I have a problem staying focused… Wednesday, Jul 2 2008

I’ve spent the last three weeks in the field, not sewing, and now the summer camping event season is upon me, so the loose kirtle and gown has been temporarily shelved in favor of mending and clothing I can wear camping without passing out from heat exhaustion or requiring dry cleaning.

I just finished (well, except for four eyelets and two cuffs) a boned Tudor kirtle made from the $5/yard purple linen (yes, I actually used fabric for the originally planned project!). The brilliant Lady Sasha fitted me for it, and it fits absolutely perfectly and is totally comfortable. The only problem is my fault, and that was sewing the skirt on slightly too low. However, this will mostly be worn as a foundation garment except while camping, and I’m not really worried about it.

This project has been a record for me in terms of speed, probably because a) I didn’t have to do much handsewing and b) the 14th century kirtle/cote project and my various headwear projects made my handsewing a lot better and faster. That and I’m actually getting better at sewing (see previous post, ha).

Anyway, now that I have a foundation garment, I can get someone to refit my doublet/bodice pattern and I can actually start working on many of the other projects I have planned. I think the Spanish jerkin and an Elizabethan jacket are at the top of the list. And when I get tired of 16th century, I need to get Sasha to refit my kirtle/cotehardie pattern.

Tomorrow I am off to Glory War, and then I will be back and have to do work work again. But I think I should be able to keep picking away at projects before Baron’s War.

And yes, still need to post project pictures. I will have to get my lord Melchior to take pictures this weekend.

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Historical Sewing Books: Medieval versus Tudor Tailors Wednesday, Jul 2 2008

I have pretty much gone from Not Sewing to being fairly decent in the last year. This is almost 100% due to The Medieval Tailor’s Assistant. The reason I love it is because it has very, very clear instructions for drafting a body block, sleeves, and hose, and it gives detailed instructions with every garment on a) how to modify the block appropriately and b) how the garment should fit. Thus far, we have used the instructions to fit me for a kirtle/cote (including sleeves, which aren’t 100% perfect in the wrist/hand region–they were supposed to have mitten cuffs and I had to end them at the wrists–but which are close-fitting and comfortable enough for archery) and F. for a pair of footed hosen (we had some trouble with the feet, but I think that’s inevitable). I also just used the sleeve instructions (which are BRILLIANT) to draft a straight sleeve for my Tudor kirtle.

It’s not a totally comprehensive or perfect book when it comes to medieval clothing–I wish it went far enough back for bliauts, covered other cote construction methods, and went into a crapload more detail on headwear, especially fitting hoods (which still defeats me), but it’s a really, really good basic introduction to drafting and fitting your own patterns.

So, when The Tudor Tailor came out I was really excited. I’m a fan of Ninya Mikhaila, and I was hoping for something similar for 16th century clothing. Unfortunately, not only does it not really discuss fitting very much, much less provide fantastic instructions on how to draft the patterns from a body block, but it doesn’t even tell you much about how the clothing should fit most of the time. Plus a lot of the garments are patterned very oddly when compared to the extant garments they’re based on–this is particularly evident with the loose gown.

I look at The Tudor Tailor a lot for inspiration, and it does have some good technique discussions, but I find it a lot more frustrating–it would almost be easier for me to work from Janet Arnold in some cases (okay, it definitely is).

I really hope the Renaissance Tailor book materializes one of these days, because I think her approach is much closer to that of Medieval Tailor, and the body block approach to sewing works well for me.

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Loose kirtle update… Wednesday, May 14 2008

I am still working away on the loose kirtle and gown. So far on the kirtle I have

• Assembled the kirtle with brocade facing and mostly finished the seams.
• Bound the neckline with ribbon.
• Started sewing lacing rings on.

I still need to

• Hem it.
• Bind the armscyes and front bottom with ribbon.
• Add eyelets to the armscyes.
• Finish sewing lacing rings on.
• Pattern and assemble the sleeves.
• Add eyelets to the sleeves.

The loose gown should go together faster, since it won’t involve as much handwork. Once I have the kirtle almost together, I’ll start working on the gown again. I’m still deciding what kind of sleeves to use.

I want to make a brocade flat cap and caul and a red velveteen Italian bonnet so I have some headwear choices for it. But that comes later….

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Awesome new loose gown project! Sunday, Apr 13 2008

I found this amazing red-and-yellow chenille as a remnant at Joann’s. It was $6/yard! But sadly, there was only about 4 yards or so. It is soft and drapes nicely and the pattern is wonderful, not too naturalistic, and just about the right size. I love it like puppies and kittens. It is even more gorgeous in person. Anyway, it said “I want to be a stunning loose gown!” so I pored over Janet Arnold (the German loose gown with the cutaway front), since this time I’m going to pattern it properly instead of cheating and making it A-line like I did last time (which looks more and more wrong to me the more examples I look at of A-line loose gowns versus the on-the-bias ones). I used my new doublet pattern from Sasha as a base.

