Interesting developments

So I'm thinking of taking a huge step.

I want to make and sell some garb. On Etsy.





Not a lot. Just a few pieces. Test the waters, if you like.

I find there's a dearth of reproduction/recreation/accurate-in-any-sense-of-the-word clothing for the SCA or even for LARPers and Rennies. I want to develop a few basic cotes, kirtles, hoods, and body linens with the basic Nockert types found at this site. I'm trying to get my hands on the Nockert articles and books, but they are proving illusive to my ILL.

Carlson's site is definitely one of my favorite sites as far as collected information on basic medieval clothing that most medieval hobbyists wear. Very organized, very professional. I'm trying to find a way to do this without stepping on Marc Carlson's copyright.


I made a version of this gown last year for Val Day. I added sleeves to the undergown and left the original as a surcote. It's based on the gown of St. Clare of Assisi. There's not much information the Carlson's page about this particular gown, but the extant examples of some of the Herjolfnes kirtles and cotes are more in-depth and worth a look.

Obviously, making my own personal version of the gown is fine because I'm not selling it (plus I added an extra gore accidentally, thus changing the gore count of the gown). Making it up as-is and selling it may be on the sueable side of wrong. Even if it's not, I still feel uncomfortable selling something I haven't personally researched and thought through.

At the very least, I can use the Nockert types as proto-patterns to create a few gowns for myself and refine my own style (as I'm convinced most everyday medieval people did) to fit my body or the body of my customers.

This is assuming I will have any. Anyways, I need my gowns to use for pictures on the site so I can provide examples for buyers so they can order their own custom garment. I don't want to hold any stock and I'd like to be able to personalize each garment. I think it's important to have nice garb even if you can't sew.

I'm also using Etsy because they unofficially encourage barter as a form of payment, but also offer PayPal as a payment mode. For example, I really need someone who can do tablet weaving for me. My patience with it is very limited. I want more historical trims for these garments, or at least someone who I can send my customers to if they are interested in historical trims.

I can't tell you how tired I am of seeing crappy, unhistorical garments labeled as "SCA", "medieval", "renaissance", or any combination of the three on eBay and Etsy. It's a damn shame that so few options are required. Metallic and polyester trims make my eyes bleed. I want to give people a choice. Right now all they have is a choice between junk and more junk. I really hope I can influence the SCA community (at least, if not a wider audience) to go more authentic.


More work is going into this and you'll hear more from me to this end. Oh, and I was planning on offering versions done with a machine and versions done by hand, just so people would a have a choice. Also offering very simple embroidery around the interesting edges or the seams...or anywhere I guess...for extra, of course. And offering them in wool, linen or silk. I think that covers a lot of bases.

YiS,
Gillian


Picture from:
Carlson, I. Marc. Some Clothing of the Middle Ages Historical Clothing from Archaeological Finds. Last date edited. 1996-. Text html and digital images. Marc Carlson. Available: http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/cloth/bockhome.html. 24 January 2009

A good answer to someone's question on SCA-Garb Yahoo Group

This question was asked by a new fighter's mother on SCA-Garb Yahoo Group that I belong to. I was impressed with my answer--that sounds self-involved, doesn't it? Anyway, I thought it was a good solution to her problem, so read on.

I'm not sure where else to ask this question.

My son is now an authorized fighter, as of last weekend. Of course, nothing will do but that he LOOK splendid. Problem is, I know JUST what I want, and have no idea where to find a pattern to use or adapt for what I want. Maybe ya'll can help me.

I've seen fighters in surcoats with "cap sleeves" and split "skirts". The coats usually have ties in front or back.

Am I making sense? And can anyone here point me in the right direction to find a pattern for this? I could probably "wing it"....but this is for my son, and it has to be JUST right. (nooooooo....*I* am not a veryproudMommy)

Fiondel

Mother of Arthur Gordon, newest Calontir fighter

Congrats to your son, Fiondel. I hope to be taking that journey later
this summer. As a new fighter (and a girl who loves to sew), I too
want to look good and avoid the barrel plastic/carpet look. I've been
at the books with this problem for a few months and this is what I've
found.

I might know what you mean by cap sleeves, but split skirts are a must
for any fighting tunic that falls below the hips any distance for the
sheer need for mobility.

