gambeson_instructions

8/7/2019 gambeson_instructions

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How to Makea Gambeson

Also known as:Aketon, Arming Coat, Bambikion,

Haqueton, Jack or Jupon

By Inga the UnfetteredLost Vikings Household MKA: Michelle [email protected]


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Special thanks to:Olaf the Stout Rasmussen: for asking me to make my first gambeson and taking the time to explain what onewas and what it was for.

Countess Dierdriana of the Misty Isles MKA: Maureen Whitaker Clifton : for her booklet FantasticGambazons that got me started on my way.

The Lost Vikings : for loving my work so much and for putting it to such good use

Dexter of the Silver Talons : for all the brainstorming and for questioning everything

My mum : for all the skills that make it possible

@ 2001 Inga the Unfettered MKA: Michelle HeightAll Rights Reserved


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Design optionsThere are several factors to consider when choosing the design and style of the gambeson.- What type of fighter will wear this gambeson? Lights must have long sleeves, heavies wear a broadassortment of armor that must be factored in to the fit. I suggest doing a few sketches to help determine whatwill best serve the wearers needs.- What is the wearers persona? This will affect color choice, quilting design and embellishment. The patternI present here does not derive exclusively from any one given period and authenticity has been sacrificed for functionality to some degree. This basic shape can easily be modified to include a collar, dags and other suchperiod modifications. Keep in mind that this garment is, above all, intended to protect the wearer - do not letthe appearance of the gambeson impede the functionality of the garment just a word of caution.- Is this for a new fighter or established fighter? A new fighter may wish to construct a quick version of thegambeson to save time & cost. An established fighter generally has a clear idea of what works for them andwill likely want to go with the full finish gambeson for its durability.

Quick version ideal for the new fighter can only be made out of moving blanketThe primary difference is that the moving blanket is not encased in anything to increase its lifespan. Edgesof the moving blanket are encased in store bought bias tape or serged to seal in the padding.

Material Cost: $20 to $30Construction time: 2 to 3 eveningsLifespan: up to one year with weekly washings

High Finish major investment of time & money best for those that are committed to fighting.Material Cost: up to $200Construction time: 30 to 40 hoursLifespan: seemingly indefinite if cared for properly (all those Ive made are still in use)

4 to 6 years under regular levels of abuse is a conservative estimate (Note: edging and edgingwhere armor rubs will show wear first i.e.: area around neckline where gorget rubs)

StylesTabard works best with external armor or for those brave souls that wear absolute bare minimum armor no sleeves and nominal coverage on sides (ribs) an issue to be considered this is such a simple design that I do not cover it specifically in the following construction instructions.

Simply cover batting/moving blanket according to construction instructions and edge with bias tape asper edging instructions. Attach closures (ties, grommets & lacing etc..) under arms at waist.


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Loose/Tunic style- looser fit works well with either internal or external armor - less fitting required- excess fabric may cause bunching- excellent for light fighting- can be done with open or closed armholes & with or without side slits- shown here with short sleeve and long sleeve

Fitted style- designed for use with close fitting internal armor - highly fitted- no excess of fabric- armholes are open and sides are slit to provide maximum range of motion- shown here with short sleeve and long sleeve


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Materials ListPadding Interior - Moving blanket - MUST be of all natural materials WARNING some companies sell blankets that have

synthetic shells- Cotton or Polyester batting

Exterior - Cotton/ Polyester blend fabric is recommended - this gives you the breathability of cotton with the pill

resistance and colorfastness of polyester - Heavy Suiting or Bull Denim are excellent choices for long term wear (Note: for those new to sewing, the

staff at the fabric stores can help you find these types of fabric)- IMPORTANT!!!!! The weave of the fabric you select must be tight think of how closely woven denim

is. An open weave fabric will snag, pill, tear and show wear much more readily

Bonding Material- Stichwitchery can be used but it does add weight to the finished product and is quite costly- Bargain Fabric outlets regularly carry a no-name version of Stichwitchery that is much lighter it looks

like spider web and is as good a fusing material at about half the cost of Stichwitchery

Thread Poly/cotton blend

Sewing Machine Needles- Batting - Regular heavy duty needles- Moving Blanket - Leather needles are best for punching through the bulk of the moving blanket

