The Bog Coat Jesus Costume

Eight years ago (Issue # 87, dated March 2000), Threads magazine published an article by Susan B. Allen about the 'Bog Coat' -- a garment named because it had been found on the preserved, ancient body of a man who fell into a peat bog some 1600 or so years ago. She showed several variations, and a schematic for cutting and directions for making one.

I always thought it would be a fabulous garment for a Biblical-era costume, and I finally got around to trying it.

Our Master's Commission Program requested a costume to be used by whoever would be portraying 'Jesus doing ministry' (as opposed to 'Jesus glorified'). There's a long story behind why it was requested, but the upshot was that they wanted something in linen.

So I scrounged the internet and fabric stores, and found some really nice stuff on sale from Michael last spring...a shirt weight cream color and a horizontal blue stripe (which was blended w/hemp). The shirt weight, once I had it in my hand, struck me as being a bit too lightweight for a robe, so I kept my eyes open and found some nice midweight linen on sale when I stopped at JoAnn's while passing through Nashville. And, it just so happened that that linen was a dead match for one of the stripes in the blue, so...we have a match. I used my favorite Bible Costume pattern, McCall's 2339 for the robe, but pulled out issue no. 87 and made a Bog Coat for the cloak.



I managed to get DS to model it for me; he kinda liked it. Our usual over-coat is a sleeveless vest; he liked the sleeves on the overcoat.

I did modify the coat somewhat...the article says to cut the neckline in a u-shape, basically the depth of the sleeves, then seam the sleeves w/the seam on the outside and put a band over it.

Instead,I cut the neckline a little deeper than the fold on the sleeves (so there'd actually be room for the back of the neck), and I cut it in a teardrop shape, so that the coat front would meet in the CF.
This is my really rough representation of the cutting changes. It's not to scale, but you can see the difference in the neckline...the original is on the left, and my modification is on the right.

And I made a facing for the neckline, since this costume is going to get MUCH abuse in its lifetime, I wanted it as sturdy as possible. And, since I wanted the coat to *appear* to be seamless, I put the seam on the wrong side of the coat and serge-finished it.

The only tricky bit (besides measuring!)is the corner where the sleeve joins the body; that's sewing a right angle to a straight line. I actually chose the wrong spot to match the stripe; it's a little off on the coat body, but it matches perfectly...on the sleeve, which no one will see.

I intended for the front of the coat to be the selvedge, but somehow I mismeasured how far to cut the sleeve into the fabric. I ended up with the coat front extending all the way to the edge of the facing. So the front edge of the coat has been turned under and machine blindstitched down.

I fringed the bottom instead of hemming it.

Now, this is not a dead ringer for the costume that I was supposed to be copying; I couldn't find the right colors of linen for that. And I realize it may be a bit out of the 'customary and familiar' Jesus costume...in other words, the decision making folks in HMC haven't seen it yet and they may not like it. So, I pieced together a more conventional shoulder drape from the leftover, which DS also modeled for me:
When he put it on, he commented, 'Oh, this is the traditional Jesus look!'.

Well, I'm don't think Jesus had earrings...but, whatever...
Between you and me, I kinda expect to see the drape on stage more than the coat. We are creatures of habit.

Building Bible Costumes -- Part Three: The Extras

Once the robe is done, you've got the foundation for a ladies' Bible costume, but without the extras it really doesn't look quite all there. We use two 1.5 yard head drapes...45" fabric is best, but 60 can work...if it's too heavy or cumbersome, just trim it down to 45"-54" wide. These work best if they are complimentary to the robe...not matching. A simple serged edge in matching or blending thread is sufficient to finish the edges of those for the stage.

A waist sash isn't really necessary, but it does make the costume a little more flexible; a costume that is a little too long can be tied at the waist and then bloused a bit above the tie to pull the hem up enough so that the character is not in danger of tripping. I have used both 7 1/2" and 8 1/2" strips...they yield a 3" and a 4" sash, respectively. Which you use is your preference. For simplicity, I cut two strips from the remnants (if there are any) of the robe fabric; we really don't want the sash to be a focal point; it's a fitting tool. Usually I will trim one piece down, then seam the two pieces along the short end, right sides together, to make one long piece 72" - 90" long (depends on the, um, girth of the person ;) ). Note: if you use the cut end as one of the ends in that seam, it will leave selvedges for the ends of the ties and...no seam finish necessary ;). Anyway, seam the long edges, right sides together, with a 1/4" seam allowance and turn the tube right side out. Sash done.

