When Bad Garb Happens to Good People

It is amazing how a project can take on a life of it's own.  In a recent post I mentioned the initial idea for my embroidered bodice was basically a medieval bra.  I honestly had something like an Ace bandage in mind when I first started.  Well the bodice became something entirely different, and as I have already mentioned became an object that I am scorning as I make it.  I keep thinking, "this is sooooo much work for something I will be embarrassed to wear in public."  Well instead of finding a way to make this project better, I have actually found a way to make it even less period and more time consuming! What is wrong with me? 

Now don't get me wrong, this is a fabulous looking project, I am in love with the way it is turning out on some levels, however I am now at a point where I have literally thought to myself, "you might as well just be a LARPer!"  No offense to the LARPing community, I just don't have what it takes to play like that, I lack imagination.  But this "garb" is fit for a fairy princess.  I don't know what is happening but I don't seem to be able to stop the process at this point.

So anyway,  I found some nice neutral woven fabric the other day for $2.99 at a craft store.  I decided to dye it with some purple RIT I had lying around to see if it would work for the simple dress I imagined wearing under this embroidered bodice.  I also threw some of the fabric I used for the bodice into the dye bath because I knew I wouldn't have quite enough for a long sleeved dress without it.  The fabric took the dye beautifully and I ended up with a really nice light purple for the main garment and a lavender to trim it with.  Next I took a quick look at some kirtle patterns, including Mistress Cori's great tutorial.  I laid everything out, cut the pattern, screwed up, redid, and ended up with a nicely fitted, less than perfect purple kirtle.  I used the lavender to make a yoke and then used a combination of the two fabrics to make nice long sleeves.

I've been wanting to try an insertion stitch join so I did that on the sleeves and then I used some embroidery stitches to attach/decorate the yoke.  I have spent roughly 12 hours on this dress in the past two days.  It looks amazing, but the problem is the complete and utter lack of historical accuracy.  This outfit will be a mish-mash of centuries and cultures.  I am filled with costume shame, and yet it is so pretty I know I will have to wear it **sigh**  Who picked this hobby?  Ah well, I'll take some more pictures when it is all completed.  Then maybe we can LARP together.

Little By Little

I am working away on my embroidered bodice.  Here is a snapshot of my progress, hopefully nobody will ever look this close while I am wearing it, and I can get away with the sloppy stitches!

Idle Hands

I don't like to have idle hands, I like to be busy, it keeps me moving forward.  That being said, I started a little bodice project a couple of days ago.  When I tried on my red saya encordada for the first time it dawned on me that my bosom needed a little lift (you've all been there, don't judge).  Well there is really no proof of a medieval bra, so I thought maybe I could come up with something "medievally plausible" (and yes I made that term up, but I can't make everything historically accurate this early in my SCA life so I need to cheat sometimes).  Well I have plenty of corset patterns lying around, but I decided to draft something super simple, almost like the breast wraps used in ancient times, no boning, just tightly fitted...

That idea turned into something completely different within a day.  I have some really great embroidery patterns I've collected from the available internet resources (see the links provided over at Honor Before Victory, they are amazing).  There was one in particular that caught my eye, a pattern of peas on the vine complete with flowers and tendrils.  It reminded me of spring, and Mendelian genetics, and gardening, I just fell in love with it.  Well fast forward back to this little bodice, I thought it would be pretty with the embroidery on it.  And it will certainly keep my hands busy for the next week or two.

This embroidery is from a period pattern, but I am not using period material and the actual bodice isn't period either, so I guess this will have to be a fantasy item.  I will be worried about "peer fear" if I wear it in public at a SCA event, but I might just wear it anyway, who knows?  Would you point and whisper if you saw this coming your way?

please note the bodice is upside down in these pics

If you are interested in my process here is a little info for you.  The bodice is just made of cotton canvas I had lying around, it used to be a cheap slip cover for my couch.  The eyelets are all done in my cheater method of metal eyelet under hand sewn embroidery floss.  All the floss is modern cotton.  I adapted the design from Modelbuch aller art Nehewercks und Stickens, George Gilbers reprint of the 1527 book, page 41.  In these pictures I have not yet drawn on the second half of the design, it will be a mirror image of what I have already done, and I will add in tendrils on both sides where they look appropriate once I get going.  I just free handed the vines based on the source image, and created the border with a tailor's tape to keep the scale even.  The shoulder straps are not pictured, but they are made of the same canvas and will simply lace into the eyelets at the top.  I can see wearing this over a light purple or maybe green kirtle, it wouldn't be accurate, but it would be very pretty.

Don't Panic

This afternoon I decided I had better get going on my new saya encordada for camping next weekend... What about last minute? No, that would be whatever I decide to do on Friday morning.  Anyway, I was zipping along, finished up the layout, cutting, gores, and neckline adjustments, and then, just as I was slipping out of the dress after fitting it one last time, I realized my shirt was pink! Gah! 