Shopping list for above materials(based on constructing a gambeson for your average SCA male heavy fighter 180 200 lbs)

- 1 NEW moving blanketOR 3 m Polyester or Cotton batting- 3 m @ 60 inch width of each the exterior fabric and the lining- 2 m @ 60 inch width for bias tape to seal all edges and seams for fitted styleOR 1 m @ 60 inch width for bias tape to seal all edges for looser tunic style (see section on design)- 2 spools of thread in exterior color for quilting and top stitching- 2 spools of thread in bias tape color - 1 package of sewing machine needles (see above for type)- 12 m of Stichwitchery @ 20 inch widthOR 4 m of discount fusing (it is generally in greater than 60 inch widths adjust this amount based on whatwidths you are able to purchase it in)- Closures (this is all matter of choice)

- 2 inch width adhesive backed Velcro (1 m is usually enough)- Fabric tie closures made of bias tape fabric- Leather toggles or buckles- Grommets & leather or synthetic lacing


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Misc. Supplies:- TONS of good pins quilting pins work best- Tailors chalk - Measuring tape- Yard stick - Good scissors- Marking pen felt marker - Paper for pattern newsprint works well- Iron

Places to Buy Materials in VeraquilonMoving Blankets: Harlou Moving Supplies

9408 62 Avenue780.438.9188

Batting and Fusing: Marshall Discount Fabrics10015 63 Avenue780.436.3739

All other materials: Fannys Fabrics is my favorite- excellent selection of suiting- poly/cotton is regularly on sale- great selection of clearance materials

Places to Buy Materials in MontengardeMoving Blankets: Shippers Supply Inc.

Bay #8, 3401 19 Street NE403.291.0450

or

4848 52 Street SE

403.204.3699

All other materials: as above, Fannys Fabrics is my favorite- excellent selection of suiting- poly/cotton is regularly on sale- great selection of clearance materials


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Measurements1. Neck 2. Neck to shoulder 3. Shoulder to sleeve end4. Armpit to sleeve end5. Bicep flexed6. Elbow7. Forearm flexed8. Wrist9. Chest expanded10. Shoulder to shoulder across rounded back 11. Shoulder to shoulder across expanded chest12. Base of back of neck to bottom edge13. Base of throat to bottom edge14. Waist15. Hip16. Desired overlap (approx. from center line to nipple)17. Desired slit18. Armpit to bottom edge


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Drafting the PatternFor fitted

Back Panel Front panel remember that this is an overlapclosure cut 2 pieces one facing left & one facingright. Note centerline the amount of overlapcan be modified to suit personal taste.

Short Sleeve Long sleeve

For Loose/Tunic styleUse a tunic pattern as a guide for the fit I use McCall 2665 Mens tunic for the basic shape but taper thesleeves from the patterns design and split the front on the center line adding enough for an overlap to theresulting front half.


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Construction Process- Wash all fabric including the moving blanket/batting in HOT water and dry thoroughly.

WASHING WARNINGS: Moving blankets are huge and heavy dont risk your washing machine goto a laundromat. Batting is hard to wash I suggest soaking it in hot water in your tub, squeezing out theexcess, spin in the washer and lay out or tumble on gentle to dry.

- Press all fabric and batting/moving blanket this will make it easier to work with and to fuse together - Take all indicated measurements and draft a rough pattern (see Drafting the pattern)- Pin together and fit against wearer do not fit too closely to the body at this point it can always be

trimmed to fit. Leave space to accommodate armor and the broad arm movements that are necessary tomost styles of fighting. The garment should not restrict movement in any way.

- Lay out pattern on batting or moving blanket IMPORTANT! Quilting channels must run across thepiece including on the sleeves if not, the loose cotton fill will shift down the garment

- Mark out the pattern with marker and then cut out allowing a minimum of 1 inch all round- Gently pin together at shoulders and test the fit on the wearer trim any obvious excess always trim in

small increments do not over trim or the garment will be too tight. Pin together sleeves and test widthkeeping in mind armor and needed range of movement and as small measure of shrinkage due to quilting

- Cut exterior and lining to the dimensions of the batting/moving blanket pieces- Pin exterior, batting/moving blanket, and lining together with right faces of fabric out. Make sure that the

right and left sides of the front of the garment and the left and right sleeve are assembled correctly youdo not want to begin fusing till this is clear you cannot easily pull the layers apart once fused