The yellow with red figures side:

The red with yellow figures side (which I decided to use because the kirtle is gold brocade and I like red, but it was a HARD decision):

Kaylie helping me cut out pieces:

Maia helping me. At least until she started attacking my fabric and I chased her out of the living room.

I will post pictures of kirtle fabric and finished garments later! The loose gown will be trimmed with white fake fur (I am trying to make this a SIMPLE project, so not cutting up and piecing rabbit skins) and closed over the bust with gold clasps (but not all the way down the front, ‘cos that would be expensive). Some of the portraits I’ve looked at do not have closures lower than the bust, even decorative ones, so I feel okay about that.

I’m planning on making a little red velvet Italian bonnet to wear with it…since so much of my fabric stash is red/maroon/burgundy, it should go with a lot of other things.

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Ottonian scroll #2! Saturday, Apr 12 2008

I finished my second AoA scroll, for a specific person I haven’t met. It’s also Ottonian, and while I wasn’t able to figure out what I really wanted to do, it’s more complicated than the last one and I’m pretty happy with it (aside from the fact that I had Poor Planning on the text and I’m crossing my fingers it’ll be approved with such abbreviated text and the Royal signatures at the top instead of the bottom…if not, I’ll redo it). I did better with my color choice this time, although my outlines still need serious work (I think I just haven’t found the perfect brush for outlines yet–it has to carry sufficient paint but not too much, and have a fine point).

I shall post a picture later, after it has been awarded. Photos in bright sunlight are definitely better than scans or color copies, wow. Good thing I live in Colorado.

On other projects, I found an amazing gold and red chenille remnant and I’m working on a kirtle (fronted with Martha Stewart tableclothes I’ve been hoarding forever, haha) and loose gown. It is so. freaking. pretty. And I love loose gowns, because they are comfy, look fine without a corset, and are not fitted much and are thus less stressful to make. Sasha fitted me for a doublet and bodice pattern, and now I need to make a boned kirtle and then go from there.

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Calligraphy and illumination class! Monday, Mar 10 2008

I’m going to take a calligraphy and illumination class in May, which I expect to be fun. Here’s the class description:

Celtic And Historical Calligraphy

During this course you will learn the skills of the masters of European Calligraphy. We’ll cover historical inking colours, their origins and how they are made. Parchments and vellums, various papers, quill types, quill cutting, scripting tables, layout geometry, and related themes will be demonstrated and discussed. Period scripting and styles, including Celtic, Ottonian, Renaissance, and others, will be explained and illustrated. Skill in scripting, design, illustration, and illumination is used in historical reproduction work as well as modern art. The information presented will surprise modern digital graphic ad layout artists, enhancing their knowledge and depth in their own professional fields. Please bring $10 to class for materials.

It’s a two-day workshop taught by Dan Cheatham II, who’s clearly trying to spin it to appeal to modern graphic artists, but his real interests are historical. So more practice making period paints, AND he has genuine lapis and malachite to play with, which will be exciting since there is no freaking way I’m going to buy lapis to grind up myself at the current prices. So this may be my chance to find out how genuine lapis looks and handles differently from synthetic ultramarine.

Dan also teaches a longbow making class, which would really tempt me if I liked shooting longbows, which I don’t. But I am tempted by the leatherwork class, since several people have suggested tooling as an alternative to stamping for the Gothic-lettered motto belts I want to make from Dress Accessories, and Melchior and his boss don’t do tooling at work on account of things like profit margins. So getting some instruction in that might be a good idea. I’ll have to see how finances and time go.

There’s a baronial corset workshop coming up, so I need to do a mockup fitted as far as I can get without help on the modified Dorothea bodies.

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Not as far along as I’d hoped Monday, Feb 11 2008

Revised plan:

• Coif – Finished and FANTASTIC. It stays on far more easily than a caul, even given how short my hair is. No bobby pins necessary!
• Purple/brown velvet skirt – Still half pinned, will finish…later.
• Green velveteen square doublet – Now has majority of trim and all pieces cut out (but lining needs to be cut down since we refitted the shoulders). Plan is to do set-in sleeves for speed, but later take apart and add epaulets and buttonhole strips and converting the sleeves to button-on.
• Partlet – Need to make. This will be a SIMPLE gathered partlet to match my coif.
• Caul – Need to make at least 1 for me and 1 for Lucretzia, more if I can (unlikely). But I can always cut them all out and take them to handsew in the car–they don’t take too long by hand.

