Nockert Type 1 Pattern and Sewing Instructions

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This pattern is based on the tunic of Bocksten Man, a bog find find from about 1300 in Sweden.

This is a good basic tunic that with simple modification can easily be used throughout Europe from 1000-1500. In a middle Earth context it can be used for Rohirrim, Dalish, or (non-18th century based) Northern cultures. It is shown with angled split skirts, similar to the leather jerkins of the Rangers of Ithilin in the Two Towers movie).

Bocksten Tunic

Cut the pattern

Cuts.jpg
Sample cutting diagram for pattern

The body

  • The body of the kyrtle is one piece without a shoulder seam.
  1. Measure the length of the kyrtle, mid-knee or thigh(?) to the shoulder, double it and add six inches.
  2. Measure around your widest part; chest, waist, hips, butt, whatever.
  3. Divide by two and add three inches.
  4. Depending on your height and girth and how long you wish to make it, it will be between 80" 100+" long and 20' -35+" inches wide.
  • These two numbers are the rectangle of the body piece, cut 1.

The sleeve

  1. Measure from just over the top of your shoulder down to below your wrist.
  2. Measure your wrist, and around the widest part of your arm.
  3. Cut a rectangle from the two largest measurements.
  4. Take the measurement of your wrist, plus two inches and center it on one edge.
  5. Measure one hand span out and cut two triangles. this tapers your arm, and gives you gussets for more room while swinging swords at orcs.

Gores

  1. Measure from the bottom of where you want the tunic to be to just above your natural waist add four inches.
  2. Divide your widest part measurement by four.
  3. Cut four rectangles at these dimensions. Cut these on the diagonal, for eight right triangles.
  4. Cut two 8" x8" squares. These are underarm gussets.
  5. Cut two 2 inch-by-wrist-circumference rectangles.
  6. Cut a 2 inch by neck circumference plus 6 inches rectangle. These are for cuffs and neck hole.

The body

  1. Split the front and back for gores. Use the length determined in previous step to determine your split. (Bottom of Tunic to just above natural waist)
  2. Cut a hole for your head. Neck holes are their own special area, and I will cover them in their own post.
  • If you are impatient, fold the body rectangle lengthwise, cut a line at the fold about the width of you head (ear to ear)then cut a little down on the front 2' -3 " this 'should' make a hole big enough to put your head through without ripping fabric. Don't force it!, if you need more cut down more than the 2".
  • Congratulations, you now have cut out your pattern.

Sewing

  1. Sew the triangle gussets to the sleeve. This seam gets a workout. If you are hand sewing, use a back stitch and reinforce it.
    Gussets.jpg
  2. Sew the side gores to the torso. If you are hand sewing, a tight running stitch or a back stitch will work. once again reinforce.

Gores

  1. Join the top several inches, or entire length of the front & back gores. This makes a diamond or triangle shape.
    IMG 0036.JPG
  2. Sew down the edges with a hem stitch.
  3. Sew one side of the gore in. Remember, RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER!
    IMG 0008.JPG
  4. Sew in the gore to the split in the fabric.
  5. With right sides together, sew one side of the gore to one side of the split.
    IMG 0006a.jpg
  6. Turn the material over, feed the edge through the split, and stitch.
    IMG 0011.JPG
  7. Reinforce with a hem stitch like shown here:
    Setting a gore into slit fabric
    IMG 0012.JPG

Add the arms

  1. Determine the top of the shoulder by folding the body of the tunic and marking the top of the fold. A standard way of making this mark is to cut a small notch at the fold.
  2. Do the same to determine the middle-top of the sleeve.
    IMG 0014.JPG
  3. Match the notches on the sleeves, and sew them onto the body of the kyrtle with a back stitch and reinforce.
    IMG 0013.JPG
  • Ok, now all of your pieces are sewn together. We don't have far to go.

Sew up the sides

  1. Start about 3 inches up from the cuff edge, sew a line up from the sleeve, on down all the way to bottom of the skirt.
    • Most of this can use a running stitch, you should use a back stitch in areas of great wear.
    • Potential areas for back stitch would be elbow, arm pit, and waist.
  2. Do this on both sides and reinforce.
    IMG 0015.JPG
  • There are still two more steps, but you now have a kyrtle that can be put on.

Hemming

  • You have to hem the sleeve cuffs and the bottom of the skirt. I will explain hemming in more detail here.

To tuck away the raw edges, I'd suggest using a flat-felled seam, like so:
Fig06.jpg

Neck/collar

After hemming the last thing to do is the neck/collar. Here are several varieties, most are historically documentable.
IMG 0016.JPG
The classic keyhole neck
IMG 0018.JPG
Side hole, like the Coronation Gown of Otto IV
IMG 0019.JPG
V-neck, like the St. Louis Shirt.
IMG 0017.JPG
Side closing; I don't have documentation on this one, but it looks cool.