Easy SCA Garb: Tunic

There are actually two easy ways to make tunics. One is to follow the Easy Dress instructions, using a shorter piece of cloth. However, that usually comes out ridiculously wide! Better is to:

1. Make three rectangles of cloth:

   • The body piece is as tall as from your shoulder to as low as you want it to hang, plus however much you want it to blouse, and as wide as your widest part you want it to cover, plus however much extra you want for comfort. To both, add about an inch and a half for seams/hems.

   • The sleeves pieces are each as tall as from your shoulder to your wrist, and as wide as your biceps, plus however much extra you want for comfort. To both, add about an inch and a half for seams/hems.

2. Sew the shoulder-to-hip sides of the body tube together, inside out, stopping about 9" short of one end. Lay the tube flat so that this seam is centered. It will be your front seam, and the slit left unsewn will be part of the neck hole.

3. Sew from each shoulder to about halfway to the neck-slit. The area left open will be the "crossbar" of the neck-hole.

4. Sew the sleeve pieces into tubes, inside out, along the shoulder-to-wrist sides.

5. Slit the body tube from the shoulders down, as far as the width of the sleeve tubes.

6. Turn the sleeve tubes outside out. (Yes, I do mean outside out.)

7. Position one sleeve tube in the armhole of the tunic, from the inside of the body tube, with the seam (of the sleeve tube) at the bottom. Sew in place. Repeat with other sleeve tube.

8. Turn body tube outside out.

You're done! Hem, trim, embroider, etc. as desired.

Variations:

• Make a slit a few inches tall at each side, for "bendability". Be sure to face it, or use some other method to ensure that it doesn't continue tearing up the side!

• Non-rectangular sleeves, such as tapered (inward or outward), belled, wavy, etc.

• Dags at the bottom, or on the ends of the sleeves -- see comments at the end of the Easy Dress instructions.

• Tie points at the bottom, possibly on the inside -- see comments at the end of the Easy Pants instructions.

• There are all kinds of fancier neck holes. Just remember that the center of it should be slightly forward of the shoulder seams. Many options are still easy, such as simply sewing a triangle of fabric into each end of the top of the T-slit, to "open" it somewhat.

• Detachable sleeves. They tie on with "points"; instructions for points are included in the Easy Pants instructions.

• I don't know for sure, but am told that this can be made very close to an authentic Irish/Scottish leine (to wear with an Easy Great Kilt), by "cutting the sleeves funny". Don't ask me; go see http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~his016/clothing/leine.html.