I bought a yummy deep scarlet linen blend to make the dress and it was bleeding all over my shirt when I put it on. Lame, so lame.  Well my camisa is beautiful white cotton, I will NOT be wearing it under this dress.  I decided to go back to the drawing board, at least mentally, and added long sleeves to the dress, turning it into a hodgepodge, something between a saya encordada with sleeves and a brial I guess.  Well whatever it is my little franken-dress will have to do.  I will snap some pictures tomorrow, but for now I need to go back to making the buttons for the sleeves.

Happy Valentine's Day?

Well some people love this day, others hate it.  I am personally on the fence this year.  In general I revel in holidays, I enjoy making and giving gifts, I like to decorate, and I love to eat.  But this year St. Valentine just hasn't done it for me.  I am trying to get into the spirit before the munchkin returns from school, so hopefully there will be something fun for dinner, and maybe heart shaped, we shall see.  I think the problem is the head cold I am rockin' it is hard to feel full of love when you are really just full of snot!  I did manage a little token for the hubby.  Nothing says "romance" like chocolates and origami! 

(I would link you to the origami rose instructions, but the site was horrible and crashed at least 15 times while I was making the rose, I will not be recommending them)

Now on with the knitting progress report.  My February Sweater prototype (size Large) is almost done!  I need to add buttons and button holes and that is it, woohooo.  I plan to machine sew the holes so it should be really quick, but I haven't chosen buttons yet, so that could take a few days.  I always have a really hard time finding the right buttons.  I felted the sweater yesterday, and now I need to make some adjustments to the pattern to account for the insane amount it shrank vertically.  But I like it.  Tell me what you think.

Sneak Peek @ February Sweater

Well I have been working hard on my February sweater pattern.  I wanted something sweet and romantic, maybe even a little bit sappy in honor of St. Valentine's Day.  I came up with an idea for a cut-out back with a lace panel in a boxy, boyfriend sweatery cardigan with lots of buttons down the front.  I think I am on the right track, in my head... 

I had no trouble drawing up a design in the first couple of days this month, I had been thinking about it since mid-January.  I swatched up a cut-out heart and thought I had it under control, but the first prototype didn't go well.  I had some trouble with my ease, the first go was half way done when I realized it was a XXL, not a Large.  Lame... but my own fault, I should have seen it coming sooner, I planned for way too much ease.  I like a fitted sweater, but wanted to make this one roomy, I had trouble finding the balance between tent and boyfriend sweater, but I've think I got it right this time.  Here are a couple pictures of the body of the sweater.

I am working on sleeves now, and will be adding the edges and the back panel next week.  Can you see where I am heading?  I will likely tweak the center of the heart a little, I don't like the CO, it draws too much attention to itself.  I think it will be very cute once it is done.  Then I just have to figure out my notes so I can draft the pattern... easy peasy, right?

The January Sweater Reads a Book

The January Sweater Likes the Classics...

My January Sweater

I have completed the first January sweater.  I didn't block it yet, so I suppose it isn't technically complete, but it is really close.  I am still waiting for my book to arrive so I can get the promised tricks that make blocking worth it.  I am really lazy about finishing projects so I never block them, but I am going to start. 

It is freezing today, literally, there is ice in all the outdoor water bowls.  Don't worry my dog likes to eat the ice so he won't go thirsty.  But I digress, the cold made it hard to get any decent pictures of the sweater.  I was impatient and my feet were freezing!  So here are some crappy pictures instead. Yay!

 

Now I need to type up the pattern and make two more samples.  I have one minor change to make in the cable pattern, but other than that it is all pretty good.  I like it.  If this were actually my size I would keep it.  I will photograph the next size down when I complete it, that one will be mine.  I need to decide on a color...  Maybe red, I don't have a red cardigan.  

Please let me know what you think about the sweater, or what color I need, or cold feet, whatever.  And remember this is my first attempt at writing a sweater pattern, so be gentle with me.

365, 52, 12, hmmmmm...

It is the beginning of a new year and many of us are considering some sort of daily, weekly, or monthly project.  I have been trying to decide on something that isn't insane, which is hard for me, since I tend toward the crazy.  I am pretty sure I want a knit/crochet project.  Obviously a 365 wouldn't work well, I knit a lot, but a project a day would be impossible since I do not use a knitting machine, and I do not make small projects.  That leaves me a choice between a 52 weeks project, or a 12 months project... tough choice.

A 52 sweater project is really tempting, but as I said I am trying to steer away from insane, and this is borderline.  I know I could complete a sweater every week, but I may not be able to get anything else done, and my family might suffer.  Not to mention the expense of the yarn involved in this one, oh wait, I mentioned it.  I could easily do a 12 sweater project, but that doesn't seem inspiring enough to keep me interested. 

The sweater I am currently working on is my own design, and I want to do more of that in the future.  If I am going to design some sweaters I need to learn how to grade a pattern and get myself some test knitters.  If I do 12 months of sweater design I will force myself to get those two things done.  It sounds logical, right?  So that is the project: 12 months of sweaters, designed by me, graded to at least S, M, and L, and test knit if possible (I will be flexible on this part since I can't control anybody else).

My sweater for January is a 3/4 sleeve cropped cardigan with cables down the front.  I am half way through the pattern, knitting as I go.  Today I will complete the ribbed hem and neckline, then it is on to the sleeves.  Wish me luck, and let me know if you want to test knit anything!