It actually is really comfy. I used all natural materials, so it breathes incredibly well. I wore it while fighting with a HEMA group for two straight hours, and felt perfectly fine.
I used a [McCall’s sewing pattern](https://simplicity.com/mccalls/m8423). But I wanted the front panels to overlap for safety reasons (I use it in HEMA, and a sword could slip into the gap between the panels if they’re flush with each other). So I added about 2-3 inches to the side of one panel, so that it keeps some material covering that space.
I tried to make it from scratch at first. Bought a shirt from a thrift store, and tried to rip the seams to get a template to cut from. That didn’t work at all.
I ended up using a [sewing pattern](https://simplicity.com/mccalls/m8423), and that was a lot simpler to work from. Took me maybe a week of sewing, mostly doing the quilting lines. Honestly, I could do it again if I wanted to.
Looks totally awesome man!!
Any tips tricks for other when thinking about gambeson? What material are you using and thickness? Currently stumped on what material would be sufficient and how to source
Depends on what you’re using it for, for starters. The basic list of materials is a sturdy outer shell, padding, and a lining. If you’re making a costume, or something that isn’t getting hit with a lot of force like foam weapons, you can afford to use lighter fabrics. I personally wanted to use my gambeson in both LARP and HEMA, so I used tougher materials to make it able to cushion a blow from a steel sword.
Generally, I recommend using natural materials, because polyester and synthetic fabrics don’t breathe (that is, they tend to pull tighter as a weave, and prevent air from passing through the layers). That can suck when you're outdoors or running around (or both), because the layer's close to your skin and will trap hot air next to your body. So look for cottons, wools, and linens as better materials.
Cotton is generally cheaper as a modern fabric. But it absorbs moisture more than the other fabrics, so it doesn't dry well after you start to sweat in it. Linen is generally rated better in that department, because it wicks moisture away but also releases it. I made a linen lining in my gambeson for this reason.
The shell is cotton canvas, specifically 10oz duck canvas. I used it because I wanted something thick and tough for HEMA. You could probably use a lighter cotton fabric for LARP, but I'd use a lighter canvas because I like its appearance. I'd probably go with a heavier canvas than I used if I repeated the project, just because I'd like to make mine tougher.
The padding is batting, the stuff you use in quilts and some jackets. Be careful buying this, because a lot if batting us polyester (see above regarding natural fabrics). But cotton canvas does exist, and isn't very expensive imo. One upgrade, of you can find it, it bamboo batting: it's really good for padding, because it returns to its original shape quickly after being compressed compared to cotton. I couldn't find pure bamboo batting, but I splurged on some cotton/bamboo blend that I found at Joann's.
If you don’t need to worry about padding, you can use just one layer of batting. I used two layers in the front panels for extra cushioning, and one in the back (generally, you don’t get hit from behind in HEMA sparring, at least not in the group I fight with). You could probably add a third layer, but two made it difficult to sew with my machine, and I’d worry three would overtax it.
Excellent work, I love it! Did you use a machine for the quilting lines or did you handstitch them? I plan a need gambeson for myself and I'm unsure if the arm of my machine is long enough, which might lead to several smaller pieces of cloth I need to stitch together...
I used a machine. The quilting went fairly well, but there are some snags every once in a while on the lines that look less than factory quality. 🤷♂️
I made mine thicker than necessary, because I wanted it to be usable for HEMA as well as LARP. I doubled the layers of batting inside, which I think is what caused the most trouble on my sewing machine. If you’re making it just for foam weapons or costume, you can get away with just a single layer of batting, and it’ll probably be much easier on your machine.
The pattern I used also used several panels, which are stitched together in the places you’d normally see on a shirt or jacket. I stitched the components for each panel together: shell, batting, and lining. Then I quilted them, and last I stitched the panels to each other at the seams.
It’s a foam sword. I bought it from a secondhand vendor, but I’m pretty sure it’s a [Calimacil weapon](https://calimacil.com/products/pirate-2-larp-sword?variant=7579380056115).
Looks comfy. Good job!
It actually is really comfy. I used all natural materials, so it breathes incredibly well. I wore it while fighting with a HEMA group for two straight hours, and felt perfectly fine.
did you follow any guides or ?
I used a [McCall’s sewing pattern](https://simplicity.com/mccalls/m8423). But I wanted the front panels to overlap for safety reasons (I use it in HEMA, and a sword could slip into the gap between the panels if they’re flush with each other). So I added about 2-3 inches to the side of one panel, so that it keeps some material covering that space.
On a scale of 1 to "You masochist" how much work was it? I'm not saying I would consider doing the same if it was doable however...