- Cut fusing Do not throw away any scraps! You can piece fusing. The overlap will not show.- Fuse the exterior and lining to the blatting/moving blanket. Set your iron just past perm-press and use full

steam. Start by fusing the lining to one side then the exterior. ALWAYS work from the center of thepiece out. Work slowly and methodically to be sure that the entire surface is bonding. Do not slide theiron this will cause wrinkles. Lift and reposition the iron as you work. Heat each spot for about 30seconds and apply pressure this helps full bond the materials. Allow the piece to cool before flipping itover to bond other side. Once done each piece, allow it to cool FLAT.

- Quilt pieces if desired. Quilting significantly increases the life of the gambeson as it contains thebatting/padding and limits its migration within the gambeson. Using tailors chalk, mark out the desiredpattern. Quilt ALL pieces before proceeding.

- FIT TO WEARER this will be much easier at this point do not overtrim- Open edges of finished pieces and trim of an inch of batting/padding back from the edge. DO NOT

CUT THE EXTERIOR OR LINING MATERIAL. (see diagram below for applicable edges)


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- Prepare Bias tape. Find the bias on your material by pulling on the diagonal and it will give. Place theyardstick on the bias and mark with tailors chalk. You will need 21/4 inch width strips for the bulk of thegambeson. Mark out a large number of strips and cut. Do not mark entire fabric, instead cut more stripslater if needed. If you use the open armpit design, you will also need 4, 8 10 inch long, 3 inch widestrips.

At this point you should have five fused and quilted gambeson pieces and a bunch of strips of home madebias tape. Now assemble in the following order. See following pages for complete instructions on the sealingand edging process.- Stitch shoulder front (left and right) to shoulder back.- Seal shoulder seam with bias tape if using fitted style- Edge front overlap outside edge- Edge entire neckline with on strip of bias tape- Baste side seams- FIT TO WEARER at this point take a moment to make sure the armholes are comfortable and that the

side slits are deep enough (if applicable) have the wearer do a deep lunge. If the slit is high enough, thegambeson will allow the full movement and hinge at about the hip bone.

- Stitch side seams- Edge side slit if applicable- Edge bottom edges of front and back - Seal side seams if fitted style- Edge armhole if fitted style- Baste stitch sleeves together - FIT TO WEARER the sleeve should not be tight at any point remember to keep armor and needed

range of movement in mind. At this point, if doing long sleeves, determine if you wish to cut out a circleof fabric at the inside of the elbow. I have never found this necessary but many fighters do appear to usethis approach. If you choose this approach, I would recommend adding a gusset of the exterior material tothe outside of the garment to conceal the hole.

- Sew sleeves together - Seal sleeve seam- FIT TO WEARER at this point take a moment to make sure the set of the sleeves is comfortable. Pin

sleeve to shoulder and have wearer run slowly through full range of movement. With the fitted style, thispart of the fitting process is crucial as you do not want to have any bunching or biting in the armpit area.Work slowly and trim till fit is right.

- Edge shoulder edge if using fitted style

- Join sleeve to body of gambeson. There are several different methods for attaching the sleeveStitched method leaving armpit open for fitted style- Line up sleeve seam and side seam of gambeson find point where sleeve and shoulder seam meet- Pin in place up to four inches on either side shoulder seam- Zigzag across join of sleeve and shoulder to tack in place- FIT TO WEARER - Finish by sealing seam

- Start with inside- Using 3inch width bias tape, prep tape by folding in edges approximately a inch then

fold in ends to needed length length of run of zigzag join- Pin and stitch. Repeat with outside seam


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Grommeting method best with fitted style- Line up sleeve seam and side seam of gambeson find point where sleeve and shoulder seam meet- Pin in place up to four inches on either side shoulder seam- Mark points for grommets on body and sleeve- Unpin and set grommets- I would recommend preparing a small flap to stitch in place beneath the grommets to protect the

wearer from bites from impact with gommets- Lace in place with leather or synthetic lace

Stitched method with sealed armpit best with loose style- Sew into place as you would a tunic sleeve

- IMPORTANT: If the sealing techniques was not used, the edges at the shoulders, side seams and armholeswill need to be serged or sealed with store bought bias tape to minimize wear.

