I kicked off the challenge by making the first ever garment that I’ve fitted to my own body: a pair of short hosen of the sort associated with women.
Using a duct tape block of my right leg, I made a pattern based on an extant example and a couple of illustrations (sources linked below). The duct tape block was very entertaining, something I’ve never done before, and the experience of turning this 3-dimensional hollow object into a fairly flat pattern was quite interesting.
Next came my first little fail: I had just enough dark blue wool (below) to make the hosen, and only needed to piece one of the big parts together from the small remnant of blue wool in my possession. It was late at night, but I enthusiastically cut out the first piece, intending to sew it the next day. Immediately, I realized that my overeager self forgot to add the seam allowance. Grief! Fortunately I had both a large scrap of black lightweight wool AND a source with picture of a woman wearing black hosen. All was well, but perhaps I won’t push myself to do any more cutting after bedtime.
Wednesday afternoon and evening were spent hand-sewing the wool pieces. I used a running stitch with the occasional back stitch for stability, then finished the overlapped edges with whipstitch. They fit so beautifully that it almost gave me a tear in my eye- this gives me a lot more confidence in approaching the next big step, which will be a fitted cotehardie.
The bycocket, which may not be part of the final outfit but which will come in handy regardless, was made with hot water and a felt hat blank. I made one before this from a forest green felt blank, but the shape in profile of this red one is much more pleasing to me. It’s still damp, and the brim will be trimmed to a smoother shape once dry.
Sources for hosen:
Illustration from Très Riches Heures. Netherlands 1412-1416. In the bottom left corner are three people warming their nether regions before a fire, all wearing knee-high hosen: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Très_Riches_Heures_du_Duc_de_Berry#/media/File:Les_Très_Riches_Heures_du_duc_de_Berry_février.jpg
https://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/l/limbourg/02fevrie.html
Silk stocking, 14th c, and the basis for my pattern: http://www.bildindex.de/bilder/mi00773g13a.jpg
Nicostrate is deceived by his wife in the Decameron (BNF Fr. 239, fol. 204v), 15th century (black hosen!)
I have a hard rule not to cut fabric after midnight, because I’ve made mistakes like that far more than I’d like to admit. Also, your bycocket is so sharp looking! I love it!