The head band...the thing we use on top of the drapes...is a little more involved. I cut 3 strips that are 3 1/2" wide. Which fabrics I use just sort of depends on what's left and how much body it's got...the head band needs something that is just a little stiffish (something drapey, like rayon crepe, just collapses and doesn't work well). Sometimes I will even underline a drapey fabric with a stiffer one to get the body needed. So...that's a per-case judgement...three strips of the robe fabric, one strip of each of the three fabrics...or a mixture of the robe and drape fabrics or, sometimes, I'll pull a fourth coordinating fabric from the remnant pile to make the headband. It just depends on what works. Fortunately, the fabric I used for the grey robe was workable, so I used it for the headband for this costume.

Anyway, take the three strips, sew them into three tubes,wrong sides together with a 1/4" seam allowance, and turn the tubes right side out. Then take one end of each tube and stack them slightly offset from each other and zig-zag them together.




Flip the strip on the bottom of the stack around to the top side to cover the seam, then begin braiding the three strips...be careful not to pull them too tight.







When you have a braid long enough to wrap around your head and a thumb with about 1" overlap, zig-zag the braid and trim off the excess strips (save one of those strips...you'll need it later)



















(the rest of this is hand stitching...I know, bummer, but this is the only hand sewing on the whole costume). Wrap the band around the head, with a thumb underneath (it will be going on over the drapes), and hand sew both the outside and inside edges to the band. This stitching doesn't have to be neat...it's going to be covered...but it should be secure.
















Then take the reserved end and stitch it to the inside of the band at the overlap. Wrap it around the band a couple of times, covering the stitched-down ends of the band. Finish with the wrap on the inside of the band, tuck the end of the wrap inside that tube and hand stitch it down.

Warning... Once we started doing these, no one was content with a simple tied headband... ;)

If you're wondering what to do with the wraps, I've got a little Head drape how-to on how to actually put these things on...there's a photo set for the squarish drapes, and one for a long oblong drape ;).

Building Bible Costumes -- Part 2

This is a further continuation of a tutorial began in The Inseam Pocket Tutorial and continued in Building a Bible Costume -- Part 1


After finishing the neckline, sleeves are next. My preference is to go ahead and finish the sleeves and press the hem up before sewing them in...much less fabric to wrestle around on the ironing board, and the hems are easier to press if you do them flat. (TIP: cut strips of a manila folder in useful widths...1", 1 1/4", 1 1/2", whatever you use frequently, label them, and use them as pressing templates. Makes a job like pressing up the hem on these sleeves a quickie!)


Next, sew the sleeves to the garment with a conventional machine, matching notches and shoulder seam/dot. Serge the seams together, or zig-zag them and trim...but only between the dots! (see photo...dots are clip marked). Press the seam towards the sleeve.


Starting at the sleeve edge, sew the underarm/side seam in one continuous seam, being careful not to catch the finished edge of the pocket (if you put a pocket in per the earlier post). Make sure to 1) have the ends of the seam joining the sleeve to the garment stacked on top of each other and 2) stitch on top of that when you round that curve. Serge the edge, trimming the seam to a scant 3/8" wide, and press seam towards the back. (If you're zig-zagging, trim the curve under the arm to 3/8" and zig-zag those seam allowances together, then clip the ends so that you can open the rest of the seam flat; zig-zag those seam allowances singly and press them open.)


Finish the raw edge at the bottom while the garment is flat...you're almost done!








Starting at the clip mark that's about 7" down from the top, sew the back seam all the way to the bottom with a conventional machine (it should be cut on the selvedge). Press that seam open.





Continue pressing the seam allowance to the wrong side above the stitching. If you have some, a little fusible web slipped under the seam allowance and pressed well will anchor it securely. Topstitch from the finished neck edge, down to the top of the sewn seam, across to the other side, and back up...about 3/8" from the fold.


For the closure, after much trial and error, we have found that the quickest, easiest, least distracting closure is to simply sew a bias tape tab at the neckline and use a snap closure to secure it. Start with a piece of single-fold bias about 2 1/2" long, folded in half. Zig-zag it securely to the wrong side of either side of the back (do you really want to debate 'his/hers' on this? Just pick one) at the top of the opening; edge stitch around the edges and along the garment edge to make it very secure.


I have a snap-setting tool to use...just a few taps with a hammer and the snaps are on! But, if you prefer, you can hand sew a snap in place (note to my sewing ladies...if you bring the garment in at this point, I'll be happy to hammer on the snap! ;) )


Here's what the snap looks like finished. Press the hems on the bottom and sleeves (the sleeves should just need a touch-up press at the seam) and topstitch in place.






