Well dang!  It's been a while!  I have upgraded into a more-than-full-time job and I've been focusing a lot on service, running  events and putting out fires and such.  Did you know that when you're awarded a Purple Fret that they expect you to keep doing more work? HA!  I knew there was a trick there somewhere.

But in all seriousness, I'm checking in before I leave for Pennsic tomorrow.  I miss thinking and writing about my medieval projects!  I am stepping away from running events this year (I did 12th Night in Ealdnordwuda and Squire's Tourney this past year) and focusing on ME!  My arts have gone by the wayside even though I have learned a few new things.

I've been gone from blogger so long that the format for posting has changed!  Good changes, very easy to use.  Very intuitive.  So here's a picture of one of the new things I learned: threaded-in split-pack tablet weaving...

The very beginnings of beginnings. I found this pattern extremely beautiful and easy at the same time--a rare find.

More finished here

The pattern is based on an Anglo-Saxon find as described in this link

I'm really excited at the ease with which I picked this up.  I also finally understand how to do brocading on table weaving, but I don't have any examples yet.  Hopefully I can take a class at Pennsic this year to be able to show you.

I'll bring back lots of pictures since I'm going to try to take at least 1 class a day while I've there since I'm always working my Pennsics instead of enjoying them.  Don't get me wrong, the volunteering is great, but I need to feed my artsy fartsy side.


In Other News:

I helped last year in making a bunch of short-sleeved fighting undertunics suitable for breastfeeding and quick changes for the now Her Excellency Runa Kirri, but who was Pennsic War Queen last year for the Midrealm.  Enjoyed it immensely since I got to be a little creative in colors and finishes for our stoic little queen.  Can you imagine giving birth while crowned and having so many responsibilities and issues to deal with?  I mean, it's pretty historical in precedent, but our current middle ages seem somehow less forgiving than the originals.
I really can see a difference in my technique improvement from tunics I made several years ago to now.  My finishing is tighter and more precise, I finally forced myself to iron everything properly as I go along (it makes an incredible difference in finished look), and my hand sewing is even better.

The hand sewing has always been my stronger suit, which is lucky for medieval clothing since the fitting and cutting and construction are all aimed as hand construction rather than machine construction.  Godets and gores and gussets fit better if put together by hand, easing in sleeves and around curving fitting lines and darts are easier.  Shirring and pleating (especially cartridge pleating) are beautiful and look authentic and crisp.  Finishing a handsewn project is a great feeling too.  Those long, long hours of hard work and I always get more compliments on my hand sewn garb than on my slapdash pre-Pennsic rush gowns.

So in short, new classes being written for hand sewing techniques, will be trying to teach them as a series through the winter months at various events.  Teaching and sewing are coming back to the forefront for me!  Very exciting!

More pictures after Pennsic!

-Jorun

Persona Identity Crisis

So I know I'm not the only one who changes or wants to change or has changed their persona, but I'm in a real pickle here. I've got eighteen thousand projects in various stages of development currently and they all seem to be from different eras and places. It really puts me in a bind as to who Gillian wants to be within the Society and what Melissa wants to spend her mundane time doing.

I've always had the goal in the SCA to avoid MPD--Multiple-Persona Disorder--because I think it's tacky if done wrong. But I also like being able to blend in with my surroundings and having a multitude of options. I have this sort of obsession for the accurate and documentable. It's not enough for me to know how things were done, I have to achieve it too. I guess it will help to list and describe the projects that are pulling me in these many directions.

Let's go in order of importance:

1.) Rework "Beyond the Wench: Mid-16th Century Garb on a Budget" to fit a 30 minute class time by the end of April, including my own sample researched Flemish outfit from the skin-out, including headgear with a budget of $30. I only have the research, drafting, and chemise finished (and the chemise isn't truly finished--HEMS!).

2.) Finish gambeson, surcote, chausses, braises, and other non-garb elements for my fighting kit.

3.) Finish test samples for toddler garb for eBay. I need the cash and I need to free up the space that my less historic fabrics take up for my new nest of delightfully expensive new textiles.

4.) Use some of the new wool flannel to make a winter peplos so I can play as a Celt sometimes.

5.) Use the new silk to make a simple 13th C. Persian-inspired garb for ME-themed events.

6.) Use new linen for making another 13th century gown, surcote, and ruffled fillet/barbette for summer courts.

7.) Use new wool and linen to make Viking dress and apron (and coif), respectively.

8.) Use new wool for making another 13th c. gown for winter courts.

9.) Make fabric stamps for sample 14th c. drawstring fabric pouches. That would preclude me actually making the sample bags as well.

10.) Make some simple Byzantine garb with research and extant examples/paintings/other art because I feel like it isn't well-represented in this area (or in the Midrealm for that matter).

11.) Repair and finish all garb in my wardrobe. This include hems, cuffs, and neck scyes.

