Progress on the striped gown

I am terribly busy these days: I am evaluating a manuscript for a PhD thesis and writing a report about it, I have a class at Drachenwald's Online Kingdom University, this time in collaberation with the Kingdoms of Atlantia and Lochac, so it's actually the Tri-kingdom University next Saturday, which is far from finished. My apprentice Alfhild de Foxley is not only the University chancellor for the Drachenwald Online University, but also was theone who took initiative to make this an intervcontinental event - I am insanely proud of her. I am also doing calligraphy and illumination for Nordmark's Coronet Tournament, and I have started a knitting project. Having a really bad flare in my psoriatic arthritis, and sinusitis doesn't help at all.

But I have hand sewn the body of the striped surcoat. Next Step is ironing and felling the seams.

But first more writing.

Another Italian 14th century gown

As you might remember I got tipsy from mimosa in Hans-Gunnar's market tent on Tuesday of the Medieval week. And ended up buying this fabulous wool fabric from Historiska Rum.

I had first planned to make a pretty straight forward late 14th century gown with horisontal stripes, maybe buttoned. But then I remembered this fantastic gown on a fresco by Bonamico Buffalmacco.It is from the Piazza de Miracoli in Pisa, an dwas made  between 1336 and 1341.

And the idea wouldn't go away. This gown had been a part of my life since I was a child in the 1970s. Because in my mum's "Housewives's lexicon" in four volumes there was an article about fashion history. There were modern drawings of clothign from diefferent ers, and one of those reperesenting the Middle Ages, was thsi one. Though I didn't realise this until maybe ten years ago.  

So the idea to make a diagonally striped gown kept living in the back of my head.

I knew that I would have to be extremely careful when cutting out the fabric, and try carefully if it was even possible to fit it on the fabric. This is a littel unusual for me - I usually freewheel a lot of my cutting. But I now I had to actually make a full size pattern, and a full size mock-up. After fitting the mock-up I unpicked the seams, so that I could use them as pattern for cutting.

That wine red linen is actually going to be a non-medieval dress.

There was enough width to make a diagonally striped dress, and enough remnants to make short , hanging sleeves. After I have made mock-ups for that too.

I am not particularly good at focusing on one project at a time, by the way. I have finished one of my cut work sleeves, and I am working on the other one. I am also knitting a fair isle slipover; becuse why not?

working on my 16th sleeves

I have been busy working, and making a modern wool skirt, but I AM also working on my cut out velvet sleeves.

The flowers are not perfectly even, but perfection is rare in period.

The wool skirt in question 

Yes, we have lots of snow for Gothenburg right now . 

A headband for my 14th century Italian Cocharelli outfit

 Like any normal person I had started on/prepared for two hand sewing projects for my New Years Eve celebration.

The first was this headband made from a piece of vintage metallic trim, faux peaels and glass beads, and thrifted vintage grosgrain ribbon on the inside.

This is how it is supposed to look:

I realised when I was going to take the photo that the braids should have been made in a way that covers the ears. But by hten I wasn't interested in re-doing my braids just for a photo. For the next event, well, that is different.

As a very 1980s barbarian princess look.

And yes, I started on the sleeves too, after all: we had the whole "Chicago" and "Gentlemen prefer blondes" to watch through before the clock struck twelve.

Happy New Year everone! May it be better than the last one.

Third time's the charm? - another green Venetian 16th century gown

 So the 16th century Venetian that I made this spring is too large. Not by itself, it has taken some effort to lose some of that weight.

And the one that I made in spring 2019 is (still) too small.

So here we go: another green Venetian gown. This time from second hand cotton velvet curtains. The inspiration is this fresco by Giovanni Antonio Fasolo, from c. 1560-65

Since I have white cinquefoils (five petaled flowers) on green in my heraldic arms (for the SCA) I tend to be drawn to anything with white flowers, especially on green. 

The fresco isn't detailed enough to show how the flowers were made. It appears to be the same fabric as the gown, just with added decoration; so I think we can exclude woven pattern. That leaves embroidery/applique, and cut out patterns. Both are known techniques from the periodm but I have decided to go for the cut out patterns, which is very common in portraits.

This is my trial, on scraps of red cotton velvet.

Yesterday, when I really needed a break from reading up on the Cold War for a lecture that I am holding on Friday, I constructed a sleeve pattern and cut out the sleeves. First in white silk dupion (of the even kind), and then from the green cotton velvet.

And today, having another break from the Cold War, I started marking where to cut the flowers. With the help of a gingerbread cutter.

Now I will return to the Cold War, but this will be an excellent hand sewing project while I watch costume films with my neighbour, as we do every New Year's Eve.

Finally good photos of one of 12th century gowns

I made this dress from slk shantung back in 2014.  But I never managed to get a good photo of it, just very dark ones from Double Wars 2015

Or sitting down, at Double Wars 2014

But I wore it to Gotvik's Christmas party today, and my friend Mattias took a couple of photos.

I will make a page about it too, maybe even this year.

Buttonholes and buttons

 So now the very old dress that never got finished, that I wrote about in my previous post, is hemmed and has got hand made buttonholes, and brass buttons.

I made the armscyes bigger, which may have been a mistake - but I like being able to move my arms ;)

I have made a toile for sleeves, but haven't tried it on yet. It won't be finished for Gotvik's yule party this Sunday. Mostly because I have taken up knitting again, and that tends to consume me.