And here's the finished sack...er, Biblical-style robe... ;). I'll post some info about the extra pieces (drapes, sash, headband) over the weekend.

Building Bible Costumes ...Part One

(note: the pattern we most often use for Bible Costumes is McCall's 2339

Once the pockets are done (see The Inseam Pocket Tutorial for how to do the pockets), the next time-consuming part is the neckline. I actually prefer to finish the neckline with bias tape, but, since we're making a bundle of these, all from different colors, it's easier to just cut facings than to try and match bias tape to each one. If you've got bias tape, and you'd rather use that, be my guest. :)


First, stay stitch the neckline edges (1/2" from the raw edge) of the garment front and back, and the front and back facings.







Then, stitch the garment front to back at the shoulders and the facings front to back at the shoulders. Finish the edges; serge them together or, if you don't have a serger, zig-zag the seam allowances individually.






Finish the outside edge of the facing.










If you serged the seam allowances together, press the facing shoulder seams to the front and the garment shoulder seams to the back (this will reduce bulk in the neckline seam). If you zig-zagged the edges, just press the seams open.






Press the back seam allowance (5/8", not counting any fringe...most of these were cut with the back edge on the selvedge, so no finish is necessary on the back seam) to the front, then pin the facing over it (the back edge of the facing should end up even with the fold...but these were cut rather in a hurry, so don't worry if you've got to fudge it a bit), right sides together, and sew it with a 5/8" seam.


Trim the facing seams to 1/4" and clip as necessary.










Turn the facing to the wrong side of the garment and press...the back neckline corner is finished, too!









Topstitch the facing down at 3/8"" from the edge. TIP: You'll get fewer bias wrinkles if you follow the curve of the neckline as you're topstitching, rather than pulling the seam out straight in front of your presser foot.






Doesn't that look nice? The last thing we do is put the closure on...that'll come later.

The Inseam Pocket Tutorial

Ok, this is not exactly a generic pocket; I'm writing this up for ladies who are helping me sew Bible costumes; we're adding inseam pockets so that in the event that any of these folks might need a wireless mike at some point in the future, they'll have a pocket to stick the transmitter in... ;)

However, once you realize the placement marks on these pockets can be adapted for whatever other thing the pocket should be added to, then it will apply.


I blatantly copied a Kwik-Sew inseam pocket, which had a mark for the waist. The sideseam notch on the Bible Costume (McCall's 2339) appears to be at about waist level...close enough for costuming, anyway. So, I put a clip at the waistline mark on the pocket to match to the sideseam notch on the garment. There are three clips on the garment...the armsceye notch, the dot where the dropped shoulder seam turns into the side seam, and the side seam notch. The three notches on the pocket are the waistline notch, and the two notches that mark the pocket opening.


On the wrong side of the pocket, draw a line 7/8" from the raw edge between the pocket opening notches. Match the waistline notch on the pocket to the side seam notch on the garment front, then stitch from the raw edge at one opening mark, over to the line you just drew, pivot and stitch down to the level of the second opening mark, pivot again and go straight off the fabric. Go back and, using very small stitches, reinforce the corners by stitching immediately over them for 1/4" or so on either side. Clip into the corners.


Turn the pocket to the inside, pulling the corners out and press it well. Edgestitch it.





















Now, lay the second pocket piece over the first, right sides together, and, moving the garment out of the way, stitch around the outer edge of the pocket. If you don't have a serger, straight stitch it first, then go back and zig-zag the edges. Baste the pocket to the garment front within the side seam allowance.
Now you can treat the whole front/pocket assembly as a regular front; you don't have to stop and start at the pocket opening, and there's no danger of the pocket sewn to the front not matching the pocket sewn to the back. (That photo looks like the pocket opening is huge...it really isn't; I think the telephoto distorted it some).

You just have to be careful not to catch the topstitched edge of the pocket opening in the sideseam when you sew the sideseam...but it looks very nice! :)












This can be used on any pattern that uses an inseam pocket. However, unless your fabric is very firm, for a real life wardrobe, fuse lightweight interfacing to the pocket opening area of both the pocket facing and the garment...that helps it keep its shape.

Bible Costumes Revised

Note for folks who landed here searching for info on making Bible Costumes:
I'm not sure why this post, of all of them, crops up first, but I have more information on the blog. Check the links at the top of the sidebar; "Bible Costume Info" will take you to more posts on building Bible costumes, including some tutorials w/pictures of the process.


