The year is going... soon gone.
I've made little progress on some things, a lot of progress on others. I made a fighting tabard for Regalia, but I'm not really happy with it. Others seem to think it came out nicely, so I'll have to live with that. I'm my own worst critic!
Slip Sliding Away
Fighting Tabard
I have been busy. Pennsic sewing kicked my butt and then we came skidding into Rendezvous. I've sewn a couple things since Pennsic. But none so difficult as an appliqued tabard for His Highness.
This piece will go into Regalia for future HRH, and so, I was determined to get it right. There are mistakes, but apparently I am the only one that notices them. I think that's pretty normal.
I cursed. A lot.
I stayed up late.
And HRH Lutr said the end result was "outstanding."
Which makes me ridiculously happy.
He has asked me to make a fighting tunic similar, but with an early period knotwork, erm... okay. :-)
Double Take
I've decided to make a dressmaker's double.
It's getting increasingly hard to figure out fitting on myself and while I know I have nice garb it would be nicer if it fit me better.
I'm not wrapping myself in duct-tape. There is another way.
On the web, I found instructions to make a muslin double. Basically is like a GFD except you make it from heavy muslin with a zipper up the back. Obviously, I need to enlist help in the pinning process. Once you get it pinned and marked, you cut yourself out, sew it up with the zipper then wet it down and put it back on. It then has to dry on your body. That's going to be the uncomfortable part! Then, you stuff it with foam pads and batting.
Should be an interesting project!
I will definitely post the results here.
I also finally purchased the Burgundy dye from Dharma Trading for the wool I posted about in this blog so long ago. I also finally bought 4 yards of Linen from http://www.fabrics-club.com. I needed some dark green linen and JoAnne's never had anything that color (plus it's back up to full price), so I jumped. With shipping it was 8.75 per yard. Not bad. Now, if the quality is as nice as their customers say on their web site....
Tired is as tired does
urg....I hate sewing sometimes. I threw a bodice in the garbage tonight. I'm tired of tearing stuff apart to fix the mistakes. This one wasn't going to be worth it, so I just chucked it in the bin. *waves goodbye*. And then? I started a new one! So far, this one is coming out nicely. I revised the pattern and found a way to use some of the massive roll of twill tape I bought for my corset (and never used and still working on the corset!) to reinforce the boning. Has this viking gone mad? Probably. I swore I'd never wear 16th C. stuff, but since the fencing bug bit me....
Our "Smurf" capes were found! Or at least Tormod of Meridies calls them that, which gives me a giggle, since that's pretty much exactly what they look like! It seemed a bit silly I guess to be asking around after them, but, mine at least was made in that night-before-sleepless-round-of-sewing-before-the-event and since I was nervous about the authorization etc... it's sort of a keepsake. I'm funny about stuff like that. I'm sure Lord Tormod though so as well, as he said he would "call off his dogs" when I told him they were found (I had asked him to see if someone from his area had picked them up for safekeeping or by mistake). He has such a delightful sense of humor... among other redeeming qualities.
*giggle*
I realize I am a failure at blogging (havn't posted since February?), but I don't mind so much as I just helped Calyvorri make a gorgeous cotehardie that came out *perfect*, if I do say so myself. Of course, she started with a perfectly gorgeous Burgundy linen... yummy....
hummm, speaking of yummy...
Most of the men in the SCA are so courteous, kind, honorable... and I could just melt when someone is chivalrous and handsome...and well spoken. If only all men understood this small concept.. you don't have to be drop dead gorgeous - you just have to make women think that you are. Simply use the old courtly ways and we'll be swooning. Such a shame more guys don't realize this. Even some SCA guys could benefit from a class in courting... :-)
I'm sewing like a bandit for Pennsic now, but all attempts at a decent fencing shirt that will cover the sisters as well as the rest of me seem to fail miserably. The last one was like a huge bag and the one before had shoulders so dropped, the sleeves looked horrible. I'm of a mind to just buy a couple of shirts at Pennsic.
jumping to the next subject...
FENCING! I felt I had a nice "on" day at Border Raids, even if I was slaughtered, but by heaven I should have been, facing all kinds of experienced fencers - the recipients of high level awards in their kingdom. But yesterday at practice... WTF? My arm was like a spaghetti noodle and I felt like I was moving through water. It was horrible! And the melees... urgh. I really dislike melees so far. I thought I was conquering my fear of getting hurt, but not so much....at least I can still follow the command to 'stay alive'. Just when I think I might be getting better at fencing, the melees cut me right back down to 'newbie'. It's confusing, I can't focus, I feel like Luke Skywalker with that ball and he's got blinders on with the light saber. Except I can't find The Force. *sigh* Practice, practice and training.....sometimes I wonder if my mind is really suited to this. I KNOW my body is NOT! LOL
ACK!
Oh my gosh. It's almost March. I can barely believe it. Its not that I havn't been busy, but I have been too busy to post. I finished the Viking Apron Dress. The wool is still undyed. I've been working on perfecting a pattern for a fitted dress (cotehardie) that works for me. I may be however, reinventing the wheel!
