Rectangular Construction Tutorials

What is rectangular construction?

This is a historical approach to clothing construction. Simple geometric shapes, including (but not limited to!) rectangles, are combined to make a 3D person-shaped garment out of 2D flat cloth. This style is simple to cut and sew, with a minimum of fabric waste.

Rectangular construction is most suitable for a variety of Eurasian cultures, from about 400CE until 1350CE. Similar construction was probably used in earlier time periods (but evidence grows slim, the further back in time you go.) After 1350CE, curved seams and complex shapes became more common... at least among the very wealthy and very fashionable!

This clothing is great as a starting point for SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) garb, LARP character costumes, and fantasy / Renaissance Faire outfits.

The first lesson: making your first tunic or gown

I fondly think of this class as "Garb 101: Cover Your Nakedness"! In person, it's a measuring session followed by a part-day sewing workshop. I tried to replicate the structure in video format. The class handouts are also linked below.

Make the pattern, based on your measurements. This also includes an introduction to different fabric types & how to prepare them for sewing.

Direct link: https://youtu.be/VkgpGMc4WfY

TheSurprisinglySimpleRectangle-Mar2023-Patterning_Handout.pdf

Sew along with me! I try to call out places where beginning sewists often make mistakes, to save you from doing the same thing.

Direct link: https://youtu.be/J1tNYxp-ffg

TheSurprisinglySimpleRectangle-Sewing_Handout_color.pdf

Beyond the basics: step into medieval fashion

Once you've made your first tunic/gown, the strategy behind rectangular construction opens a whole world of historical fashions to you! Find your historical inspiration, pick a time and place, and stack a few layers together to make a fully realized historical costume. Fabulously fashionable.

The in-person version of this class is an hour (or a little longer if we have time to "workshop" different historical looks). This was too much for a single video! The handout for the in-person class is provided here, and the three videos that cover this content are linked below.

The_Surprisingly_Fashionable_Rectangle-handout.pdf

Here are 6 simple ways to change the basic pattern, some of which can be done as an alteration on a finished (hand me down) piece. Plus 3 ways to dress-up a finished garment!

Direct link: https://youtu.be/yhwVhGbI4M8

Add leg coverings, overtunics (made with those different pattern variations), or undergarments. Includes examples of "how they wore it", from a variety of museum and historical sources.

Direct link: https://youtu.be/RZ0LdDISvHw

Simple accessories that don't take a lot of time or skill but do a lot to level up the look. These are also practical, if you are out in all seasons and want protection against sun/rain/wind.

Direct link: https://youtu.be/zzb3c1FPV_M

Medieval Pants

Here is a how-to video for simple historic pants for iron age, antiquity, "dark ages", and medieval use.

Although the top of your pants is typically covered by a tunic and I'm a strong proponent of "any loose legged pants will do", some people want to take that extra deep dive and have historical trousers.

This general style of trousers, with two legs and a central gusset, was used for a few millennia. The construction allows for excellent range of motion with minimal stress on the seams, especially in the crotch area. This particular tutorial is patterned after styles worn by Scythian & steppe peoples, neighboring Celts, eastern Europeans from antiquity through the "folk costume" era, plus some medieval Nubian, Egyptian, and Indian sources.

This is a simple pattern -- not the more complex, Germanic, Thorsberg or Damendorf styles -- suitable for beginner sewists. I have included adjustments for those with flat OR round bottoms.

Direct link: https://youtu.be/xH9Jhp74NJ4

Fabulously Fashionable: handout for the Known World Newcomer Symposium

This version of the class was especially for the Known World Newcomer Symposium in November, 2024.

Fabulously_Fashionable_Rectangle-handout.pdf

This is an abbreviated version of the rectanglular class series, to fit into one 50-minute session at the Known World Newcomer Symposium: link to the event info.

Note: If your browser settings won't let you see the YouTube videos as embedded, clickable elements, you can click this link to go to the playlist with all these videos (and more!): https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLl7yvdDBVO_ByTpqkb6b8WIyIzAPBzcZh

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