Gambeson idea

[bhaiduk]

I have an idea for making a simple gamebeson, and I want to get someone else's opinion. My plan is to get two long sleeve T-shirts (plain, no pocket, no logo) that are a size bigger than I would normally wear. Then cut them up along the sides and down the inside edge of the sleeve. Then open them both up and lay them on top of each other. Stitch the edges together, then run long vertical seems up the sleeves and body to make tubes for stuffing. Then stitch the arms and one side of the body back together. The other side I would hem the edges and attach buttons to close it. Then stuff the tubes with quiliting batting, and stitch the tubes closed. See the pic.

My questions are:
1. Will this work?
2. Is one size bigger than normal going to be big enough?
3. What type of stuffing would be best?
4. How full should I stuff it?
5. Any suggestions or improvements

[bhaiduk]

Here is the pic

[Dierick]

Your making a relatively simple project a lot more complicated than it should be. T-shirts allow movement because of stretchy fabric. If you start stitching it up, your not going to get any stretch and will have almost no arm movement.

Its much easier just to go with a traditional gambison pattern if you want something that is usable.

[Konstantin the Red]

Good thing you're going for long sleeves. Short-sleeve gambesons/aketons tend to give problems under mailshirts, because in the course of putting a mailshirt on, the thing's sleeves wad short gambeson sleeves into your armpits.

You might do rather better using cheap (I presume you're fitting your project into a tight budget) discount sweatshirts, and never mind sewing them together but just pop on two of them, and a third with the sleeves cut off onto your body.

Cotton quilters' batting is very good, if not quite as airy as linen fabric. Stuffing is questionable; every piece of evidence we've got suggests quilted, continuous layers of the padding stuffs -- a layer or two for under plate, and about three or four for under mail, plus shell and liner fabric, stitched through by quilting methods. Even ornamental stitchlines were used; they were not rigidly in straight lines all the time.

[Alexander of Derlington]

Hi Bhaiduk
welcome to the world of trying to get your gambeson right (I have just finished my 3rd). It is harder than it looks and almost inevitably the shortcuts I have tried have failed to be shortcuts and have looked and performed poorly.

I would respectfully suggest that you get some cheap linen/canvas for the shell and cotton or wool batting and make one to an established pattern like the Charles of Blois or White mountain armouries concepts that are published on the net. The result you end up with will look and perform loads better overall and probably be a lot more comfortable.

Hope this helps

Alex