My husband's 12th century silk tunic

Started in 2006, finished in 2014

 

This is one of thise costumes that seem to take forever to finish. The reason in this case was that I was insanely ambitious.

In 2006 I started on this silk tunic for Rickard, inspired by the tunicella of the Holy Roman empire coronation costume.

I have obviously not even made an attempt at the border at the hem on Rickard's tunic.

Back then I really wanted to make it like the original, I even started making templates in fimo clay for the gold ornaments, so that I could make silicon moulds to cast bronze. This is probably the reason why it never got finished. I sewed the tunic by hand from silk twill, including the rather fancy pleated and smocked gores.

Though the pattern is more inspired than anything, but they did have pleated gores.

I also sewed a silk tablet woven band to the neck opening (bought at a market, not made by me), though I was much narrower of course and then added freshwater pearls. Finally I made a silk cord with fingerloop braiding to use for ties and put it all away.

Until a few days before Double Wars 2014 when I decided that if I was going to wear fancy 12th century garb so was he. So I took the remnants of the zari trim that I had used for a fancy cloak that I had made for  himalmost as long ago and sewed it on like cuffs.

The cloak

To hide some of the zari-ness I put brass bezants on it and added beads on the cuffs and neck trim, to try and tie them more together colour-wise. I also made silk lucet cords to cover the edges of the trim.

I may add a border at them later, but don't hold your breath.