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!