Much to my surprise...a t-tunic!

Well, I thought I had several more hours of work to go on Anne's t-tunic. Surprise, surprise, it's done in under 2 hours and just needs hemming and the collar finished. And that's hand work anyway. I might use a contrasting seam binding for the collar. Pretty it up.

So, here it is, just in time for Pennsic. (And that means I can cut the second kirtle tomorrow at work). The color is a little hard to discern from these pictures, but it's a sort of jade/grey green. Great little dyeing mistake that turned out well. I guess it could look teal in the right light, but it seems like jade green to me.





For you Authenticity Buffs out there, here's what I usually base this pattern on:

http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~Marc-Carlson/cloth/type5.html

15th century kirtle

I finished Anne's first kirtle today at work. The last thing I have to do is cover the grommet holes with embroidery floss. Normally I would hand-bind the eyelets, but this is the quick and dirty way. It'll look nice with the floss over it though. And she'll have to find something to lace it with (lucet cording works well), because all I have is a safety pin to hold it together at this point.

The major seams are machine sewn, but the sleeves, the hems, and the collar are all hand-finished. It's helpful to have nothing to do at work and plenty of sewing to do. It makes me want to work even harder so I can get through my garb to-do list before Pennsic.

In period, they would have worn this over a long sleeved-smock, then pinned on lower sleeves to cover the smock arms. Here's a period painting illustrating such:


and...


So without further ado, here's some pictures. Hopefully I get some with her in it at Pennsic.

Travelling Forward in Time to the Tudors Again

So any of the five of you that have stumbled upon my humble little site may remember my attempt at creating a class on Tudor middle class garb for Pennsic 36.

Infamously titled "Beyond the Wench", this class was based on my interpretations of some Flemish middle class Tudor-contemporary paintings by Breughel and sketches by Holbein, the book "The Tudor Tailor" by Ninya Mikhaila and Jane Malcolm-Davies, and "Tailor's Pattern Book 1589" by Juan De Alcega for period patterning tips and sewing instructions.

Both books are excellent resources. Alcega's book can be had for $105.00 on Amazon.com, but check your local Inter Library Loan for a copy. Michigan has MelCat and this book is available through this system if your library is connected to MelCat (most MI libraries are). Mikhaila's book is about $40.00, but buying directly from them is better for everyone. You'll pay a little more in shipping, but they can continue their work by taking in a larger profit.

I have been asked to present the class with the completed garments at the end of April for Squire's Revolt (which is to have a Tudor/Elizabethan theme this year). Now you may also remember that this era is not my especial favorite, but something about these Flemish styles speak to me as a female and a medieval re-creator. They can *easily* be styled up or down to change classes. Different sleeves can remake the entire gown. One can really go hog wild with trims and beads and pearls.

Here's a very simplified, broken down version of the kirtle and gown I'm attempting. My version is closer to the cutting layout of "Tudor Tailor" and "Pattern Book".

My chemise is already completed (uh, well minus finishing the hem [you're surprised?] and neckhole), and is of white cotton muslin. I normally use unbleached muslin for my earlier period chemises because (for me) it represents the less refined aspects of medieval clothing.

So keep an eye on this blog for more updates. I have 3 major projects going right now, and several smaller ones in the works.

Also, I'm experimenting with a toddler line of basic t-tunics, early period peplos, and Persian coats that will go on eBay next weekend hopefully.

New year, new gown

Oh what I naughty girl I am for not posting about my new gown. Not only that, but I have no pictures yet and I didn't finish my chemise to go with it, I haven't hemmed it or the surcote that goes with it, it's not in the century I had researched, and it has to be completely finished by February 9th for Val Day.

...Aaaaaand it just occured to me that that is my freaking anniversary and *that* is why Bryan was put off when I told him I was going...jeeeez I'm dumb.

Well, maybe I can come home early.

Onto the dress:

So in the previous post in November, I was planning an extravagant Gothic fitted gown with underpinnings and accessories. Well, I didn't get my shoes for Christmas, so that's out. I also cannot fit a GFG without help and Bryan doesn't fall into that category.

So I settled on underwear-out for a mid-13th century gown based on the extant example of St. Clare of Assisi's gown. It's simple, and with a few modifications (read: extra side front gores), my ample bosoms fit right in.

(Short note, I made this dress, with a lining, and the surcote, from scratch, no patterns, jsut drafting straight to the fabric, in about 48 hours. I forgot about 12th Night and the Baronial Investiture--Hoobah for Odo and Dulcinea!--until about 3 days before the event. So kudos to me.)

The idea for the gown came from this site. It's pretty well known amongst garbers of this era because of it's simplicity, clarity, and accuracy. I have not been able yet to verify this source, so if you have been able to have access to this research or the book it comes from, let me know.

The reason for this change was not only because of the difficulting in fitting a GFG alone on a fat figure, but also because my linen is very heavy coatweight and it really didn't drape right around my curves.

While this gown is actually based on St. Clare's clothes as she would have worn them as a Bride of Christ and head of her Order of Poor Clare's, I was able to support my theory for the look with other sources--specifically the Maciejowski Bible and Manesse Codex. The Bible being of French origin and contemporary time, I can show a wide swath of style from Assisi in Umbria, Italy to other continental kingdoms. Most particularly or note is the picture of the Benjamites winning wives from Shiloh, and the women of Israel meeting David after slaying Goliath. These two illuminations display the solid color, floor length, belted gown with a simple circlet and no veil.

The Codex is a little later, being 1305 C.E. and are of what we would call German origin, but because of the lack of unity of the many pricipalities and kingdoms of the region, I'm going to say that there are Swiss and German people represented, but not in our modern sense. The styles have changed a little, but here I can find documentation of my surcote on a female. In this illumination of
Count Konrad von Kirtchburg is climbing up to his lady love, who is wearing a sleeveless surcote over her gown.

Also supporting are the illuminations of

Herr Gottfried von Neifen
Herr Jakob von Warte
Herr Walther von Klingen
the poet Kuerenberger
and several others. I suggest these sites and a Babel Fish translation to get the gist of what the illuminations mean.
The University of Heidelberg
and
Tempora Nostra


I have not finished the underwear yet, but I'm working on it.

More updates soon, hopefully with pictures, but don't quote me since I haven't produced the promised Pennsic pictures yet.

In Service to The Dream,
Gillian de Chelseye.

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