Picking up where I left it - 23 years later

I think that I cut out, and started on this dress in 2002. But it might be as early as 1999 or 2000.

It is sewn together, it is not hemmed, nor has it got lacing holes or button holes. 

I have taken it out from my wool cupboard several times the last two decades, but sometimes I was too large for it, or too small. Now it fits, except that the sleeves, which are elbow length, are a little bit narrow. Luckily I have a scrap large enough to make small gores in the sleeves, to make them wider.

Right now I am finally hemming the bottom of the dress, while watching "The Antiques Roadshow"

I might wear it to Gotvik's Yule party on the 7th of December. If it's finished. And if I find an underdress somewhere among my stuff.

A mi-parti Italian gown from the first half of the 14th century

 Yes, indeed: another old gown gettign its page. Though not as old as my husband's outfit that I justposted about. That one was from 2004, this one is only from 2016.

I wear it a lot, so it is strange that I don't have more photos of it. Or haven't done the page until now. But now it is here.

A man's outfit from the Codex Manesse

 I am on a roll! Three updates in as many days!

Anyway, while looking through my categories of costumes in the left panel I realised how many of teh costuems shown that had the little notation "no page yet". And who had had this notation since I started this blog in 1015.

So I decided to do something about, and actually create pages for them. This is the first. And I only have one photo of Rickard in it, from 2004. But there are other images: inspiration, details etc.

Rickard's green and pink outfit.

All my fantasy costumes in one place

 While the focus of this blog is historical costuming, I have the last five years branched out into som fantasy comstuming. They all (or most) have their ground in some kind of historical clothing, so I think that they can be fitted into the blog.

And besides, it is my blog, so I can do what I want ;)

This week I decided to make their own collected page for them, which can be found in the list of costume categories in the bar to the left. Or through this link.

Venetian 16th century gown, and a cape modelled after a 16th century German gollar.

A page for my Italian 1330s outfit striped in red and purple

 Or violet, if we're being period her, because it is not what they thought of as purple.

Yes, today hubby and I went down to the basement of our block of flats to take some photos. I had intended to take them outside, but then the snow came yesterday.

I have written about this outfit as I was workign on it, but it is another one inspired by a single leaf from a Genoese c. 1330 manuscript, the so-called Cocharelli Treatise on Vices. I have this project, to make all the gowns shown in the illumination. However, while looking for the perfect brocades, I did this little side project of a wool gown inspired by the manuscript. 

Lots of documentation (mostly links to blog posts), and more photos on its page. 

Venetian gowns are cool

I don't do much 16th century these days, and when I do I rarely wear them. 

I did, however make a fantasy Venetian gown from synthetic taffeta for my Halloween photoshoot in October that made me want to go there again. 

This is some of the fantasy photos.

So I need a new one, because not only is my Venetian gown that I made in 2019 way too small for me now.

And I will probably never be that thin again. 

But the one that I made this summer is too big already, thanks to quite a lot of effort on my side.

So I will make another one, from the same pattern as the fantasy gown. And I will get around to wearing it. Maybe for Drachenwald's Spring Crown in Northern Germany in april next year.

My plan is to make it from green thrifted cotton velvet curtains, inspired by this painting.

Yes, I do love green.

Medieval week Friday and Saturday

 I got busy moving around thigns in our flat, plus visting my sister and her family on Friday, and my mum on Saturday, but here, finally, are photos from Friday and Saturday.

On Frday Sara and I went to have a look at the Battle of Wisby camp. Battel of Wisby is a large re-enactment of a battle from 1361, which takes place every three years. They also have an open camp, and on Friday it was market day.

Some photos from that visit.

Then I went for a swim. No surprise there.

Italian cotton dress and reed hat.

And in my supportive linen shift after the swim.

Then we had dinner and I decided to go out and see if I would run into friends. The sun was strong and we had spent a lot of time outdoors in the middle of the day, so my skin felt hot, and I decided that it would be nice to wear some cool, soft silk.

