Start to Finish

Have you ever thought about the term "start to finish"?  I know I can't be the only person out there  with trouble getting things done.  If you are like me you are probably AMAZING at starting things, but less than stellar when it comes to finishing them.  When I titled this entry I thought, hmmmmm start to finish, as in; I should start to finish this project.  No pressure, I am not saying it is time to get it done, just start to finish.  For some reason I like the sound of that. 

I am in the final stages of sewing on four "period" tunics for use in the SCA.  Three of them are for friends/clients and I should really get them done, the fourth one is for my son (I liked the pattern I used, and thought he should have one too.)  For some reason having these four tunics sitting here makes me think I should really get started on my own garb for Ursulmas.  I am considering a velvet houppelande, something along the lines of van der Weyden's Magdalen Reading...

Image borrowed from http://www.uvm.edu/~hag/sca/15th/ thank you kindly

I know what you are thinking!  I should, under no circumstances, begin this dress until I have completed the other pieces in the works... but, but...  I already have the fabric in my stash, and I really do need something warmer to wear to this cold winter event, and I have at least a dozen more crazy reasons I could give you why I NEED to do this.  Gah!  In the end I know I shouldn't start anything new, did I mention I'm supposed to be organizing and pricing my inventory to place in a boutique tomorrow too? 

Yeah, I guess it isn't the right time to start a new dress... but maybe I could find time to work in a little knitting today?  Hopeless!

SCA (Soggy Camping Association)

This past weekend was our very first SCA camping event.  We had a few crazy logistical issues to deal with, but manged (with the help of some great friends) to get ourselves on site, set-up, and ready to rock Friday evening.  The site was gorgeous, the company was great, and we went to bed happy campers... Then around 5:45 am the rain started, and it just kept coming all weekend long.

At one point a staff member at the campground (who has worked this event for the past three years) told me she has renamed the Society for Creative Anachronism the "Soggy Campers Association."  But honestly a wonderful, wet, time was had by all.  I imagine we will have even more fun when we do this in good weather.

If nothing else we looked fabulous! 

Maybe today I will finish drying out and stowing the last of our wet gear...

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.

Thrift Haul

Sunday was a thrifting day at my house.  I went out after lunch to grab some leggings for my boys at the SVDP 99 cent sale.  That went well, I got the hubby some nice stretchy pants and my son some perfect linen drawstring  pants, and a pair of leather sandals, all to wear with their medieval garb.  I also found an awesome tankard for $2.99!  We have been talking about getting a set of these so we can have medieval beverages in style, but they run at least $20 each new, so this was a great find.  When I got home and showed off my new treasure it sparked my husband's inner thrifter, so we went back out looking for more goodies. 

At the Goodwill we found a leather weight lifting belt hand tooled with a dragon image (this is now a part of my son's armor.  We also got a wooden bowl and a metal bowl, both good for medieval potlucking, and a ceramic goblet, all together about $15. 

Next we hit the ever popular Value Village and I found two matching tankards for $3.99 each!  The mugs had a f-ugly engraved plaque on the front but my hubby has a grinder so, no problem.  I also found a pair of silver champagne flutes, my husband reminded me we don't drink a lot of champers, I think they will be great for mead, so we got them anyway.  We also picked up some timberland boots for my son to wear in combat, and a pair of creepers for me.  We actually spent too much money at the Village, but it was the shoes, so it doesn't really count, right? 

Picnic Time!

New Loom!

Well today I finished hemming my veil and my barbette by hand, and then I made a quick machine stitched band for my forehead (this won't show, so I gave my aching thumb joint a break).  I think the hems turned out nice, they aren't as tiny as some people can manage, but it is a good first effort and I am very pleased.  I also glued some beads on  my "pearl" headed pins so I can have pretty veil pins, they aren't super authentic, but I like them so, oh well.  Pictures of these items on me will have to wait because, drum roll please, my new loom arrived!  I have been waiting for the UPS man all day, I have a cup of tea and a manual, time to get cracking...

Authenticity...

Okay, because this blog is where I process my life I must, on occasion, have a moment of brutal honesty with myself, and obviously with you.  I may not be mentally prepared for my new hobby.  There, I said it.  The SCA encourages some of my deepest crazy... historical accuracy and authentic detailing. 

I am working on my first complete set of garb, with the intention of wearing it to an event in less than two weeks time.  I am also making garb for my husband and my son.  You could say time is of the essence.  However I have chosen now to practice my hand sewn rolled hems!  Yesterday I hemmed most of the raw edges on my pellote, and it looks amazing!  I told myself I would only do that one piece as a practice before I hem my veil (which OBVIOUSLY requires hand sewn rolled hems, LOL).  Now I can't help thinking I could hem it all by hand and it would be SO much more authentic. 

Let's not forget that tomorrow my new loom arrives and I want to make "some" trim.  I will need at least 20 yards, but I figure I will only do the most important bits before Sir Edward's Memorial Tournament.  The rest can be added later, right?  Oh, and I will need a pouch to carry my goodies, something simple, well simple with fringe, and embroidery, and beads!  I'm in trouble, but it is so much fun!

Inspiration, or Crazy Instigation?

Spring Garb in Progress

My basic pellote (a medieval over dress) is now complete as well.  My little loom will be arriving this week and then I can crank out the trim I need to finish these dresses!   I have the fabric for my veils, but I haven't actually done anything with it yet (in these photos you can see I just draped it on).  I am hoping to complete this outfit in time for the Sir Edwards Memorial Tournament in a couple weeks.  This will be our first event and I am really excited!  I am also making all the garb for my boys, and I went with linen in various shades of blue and green, plus some quilted mint green cotton for my sons gambeson.  I will update with pictures of their stuff if I can, something tells me I might be crunched for time...  But on to the photos!  I had my sweet hubby snap a couple shots in our backyard this morning, please remember these are rough pieces, no trim or hems on yet, but I think the overall shapes turned out lovely.

You can see my inspiration here and here.  There are some amazing resources on the web and I was even able to find some photos of extant garments that were clear and detailed, I haven't included them here because I don't own them, but I'd be happy to point you to them if you are interested.

Garb in Progress

My saya (a form of under dress from medieval Spain) the basic form is complete, now I will be adding trim and hemming the edges, woohoo!

I'm Not Dead Yet...

Spring Break has kept me busy with family obligations and fun, but I wanted to post some quick photos of my underwear.  Yep, you read that right.  I wanted to share my underwear.  I have just finished my drawers and camisa, these are the first items for my SCA persona.  I am working on an entire outfit patterned on the clothing of 13th century Spain.  I am inspired by the mix of cultures in the Kingdom of Castile during the Middle Ages, so my garb will be a mix of Spanish and Moorish elements.  I admit to being really geeky, and really excited!

 

 

My favorite part about these undergarments is the embroidery.  I created basic stars on the sleeves, inspired by my name (which I will only alter slightly for the SCA to Celestina Maria), and used portions of Paula Kate Marmor's wonderful FREE Elizabethan Blackwork pattern database (Blackwork may technically be Elizabethan but it is rumored to have been inspired by Spanish embroidery, and sources do show black embroidered designs on period camisas, so I took the leap).  I used coral beads to embellish Marmor's pomegranate design on the cuff of the drawers, and you can't see it in the pics but I wove a red wool drawstring to tie the waist.  So pretty!