Medieval Peasant

Last Wednesday evening at bedtime, my eldest said to me, "So, what shall I wear for Medieval Day, tomorrow, Mummy?".

(Me) "Er, yes, it's er... Medieval Day tomorrow, isn't it?". 

The letter had come home. It had been read, and, at the time, we'd talked about what sort of things peasants would have worn in medieval times. And then the conversation had been completely forgotten about. Oops. 

After kissing good night to the girls, I scuttled off to my box of off cuts, and pulled out anything that resembled peasant like colours. I'd been meaning to get my over locker back out for a while. The need for a super fast bit of fancy dress sewing seemed like the perfect moment.

Peasant dress and apron

I already had a peasant top pattern I'd drafted last year, and so extended it to make a dress, guessing the length as the little monkey who was going to wear it was snoring by this time.

If you want to have a go at making clothes for girls, a peasant top is a great starting point. There are loads of pointers all over the web as to how to go about making a pattern to fit your child. Once you've made your pattern, it is really easy to sew up the top - and a very forgiving style too, as even wonky hems at the top are pretty much hidden by all the gathering once the elastic is in, making this an ideal beginner project.

Book bag to complete the look

This whole `outfit' came together in under an hour. Fancy dress sewing is definitely fun and fast - no pressure to keep everything neat and perfect, and, in the case of this particular theme, I thought leaving all the edges raw just added to the authenticity. Perfect excuse for being lazy!

And, case you were wondering, it seems like Medieval Day was a lot of fun. Jousting, learning to be a squire, making `Stone (vegetable) Soup', and plenty of running around the playground having fun with the other peasants. Wish I could go to her school...