I also thought that it would be nice to actually wear all the clothes that I had brought with me. So I wore a blue ca 1320-1330 gown that I made in 2006. I  wore it to the medieval week that summer, but I also wore it to my viva party that year , after I had defeneded my PhD thesis, and spilled gravy on it. I twas possible to hand wash but the colour got a little unven after that. To hide that I printed a pattern on it with "gold" textile paint.

I went to the market and had a beer with Hans Gunnar, and ran into some people that I know from the early 16th century group ProKnekt. Then I went down to the sea. It was magical.

And I took a really good selfie.

Well, actually, more than one.

Here you can see the whole dress. In the dark, woth the phone perched on a ruined church wall.

Then bed and a good night's sleep.

Next morning I Sara, her partner, and their other partner went to Kapitelhusgården and the market for some last day shopping.

Sara and I looked silly together at Kapitelhusgården.

And she looked rather regal in her Germanic Iron age peplos, when on her own.

More market. This is the Polish folk group Daj Ognia playing on the market.

And more swimming, more walking, more market beer, and then to bed for the trip home to Gotheburg.

Home is nice too.

Medieval week Wednesday and Thursday

 Another image heavy post from my recent visit to the Medieval week on Gotland. Wednesday started with a lovely morning concert and presentation of the history of the medeival Celtic harp. Held in a ruin. Of course. Very relaxing and full of atmosphere. The harpist was Ell, one of the few people these days who play the medieval Celtic harp with metal strings: gold, silver and brass.

    

Then it was time for the Great Visby Tournament, a traditional SCA tournamnet held since the 1980s. Sara isn't keen on that kind of thing, but my friend Erika, who saw it for the first time enjoyed it a lot. It helped that they had a good presenter, telling what was going on. And probably me giving explanations too. It was also a reasonable short tournament with only really good fighters. We started it all with a procession from the medieval Chapter House - Kapitelhusgården - to the old,dried up moats, outside the city walls. The King and Queen of Drachenwald in the lead. But I have no photos of that, I was busy walking,

Me and Erika 

My veil had blown back, that is not how it was supposed to look. More like this.

The finals - between Sir, Duke Padraig, and Sir, Viscount Ludwig. Ludwig won, and got the coveted lambskin.

Then their Majesties, his excellency the Prince of Nordmark (SCA Sweden) and their excellencies the Baronesses of Styringheim (SCA Gotland) held court.

Then Sara and I had dinner at the B&B, which also had a kitchen where we could cook our own food.

That evening was the free fre show by the group TriX, and I made an honest attempt to attend. But it was too much people and I got overwhelmed. So I took a late evening walk, and then went to bed.

Thursday I has slept really badly, so I started the day with a morning swim in the sea. The waves were fabulous.

Then I went and bought some bubbly, before exploring the various medieval camps while looking for people that I might know. The camps are all situated just outside the medieval city walls.

Then market again, where I shared some bubbly with Hans Gunnar, and Marketa, a Czech expert in medieval book painting and calligraphy. 

Not everybody dresses in medieval clothing, there's quite a lot of fantasy stuff too (and 16th century, and fatnasy pirate style). I thought this was cool.

Home for dinner, and amother swim to keep me awake. We lived almost at the highest point from the sea, so there was lots of climbing up and down the cobblestone roads, and stairs.

After the swim in my 13th century wool gown. It wasn't particluarly warm, but the water was still lovely.

Despite being sleep deprived I went to the the Chapter House to see Medeltidsbandet Själ . I like authentic medeival music more than medeival rock with gigantic drums and bagpipes, and half naked men, so this was a treat for me. They are both very good, and lots of fun.

The Chapter House is also a very nice place to just hang out, even if I got stung by a wasp that enjoyed the lavender as much as I did.

I also got to hang out with the three Black Metal Sisters, as I call them. One is obviously missing in this photo.

Rabbit to the left, fox to teh right. The snake turned up later.

Sing-along to one of the Cantigas de Santa Maria.

Then it was bedtime. Next post will show the Battle of Wisby camp. And some really pretty photos of yours truly.