Textile geeks can be a little Nuts.

Still making progress on the madder-red gown for my Viking ensemble.  Seams.  Lots of seams.  Tiny little stitches ...

Since my last update, I received my brooches (shiny!) and my book (informative!) in the mail.  I also got to work breaking a large bag of walnut hulls into smaller chips for use in a dyebath, and put my wool cloth through some mild torture to remove any sizing chemicals applied at the mill.  This involved hot water and washing soda (alkaline), which can be quite scary when handling raw wool, but I know as long as I don't agitate the fabric too much I won't end up with a giant lump of felt.

1.1 kg of the walnut hull chips went into a large plastic paint bucket, followed by 3 gallons of boiling water.  Stir, slap on the lid, and place the bucket in an out-of-the-way location.

One day and two nights later, I pried off the lid, fished out the biggest chunks of walnut hull with a slotted spoon, then poured the dye liquor through a mesh strainer to remove all but the smallest bits of solid dyestuff.  I poured 2 more gallons of boiling water over the soggy solids (again, in a large paint bucket), slapped on the lid, and it's now waiting alongside the bucket of strained liquid for the Husbeast to leave for work tomorrow so he doesn't have to suffer while the house is filled with the smell of simmering walnut dye.

The day I hit "Publish" without first adding a title

Sometime back in the past, I wasn't terribly interested in Viking garb ...

My friends, that has changed.  This past week I've ordered some Viking-themed birthday gifts for myself - a pair of bronze tortoise brooches from Raymond's Quiet Press (these, for the uninitiated, are used to fasten the shoulder straps on an apron-dress) and a copy of Medieval Garments Reconstructed: Norse Clothing Patterns.

I also picked up some wool fabric yardage, an off-white twill which will be dyed used for either the apron-dress, a kaftan, or simply a cloak.  Still not 100% certain.

I selected a nice rusty red cut of linen from the fabric stash for the gown.  I had originally intended for this fabric to become a later-period kirtle ... But I can always use an excuse to shop at Gulf Wars, right?  On Wednesday I cut out my body panels, rough-cut the sleeves, and began sewings up the center-front seam (the back is one solid piece), leaving a long enough slit below the neckline that, if needed, I could unhook a strap on the apron-dress and whip out a boob to nurse a baby.  (No, I'm not pregnant ... or at least I don't have any proof of it as of right now, but it's on the To Do list, and since all the research and hand-sewing take time, I'm aiming for maximum utility from all new garb projects for the immediate future.)

Thursday I finished sewing the front seam, reinforcing it at the bottom of the neck slit.  Then I cut out the underarm gussets and shaped the sleeve panels.  Friday I sewed the shoulder seams and attached the underarm gussets to the sleeves along one edge.  Yesterday I attached one sleeve-and-gusset combo to the body panels, and today I added the other.  After dinner I'll fiddle around with the final shape and dimensions of the keyhole neckline and decide just how wide I want to cut the side gores.  Since the body panels are trapezoidal, I don't need to add much extra fabric to accommodate a long stride, but I do need to measure what I've currently got around navel-level and figure out if it would be roomy enough for another little person to hang out in there for a few months.

I'm browsing eBay and Etsy for small brooches and beads that conform to my perception of the Viking aesthetic.  Lots of possibilities.  I also have access to a number of accomplished embroiderers who can help steer me in the right direction on decorative seam treatments and embellishments.

Side note: My grand-Laurel (my Laurel's Laurel) is the new Princess of Gleann Abhann, and she has expressed a preference for a Viking reign, so my shift in interest has been most timely!