Things that are being put off until after Estrella:

• Brown wool skirt
• Flannel petticoats
• Decorating the flat cap – It’s wearable as is.

I’m going to have to do some SERIOUS sewing tomorrow to get the square doublet done. But it’s theoretically possible. I need to get back into my focus-on-one-project-at-a-time groove that I had last summer.

Today I found some amazing “blackworked” sheer fabric. It’s synthetic, but not obviously to the eye, and the machine blackwork is dense and not too out-of-period looking. I’m planning on making a set of detachable sleeves, a partlet, and a caul out of it at some point.

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The weekend of sewing Sunday, Feb 10 2008

As of Saturday evening:

• Coif – This was a spur of the moment project with some machine-embroidered linen. I sewed spangles on it and lined it with purple linen. There’s too much white space for Elizabethan sensibilities, but it’s not awful, and I’m excited I finally figured out a working coif pattern. I still need to sew the trim I found with loops on for a drawstring (cheating, I know).
• Flat hat – Most of today (after staying up until 2:00 last night with the coif) I spent drafting a pattern for a new, more period flat hat according to Sempstress. I am very happy with the shape! The construction method is not my favorite, though–the bias tape was fiddly and I don’t like the finish, so next time around I will try this pattern with the old method for a lined flat cap. Anyway, I made it out of the tan wool and all it needs is a hatband and feather. I have a nice metal button to sew on as well with an arabesque design.
• Purple/brown velvet skirt – Still half pinned, will finish tomorrow.
• Brown wool skirt – Still half pinned, will attempt to put guards on and finish tomorrow.
• Flannel petticoats – Tomorrow
• Green velveteen doublet – Maybe try to finish tomorrow (doubt I’ll have time)
• Cauls (2 for me, 1 or 2 for Lucretzia) – I figure I’ll just assembly-line them Monday evening. I definitely want some cauls that aren’t as fancy as my beaded one, which looks out of place with my next wool flat cap.

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Clothing update Friday, Feb 8 2008

I bought 5 yards of tan wool (not as nice as my camelhair/cashmere, but nice). After much consideration, bad calculations of trim requirements (I bought everything my local Joann’s had and will probably end up special-ordering more), and talking to people, there is NO WAY I am trying to get the doublet done in a week. It’s a long-term project. I spent about $60 on the wool and the trim will doubtless end up costing far more (but I should get a skirt, a doublet, three sets of sleeves, and a flat cap out of it).

I am going to try to do the skirt with the simple guarding, though. So stuff I want to get done this weekend:

-Tan wool skirt with simple guarding (started this, need to go buy thread).
-Brown/purple velvet skirt.
-1 or 2 flannel petticoats.
-At least one flat cap (either brown velveteen or tan wool).
-New linen caul (this will take 30 minutes!).
-Maybe an Italian/Spanish bonnet if I can figure out a way to do this without a lot of structure and without ordering a pattern.
-Maybe get cuffs onto gloves.

Pretty much all simple sewing, so should be manageable. I hope. And I should be warmer with multiple layers of skirts and my exciting new Sock Dreams socks (and cotton-lined wool tights–my mom gave them to be for Christmas). We’ve also ordered a new tent (albeit a nylon pop tent, but a big one with a non-broken zipper) and two wool blankets, which I hope arrive in time. Must remember to get a new camp chair, too.

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As always, my overly ambitious plans change! Friday, Feb 1 2008

A&S report for January 2008:

I fear I did not ply my Needle so industr’ously as I had hoped this month:

Item, a brodered slip of Aquilegia (columbine) for a Cushonne (I have yet three more slips to complete, though I find I know not yet which other flowers most please me, for there are so many most fair!).
Item, a payre of Gartyres brodered with blakwoorke for my lord (I have a few more Snailles yet to complete).

And with m’lady Laura I did teach a class on Buttons wrapt with sylke for the arts and sciences Collegium of our fair Barony of Caer Galen, which was attended well. I continue to strive to better my correspondence, and am most grateful for the assistance of my dear cousins in this matter.

My ambitious Estrella plans have changed. I’m not trying to get shoes done, although I might still try for the Anglo-Saxon. But I want a wool skirt, some petticoats, and possibly a wool doublet. The problem is that I only have about 1.5 yards of my lovely tan camelhair/cashmere, and the nice brown wool Joann’s had a few months ago is gone gone gone. So my options are to make a doublet of the camelhair and a skirt of something else, or go to Denver Fabrics this weekend and see if I can find 4 yards of something appropriate on the remnant table. I want to do some really nice black cording on the doublet and guarding on the skirt, which probably makes this a really bad pre-Estrella project. It’s not like I don’t have plenty of real-life stuff to do (and I have a cold, blech).

It would be good if I could get the cuffs onto my gloves, too. We’ll see, I guess!

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