Alcega: Full-Circle Cloak
Silk cloak. This pattern takes 4 5/8 of a yard of 22 inch wide fabric.
The herreruelo was a simple day cloak accessory. It is theorized that it was self-lined and was truly only a half cloak. After measuring the fulness that is shown in paintings of this style, I have found the half-circle style to be less common.
Red silk herreruelo cloak
Made by Mathew Gnagy
Alcega: Men’s Jerkin Pattern
Alcega’s jerkin of wool cloth. This takes 50 inches of 66-inch wide fabric.
Note that the only real difference between this garment and Alcega’s cassock is the separate cut of the skirt in back. Because of this, it is often difficult to tell the difference in portraits unless you see the back of the subject. Village scenes are particularly useful for this.
Grey Wool Alcega Jerkin
Made by: Mathew Gnagy
Alcega: Mongil Trançado (16th c. Sack-backed Gown)
This gown is my favorite. It is a loose backed gown with a doublet style front. In Alcega’s own words, it has lacing strips, at the side back seams, or a false back that holds the doublet style front tight against the body. Rather like a precursor to the 18th century Watteau gown.
This gown takes 13 1/8 yards of 22-inch wide fabric.
Mongil Trancado
by Mathew Gnagy
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Alcega: Ropa Espanola (Spanish Gown)
Alcega: Ropa Romano (Roman Gown)
Shawl collar dressing gown with regular hem. this has a long hanging sleeve….similar to the Persian coats with long narrow hanging sleeves. Sometimes in portraits, you see the sleeve left unsewn and hanging open, sometimes its sewn closed and hangs down the back of the arm
Shawl collar dressing gown with extra full hem.
It’s the same gown as the previous, but with a lot of extra fulness in the hem. It is possible that the softer drape of wool required a wider hem to achieve the same look as the narrower hem in silk.
Alcega: Single and Double-layered cloaks
Double tier heavy wool felt traveling cloak. The double tier is rather like a duster style coat. This pattern takes 4 yards of 44″ wide fabric.
The pieces on the lower right are actually the collars of the lower layer. The hood is attached to the lower layer. The upper layer has a the gathered neck, but the collar pieces shown in the middle are actually attached to the upper layer inside the neck of the hood. This is the only garment in Alcega that is shown with a single layer layout. The felt only comes in specific dimensions. You are also looking collars and collar facings.
Alcega: Woman’s High-Bodied Trained Gown with Hanging Sleeves
Full womans gown with large pointed style hanging sleeves. It takes 17 1/8 yards of 22-inch wide fabric.
Note, The center back length of the skirt is 99 inches in this draft…its VERY long and the hem width of the back is insanely wide. It looks SOOO very rich when made up.
Blue Brocade Gown
Made by: Mathew Gnagy
Alcega: Women’s Kirtle/Vasquine
This is a low neckline gown. Literally translated as ‘skirt and bodies’ of silk. It requires 5 yards of 22 inch wide silk.
It has become my assumption of the years of working with this book that this is the layer which is intended to give all the support. I believe that corsets were less common than we assume.
It is logical to assume that the front skirt would be cut to shape during construction. In the Pfalzgrafin gown in Arnold’s <em>Patterns of Fashion</em>, they have simply folded back the excess and left it hanging inside. In later manuals, Burguen, for example, the shape of the center front of the skirt is shown with the point shape trimmed out already.
It’s also clear from the way it’s laid out in the book that there is a seam at CB and at CF…you could have the opening at either location.
White brocade low-necked gown
Made by Mathew Gnagy