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Planning and cutting

The basie cote consists of the body, which is foided along the shoulder linę; eight triangular gores, which are sewn one to each side at front and back, and two each in slits at the Centre Front and Centre Back; and two sleeves with or without underarm gussets. Examples of basie cotes are shown in Figs 3 & 5.

Pattern dimensions will vary with the style, weight of cloth, type of sleeve, size of wearer, etc. but are derived from the Key measurements (see box overleaf), so you must add seam allowances before making your plan.

Use the dimensions to make a sketch plan on paper of the pieces and layout, like Fig 4. The hem width should be between 2.5 and 3.5 m. For an extravagant long cote add morę width by putting in extra side gores. Plan the finał pattern pieces on paper, and lay them out on a single layer of cloth, or on calico, which can be fitted and then used as a pattern.

You can adjust any dimension by 1 or 2 cm if it helps make a morę economical layout. Check the pattern dimensions match the plan before you cut, making surę you have enough length, ease (where reąuired) and seam allowance. Cut out the pattern pieces as nearly as possible along the straight grain (Figs 4, 6). Secure longer bias edges on a stay band.

Body - Fold the cut body in half lengthways and mark the Centre Front and Centre Back lines from hem to waist. Open it out, fold along the shoulder linę and mark the neck opening with chalk (Fig 7). Cut along these marks only when you are ready to stitch, to avoid fraying the edges.

Gores - Single gores are cut in pairs from a rectangle. Fold the rectangle diagonally, starting

3    cm in from the corners to allow for the seams, and cut along the fold. For centre gores see Figs

4    & 6.

Sleeves - These vary according to style. A loose cote needs a loose sleeve; on a morę fitted cote the sleeve can be shaped. Some are quite close-fitting at the underarm (Figs 8,9).

3 Man's basie cote 13th century on

Materials

The cote was madę of wool cloth, normally without a lining, ranging from thick blanket, through medium-weight twills with perhaps 10-15 threads per cm (the commonest), up to fine worsteds. From the later 13th century morę broadcloth was used, which would have madę the shaping easier sińce broadcloth doesn't fray as readily as earlier cloth. A light, draping cloth is needed for the finer cote (Fig 5), while blanket is suitable for a plain, squared-off cote (Fig 3).

It was desirable to have a 'robę' or set of garments, including cote, surcote and hood, madę from the same materiał. A 2 m length of cloth 140-150 cm wide is normally required for a man's short cote, or 3.5 m for a full-length one. Try to avoid a cloth with a nap, or any kind of one-way pattern, sińce both sides and both directions of the cloth are used.

Making up

Cut and finish the neck opening. Sew the gores to the body, with the side gores straight edge to straight edge. Insert pairs of gores in slashes on the Centre Front and Back. Either set the sleeves on fiat and sew the underarm and side seams, with the gussets if used; or, finish the side seams then set in the completed sleeves (Methods, Figs 7, 8).

Sew the cote by hand with lapped seams or run-and-fell (Methods, Figs 3, 6). Alternatively machinę stitch it with open seams and overcast the edges if the cloth seems likely to fray. Finish neck and sleeve ends with a hem, or a narrow facing of linen or silk.

Woman's finer cote 13th-14th century

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