Regional A&S is coming up and I am not entering again. I just don't feel that I am ready. There will be many A&S competitions in my future.
I will post some pics of current projects soon. Plus I'm going to be making a parti-colored dress, that I am excited about and a couple of Italian's (and their related chemises).
Ælfwyn
Still working on the wool
After much advice from the ladies at SCA-Garb@yahoogroups.com, and speaking to the lovely lady at Dharma Trading, I have come to several conculsions:
- Rit dye is bad. Rit has combined a protein dye and a cellulose dye to cover all possiblities. The results is a dye that doesn't work well on either (though by all accounts does work better on protein fibers)
- Acid dye is good. It's great for protein fiber AND it sticks only to the protein, NOT to the washer. NOT ONE BIT. This is a Very Good Thing, because it means my DH will not object to me dying the fabric in the washer. Which makes my life much easier.
- Acid dye is expensive. Which means, next time I should buy the wool off Fashion Fabrics Club for 10.00 a yard and save myself all this freaking head ache. Because in the end, that's about what I'll be paying!
grrrrrrrr......
Wool... after
This is after using 2 packs of Rit Color Remover :-/. Not exactly what I expected. And the entire house smells like perm solution. Bleugh.
It seems to be more of a pink color... so possibly using red would make it burgundy. At least if I try a true red first and it's not deep enough I can always add more brown.
Huummm.
I should probably do a color swatch to check. Nah.....
And now, for something completely different
Wool.
Yes, my friends. That elusive fabric (where I live anyway... IF you can find it, you'll pay 16.00 to 20.00 a yard) that I have been waiting for winter to work with.
I got some. For a mere pittance a yard. 100% worsted wool, in a twill weave. it's soft and lovely. and 60" wide. A period seamtress' dream, you say? Hah!
It's a horrible color.
Somewhere between mud and tan, lies my poor wool.
And tonight is the night. I'm going to turn this ugly duckling into a swan.
I'm going to do my best to document this transformation. First I'm washing it, then I'll remove the color from it with Rit color remover. Then I hope to tub dye it a burgundy/wine color. Then fashion it into it's new life as a 12th century bliaut.
We shall see.
Here is the wool before washing:
Black Dress Sold, Viking Dress Finished
And the weirdest night of my life as I got called up to court to recieve my AOA... *again*. Yes, that's right, again.
I'm guessing someone didn't check the database for the royals. But I was really pleased to get another AOA from TRM Kateryn and Edmund. They were both very complimentary and gracious. And I was so much less nervous, if a bit puzzled! My second scroll is even more beautiful than the first, if that's even possible.
So, now I guess, I'm Lady2 or Lady squared... or something.
Sirkka did buy the black dress, I hope she's happy with it! I'll post when she lets me know.
I did finish the Viking dress and got a lot of compliments on it. Even if it was belted....but I need somewhere to carry my bling!
In the future maybe slits so I can access the things hanging off the belted undertunic.
Pictures to follow....
I did get a pattern for fleece slippers today that I think I can modify into some linen socks. And I cut and almost finished a handsewn Viking Cap at Flame. In fact, I cut two. All I have to do is lucet some cord for the ties, and finish the ends. Possibly an A&S entry. Shall have to see since regional next year is about a 7 hour trip one way for me.
That's it for now.
Viking Apron Dress
Well, I've started it.
I'm not great at picture taking, so most of the pics were way to dark to be posted. :-( Maybe I can get some tomorrow when it is light.
I sort of made up my own pattern, as I found a bunch of different opinions online of how these were made in period.
I knew I didn't really like or want the wrap around style, so I just used two front panels and two flat topped gores on each side. I ended up also with two smaller gores that I could have placed in the front and back of the dress, but I felt that would be overkill. I used the extra material to make facings. More tomorrow...or, since its 1am, today.
Dress for Sale
I made this gown for myself and wore it just twice, once for court and once at the Lord of the Rings museum exhibit. It fits a 60" bust, and has a 100" hem and black and gold trim on the arm seams and at the hem. The neckline has hand embroidery with gold beads. The sleeves are fitted.
It measures 57" from shoulder to hem. It's too short for me. :-(
I had thought about fixing it. But, since I have a bolt of black linen, it seems it would be easier to just make another. Gowns for the larger busted woman are very hard to find. And there was a lot of handsewing involved in this gown (mostly on the trim).
Pending Projects
Do I have to? OMG, there are sooooo many.
But I will begin with what is first on my plate and then go from there:
Linen socks. Yep. I want 'em!
shoes from Lady Oren (okay, I'm not making those, but it's on the list of acquisitions!)
Finish Viking tunic
Make apron dress to match (thereby showing off my stunning brooches I got from Accolon Shadowhawk, a good friend that brought them back from Pennsic as payment for some sewing I did for him. Wayyyyyy overpaid, I was! They are gorgeous.)
Middle Eastern Garb
black linen harem pants
white gauze tunic
Gwazee coat (yeah, I know it's a 19th c. garment, but I love it)
Whoo Hooo!
This will be my dress diary. Where all my crazy schemes come together to make one big 8th-14th century fashion explosion. :-)