12.) Organize sewing materials and notions and give them their very own area in the apartment, with a distinct sewing table. Go through fabric collection. Put aside fabrics for the Canton newbie garb event next Fall. Consolidate scrap bags. Sort fabrics by type into separate tubs. Sell fabrics with value, but are of no use to me. Use older/yuckier fabrics in my collection to make Pennsic junk garb that I can destroy without feeling guilty.

13.) Die of overwork and take 10-day vacation at Pennsic with all my garb finished AT LEAST 3 weeks beforehand. (HA!, yeah right.)



I'll stop there because it's my lucky number, ironically. Legend has it that Friday the 13th is considered unlucky because the Knights Templar were attacked en masse and destroyed on Friday, October 13, 1307 by King Phillip the Fair of France. There is no documented date of the incident though, so don't listen to what History Channel tells you as it is often very, very wrong.


YiStTD,
Gillian

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

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

Ridgepoles, and Uprights and Felled Seams, OH MY!

So the canvas is bought. $153 at Joann Fabrics for the 60" cotton duck. I had a 40% off coupon that I used to great effect and only paid $80 for the fabric. I got the needles, so now I'm ready to rumble. I'm now searching in vain for ways to make the uprights hold the ridgepole without generous amounts of time and swearing to make them work.

I'm also soliciting help with the sewing part. Specifically, I need a sewing machine that won't kill me with shattered needles or broken gears. I still have to test my mom's machine, so I'm just cutting fabric today. No luck on the camera for now, but I'm gonna use Bryan's camera phone so the picture quality is better.

If I could find a new belt for my mom's monster antique machine, I could sew with no worries and a sore foot from pushing the pedal. But it'd be cool to sew something with that crazy thing. I may try to make my own from a piece of rubber. I'd also need to find a needle to use in it and be able to get the old needle out. Other than that, the thing is perfect.

If I play my cards right, get the sewing done, and find a way to do the uprights, I may be able to use this monster for Border Wars this coming weekend. I still need stakes, but I bet I can either make those from scrap, or use my mundane stakes for right now and get good ones for Pennsic.

So if you're reading and you're a tent expert, leave me a note. I need your expertise. My experience with woodworking extends to a semester in middle school (many years ago) in shop class. I have access to a circular saw, a miter saw, a drill, carriage bolts, and some chisels. I also have access to a dad and 2 grandpas with woodworking experience, but no tent building experience.

Tudor kit for Pennsic class and more

The first draft of the Pennsic University class list is now online. You can find it at http://www.pennsicwar.org/penn36/AANDS/PENNU/pennsic_classes_on_2007-07-31.html

I'm teaching my class twice. First time is on Sunday August 5 at 1pm in AS tent 09. The second time is Friday August 10 at 2pm in AS tent 09. Each class time is two hours and is mostly lecture/discussion. I will be doing a very small cartridge pleating demo because according to every source I've looked at, that's the pleat type to use to attach the skirt to the bodice of the outer gown, as well as possibly the kirtle to achieve the proper "poof" in the back without a bumroll (a later period item).

So I finally sat down and looked through my fabrics to create the 1530's Tudor gown for my Pennsic class. I've chosen my white partlet, black partlet, the gown fabric, and the turnback sleeves. I'll re-update tonight with pictures of these. Oh and I've also got the fabric for the chemise. I think I've chosen the kirtle material, but I'm still not sure that I can layer it well enough to be stable. I haven't decided whether or not to make a separate corset or to build it into the kirtle. I think for ease, I'll build it into the kirtle using the scraps from the tent fabric to stiffen it. Might even cord it if I'm feeling really frisky. No need to worry about a farthingale since the style doesn't need it and wouldn't be period. If it needs extra oomph, I'll make another back pleated skirt. I don't fancy sewing through 10 layers of stacked cartridge pleats in the main gown, so adding another skirt would solve that problem and not kill my sewing machine.

The headdress issue will be the sticking point for me. I can sew decently in large portions, but I do often have problems with very intricate and picky work. I'm prone to frustration in small, detailed work. I also am having more trouble finding good instructions for a gabled headdress. There also seems to be several styles in the way of the veils and their attachment. So much to do and so little time!

I'm going to try to borrow digital camera from Erica or Becky so I can start actually documenting this stuff properly and without a camera phone. Hopefully I'll have some good pictures of everything as it's progressing now. Yay!

When I was choosing fabrics last night, I also picked out all the fabrics for my normal persona chemises, all the hosen I need to make, one of the surcotes, and the bed curtain. I also got my linen tested for a rapier coat. Two layers are sufficient--yay for no incredibly hot rapier armor! I can probably layer the new chest armor for heavies over it and then I'll be all soft armored up. I also need to get a cup for heavies. Fuuuuuuun.

Anyway, pictures tonight and maybe I'll even get some sewing done this weekend.

Yours in Service to The Dream,
Gillian de Chelseye