This was probably my favorite piece to complete and strangely the most frustrating.  Essentially, the caftan is a fitted T-tunic which buttons up the front.  Of course, the variations on this are outstanding.  As can be seen in this link, http://valkyrja.shawwebspace.ca/asset/view/20675/intro-to-ottoma-turkish-clothing-web-version-july-2009.pdf , there are several variations on style and on construction.  The author, Lisa Kelly, did a fantastic job, and I love that she included a variety of construction patterns, and notes on finishing touches, distinctions between the sexes, and even a brief look into sumptuary laws.  Another great link is http://baronyofatenveldt.org/uploads/libary/Ottoman%20Coat%20Handout%202011.pdf  which includes additional patterns, how to figure the measurement, close-ups of extants, and a selection of fabric choices.  Since this garment is primarily meant for summer wear, I opted for a wider, shorter sleeved garment.  I also decided to go with the rounded hip gores seen in several extant caftans.   Also, I love the idea of pockets, so those are a must!

Fabric choice is amazingly fun.  I absolutely love my fabric, even though I’ve been told by several people it makes their eyes hurt.  It’s simple printed cotton.  Likewise, the lining is also printed cotton.  It was a simple, somewhat understated pattern that gives the period effect, but of course when you get up close you realize it’s not period at all, but I love the owls!  I also added an accent lining which is linen.  I found this in the clearance section.  It was originally an electrically hot pink.  I over-dyed it with purple Jacquard dye, and it is now a fantastic magenta color.  It provides a nice contrast and will pop nicely when the caftan is tucked up.

I discovered a couple different points when making this garment.  First, patterns are a pain.  Trying to match them is enough to drive one insane.  Normally, I’m a huge proponent of don’t bother matching patterns since they didn’t, at least in the 14th – 15th century.  For that matter, they didn’t worry about directionality either.  However, in looking at some extant Ottoman pieces, they did seem to care about pattern if it was highly structured, such as the one I choose for coat.  So, yea for matching patterns!

Even without matching patterns, using a 44” wide fabric as opposed to my customary 55”-60” resulted in the need for a ton more fabric.  I thought I properly accounted for this when I bought it and my lining.  I was wrong.  Then when I went to get more from my local store, I discovered that not only were they out of the lining, which I had already cut up, but there was none in the backroom, none in the warehouse, and it was not orderable.  Now I was ready to panic. 

Luckily, a store a half hour away had more in stock.  I went and purchased it right away, which was good, since they didn’t have the quantity the first store told me they had and what they did have was cut into two pieces, the longest of which was just one of which was just slightly less (8 inches) than what I wanted to ensure I could finish the lining.  It worked out fine with just a little left over, but after having a problem getting more once, it was a bit close for me.

The curved hip gore presents another fun challenge.  Mine kept drooping funny and I have plenty of hip so I don’t know why.  Finally, I decided to put a small pleat in the curved gore.  This helps the fabric “puff” out some to create the effect of fuller hips (not that I need a lot of help, but that’s what they liked, so maximize away).  This also created a better drape.  I’m not sure if they did this in period or not, but I’m happy with the way it looks.

I had decided I wanted a lower more curved neckline, rather than the “mandarin” collar that some had, so I cut the neck out accordingly.  I realized after this, when looking at something else on the extant garments, that the back part of the neck never seemed to be cut out.  It appears that the back was left completely straight and only the front carved out, regardless of the shape of the neckline (i.e. high collar or lower).  I can’t be certain if this is just how the museum’s laid the garments out for photos or if it’s the actual construction.  I lean towards the latter as the fabric seems to lay flat in the photos.  As there was nothing I could do at this point, I just went with what I had and made sure to minimize the seam allowance at the neck to keep it as high as possible.

I did add a gore in the back to allow the caftan to flow freely and not pull funny across my backside, as suggested.  Overall, this is a very full garment.  I was somewhat surprised by this fact.   Because this is full, before adding the accent trim it is essential for sanity to ensure the lining and the outer portion are the same size.  If they aren’t, figure out what you need to do to adjust.  Doing this after you add the accent trim to the lining could result in the accent portions being uneven or the garment pulling or ballooning in ways you won’t be happy with.

After attaching the trim either have a friend help or use a mannequin and pin the bottom with it hanging, rather than just matching up the bottom.  Let it hang for few minutes, an hour, or overnight then revist.   Again, avoid having sections where it balloons or otherwise doesn’t lay perfectly straight because once you attach the pieces, it will only get worse.  I found it helpful after it was pinned to flip it so the lining was out and check to see if the lining was ballooning or otherwise not laying straight.

I also learned on the buttons and loops from the Chirka.  Here you can see I moved the loops in a bit to allow for the pull.

The pockets are awesome.  I highly recommend them, if nothing else, for the sake of having pockets and a convenient place to put/carry some things without having to hold anything.  I know they’ll be of huge assistance when running after my daughter!

