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

Where the heck have I been?

Well, I'll tell you I've been incredibly busy and life has been happening and etc, etc.

Besides having a writing habit that goes in spurts, I've been trying to cope with the Michigan economy and the very nonexistent job prospects here. So, I started my own business as a seamstress doing alterations and making soft goods, costumes, and clothing for commission clients. That line of occupation is slowly chugging along.

The more exciting news is that I've been doing a lot of sewing and research for this SCA habit. I've been mainlining wool for about 6 months now.

I'll back up a little. I finally found a culture that I'm comfortable in for my SCAdian game and I'm considerably more committed to the research for Norse culture. It's been a long road for me, bouncing from a newcomer to 14th century English to 12th century Anglo-Saxon, to dabbling in Safavid Persian and Ottoman Turkish, to finally 10th century Hiberno-Norse. I feel like I've landed at home and I've not looked back. There is the rather difficult aspect of changing my name now that most people know me as Gillian, but it's been a transition and I feel like it's starting to work.

So my new fascination in Norse culture has led me to a very specific interest in using the proper materials for my garb. There's less wiggle room in Norse culture for fudging with silk and linen to save money, so I've been searching high and low for deals on wool. Luckily, it's been a wool-heavy modern season or four and I've built up enough of a stock to start fortifying my kit with real wool. In my heart, I want to be spinning and weaving my own wool for clothing, but modern woven will have to do for now.

To this aim, I've been trying to learn as much as possible about textiles and am starting to dip into textile production. I've also been sinking further into tablet weaving as that's what Norse women do when they aren't spinning and weaving and sewing and cooking. It's a busy life being a Norse woman!

Garb Updates!:

• The blue tunic in the previous post is still not finished because I ran out of stupid DMC floss in that color and I've been too distracted to go find more. I also have no documentation for the embroidery style and I made the seams before I knew how to properly flat-fell seams. It will languish until I have more energy for it.
• I'm nearly finished with my first hand-sewn wool kyrtle (gown/dress/whatever) and will find the time to post pictures when I have it fitted properly. I also need to do a little fulling on the seams to prevent unraveling and to lock the wool together to seal the seams. It's still lacking a hem and a neckline finishing--is anyone surprised?
• I'm preliminarily finished with a experimental hangerrock in a style I think is possible based on the Birka finds. It's made from basket-woven, multicolored hounds-tooth wool.
• I finally have a pair of brooches to hang my wealth from and hold up my hangerrock. Purchased from Raymond's Quiet press and based on a find from Yorkshire, UK.
• I'm in the planning stages of a Birka coat and a cloak based on the Valkyrie images.
• I now have enough serviceable underwear to stop having to wear modern pants and shorts under my garb. I based the first ones I've made on braises, but the next stop will be Thorsberg trousers.
• I'm planning on finding someone *cough*NYM*cough* to teach me to spin and also someone to teach me to naalbind. For this, I'll need spindle, whorl, maybe a distaff, and a bone needle. It's time for me to make Norse stockings instead of using the 12th century hosen.
• I'm putting together a map and time-line of the major archaeological finds that include textiles for the Viking Age. Probably to be submitted as an A&S project at some point. I have never seen anything like this, so I'm hoping it will be well-received.
  
• I'm developing a 4 part series of classes dedicated to hand sewing and focusing on Viking Age stitches and techniques. The first part is finished and I attempted to teach it at Squire's, but no one showed up to the class. Still debating on whether or not I want to teach it at Pennsic next year in the full 4 parts. I'd like to teach it a few times just to see how it goes first.
• I just finished my first real tablet woven project. It's pretty rough-looking. Tablet weaving is definitely an acquired skill, but I'll keep chugging at it.
• I sorted and arranged all my garb stash fabric, decided what I would use it for, and labeled it all. This was part of a huge organizational project for my office. I also hung up all my garb and arranged my upstairs spare bedroom into a garb and SCA stuff storage room.
• I made all the repairs on all the garb that needed it.
  
• I sorted out all the garb I don't need anymore and added it to the Ealdnordwuda Gold Key that is now in my possession. I also sorted all the Gold Key by type of garment and labeled the boxes so it's easier to find people garb they can wear.
  
• Last summer, I did a huge RIT dye project and dyed some of my older, yuckier garb more acceptable colors. I'm so much happier with it now. The two unbleached chemises I made for my very first Pennsic in 2005 are still in use as camp scrub garb and now they're dark red and salmon pink. They've been reworked since that Pennsic (thank goodness) and are now just very light t-tunics with short sleeves.
• Still halfheartedly searching for a period alternative to a bra that will give me support and not make my chest look like a swamp monster. I fiddled for several years with a princess-cut thing, but it mashed my boobs up funny. I'm back to modern bras for the sheer saving of my neck and back, but the search continues slowly. I think some sort of fabric wrap will be the next attempt, but then I'll need aid in getting dressed. I especially need something to go under my armour so I can comfortably swing a sword. Budgetary concerns and this bra issue keep the armour front stalled as well.

Tablet weave garters

So I'm currently dabbling in tablet weaving and I think I'm making garters for my hosen. I'd also like to make another pair of hosen with the wool scraps from my new wool. The garters will be dark blue, teal-ish blue, and orange wool/silk.

I've been using cotton scraps for garters up to now. I'm just having a problem sitting down and finishing my tablet weaving. It makes my back hurt. Maybe I can entice Gwenyth to finish it for me...I'll have to ask her next week. I can make her one of the new bags. More about those later.

YiStTD,

Gillian

P.S. I took down the Flemish garb posts and moved them to a new blog of their own: http://flemishgarb.blogspot.com.

YiStTD,

Gillian