This is an example of the embroidery stylized in the Braunche funery sculpture. Because the sculpture is an artist's interpretation, there is no way we can really know what it was, or how it was made. Blackwork or Spanish work, a style of embroidery that looks identical on both sides, was not evident in Europe until the 1570s. Because silk was a popular thread for outside stitches and decoration, as witnessed in the Textiles and Clothing edition of the London Excavation series, I will use black silk embroidery thread.
1340 Cotehardie
Bibliography:

Crowfoot, Elizabeth, et al. Museum of London: Textiles and Clothing c. 1150-1450. Woodbridge: Boydell, 1992.

Houston, Mary G. Medieval Costume in England and France: The 13th, 14th, and 15th Centuries. London: A&C Black, 1939.

Newton, Stella Mary. Fashion in the Age of the Black Prince. Woodbridge: Boydell, 1980.

Norlund, Poul. Viking Settlers in Greenland. London: Cambridge, 1936.

Thursfield, Sarah. The Medieval Tailor's Assistant: Making Common Garments 1200-1500.

http://www.forest.gen.nz/Medieval/articles/garments/bocksten/bocksten.html
a wonderful site with a huge color image of the actual bocksten tunic.

http://www.damehelen.com/sewing/
a great site with an overview of 14th century stitching techniques

http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/cloth/tunics.html
A database of patterns from extant garments including the Herjolfsnes and bog finds



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The partial layout of some of the pieces. A light blue, medium weight linen blend, cut to use as little fabric as possible. These cuts are a combination of the tunic found with the Bocksten bog man and patterns from books such as the Medieval Tailor's Assistant. The sleeves are very different than those found with him, but to get the look of the Braunche funery sculptures I had to modify them. Both references date back to the mid 1300s, or the 14th century. The funery sculptures do not include seamlines, so I am using the Bocksten tunic, which was preserved in a bog, as a guide.
A close-up of the sleve pieces that I have created. I used the image of the Braunche funery sculptures to form the tippett and the short sleeves. These suffer from much modern influence, but I could not find anything close enough when I was getting started. As you can see from the top sleeve, when assembled the front will slope slightly, as seen in the funery sculptures. In studying the form of the Herjolfsnes garments of the same period (see bibliography) we have a more curvy shape to the top of the sleeves where they meet the arm, but small gores are still being used for better movement.
This is a close-up of one of the finished sleeves. You can see all the top-stitching has been done by hand in a running stitch. The sleve is lined in the same fabric.
One of the cotehardie's side gores. I should have just added the gores to the sides and then sewn up the side seam, but you live, you learn. It works. I like the way it's rounded. As I work on this dress I have to keep reminding myself that garments were sewn at home, and so there is certainly no right way to do something... just look at all the strange and different hand stitches they used.
Emelisse de Loupey's life in the current middle ages - http://www.oocities.org/thewheezybee/cotehardie.html
The finished shoulder of the cotehardie. You can see the hand-stitching around the neckline and the running stitch on the sleeve. I still need to do the lacing holes and finish hand-hemming it. I used eight gores, three on each side and two in the back. In my last cotehardie I discovered that I do not care for the front gore because I have to kick it up to take each step, so for this one I just moved the extra gores to the side.
I've finished hemming the dress now, seen modeled by Deanna at left. All that's left now is to reinforce the back a little with scrap fabric and sew in the eyelets. Since I can't afford to get/find little bone rings, at my teachers's advice I picked up some small nylon washers to use in place of them. I will have nine washers on each side, and I will place them so that they will lace in a zig-zag pattern as shown in the "Medieval Tailor's Assistant." In this image, the cotehardie is draped, and held in place with two safety pins. It will be more form-fitting once the lacing is in place.
The incredibly slow process of eyelets. I'm spacing them as suggested in the "Medieval Tailor's Assistant." I reenforced the fabric with a couple scraps I had on hand, using the same handsewing techniques. This is an image of the top back of the dress, with the first four eyelets set. I placed the nylon washers on top, so that they will not rub against me. I am amazed at how well they are holding, even with using a linen fabric. I was a bit worried, but all the edges are encased and there are enough stitches in one eyelet to do at least one entire seam. I'm working on eyelet ten of eighteen now... these things are taking 30min to 45min each... watching a lot of movies.
The hem stitch at the front of the cotehardie. On the other side is a double-fold of fabric and a small series of tiny straight up and down stitches running from the lip of the fold to the lower fabric. This same stitch runs the length of the bottom hem.
A simple running stitch, seen here on the front of a sleeve. The sleeve is lined (in the same fabric) so there are no lose ends to worry about. I only needed to sew this area to make the fabric lie flat.
My finished cotehardie. All the lacing is now in place, and all that is left is the embroidery. I measured the hem, and it came to 205 inches... a little over 5 3/4 yards (I think). To go with this cotehardie, I made a white linen underdress (pictured here is a simple unbleached muslin underdress) to complete the outfit. The underdress' sleeves have been completely done by hand, as well as the neckline.

You can see the finished zig-zag lacing in the back, as described in the "Medieval Tailor's Assistant." As this project has drawn to a close, the end dress looks more like the cover illumination of "Fashion in the Age of the Black Prince," and other illuminations of simpler dresses than the Braunche gowns.
This page is a journal of my construction of a mid- to late-1300s cotehardie, using primary sources when I can find them. This was my first attempt at creating a period piece, and I am now aware of many problems with it. The fabric that I used was a lightweight linen, while wool would have been more appropriate. The sleeve construction begins with a modern base. The gores are not evenly distributed; there are three gores on each side, two in the back, and none in the front. The eyelets, although more appropriately spaced than in  my earlier garments, are missing the top and bottom mirror pairs, so that I cannot spiral-lace the back closed. I am missing a fitted sleeve (buttoned or laced) cotehardie to go under this one, and a shift to go under that. Please keep that knowlege in mind when you read through. Have a wonderful day! -Emelisse

(10/26/04) - The tippets have been removed and the now short sleeves have been sewn back together. Now instead of a confused mis-match it just looks like summer peasant-wear.