Stowe Stripeys


…or

How does one look like they play with Stowe?



by Lady Gillian Brampton.

The answer to that question is easy!
With the exception of having an alcoholic beverage on hand, all you need is a pair of Stowe ‘Stripeys’, and, if you enjoy a good battle, a Stowe Tabbard.

This month, we’ll be looking at Stowe Stripeys.

You will need -
  • Thick elastic or cord,
  • cotton drill (black & dark green pre-washed & ironed),
  • sharp scissors,
  • tailor’s chalk or pen,
  • black thread,
  • sewing machine &/or overlocker,
  • measuring tape/ruler.

    Firstly, you need to be absolutely honest with how wide you are around the middle. Don’t kid yourself here; if you’ve underestimated your size, they will, quite simply, look awful! If you’ve overestimated, then they will look like you’re wearing a nappy! Your size will determine how many stripes you will need. Most people need 10-12 stripes and for the purpose of this article, I will be using 12 stripes as an example.

    After you have figured out how many stripes you’ll have in your pants, you’ll need to work out how much fabric you’ll need to buy. Most fabric is 112cm wide and this is wide enough for most people. If you’re tall, eg 180cm or greater, you may need to add fabric to lengthen the legs a bit (more on that later). Again, for the purposes of this article, I’ll presume that 112cm wide fabric is wide enough. You’ll need about 150cm each of black and dark green drill.

    WASH THE FABRIC FIRST!!



    I cannot stress that enough. Most cottons and linens shrink when washed, which is why I’m suggesting you get a little more fabric than you truly need.

    As an aside, there are two types of edges to any length of fabric; a cut edge and a finished edge. The cut edge is just that, the edge of the fabric where it was cut from the roll. The finished edge, or selvedge, is the edge of the fabric that doesn’t fray. Now that you have washed your fabric, and ironed it (have I mentioned yet this yet?) measure 12 x 10cm intervals along one of the selvedges for the green and then the black drill. At each of these marked points, using a nice sharp pair of scissors, make a 1-2cm cut into the fabric. Take the fabric and tear it at the points you just cut. If you want to be pedantic, you can measure the lines and cut them, but tearing the fabric is a lot quicker and good to relieve pent up frustrations!

    Lay out the stripes in alternating colours i.e. one black stripe, then a green, another black and so on, until you have two piles of 12 stripes with 6 stripes of each colour in each pile. If you have access to an overlocker, overlock the long edges together of a black and green stripe then, to the other side of the green stripe, add a black one and continue until you have two sheets of black and green striped fabric (figure 1).

    If you can’t get access to an overlocker, stitch down each seam ¾ cm in from the edge. Then use a zigzag stitch to finish the edge off so that it doesn’t fray. Fold the sheets in half, place them together so that the open edges face each other and draw a ‘U’ in the centre (figure 2). Cut out along this line. This forms the crotch of the pants. Overlock the inner leg (marked with an ‘I’ in figure 2) then sew together the left and right sides of the crotch (figure 3). Now you should have what looks like a pair of pants! Next, fold over the top of the pants enough so that your cord or elastic can fit through and straight stitch it down leaving about 2.5cm unstitched so that you can fit your cord/elastic through. Do the same for the bottom of each leg. To measure out how much cord/elastic you need, take a strip and put it around your waist.

    If you’re using elastic DO NOT STRETCH IT!

    Add 2.5cm to this measurement for overlap enough to sew the edges together. If you’re using cord, do the same but add 20cm to allow for tying it off. Do the same for the ankles. Thread the cord/elastic through the fold of fabric using a large safety pin to help you feed it through the tube-like seam. Sew the edges of the elastic together by overlapping the edges and use a zigzag stitch to join them. Finish your pants by sewing up the 2.5cm gap you left to thread the elastic through with a straight stitch. Voila! You now have a pair of Stowe Stripeys. For those who need extra length to their pants, just use a strip of fabric (one colour or you can use the leftover fabric from the stripeys) and attach it to the bottom of the leg before you fold the pants up to add the elastic.

    If you need any help with this, or any part of the construction, just ask one of the friendly Canton sempstresses and for a small bribe (chocolate or Tim Tams always help) and you may receive assistance!


    Gillian