Emergency Notice

To those of you who are looking forward to taking my class at Pennsic be forewarned: due to some pretty catastrophic family events currently brewing, I may not have the finished kit ready. I will be at Pennsic and I will teach the class regardless of how much I have finished on it, since I have all the actual paperwork and handouts ready for printing.

If things turn out ok, then I'll have the kit done. If not, well we'll try again next year.

Say a few non-denominational and non-religious specific prayers for my grandfather.

YiS,
Gillian

Middle-class 1530's Tudor Garb Kit for the Pennsic Class.

Ok, so I'm off and running (finally!) on theiTudor kit and I'm finally feeling like I may be able to finish everything if I stay up really late all the time and do my hand-sewing and on-paper designs when the girls are sleeping. I can't use the sewing machine, so that sort of sucks.

I got a promise to borrow a camera from Iohann, and now I have my nice 35mm SLR for Pennsic, so expect many more pics in the next two weeks, if not right after I return from Pennsic. I may wait to update (prolly not...I egt bored) until after I don't have as much work to do.

I'll finish my on-paper Tudor chemise design today and be able to cut and sew tonight. I have to help my grandma water the garden right after work, but other than that, I'm home free. I cleaned the house except for the dishes last night and got my unfinished chemise finished finally. That thing's been waiting for gores since January.

So now I have three chemises. Two in High Middle Ages period design, and another longer one cut like a sleeveless princess seam dress for ease of use as a faux 14th century kirtle. Cheating...yes I know, but comfortable.

Ok so as for that Tudor kit...
I'm sweating this one. I want it to look good but I'm worried I'll mess it up! I've got so much work to do, but with the help of The Tudor Tailor, I should be fine. I need to make: *the chemise *the kirtle *the gown *the overgown (if I have time) and *the headdress

The period tent is what I'm most worried about. If I don't finish it, I'm out of a big place to sleep and I'm stuck in a tiny, fragile dome tent for 10 days...eww. The wood for the support is what I'm most worried about. The wood I have is not going to work. I may just have to cut fresh poles out of the woodlot and lash them together and tie the tent to the lashed poles. Unfortunately, in a wind, I can't trust these, but Iohann will have to share if my tent collapses. We just don't have the room to take three tents, including my huge one. I'm trying to check to see if almost all my regular camp stuff minus chairs and other large things will fit into all my rubbermaid containers. The packing will be easier and we can just stack and lash everything in a cube and throw the poles and Iohann's spear along the side of them. The shield and his armor bag can lash to the top with duct tape. I'm scared it won't all fit, but we deserve a medal if we get it all there in one piece. Guess I'm borrowing Dad's tie-downs!

Oh well...we'll get through this and have a fun Pennsic!

13th Century Gown

So I measured, cut, and sewed together a preliminary 13th century gown.

And as usual, somehow I messed up the measurements. I believe it was with the side gores. I'm used to making things without arm gussets. This was my first properly constructed (ignore the sewing machine) gown with armscye gussets and 4-sided side gores. I ran out of fabric and had to reduce the side gores and I think I lost some circumference that way.

Being of large chest and curvy waist is so frustrating sometimes. I hate looking like a tent, but that seems to be all I can manage not to screw up lately. If I leave the chest tight, I can reinforce the seams and use it as a supportive gown, even though it's out of period for such a thing.

To fix the problem (since I don't have any more fabric...) I'm going to use a similar color cotton to add additional goring to the front and sides and throw the whole thing in a dye pot next week with some linen I'm dying. Unfortunately, it's a very dark blue and I have to get some more blue dye to make sure it sticks.

I can't afford to make these mistakes with the Tudor this weekend. But neither do I have the time or money to make muslin mock-ups of everything. I can fix most of what I mess up, but it kills that "One Dress in Four Hours" thing I've been striving for to get my kit done for Pennsic.

If I have the energy, I'll add the gores tonight after Fighter Practice, but in all probability, I'll be dead dog tired. I'm eating light today to avoid being so logy afterwards.

Pictures soon, I promise.

YiS,
Gillian

I have finished some pretty neat stuff that met with approval last night at the business meeting!

You know that red surcote that I stressed over and ruined and fixed eight times? Well I fixed it and turned the red into a lining for the new dark blue outer layer. It fits well, allows for air flow, and looks halfway decent. I'll get some pictures as soon as I figure out how to get the driver for my camera installed.

I'm also just today finishing the maroon wool hood I started ages ago. The liripipe is going in this morning andI should have the lacing and points finished tomorrow. Again, pictures soon.

Iohann is now in town so maybe his camera will be taking the pictures, as well as all the stuff I have to make for him will probably be up here as well. Hopefully he can come over tonight and we can work out his patterns.

Got a veil finished and all my fabric finally sorted for the all the projects. This weekend, I begin the Tudor (dum dum DUM!) and hope to have most everything cut out by Sunday night.

Yours in Service,
Gillian

Quick update to get the rage post from the front page.

This weekend is the Siege of Talonvale and I'm dragging the boy to camp! That's right, Bryan is to meet the Canton Crew this weekend.

Tonight, I'm hemming and finishing everything I own and planning on spending most of the night and most of tomorrow measuring and piecing and sewing. Once Iohann gets here, I have to start woodworking and finishing the tent, so the garb must be mostly finished ahead of time, so I'm not exhausting myself right before the drive down.

I need at least:
--one more pair of nice hose
--a bliaut with girdle for the Barony's Anglo-Saxon High Tea (not to mention a dish to pass there!)
--another Gothic-fitted gown for court
--two more chemises, one long, one shorter
--ALL of the commoner Tudor kit for my class, as well as the pictures, boards, print-outs, etc
--braises, two pair
--bed curtain
--chausses, full, one pair
--garters galore
--veils, veils, veils
--finish the sewing on the tent and attach all the ties and stake loops...ugh.
--hemming everything in sight.
--figure out a way to finish the failed red surcote. I cut a blue layer and had hoped to use the red as a liner, and so far have no thought as to how to finish it. I'll start with bias tape. Meh *shrugs* It's for camp work and bumming, so no biggie.

It's starting to get on my nerves how much work I still have yet to do and I'm still procrastinating. It's because I like sewing during the day. I can't with the girls sleeping and I'm tired at night. Well, I'm going to have all my hand sewing ready for work this weekend while I watch the fighting and during the evening before the drinking starts.

Come hell, or high water, I'll have this stuff done for Pennsic!! (and maybe some interesting pictures of me wearing my own garb for once!)

YiS,
Gillian