I set a strip of hook-and-eye tape in the late 16th-c. loose gown, which I started work on. Goal is to have this wearable for June A&S (yeah, yeah, planny-pants here is thinking ahead even though I’m still finishing stuff for the UK trip). Got the main body finished last night, letting it hang, and
I ironed a bunch of pre-washed fabric for my loose gown. And I had a little epiphany … this gown will make me look matronly. But in the 1580s, I *would* be a matron! I’m 41 years old, my SCA persona is married, manages her estates in her husband’s many absences, and has grown children
For once (or maybe twice) in my life, I’m drawing something of a blank when it comes to trim patterns. Maybe because the outfit is outside of my usual style or maybe because I’ve been cranking through a bunch of other costumes recently. So, I’m looking to the LJ hivemind, you’re my only hope! I
At the SCA March Crown, I was quite impressed by Elena’s short loose gown, and Jauna also let me try on her Spanish ropa over my gown, which looked pretty darn nice (and hey, we’re the same height ;-). I’m thinking the burgundy/red cotton damask in The Stash would make a good loose gown, and
Was not overly pleased with the test-run of the Valois gown at March Crown. I’d tried it on at home the week before, and it looked fine, the only potential issue was the sleeves seemed a bit slippy on my shoulders. But when I put it on Saturday night, the whole thing felt an inch
The Valois gown is done! All trimmed, bodice, sleeves, and petticoat. No pix for you because, well, it looks a lot like the last two pix only with more of the same. Would look better when worn, and that probably won’t happen until May. Now, I could test it out at March Crown, ‘cept what
By Lady Violet Ruthvene in the SCA, written to help the West Kingdom prepare for a masked ball Two great medieval traditions made mask-wearing popular among the citizens of the Republic of Venice: the festival of Carnevale and the Commedia dell’ Arte theater. Between these, you have a variety of mask styles to choose from,
Massive progress! Friday after Thanksgiving, I made the skirt and painstakingly pleated it into the bodice. I usually have trouble attaching pleats to a V-shaped waistline (I’ve done it successfully once and since forgotten how I achieved that). But I figured out a way again. Let’s see if writing it down helps me remember… After
Ran out of thread! Sewed all but three eyelets on this bodice (while sitting around at Grandmom’s house in the days after my paternal grandfather’s funeral in Pensacola, Florida). Mom showed me how to do a proper buttonhole stitch instead of the basic overcast binding thing I learned from the RenTailor site. But my hand-sewn
Had a strange itch to sew today, so I tinkered with the Slipcover Kirtle pattern to make it work for this project. That previous kirtle ended up a smidge too loose the one time I wore it at an event, which irritated me. Took out the pattern and fussed with the straps and the armscye
I first wore the outfit at the SCA West Kingdom October Crown. I wore the doublet with a cartridge-pleated skirt made of purple tone-on-tone stripe drapery type fabric that I’d made a few months earlier (for an outfit that never panned out). And the weekend before this event, I made a tall-crowned hat inspired by
Not the I’m bragging, but I don’t see what the fuss is about sleeves. They’re pretty easy. My sleeves probably don’t look that good to anyone else, but I like them. They go together fine, no big stress, not like the strum und drang I hear from so many other costumers when it comes time
So much accomplished and it just doesn’t look like it. *sigh* Spent all weekend sewing, and, go figure, it would be the last, icky-hot weekend of summer too. But the result looks like actual clothing and is in a wearable state. First, there was a lot of fussing with the lining. And that darn neckline.
This doublet that’s been giving me such problems isn’t what it seems to be. I’ve had images in my head, but I’ve been using a pattern (well, an idea of a pattern from PoF3, the 1580s doublet) that’s based in the wrong time period. Doh! The neckline and sleeves I’ve been fantasizing about are all
After all those muslins, it was time to cut some real fabric. I had a nice mid-weight black wool for the outside (it’ll be interlined with something sturdy and lined with something soft later; I may add boning at the center front to keep the closure tidy and straight too). I sewed up the sides