That said, there are literally thousands of ways to make a fighting
over-tunic and even more ways to decorate it.


Three things to consider when choosing a style:

1.) Is it mobile enough for my fighting style? (This is VERY
important! A fighting tunic designed for speed and agility in a
tournament differs greatly from one for giant melee wars like at
Pennsic where heat and exhaustion become important factors.)

2.) Do I want to research and provide authentication for my style, or
do I just want something that fits and looks good and damn the A&S
exhibit? (The latter is a very valid choice, especially if you're low
on funds/skills/time)

3.) How much money, time, and skill do I have and what can I do with
them? (Cotton bedsheets in a rainbow of colors can be had from
second-hand stores for a few dollars. Please, PLEASE use all-natural
fabrics (not wool though--too hot--although there may be some who
disagree with me) for fighting garb of any sort because polyester will
hold heat close to the body and can cause a myriad of heat-related
health issues. Sewing machines can be found there as well or retail
for as low as $70 dollars and as high as $7000. Will you need help
drafting a pattern or draping and pinning? How will you finish the
seams? Decorate with appliqués or embroidery?)


********
Now onto your suggested style of tied tunic with cap sleeves:

I would wing it if your son is set on that look.

Before you do that, though, talk to some fighters wearing that style
and pump them for information:

Is it documentable and what is that documentation? (again, if this
matters to you, if not, then ignore this question. If you do ask it,
pick a good time--not right before the fight and not right after.
Give them a few minutes to warm-up/cool down.)

How does it wear in the heat? Is it easy to clean? What kind of
fabric? How long did it take to construct? Ask any questions you
feel necessary and make sure to write down the answers. Maybe even
get contact information so if you have another question, you can email
them. It's a good way to make new friends and a great way to learn a
little bit about various cultural differences in the SCA.

IF you cannot find anyone to talk to about the style, I would sit down
and sketch and fiddle with what the style will look like--even if you
cannot draw. Many period styles are based on geometric shapes and are
easy to draft out on graph paper.

This is what I *think* you are looking for from your description:


Body front and back:



Sewn at shoulders and has open armpits, "cap sleeves" attached along
the top of armscye and not all the way around.

Attaches around body by ties at the bottom of the armscye and at the
hip, but you can add more if necessary.

The sides below the hip are open to the hem for mobility.

You can shorten or lengthen the hem as needed.

Reinforce the neck scye, the armscyes, and the ties because they will
get a lot of wear and tear. Plan on replacing the ties periodically,
and maybe after the first battle--a small hand sewing kit throw into
the armour bag should be a part of his armour repair kit anyway.


Sleeve:



Covers only spaulders/pauldrons and ties underneath arm.

Make sure you measure the spaulders so that they completely cover them
and do not impede the movement.

Make the ties long enough and reinforce them at the sewn points. I
would cut them from strong fabric on the bias, or use 1" bias tape
sewn closed.

Do not use poly or cotton "rope" trim from the fabric store for the
ties. At first chance it will unravel or break and it's a pain in the
butt to sew securely onto cotton/linen/anything. If you *must* use
it, get a smaller gauge (less than 1/2") and hand sew it on so you can
be sure it's on tight.

(EDIT 2/4/08: thinking about this more in depth, using tablet or inkle-woven bands, lucet cording, or finger loop braids would be very period depending on what era you're involved in. They look cooler too. The tablet weaving doesn't have to be intricate, a simple one-color band would do as well as anything fancy and you won't be as devastated when it rips.)

***************************************

So I think I just solved my own problem with surcote sleeves. It makes me happy. I like this a lot. Not to mention that a plainer version will allow my Clan tabard to stick out better in a crowd. However, while these plans are for "to the elbow" sleeves, I think I'll be making mine long enough to cover my yucky ugly plastic wrist bracers.

YiStTD,
Gillian

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.

Promised Pictures of Garb Finished and in Progress

OK, so I've been promising and I only gave you a few wimpy pics the other day, but now I have Bryan's camera phone and I got some half-way decent pics of the mess that is my apartment covered in garb.

(P.S. I've decided to ask Becky tonight if I can borrow her digital camera so I can document my Pennsic Preparation. I'm still also trying to get her to come to a small event with me, maybe the Siege of Talonvale in July...? It's in Leslie, MI, like right down the road from us, and Iohann (Dan) gets back that week so maybe our combined persuasion will get her there.)