Here's what mine looks like if pinned up.

I also made a caftan for my daughter.  Her caftan is equally as bright, if not brighter than mine and is both made and lined in cotton, with teal linen for the accent.  I found some wonderful and not even vaguely period fabric with dragons and 14th century knights playing with dragons for the lining.  I also found some monkey head toggles, which I used as buttons.  She really likes playing with the “buttons.”  Some lime green and teal ribbon trim creates the accent bands. 

This was purposely made large for her and at ground for her current height so she could grow into it.  It is also not as full.  The surviving children’s caftans also show a scale down on the fullness.  This is roughly period, but built for a child including some of her playfulness.  After all, I do belong to the society for CREATIVE anachronism.  This is part of the fun.

The next garment is probably the most important as far as I’m concerned.  This is partly because I’m taking the view that it is in fact a support garment.  The Hirka/Chirka also referred to a s a Yelek (vest), I’m referring to this a Chirka for ease of reference (have to pick one), is seen to varying degrees in illuminations,  and even as the sole garment in some and one portrait.  As it is a layer that goes under the Caftan (coat) it would make sense that it could be for a combination of modesty (to avoid exposing more than one should when removing the Caftan and wearing the sheer gömlek) as well as a form of support for the bust.  As I really dislike having to wear modern support when in garb but must have something, I’m a huge fan of garments that can be self supporting.

I chose to model my Chirka after the illumination below.  I liked the idea of it being nearly sleeveless in order to remain cooler and to be less bulky under the Caftan.  I used some leftover light weight wool and left it unlined.  As the closures at this time were buttons with loops (no buttonholes), I found some great buttons at JoAnn’s for 50% off.  While they are not 100% period because they are octagonal and flat, at the sale price of $1.00 a pack for 4 buttons, they were good enough for me.  The shape would also help reduce bulk under the Caftan which will also button at the same spot, and since I’m using this as a support garment, the idea of leaving it open or without closure as some would suggest,  was not an option.

Admittingly, the closures pulling out under the stress since the buttons being placed right along the edge, along with the loops, as indicated in the documentation I found, was of some concern.  This was especially true with the light weight wool I was using. 

To provide strength and drastically reduce the chances that a button or loop would pull through and tear my fabric (which only occurs at the most in opportune moment, I assure you) I bought a small amount of soft leather from JoAnn’s, cut it into ½ inch strips and used it to back the buttons and the loops.  I found it best to mark the center, determine the placement/spacing of the buttons, and then using a small Exacto knife cut into the leather on either side of the mark to make a hole that I could sew through, making the loop or attaching the button.  The leather was then placed roughly a ¼ inch from the edge and the loop or button attached directly through the leather and fabric.  When I finished the garment, I folded the edge over the leather and then folded the leather in half, carefully hand stitching the edge closed.

Overall this worked fantastic, and I have little fear of a wardrobe malfunction.  The only issue is I didn’t fully think the loop portion through.  When buttoned, the garment has roughly a 1/4 space down the center.  It is fully supportive, it just doesn’t meet, which it should.

So, I went back and added a 1/2 inch strip of the wool to act as a “modesty panel” for the gap. I would recommend a little smarter loop placement, but this is a perfectly acceptable method.   There is even  an extant caftan that has the loops sewn into a seam, thus creating a similar effect of a modesty panel after the loops.

There are several variations on the potential construction for the under tunic, or gömlek or khamis, making it a little confusing on where to start.  In doing some research, most have recommended the construction of the Persian extant.  At first I found this odd, but additional research indicated that while different and typically at war, the Ottoman’s tended to copy and somewhat alter Persian fashion for court, so it wasn’t as out there as I initially thought.  I do believe a basic T-tunic construction would also be appropriate, efficient, and simple for the less adventuresome. 

To this end, I started making my gömlek with the T-tunic construction theory so I could have something quick and simple.  I made both myself and my daughter one out of a cotton/linen blend in natural with “gold” thread every ½” using the T-tunic basic construction with gores and slightly belled sleeves.  While I really love these tunics, they are a bit heavier than I was would like for warm weather (which I decided at an extremely hot event after having made hers and finishing mine), but will be fantastic for cooler or indoor events.

Therefore, I ordered some 2.8oz linen, linen gauze, to make myself a gömlek.  I also found some gorgeous 80% cotton/20% rayon sheer burnout fabric to make my daughters, which they only had a yard of – total bummer as it feels almost like satin is super lightweight and has a great hand.  Since I was making the gömlek for a second time, I decided to be a bit more adventurous and follow the Persian construction.

Layout patterns are abundant on the web, so it was just a matter of finding one and going with it.  I did alter the sleeve, which is tapered in the Persian, opting for the bell shaped sleeve represented more commonly for the Ottoman style.  A few notes when sewing this together:

1.       Measure everything accurately first, precision here makes the whole thing easier and quicker to assemble.

2.       Make sure your bottom edges are as straight as possible, see point one for why.

3.       If using the linen gauze, I would recommend sewing with it before washing, adjusting your measurements some for shrinkage.  The stiffer, pre-washed linen would have been infinitely easier to work with than the soft, crinkled, flowing, post-washed.  Just a thought.

