Midwestern heat can be debilitating. So, instead of melting, Calontiri have decided to wear a lot of Roman clothing. Especially when made out of light linen, it breathes well and is very comfortable!
It was about time I got to making my own, so this is the result. I had help from several friends in fitting my fabric pattern out of some scrap mix I had. I then took that and made the blue Peplos (also known as a tunica or chiton) that you see below. The one main seam from armpit to hem is machine sewn. The rest is hand finished. I purchased the fibulae (pins at the shoulders) at Gulf Wars from Raymond's Quiet Press. I have the red enameled ones, because I knew that my first Peplos would be blue and I liked the contrast. There are two additional buttons on each side that I have permanently sewn to the sleeves. I did this so I didn't have to worry about putting 6 pins in each time I wanted to wear Roman, but it still gives that open look. The fabric is of course from Fabrics-Store.com. There was a sale on their IS003, Linen/Cotton blend, color: Ultramarine, so I jumped on that. I love this fabric.The drape is exactly what I was hoping for.
I used Countess Gwendolen-Isabella Stewart's pattern - many thanks to her for making such great instructions! The belt I'm using is wool tablet-woven trim that is actually slated for a different project, but worked well at the moment.
It was about time I got to making my own, so this is the result. I had help from several friends in fitting my fabric pattern out of some scrap mix I had. I then took that and made the blue Peplos (also known as a tunica or chiton) that you see below. The one main seam from armpit to hem is machine sewn. The rest is hand finished. I purchased the fibulae (pins at the shoulders) at Gulf Wars from Raymond's Quiet Press. I have the red enameled ones, because I knew that my first Peplos would be blue and I liked the contrast. There are two additional buttons on each side that I have permanently sewn to the sleeves. I did this so I didn't have to worry about putting 6 pins in each time I wanted to wear Roman, but it still gives that open look. The fabric is of course from Fabrics-Store.com. There was a sale on their IS003, Linen/Cotton blend, color: Ultramarine, so I jumped on that. I love this fabric.The drape is exactly what I was hoping for.
I used Countess Gwendolen-Isabella Stewart's pattern - many thanks to her for making such great instructions! The belt I'm using is wool tablet-woven trim that is actually slated for a different project, but worked well at the moment.
![]() |
February 2014 - Making the fabric pattern, following Countess Gwen's instructions |