Recently I was dancing at the local Renaissance Faire. I needed an old world costume. Specifically they said 14th or 15th century. This one was pushing it a little bit since it’s technically 16th or 7th century, but qualified well enough considering some of the other things I saw there.
The pattern is from the Folkwear pattern catalog in their Caravan line. It’s pattern #108 Turkish Dancer:
I made the entari and the vest from this pattern. The pants were a self-made pattern that I’ll do in a different post. Here’s a close up of the vest:
In addition to the those pieces, I dressed it up with some sashes around the hips and as much jewelry and bangles as I could find. Plus some scarfs around the head (not shown here). I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.
Here’s the back:
Here’s my PatternReview review of it which contains most of the details:
Pattern Description:
Pattern includes pieces for an entari (long robe), vest and jacket. I made the entari and the vest.
Pattern Sizing:
Comes with XS-2XL. I made the S based on my measurements which fit well.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes.
Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I liked that it was a simple pattern and easy to alter. Not much that I disliked.
Fabric Used:
I was making this wear at a renaissance faire and needed to stay fairly authentic so I needed to stick with “old world” fabrics like cotton or silk. Plus, I was going to be dancing in it in the sun so I wanted it breathable. For the entari I went with a cotton gauze. It turned out great and very comfortable. For the vest, I think it was a silk brocade. It has a very woven look to it which added to the old world feel.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I made several alterations. I made three fit alterations on the entari.
- For the entari, when I made a muslin first, it turned out that I had to take it in where the front meets the sleeve. It was gaping quite a bit. After taking it in, it fit great.
- I had to take up an inch in the waist area where the darts are.
- I didn’t actually do the darts on the entari in the final version. In the muslin the darts really help with the fit, but the gauze is stretchy and I didn’t want the seams to show. So I took it in at the sides instead, fitting it on me. I probably took out about 2″ on each side.
Other alterations included:
- I didn’t bind the edges of the entari and I cut off the extra 1 in on the inside of the front pieces since I wasn’t binding the edges. I actually didn’t finish the edges at all. 1) I wanted more of nomadic look. 2) I was worried the binding would weigh it down and I was going to be dancing in this so I wanted it to flow.
- They only had so much white gauze at the JoAnn near me, so I had to take in the sleeves a bit so they would fit in one cut. Also shortened the entari for the same reason (not enough fabric), but the length of the entari is quite variable so that didn’t really matter.
- I did not add the closure for the entari. I didn’t want or need it.
- I took off 3″ from the bottom of the vest because I wanted my stomach more visible and longer vests shorten my torso.
- I used my muslin for the vest to line the vest.
- I didn’t bind the arm holes because I ran out of bias tape. I’ll probably pick some more up and bind them. As a result, I just folded those edges over and it looked fine.
- I didn’t do the closure for the front of the vest because again didn’t feel it needed it. Wanted to keep it simple.
Except for the fit alterations all of these were completely optional and for aesthetic or practical reasons.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Definitely. I plan to sew the entari again as a jacket in heavier material now that I’ve sized it.
Conclusion:
Great pattern! I love the way it turned out and am already looking forward to making it again.
