My 10th century red tunic/gown/thingy and linen cap can be seen behind this link. Super comfortable and absolutely effortless to wear. Not pictured is my dark blue wool shawl. Here is the inspiration article, which discusses the outermost garment seen on Norse depictions of women and presents some interpretations for constructing something that behaves accordingly. My shawl is a square piece of fabric with one corner folded inward. This folded edge goes around the neck and the shawl is pinned closed at the center chest. It provides nice coverage in the back, while allowing me to use my arms and hands much more freely than I can while wearing a draped half-circle cloak.
Earlier this week I finished a new undergown (with underarm gussets). Finally, underwear that's entirely hand-sewn and NOT made from cotton muslin! I have white fabric in both 100% linen and a cotton/linen blend in my stash, so I can't say with complete certainty which this is at the moment, but hey ... can't afford to be too picky, can we? No idea how much time I spent on active construction, but it's been about six months since I cut out the pieces ... Let's not talk about my ADD ...
Today I cut out an apron dress with triangular side gores from a grey-green linen or cotton/linen blend fabric. Fingers crossed that I have it finished in time for the event I plan to attend in a couple of weeks. If it all comes together, I'll definitely make a point to snap a photo of my summer Viking ensemble!
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Monday, May 12, 2014
Out of the wilderness
Whew. The past few months have been a roller-coaster. It's nice to have my own space - and a real bed! - again. I'll be spending several months at my mom's house while I take care of some personal and legal matters, then focus on building some cash reserves for when it's time to move into an apartment.
While I was couch surfing I took a commission for four undergowns to be delivered at Gulf Wars. Well ... three were finished by GW, and the fourth was delivered at Spring Coronation.
I am definitely happy for the income I received for the project, but I learned some very important lessons:
1. I definitely am more comfortable taking measurements in person than relying on an existing garment to fill me in.
2. It is nerve-wracking to put hours and hours and hours of work into sewing and finishing a garment without having the wearer available for a fitting.
3. Everything takes more time than you think it should.
4. Some sewing machines are possessed, and will spontaneously start moving on their own even when your foot is not in physical contact with the pedal!!!
5. I love hand-sewing so freaking much. It is an act of meditation for me. Even when the sewing machine was behaving properly, I never felt entirely at peace while using it. Yes, I know hand-sewing takes f.o.r.e.v.e.r. ... But that's a huge part of its appeal :)
The only thing I made for myself in the past few months was a little Viking hood. Now that I'm getting settled again, I plan on sewing one or two apron-dresses and stringing some beads to hang between the wonderful brooches I bought for my birthday. Next in the pipeline is a Gothic Fitted Dress so I can coordinate with my Fighter's 14th century persona when we are both eligible for our Kingdom's Crown tournament.
While I was couch surfing I took a commission for four undergowns to be delivered at Gulf Wars. Well ... three were finished by GW, and the fourth was delivered at Spring Coronation.
I am definitely happy for the income I received for the project, but I learned some very important lessons:
1. I definitely am more comfortable taking measurements in person than relying on an existing garment to fill me in.
2. It is nerve-wracking to put hours and hours and hours of work into sewing and finishing a garment without having the wearer available for a fitting.
3. Everything takes more time than you think it should.
4. Some sewing machines are possessed, and will spontaneously start moving on their own even when your foot is not in physical contact with the pedal!!!
5. I love hand-sewing so freaking much. It is an act of meditation for me. Even when the sewing machine was behaving properly, I never felt entirely at peace while using it. Yes, I know hand-sewing takes f.o.r.e.v.e.r. ... But that's a huge part of its appeal :)
The only thing I made for myself in the past few months was a little Viking hood. Now that I'm getting settled again, I plan on sewing one or two apron-dresses and stringing some beads to hang between the wonderful brooches I bought for my birthday. Next in the pipeline is a Gothic Fitted Dress so I can coordinate with my Fighter's 14th century persona when we are both eligible for our Kingdom's Crown tournament.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
On Hold
Hi, Friends. Due to a pretty dramatic shift in Life Trajectory, I will be out of the loop for a while. I have some projects in progress, but won't be able to document and share them like I would prefer. Hopefully the transition period won't take very long, but until I get re-settled, Thank You for keeping up with my blog. I hope to return soon, and full of enthusiasm for the next fun challenge.
Yours,
Mathilde
Yours,
Mathilde
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