- Reinforce stress pointsDone by stitching a box with crossing x at stress points (see diagram)Stitch this pattern minimum 3 times. Insert reinforcing in the following places

- Top of slit- Peak of shoulder/sleeve join- Edge of armhole opening

- Attach closures of choice

- Wash at least once before wearing in war/tournament to break in gambeson Be sure to keep excess fabric.Set it aside for future repairs, just on case.

- ENJOY!!!!!!!!


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Sealing SeamsThis process entirely encases the seam so as to prevent tearing and to increase the lifespan of the seams. Prepthe seam once sewn by pressing the seam allowance away from the seam. Always begin sealing the seamfrom the inside.

1. Take an appropriate length of 2 inch bias tape and lay it right side down against the gambeson with theedge of the bias tape butted up against the seam. Stitch into place approximately 5/8 of an inch awayfrom seam.

2. Flip bias tape across seam exposing right side of fabric. Stitch along folded edge.

3. Turn under bias tape edge approximately 5/8 of an inch and pin. Stitch into place.

4. Repeat on outside edge of seam.


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EdgingThis process completely encases the edge of the batting or moving blanket to prevent leakage of padding andto increase the lifespan of the exposed edges. This is particularly important on high wear edges such as theneck and armhole. Prep edge by trimming away any loose threads or padding. Always begin sealing the seamfrom the inside.

1. Take an appropriate length of 2 inch bias tape and lay it right side down against the gambeson with theedge of the bias tape butted up against the edge. Stitch into place approximately 5/8 of an inch away fromseam.

2. Flip bias tape across edge exposing right side of fabric.

3. Flip over gambeson so you are now working from the outside of the gambeson.


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4. Turn under bias tape edge approximately 5/8 of an inch and pin. Careful and frequent pinning is the keyto an attractively finished edge. You cannot over pin! This will be particularly tricky around the neckline work slowly. Use a measuring tape occasionally to ensure your edging will be even. Stitch into place.

Edging CornersWhen coming to a corner (bottom of gambeson or at overlap edge on the front left and right piece) theprocess is a bit more complex. The intention is to make sure that this high wear area is completely sealed1. Complete step 1, 2 & 3 as above.2. Take excess bias tape projecting past the edge of the gambeson and fold it in towards the corner.

3. Fold in edge of bias tape enough to allow a pleasing width of edging when turned up to body of gambeson.


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4. Turn up edge tight against raw edge of gambeson and pin into place. Be sure that the resulting corner has

no exposed raw fabric edges or padding. Use a measuring tape occasionally to ensure your edging will beeven. Stitch into place.

5. Stitch the corner into place and top stitch three times.


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Sewing terms defined:Baste - A method of temporarily joining fabric using large stitches. Used to hold a sewing project in placeand removed when the permanent sewing is done.

Batting - Fiberfill, cotton, wool, or other such padding material that is flattened into a dense layer. Can be

purchased in precut lengths or by the yard.

Bias - Runs diagonally to the straight grain of the fabric. This is the stretchiest part on the fabric.

Bias Tape - Strips of fabric which are cut from the bias of the fabric, often turned under and pressed. Usedfor bindings, facings or edging. The bias cut allows the strip of fabric to smoothly follow curves.

Bonding Material See Fusing.

Fusing (bonding material, webbing, popular brand name Stichwitchery ) Has the characteristic of being ableto be ironed on, usually permanently, with or without reinforcement by stitching, due to a heat-activated

"glue" on one or both sides. Double-sided version used to glue two surfaces to each other.Grommet - A small metal or plastic ring used to reinforce, strengthen or protect an opening.

Gusset - A piece of fabric inserted to strengthen and/or enlarge an area of garment.

Quilt - Two layers of fabric with a layer of batting, cotton, wool, feathers, or down in between, all stitchedfirmly together, usually in a decorative crisscross design.

Serge - A stitch type generated by a serger that seals the seam.

Serger - A type of sewing machine that stitches the seam, encases the seam with thread, and cuts off excessfabric at the same time. These are used for construction of garments with knit fabrics mostly, or to finishseams of any fabric.

Stichwitchery - See Fusing.

Tack - A temporary stitch to hold pieces together, usually removed after final stitching. Tacking is alsoknown as a term for starting off a seam with a few stitches back and forth for stabilizing.

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