity in their medieval clothing.

I have tons of costuming books, and tons of patterns, but none can compare for medieval costuming. I was really afraid to wander from the tried and true method of sewing using patterns. This freed me, and taught me not only to sew without standard, store bought patterns, but the specific techniques required to create the look. Learned tons of techniques that I can also translate into my modern sewing as well, to include tailoring and fitting. Love this BOOK!! Highly recommend for any seamstress.

As a beginning but steadily improving costumer in a society that attempts to recreate the middle ages, I found this book to be so invaluable that after I borrowed it from a friend, I couldn't be parted from it and bought her a brand new, replacement copy! Ms. Thursfield's book is well researched, and is the best "how to" book available on making hosen, braies, tunics, surcoats, houppelandes, other garments--not to mention the terrific hats, headdresses and hairstyles in the book. She even supplies cutting layouts and pattern drafting methods. Worth every penny of what I previously thought was too hefty a price to pay for her book. You must buy it!!

I first encountered this book in a Cotehardie class at Estrella XXI (this was my very first War, and oohhh was it exciting!). If you are interested in re-creating medieval clothing I cannot recommend this book enough.
Instructions are clear and include every step from choosing your fabric to making your own pattern block to what accessories go with what ensembles.
This book is a definite cornerstone for your costuming library collection!

This book is very exciting! It tells you anything and everything that you might need to know about doing Anglo Saxon dress from about 900 up to about the 1500's. Using one basic 'bodice block' that is easy to make with two people you can make just about anything in the book. Might take a bit longer for beginners to catch on but a highly recommended book for those that are seriously into period costuming.

As a Tailor, I often find books on Costuming which lean towards Theatrical Costuming to be somewhat lacking. As a member of The Society for Creative Anachronism, with a 13th century persona, I found Ms Thursfield's book to be a huge step in the right direction. The author shows you how to make reasonably accurate medieval clothing in a clear, understandable manner. I do not use patterns from books, I prefer to draft my own; but the patterns in this book gave me some very good ideas on ways to improve my own patterns. While I wouldn't advise a novice to use this book, I found it to be full of extremely useful information. The one word of caution I would like to offer is that it is not wise to depend on any one author when doing research. That being said, if you're interested in medieval clothing, Ms Thursfield's book is worth every penny.

Finally! I have to agree with Drea (who, by the way, has a tremendous amount of very valuable information on period costuming on the web), that this is what we've waited for. Sarah uses the same techniques I use, planning out on graph paper and then applying that to your basic block, but then goes much farther with explaining stitches, etc.

Period examples, taken to carefully plotted out patterns, construction, to pictures of the finished product.

VIVAT!