Knights/medieval boy's costume pattern

[vanhelgan]

I need (want!) to make a costume for DS. He's going to be the Sheriff of Nottingham in a play and I am really struggling to find anything in his size. He's 11 (a small 11) and all of the patterns seem to be for age 3-8 or adult. I think something like the McCalls 5214 could work well in the right fabric...

Would really appreciate any help. If necessary I think I'll just make a basic tunic to wear with leggings but I would really enjoy making something a little more elaborate. Would really appreciate if anyone could point me in the right direction.

Thanks for reading!

My boys' knight costume was just a tabard. We bought it but it would be very easy to recreate - just a strip of cloth with a hole in the middle for the head and some Velcro or ties at the side. If you wanted to make it more elaborate you could Google a coat of arms of some sort and applique on a design with Bondaweb or similar. Iron on the bondawed to the fabric (red would be a good choice), cut out the design and then iron it on to the front of the tabard.

What you really need is some sort of chainmail effect underneath. I'm struggling with that one a bit though.

If he's a small 11 I'd probably get the 3-8 pattern and grade up a couple of sizes from the age 8 size.

Actually, thinking about it, would the Sherriff wear a knights' outfit?

I would have thought he was more a robe sort of chap. Dressing gown style really, with fur round the edges, that sort of thing. Maybe a dressing gown pattern would do the job and you could use a suitable fabric so it doesn't look like a dressing gown. Maybe not bother with the shelves? You might have more luck finding a dressing gown pattern that would fit too.

Sorry, I am probably complicating things.

I was thinking something like this without the price tag!

Yikes - see what you mean about the price tag! Hadn't really thought about something like that but can see that would be adaptable from a gown if I can find a suitable pattern and it certainly looks good.

Initially I'd envisaged doing something like the red version of this without the cape and crown mccallpattern.mccall.com/m5214-products-6902.php?page_id=494 I did wonder if I could scale up from the 8 but have never tried anything like that.

If I do a "knight" thing it'd probably be a tabard with shirt below - agree coat of arms would be a nice touch. Not too sure how sherriffy it would be though. I'd imagined something like the green version at mccallpattern.mccall.com/m5500-products-8716.php?page_id=915&search_control=display&list=search perhaps. Has the same problem that the pattern only goes up to 8 then adults (grrr) but looks simple enough to make up a pattern. Annoyingly there are loads of Robin Hood patterns!!

Thanks for the ideas

How small is the small adult? I'm thinking with either of the patterns you linked to you could fairly easily scale down the sizes on the simpler styles rather than scale up from a child. It would be easier to chop bits off a large pattern than add on to a small one iyswim.

I think the first one looks more authentic.

Having trouble finding pictures of the Sheriff that aren't Alan Rickman (not that I am complaining but it isn't helpful) and in my head I keep coming back to this. Maybe the gold one on the first link would be most like this? That would be difficult to scale up or down though.

Yes - I've had the Alan Rickman problem too! I'm guessing he'll be about midway between the largest child and smallest adult sizes. In 2 minds as to which way to scale. I agreee that cutting bits of will be easier than adding but he's a bit of a bean pole so I might measure him up and even see if I could squeeze him into an 8 if I narrow the seam allowances and just add length? Might be the easiest way to do it. I reckon the gold or red top without cape made in a dark velvet with gold trim might fit the bill.

Why, oh why do they miss the 9-teens out though? Seems the same for all the pattern publishers. Also there seem to be way fewer patterns to chose from than last time I looked although I could be imagining that.

Thanks again

Well whichever way you go, I wish you luck. I suppose they don't do patterns for pre-teens and teens because normally they don't dress up. Small children like it, adults have fancy dress parties but I don't suppose 11-18 yr olds would be seen dead at a costume party. Not cool at all.

Nobody thinks of the poor mother who has to kit a child out for a play!

True enough! I'm sure I'll have fun once I get started anyway

The quick and dirty way to grade up: if you look at the pattern you'll see what they've done to turn a 3 into a 4 into a 5 into a 6 into a 7 into an 8 -- then you do it again to turn an 8 into a 9 and again to turn a 9 into a 10 (which might well fit) and trace that off.

Have a look at Habithat patterns. I miss heard someone a few days ago, thinking Habitat? Then the penny dropped.

I used to use a Australian Womans weekly fancy dress book,
www.etsy.com/listing/123661984/making-history-renaissance-cape-shirt
but thought this may do the trick - scale between the child size and asult small.

I don't know if this helps at all because what I know about pattern drafting can be written on the head of a very, very small pin, but I play a live roleplay system called Empire that has helpfully collected a number of semi-historical costume making resources on their website. One of the nations in their world has the sort of high medieval, dramatic feel to it that you'd want for the Sherrif of Nottingham, so maybe that might help? It's here.