Original Post:
Our children's pastors at church also have a traveling ministry; they take themed crusades for families w/kids around the country (Pattern Review members will remember the whacky review I did of the Pirate Shirts I made for a crusade they did at our church last August) (Off-topic comment -- that may be my favorite of my reviews to date...). Anyway, I've been asked to help costume a differently-themed crusade,this one to be set in Medieval times and dealing w/knights and squires and chivalry and such along with the the Biblical message. They apparently did a crusade on that theme a long time ago and now want to update it and use it again and include their three kids (teen girl, two barely teen boys) as well. Not fancy, but hopefully good enough to set the tone at the crusades.

So, while we were looking at various websites at the types of garments they were wanting, I was astonished at how many of them could be adapted from the basic Bible costumes we've already been using. I guess that shouldn't surprise me... almost every culture has that basic unfitted garment in its history somewhere.

So, the first part of the assignment is to make tunics for the boys; these will be basically the Bible robes shortened and trimmed out. And I had shopping favor at Wal-Mart yesterday and found fabric in the right colors and drape and wrinkle-resistance on the dollar table...I should get both boys' tunics for less than $10.

Which is cool; these folks pour into my kids on a weekly basis...it's neat to get a chance to be a blessing in return.

Bible Costumes Revisited

Note added 10/27/08 For folks who landed here looking for info on making Bible costumes...if you click on 'Bible Costume Info' on the sidebar, you will bring up a series of posts about sewing Bible Costumes, including some tutorials on how to put them together .

*Whew* Blogger's been down...I thought I never would get this posted!

A bit of background: due to a communications glitch, we had to come up with some Roman soldier costumes on very short notice the week before Easter. Because we had out of town company that week, the bulk of the process fell upon Miss A and Miss M and, because Miss M is working two or three jobs, Miss A really got stuck with the most of it. She cut everything out; Miss M and her hubby put together the vinyl tunics, I made the shorts, and Miss A made all six red tunics to go under the vinyl pieces.

We did not know who would be wearing these costumes, but we were asked to make 5 large and 1 extra-large. We had a large McCall's 2060 (one size per pattern on the McCall's biblical costumes) pattern in the box, which had never been used but included a thigh-length tunic for under the 'armor' part of the soldier's costume. Rather than try to figure out how much to shorten our TNT caftan pattern, Miss A (who was not feeling at all well and who was working against a very tight timeline) decided to use the McCall's pattern...which is clearly labeled 'Large 38,40'...and just grade it up to XLarge. She commented that they looked very small, but I thought she was comparing it to the caftan pattern, which runs pretty big.

Well, on Easter Sunday we had a hard time even getting them on the guys who were the soldiers...and some of them were pretty big guys, who ended up wearing white t-shirts. Also, we had to scramble to costume the apostles; somehow a huge number of our costumes disappeared from the storage area in the past year (currently under investigation). It was kind of stressful. However, the action moved fast enough that the costuming problems weren't noticeable. The little drama, (which was actually a pantomime to a song I didn't know but had a chorus built around the words 'I want to leave a legacy') was about the fates of the twelve apostles...how they each died. It was incredibly powerful, and all the problems just didn't matter.

I picked up the costumes and brought them home to wash, then compared the 'Large' McCall's 2060 to the 'Medium' McCall's 2339, which is the Nativity pattern set that I used last fall to make a costume for a young man at church who needed to take one to Phoenix Master's Commission. I'd assumed that the basic robe/cloak/drape patterns were the same, and the difference between the Passion patterns and the Nativity patterns would only be the extra pieces...the soldier, high priest and Pilate in the Passion set, and the angel and wise men in the Nativity...but I was wrong. The basic tunic patterns are VERY different; the sleeve/shoulder construction is completely different and the Large in the Passion set was smaller than the Medium in the Nativity set! A LOT smaller. I really think the 2060 Passion set is mislabeled, and it should be a Childrens/Youth size Large. So...word up to anyone who's making Bible costumes; measure the actual pattern if you're working with McCall's 2060!

Anyway, the revisited part...the first weekend in May is our second annual anniversary/leadership conference, which is titled 'Legacy', and Pastor has decided to have the kids (it was mostly our high school and college age young men) perform the drama again. So, now we're going to make six red tunics in the right size, and about 3 size Medium (the guys playing the apostles are all rather smallish fellows) costumes to help alleviate the shortage we've come up with.

So...it's back to the dollar table at Wal-Mart for suitable fabric; you know what my next couple of weeks will be like ;)