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j Footwear

I Most men and women wore shoes over their I hose, but shoemaking is beyond the scope of this I book. They can be ordered from re-enactment I traders and theatrical suppliers. Medieval shoes I were madę with left and right shaping, usually 1 with slightly pointed toes and without built-up I heels. Points morę than 5 cm beyond the end of I the foot were not worn by ordinary people. I Although coloured leather was available, most I illustrations show them as plain black.

How often people wore socks inside their I shoes is not elear and certainly many men with I stirrups to their hose had nothing else between I foot and shoe. Some examples show short socks I above the shoe top, so perhaps they were i sometimes worn for warmth. Socks for regular washing would be of linen rather than cloth, madę like short footed hose.

Pattens were wooden soles held on the foot with leather straps; they were usually worn with soled hose and were commoner for men than women. They were madę of aspen or poplar wood for lightness.

Materials

The best fabric for hose is pure wool of light to medium weight, and with little or no 'finish' -the weave should be plainly visible on at least I one side of the cloth. Twill weave is usually best, but a tabby weave may be springy enough. The stretch of the fabric is important, so test it by 1 tugging across the bias (at 45° to the weave): if I it stretches well and springs back, it is suitable.

You will need 1 to 1.5 metres of 150 cm wide cloth for a pair of separate hose, and 1.5 metres or morę for joined hose.

Linen can be used for short hose or socks, for both men and women, but though cooler and easily washed it will never give ąuite as good a fit. For authentic hose avoid jersey (knitted) fabric, even in wool, which can be too close-fitting: wrinkles are a normal feature of properly madę hose.

To plan your garment you will need to:

•    select your foot style

•    take body measurements

•    prepare a toile and model it on the wearer

•    adjust it, and draw a working pattern

•    refit as necessary, then draw the finał pattern

•    align the pattern SG on the SG of the fabric Letters on patterns indicate joining points. For abbreviations and symbols see p. 10.

Remember to add seam allowances.

Preparing your pattern

It is best to start with separate hose before attempting the morę complicated joined version. If you have not already modelled and prepared a personal bodice Błock you should read about this first (see Blocks) as the method is similar. Foot style - Select from the styles shown in Figs 4, 7, 10. To model the feet, which are shaped for left and right, follow the captions.

Joined hose

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