Nockert Type 1 Pattern and Sewing Instructions

Bocksten Tunic

This is a type 1 Nockert Cote/Tunic based on the Bocksten find in Sweden. Here is an excellent reconstruction of the Bocksten tunic by a Chech reenactor

Pattern
The pattern layed out on a 30" piece of cloth

Body
The body of the kyrtle is one piece without a shoulder seem.

Measure the length of the kyrtle, mid-knee or thigh(?) to the shoulder, double it and add six inches.

Next measure around your widest part; chest, waist, hips, butt, whatever. Divide by two and add three inches.

Depending on your height and girth and how long you wish to make it, it will be between 80" - 100+" long and 20' - 35+" inches wide. These two numbers are the rectangle of the body piece, cut 1.

Sleeve
Measure from just over the top of your shoulder down to below your wrist. Measure your wrist, and around the widest part of your arm. Cut a rectangle from the two largest measurements. Now, take the measurement of your wrist, plus 2 inches and center it on one edge. Measure 1 hand span out and cut two triangles. this tapers your arm, and gives you gussets for more room while swinging swords at orcs.

Gores
Next, measure from the bottom of where you want the tunic to be to just above your natural waist add four inches. Divide your widest part measurement by 4. Cut 4 rectangles at these dimensions, cut these on the diagonal, for eight right triangles. Cut two 8" x8" squares. These are under arm gussets. Cut two 2 inch by wrist circumference rectangles. Cut a 2 inch by neck circumference + 6 inches rectangle. These are for cuffs and neck hole.

Finally Back to your Body Rectangle
You will need to split the front and back for gores. use the length determined in previous step to determine your split. (Bottom of Tunic to just above natural waist)

And cut a hole for your head. Neck holes are their own special area, and I will cover them in their own post. If you are impatient, fold the body rectangle lengthwise, cut a line at the fold about the width of you head (ear to ear)then cut a little down on the front 2' -3 " this 'should' make a hole big enough to put your head through without ripping fabric. (don't force it!, if you need more cut down more than the 2".

Congratulations, you now have cut out your pattern. Next step, starting to sew.

Sewing
First, sew the triangle gussets to the sleeve. This seam gets a workout, if hand sewing use a back stitch and reinforce it.



Next sew the side gores to the torso. If hand sewing a tight running stitch or a back stitch will work. once again reinforce.



The next step is fairly complex, creating the front & back gores and sewing them in. (This part inspired by the tutorial at CoteSimple [File: http://www.cottesimple.com/gores/gores.html]

Join the top several inches, or entire length of the front & back gores (Makes a diamond or triangle shape).



Sew down the edges with a hem stitch.

Sew one side of the gore in. Remember, RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER!

Sew in the gore to the split in the fabric

Step a. with right sides together, sew one side of the gore to one side of the split.

Step b. turn the material over, fed the edge through the split, and stitch



Step c. Now reinforce with a hem stitch



Now it is time to add the arms.

5. Determine the top of the shoulder by folding the body of the tunic and marking the top of the fold. A standard way of making this mark is to cut a small notch at the fold.

6. Do the same to determine the middle-top of the sleeve.

7. Match the notches on the sleeves, and sew them onto the body of the kyrtle with a back stitch and reinforce.



Ok, now all of your pieces are sewn together. We don't have far to go. It's time sew up the sides.

8. Start about 3 inches up from the cuff edge, sew a line up from the sleeve, on down all the way to bottom of the skirt. Most of this can use a running stitch, you should use a back stitch in areas of great wear. Potential areas for back stitch would be elbow, arm pit, and waist. Do this on both sides and reinforce.

Next to the last is hemming.

You have to hem the sleeve cuffs and the bottom of the skirt.