4.       Don’t cut out the neck yet, or if you must, make it VERY small.

5.       Attach the side gusset to the side gore/panel first.

6.       Sew the side to the body panel, matching the bottom seam.

7.       If you have very sheer fabric, be sure to finish your seams as you go.  Flat felling is awesome for this.

8.       Pin and sew the sleeve to the body around the arm hole. 

9.       Find the middle of your side gusset and mark.

10.   Sew the sleeve to the center mark on your gusset for both sides.

11.   Sew the remainder of the sleeve closed.

12.   You can now finish your hems.  Your bottom hem needs no adjustment if you cut everything straight and marched your panels as indicated above.

13.   Finally determine how you are going to do your neckline.

This is what I learned.  Another important lesson, is that linen gauze has a mind of its own.  This is not for beginner sewers.  It also stretches oddly.  I made a small neck hole to start with and it stretched to something larger by the time I was done, which is not something that typically happens to me when I sew.  In order to adjust this, I essentially V the neck line and then pinched the fabric at the bottom of the V, which was hidden by trim to force it to lay parallel, which was tricky.  Of course this was easier to do with the gauze than it would have been with another fabric, so just be careful.

As hinted at above, I also added gold trim to the front, neckline and top line of the sleeves using the numerous drawings indicating a decorative or gold element at these points.  I then used a pearl button for the neck closure.  The gömlek is very loose on me.  I’m not sure if it was meant to be much more fitted then what I did or not.  It hangs pretty much the way you see it on the mannequin.  This doesn’t really make a huge difference as I will have the chirka or vest to pull everything in.

In my continual effort to try something new, it was suggested to me to make a 16th century Turkish outfit for my daughter, who is now 19 months.  At first I laughed at the idea because the basis for the suggestions was a pair of shoes that were given to her.  After making her an 11th century bliaut out of some WONDERFUL cotton/linen blend fabric, I noticed I had enough left over to make something else for her.  Then I realized they would make great Turkish pants.  (I get the weirdest inspirations sometimes.)

Now being fully inspired, I started doing some research as this is totally new territory for me.  Since I was making the outfit for the little one, I figured it would only be appropriate if I made one for myself too.  After doing some web surfing, I settled on a few websites that seemed to contain the most information and to be well researched.  If I was entering this as an A&S piece, I would go to the sources and verify everything.  As I’m not and this is a piece I would like historically accurate, because I choose too, but don’t want to spend months before getting started, I feel confident enough in the end product by relying on these sources of information.  So here starts my attempt to make an early 16th century Ottoman Turks woman’s and child’s outfits.

I started with the pants or “Salwar”.  I liked the fabric for my daughter so much, that I bought the same material for me to make mine.  It’s just a great weight, feels super soft, and the pattern is fantastic!  I followed the pattern an directions provided at http://sca.berkeley.edu/garment_pattern/turkish_salwar.html .  I then tried them on to make sure I had the waist in the right area because I didn’t want the rise to be to short in the back and create issues when sitting or bending nor did I want the rise all the way down to my knees. 

At this time, I noticed the pants were so big and bulky every, that I felt like I was wearing an awkward pair of Hammer pants made for someone at least 3 times my size.  At least the rise was right.  I also noticed that they hung down so low that they pooled on the floor.  It was time to re-evaluate this pattern.  

In reading through the documentation on Women’s Ottoman Clothing found at http://home.earthlink.net/~al-qurtubiyya/Otto_Fem_Cloth/ottofemcloth.html  regarding the Salwar, the article calls them Shalvars, I noticed a picture of an extant pair.  I found two things interesting upon comparing my pants and the extant.  First, the extant appears to have a fitted waist.  I have no idea how they would close it.  Perhaps buttons up the front?  Second, the line of the pants going up from the ankle to the rise is narrower and more curved in the extant than that produced by the pattern.

I decided I really liked the idea of the draw string waist, which would make it more adaptable to body changes, so I didn’t mess with that.  I did however change the cut of line for the pants going from the ankle to the rise to more accurately match the extant.  I took off roughly 4 inches per gore, a total of 8 per leg in tightening and narrowing the curve of the Salwar.  When I rechecked the fit, it was still plenty baggy, as it should be in the hips and thighs, but was nowhere near as bulky between my legs and tapered nicely around the calves and ankles without pooling to the floor. 

I found this to be the case with my daughter’s pair as well and made the necessary adjustments, trying to leave sufficient growing room for her.  The photo’s show the before and after changes on her pair.  It looks like a HUGE difference, but I only removed a small amount of the excess in creating the curve.  The impact however was amazing as they went from looking like harem pants, to having the proper drape and fit.