ONTO THE PICTURES!

So, I'll start with picture 1:

This pile of pure mess was the weekend's first project. Started yesterday afternoon, I had lofty goals for my recycled blue cotton duck and 99 cent table cloth from Goodwill. Well, something got fucked up in my measurements and cutting and I ended up with this mess. You can't really tell from the pictures, but I don't want to touch the thing because I'm still pissed off that I messed it up. It's fixable, and I have leftover tablecloth, but it's just a pain in the ass and spent several hours on it for nothing. Grrr...

Picture 2:


A red surcote made from a 99 cent bed sheet from Goodwill. I loved the pure fire engine red color and had to do something with it.

Well I had to make this the odyssey of yesterday. I messed this one up too, albeit less so than the tablecloth one. I fixed it, but ended up doing some very rough piecework that still doesn't look right, but there's enough fullness to cover up the worst mistakes. If I add fur later (which I plan on doing), no one will ever know I messed it up. Here is a close up of the side piecework that I had to resew after I found out that I hadn't given myself enough room to even get the thing over my head, let along my boobs and hips.


The picture on the top is the side seams and the picture on the bottom is part of the hem. All those lines? They aren't creases. They're seams from the piecework. What a mess! And the hem needed piecework too. It's still a mess. I may be able to fix that when I actually get around to hemming (grrrrr) it. I hope to add white rabbit fur to the gates of hell, the waist, and the hem so it should cover the multitude of sins that I committed in making this surcote. Next time I'm just going to use the dumb Butterick's (modified) pattern front and back for the next one I do. I use it for cotes and kirtles and they turn out fine. I modify it to look more like a GFG (Gothic fitted gown) so I don't look like such an inexperienced moron in front of the garb Laurels (they're great ladies and they wouldn't say anything snarky for the world, but I still feel innadequate when I compare myself to them).

So maybe onto some successes?


I wanted hosen and I got a toile made yesterday with Bryan's help, and I actually cut two legs and two feet out of my leftover dark green linen yesterday afternoon after my very frustrating failed surcote experience. The design comes from the Medieval Tailor book I got through the ILL (inter-library loan) and it worked out ok. I had to tweak the sole since the instructions got cut off when I photocopied the page, but I think it turned out ok. I did the back seam on the machine, but I had to put the sole in by hand since I was afraid to waste the fabric. I think it was worth it, though the hand sewing took me two hours and a bunch of thread. It's sturdy and slightly more comfortable than regular heavy cotton socks for an event. I just need to get the other sole sewn into the left foot and we'll be in business. I'd like to cut the soles for the other pairs I want to make before I sew this one in so I can have a sole toil. I only have a toile for the leg currently. I made it long enough so I can make tall chausses as well as short hosen. I want tall chausses for my fighting kits, so I spent the extra time and made a good leg. The yellow garter you see is a piece of scrap fabric from the next set of pictures. I plan on making some more garters from that fabric. I think it comes from the last Pennsic and it's not even my fabric. It's Iohann's scraps from a houpplande he made. Yay for usable scraps!

Speaking of usable scraps, here is the pile of scrap cuts that I'm using for hosen and garters.


And speaking of piles, I went through the fabric a few nights ago and made them ready for sewing or altering. I have a chair and a couch fully devoted to garb sorting now.

Here's the Garb Chair. These are all projects that I've finished the main sewing on that need to be hemmed. There's probably 15 things here, maybe more. Bryan's three pieces of garb are included and you saw those earlier this week. Most everything here needs trim and hemming. Yuck.

Yeah. It's lovely...like a rainbow. Blue, green, red, orange, yellow, white...Good lord.

And here's the Garb Couch. These are all uncut lengths of fabric or bedsheets being made into garb. I have them all in separate piles so I can work on one project at a time without seeing an overwhelming pile like in the Garb Chair. Did I mention that the cats LOVE to sleep all over this stuff and get hair all over everything. Every costumer I know has cat fur on her garb. Every single one. It's cat's prerogative.



*sigh* It's gonna be a long road to Pennsic.

Yours in Service,
Gillian de Chelseye