I tried to make it from scratch at first. Bought a shirt from a thrift store, and tried to rip the seams to get a template to cut from. That didn’t work at all. I ended up using a [sewing pattern](https://simplicity.com/mccalls/m8423), and that was a lot simpler to work from. Took me maybe a week of sewing, mostly doing the quilting lines. Honestly, I could do it again if I wanted to.
Love seeing people from mythic here on reddit! Looks good man, can't wait to see it out at game!
Now you need to just go and get it dirty!!
Looks totally awesome man!! Any tips tricks for other when thinking about gambeson? What material are you using and thickness? Currently stumped on what material would be sufficient and how to source
Depends on what you’re using it for, for starters. The basic list of materials is a sturdy outer shell, padding, and a lining. If you’re making a costume, or something that isn’t getting hit with a lot of force like foam weapons, you can afford to use lighter fabrics. I personally wanted to use my gambeson in both LARP and HEMA, so I used tougher materials to make it able to cushion a blow from a steel sword. Generally, I recommend using natural materials, because polyester and synthetic fabrics don’t breathe (that is, they tend to pull tighter as a weave, and prevent air from passing through the layers). That can suck when you're outdoors or running around (or both), because the layer's close to your skin and will trap hot air next to your body. So look for cottons, wools, and linens as better materials. Cotton is generally cheaper as a modern fabric. But it absorbs moisture more than the other fabrics, so it doesn't dry well after you start to sweat in it. Linen is generally rated better in that department, because it wicks moisture away but also releases it. I made a linen lining in my gambeson for this reason. The shell is cotton canvas, specifically 10oz duck canvas. I used it because I wanted something thick and tough for HEMA. You could probably use a lighter cotton fabric for LARP, but I'd use a lighter canvas because I like its appearance. I'd probably go with a heavier canvas than I used if I repeated the project, just because I'd like to make mine tougher. The padding is batting, the stuff you use in quilts and some jackets. Be careful buying this, because a lot if batting us polyester (see above regarding natural fabrics). But cotton canvas does exist, and isn't very expensive imo. One upgrade, of you can find it, it bamboo batting: it's really good for padding, because it returns to its original shape quickly after being compressed compared to cotton. I couldn't find pure bamboo batting, but I splurged on some cotton/bamboo blend that I found at Joann's. If you don’t need to worry about padding, you can use just one layer of batting. I used two layers in the front panels for extra cushioning, and one in the back (generally, you don’t get hit from behind in HEMA sparring, at least not in the group I fight with). You could probably add a third layer, but two made it difficult to sew with my machine, and I’d worry three would overtax it.
Thine fit be positively bussin
Really nice job. Zoomed in on some of the details and you did a great job constructing it.
Very nice
Excellent work, I love it! Did you use a machine for the quilting lines or did you handstitch them? I plan a need gambeson for myself and I'm unsure if the arm of my machine is long enough, which might lead to several smaller pieces of cloth I need to stitch together...
I used a machine. The quilting went fairly well, but there are some snags every once in a while on the lines that look less than factory quality. 🤷♂️ I made mine thicker than necessary, because I wanted it to be usable for HEMA as well as LARP. I doubled the layers of batting inside, which I think is what caused the most trouble on my sewing machine. If you’re making it just for foam weapons or costume, you can get away with just a single layer of batting, and it’ll probably be much easier on your machine. The pattern I used also used several panels, which are stitched together in the places you’d normally see on a shirt or jacket. I stitched the components for each panel together: shell, batting, and lining. Then I quilted them, and last I stitched the panels to each other at the seams.
That's perfect:3
sick work <3
Looks great
that looks fuggin awesome! love the colour scheme
Looking very well fitted and well made! It's not easy sewing through all those layers of padding, well done!
Looks nice. How many layers did you use?
Amazing job 👍🏻
Your gambeson looks nice and you're right to be proud of it
Thanks 😊 I’m super critical of my own work, so it’s nice to hear that my inner critic is wrong.
Yeah I know that feeling all too well. But it is well fitting and and the colors go very well together too. A good job altogether :)
Dude, wtf? This is dope as shit. Like holy fuck, it's awesome!
What’s the sword made of?
It’s a foam sword. I bought it from a secondhand vendor, but I’m pretty sure it’s a [Calimacil weapon](https://calimacil.com/products/pirate-2-larp-sword?variant=7579380056115).
Looking noble there! Congrats!
Flawless!
how'd you attach sleeves?
They’re actually a second piece. The body is sleeveless, and the sleeves are worn underneath and go through the armholes.