PEASANT SHERTs or VESTs

For the Peasant SHERTS & VESTS I’ve made (pictured above, and elsewhere), I used a Simplicity pattern: SIMPLICITY 8749. It’s pretty much a pattern for “Hospital Scrub” shirt & pants!

ANY loose-fitting SHERT pattern will work for a Peasant Shert, however.
(And can be adapted to be a VEST pattern as well!)
If you’ve got something like that – USE IT!
Just use muslin or light-weight woven fabric.

If using Simplicity 8749, you’ll need pattern pieces #1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 for Sherts (#1 & #2 for Vests) And some pieces will require some “nudging!”

Types o’ Fabric To Use

BURLAP … Tan Muslin … Unbleached Muslin … Light-Weight Woven Brown & Green Fabrics
ABOVE are SOME of the Fabrics I’ve used
for Peasant Shirts & Vests
Best Stuff for Peasant Sherts/Vests: “Dirt” or “Earth” colors …
muslin or very light-weight woven fabrics for Sherts …
light- to medium-weight fabrics for Vests.
BURLAP works really well for a “Gnarly Peasant” Vest or Tabard.
(It “softens-up” NICELY, after washing it!)

FIRST NOTE: Piece #2 (for SHERT front) is NOT a “Cut Two pieces” gig
(as pattern instructions direct)!!! Instead, cut with center-front ON FOLD of fabric.
(Unless you want to do some sort of elaborate front-laced thing!)

3 yards Fabric will make one long-sleeved shert & one short-sleeved shert,
leaving some extra fabric for patches or pouches.
EITHER of these TWO sherts can be Medium or X-Large (1 long-sleeved, 1 short-sleeved).
You can get two Medium sherts from 3 yards of fabric.
But You CANNOT get two X-Larges from 3 yards of fabric.

CUTTING DIRECTIONS

Open Fabric fully, so that selvedges are at top & bottom.

Fold bottom selvedge-edge up until X-Large #1 fits, pin.

Fold top selvedge down until Medium #2 fits, pin.

CUT. (Mark all RIGHT SIDES if not obvious.)

Repeat process for X-Large #2 and Medium #1.

Fold remaining fabric with selvedges together.

Pin #3 (Med or X-L) with sleeve ends on selvedges.

CUT. (Mark all RIGHT SIDES if not obvious.)

Cut short sleeve for other shert from remaining fabric.

Cut facings (4 & 5) for both sherts from remaining fabric:
You must CUT NOTCHES so you’ll know front from back of facing – Trust Me!!!

SEWING DIRECTIONS

1. Finish All Cut Edges with Zig-Zag
   STRETCH curved underarm and back neck sections while finishing.
   Consider “hemming” sleeves without selvedge-edges while finishing.

2. Sew front to back at shoulder seams. Right Sides Together!

3. Sew facing pieces together. Right Sides Together!

4. Pin facing to neck opening & Sew Right Sides Together,
   leaving front V open. CLIP curves of seam.
   Carefully Sew inside center front of V facing. Clip, trim, fold-under edges as needed.
   Press open shoulder seams, then Turn & Press Facing turned in.
   Sew along top edge of facing.
   Finish by sewing along bottom edge of facing.

5. Sew sleeves to each armhole. Right Sides Together!

6. Sew side seams. Right Sides Together!
   – leave OPEN at bottom approximately 3”!

7. Press open side-seam openings & Sew back onto themselves.
   Hem bottom edge if needed.

WASH THE GARMENT before wearing it!
Iron only lightly, if needed.

FIRST NOTE: When making a VEST, Piece #2 for SHERT (front) IS a “Cut Two pieces” gig (exactly as pattern instructions direct)! Just don’t fuss with making “button holes!” You’ll finish the front edges without closures.

Vests Can be SHORTer than the Shert, or LONGer than the Shert.

Use pattern pieces #1 & 2, but, cut only after

• Deciding what length to cut at
  (equally folding bottom edges up, or equally extending them down).

• FOLDING FRONT EDGES of the NECK area over, in a straight angle from the shoulder,
  thus marking a “Vest” (and “Tabard”) fold at which to cut.

Consider cutting duplicate pattern pieces #1 & 2 of LINING FABRIC for the Vest!
(Especially when using light-weight fabric!) The Lining can be the same fabric as the outer-fabric, or a lighter-weight fabric. Never do Lining in a heavier-weight fabric – unless you’re going for the Reversible gig.

If you want to “decorate” the front of the Vest with Manly-looking Ribbon, or strips of Manly-looking Other-Fabric, do so before constructing the Vest.

Sew shoulder seams (unless you’re going to do a LINING) …
Sew side seams …
Hem all (unless you’re going to do a LINING).

LINING:

Sew side seams of lining fabric pieces.

Pin Sewn Lining on top of Sewn outer fabric – Right Sides Together and Sew around all the edges, LEAVING AN OPENING of about 2 to 3 inches SOMEWHERE AT THE BOTTOM.

Then, pull the fabric through the opening – to turn everything RIGHT-side-OUT.
Press the garment so that the edges are crisp …

Edge-Sew along ALL edges (sealing previous opening)
UNLESS: You’re going for the “Reversible” Gig!

For a “Reversible” Vest:
Tuck shoulder seams inside themselves, and THEN sew the edges closed.
Then, hand-sew the shoulders together.

If you’re not doing a “Reversible” Vest:
Sew Shoulder Seams with “Right” (outer-fabric) Sides Together.
Press the seam-edges open, or towards the back.
TOP SEW over the seam (if you like).

If you have suggestions for MISTRESS CHAS’ RENAISSANCE WEB SITE,
Plz Email the “WebMistress” – Ms. Chas!
c-d-miller@neb.rr.com
That’s: c-d-miller@neb.rr.com –
those are hyphens/dashes (-)
between the “c” and “d” and “miller”

This COUNTER was started in May, 2001.