Tunic
Trousers
Cloak
These pages are a guide to making the basic equipment and clothing of an Anglo-Saxon warrior of the sixth century, together with a few pages on some more advanced projects.
Anglo-Saxon clothes were generally made of wool although linen may also have been used. Colours should be those available from undyed wool (off-white, browns and greys) or from natural dyes. Dyes for strong colours would be expensive and would only be available to the rich. Stripes and checks (but not tartans) look good for trousers but it is best to stick to plain material for tunics. Don't use the same material for both tunic and trousers or try to coordinate colours - it doesn't matter if you clash.
Woollen material is best sewn with tapestry wool. This is generally four ply and should be split down to two ply before use. Linen garments should be sewn with strong linen thread.
Sew using backstitch about 3cm from the edge of the material to prevent fraying. When hemming stitch so that the short stitches lie on the outside face of the garment and make them as short and neat as possible.
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Clothing can be decorated with tablet weaving.
When sewing anything but the thinnest leather it is best to use an awl, to make the holes, round ended needles and waxed linen thread. For most purposes use saddle stitch as this gives a strong even stitch.
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