Hello all!
So, this is a little out of my wheelhouse - I'm usually on comics or 'tactical' type projects - but I'm working on a Ragnar-inspired costume for Graphic Jordan and wanted to share. For this project I'm working primarily from the below reference images (as well as several others).
Right away, there's a caveat - this costume must be vegan. So, no genuine leather, no wool, no animal-based products of any kind.
How do you make a viking with no leather or wool? That's an excellent question - let's figure it out together, shall we?
I began with drafting out the pattern for the tunics. I created a basic pattern in muslin with the general dimensions I wanted. This pattern will be used for the under tunic as-is and will be modified slightly for the outer tunic to account for closer fit and the lacing details on the sides, shoulders and back.
The first actual piece to construct was the under tunic. The fabric used for this piece is a cotton/synthetic burlap in a grey/olive green color. It was washed several times in hot water to loosen and full the fibres and give it a soft and flexible hand. The tunic is quite simple with open sides from the waist and a tie at the neck. The bindings at the neck and ties are cotton bias tape. Also, while we're tracking, all of the threads are either cotton or polyester (no silk).
The frayed trim on the bottom of the tunic was created by cutting long 2" wide strips of the burlap, washing them with some towels to fray the edges and then stitching them down to the lower sides and hems of the front and back.
We're just getting started, the sleeves for the under tunic and belt will be next. Cheers!
So, this is a little out of my wheelhouse - I'm usually on comics or 'tactical' type projects - but I'm working on a Ragnar-inspired costume for Graphic Jordan and wanted to share. For this project I'm working primarily from the below reference images (as well as several others).
Right away, there's a caveat - this costume must be vegan. So, no genuine leather, no wool, no animal-based products of any kind.
How do you make a viking with no leather or wool? That's an excellent question - let's figure it out together, shall we?
I began with drafting out the pattern for the tunics. I created a basic pattern in muslin with the general dimensions I wanted. This pattern will be used for the under tunic as-is and will be modified slightly for the outer tunic to account for closer fit and the lacing details on the sides, shoulders and back.
The first actual piece to construct was the under tunic. The fabric used for this piece is a cotton/synthetic burlap in a grey/olive green color. It was washed several times in hot water to loosen and full the fibres and give it a soft and flexible hand. The tunic is quite simple with open sides from the waist and a tie at the neck. The bindings at the neck and ties are cotton bias tape. Also, while we're tracking, all of the threads are either cotton or polyester (no silk).
The frayed trim on the bottom of the tunic was created by cutting long 2" wide strips of the burlap, washing them with some towels to fray the edges and then stitching them down to the lower sides and hems of the front and back.
We're just getting started, the sleeves for the under tunic and belt will be next. Cheers!
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