Well, that was fast

I woke up this morning to an email from a pictures library assistant at the Royal Collection with a nice high resolution picture of the portrait attached.  I can't publish it, but it gives me something else to stare at. It also just makes me so darn happy about how easy researching has become. Even when I was in school, a response like this would be unheard of, and now it is an everyday occurrence.  Ain't technology grand?

Also, in further news regarding the embroidery reference, I found this rather grumpy siren published in several modelbooks close to my target date.  The portrait is dated 1531, and the woodcut is published in Niccolo Zoppino's Ensamplario di Lavori published in 1530 and in Giovanni Tagliente's Ensamplario Nuovo daed 1531. It's found in several other later books, but those are both right at the correct date, so I'll take it. If you want to have a look at either Zoppino or Tagliente, Kathryn Goodwyn has both as pdf's on Flowers of the Needle.  The blackwork patterns in the same collections are of the stairstep type, however, so I'm still a little muddy on what I'm doing. Not that I can't use them, but I might need to do them polychrome, or just possibly in mixed stitches.  Still thinking on that.

Staring

Mermaid pattern from Sibmacher

Getting better reference pictures is always such fun. I have no idea why, but no matter how often I tell people researching things the best way to get information is to ask the museum, I always get a hole in the pit of my stomach when I make those requests. I guess I feel I'm being frivolous and wasting their time. But, an email has been sent, so we'll see.  I'd really like a better view of the balzo and the embroidery.

Right now I'm having a hard time determining if the balzo is one of the ones that looks like hair, or just highly textured, so better pictures would be nice.  I'm changing the embroidery anyway, but it would still be great from a documentation point of view to have a good look at the original.  It does sort of look like the collar has a pretty elaborate pattern, but I can't really tell as is.

I have 5 yards of 3 oz handkerchief linen ordered from fabrics-store.com for the camicia, and ordered a hank of 2/30 Gemstone silk from Halcyon Yarn for the embroidery. I decided on a purple color since there is such contrast between the pink and black of the dress and I thought it could handle the purple.  There's also an example of purple blackwork flowers with gold on a shirt in Patterns of Fashion 4.  I'd get a page reference, but my copy is still packed-- somewhere.  I've never used the Gemstone silk, but Laura Mellin uses it for her blackwork so I figured I'd give it a shot. When I did my last big blackwork project (the disasterous blackworked coif where I did everything wrong,) I tried both Gutterman silk and Rainbow Gallery's "Splendor." I wasn't really thrilled with how thin the lines were with a single strand and wanted a bit plumper look.  The Gemstone is supposed to have that. Also, because it is sold as a weaving yarn rather than an embroidery thread, it is less expensive. It is sold either in mini-cones of 250 yards for less than $9 or hanks of 1,600 yards for about $35. I bought the hank because I wasn't sure how much I'd actually need, in great part because I'm not sure if I'm settling for just the collar and cuffs or if I'm going to add spot motifs as in the portrait.  If there is some left, I can always do some fingerloop braided cords for various parts of the outfit.

I like buying supplies. I always feel like I'm making progress on something that way-- even if I'm not.

I'm still doing drafts of the embroidery patterns.  I'd like to find a few more mermaids/undines/sirens to alternate, especially if I go with spot motifs.  And yes, there is the concern that the motifs from the late modelbooks are too late for my dress dated 1531.  I'm still juggling that with the character concept issue.  Right now its a bunch of mush in my head.  You'll get an update as soon as I have a clue what I'm deciding on.

I have 142 days to make this dress

Pattern from Giovanni Osthaus' Perfection of design 1567

I've been looking at my inspiration for The Disney Challenge and trying to map out what is going on with it so I can divide it into manageable chunks.  It is a pretty crazy dress and I A) want to do it justice so I'm happy wearing it and B) want to have something I'm proud entering as an Arts and Sciences entry.  My recent gowns have been made for wearing and being happy in, so B is new.


It was kind of a weird journey to deciding I wanted to make a dress to enter since that is usually the last thing on my mind.  I tend to think of research and other types of projects as Arts and Sciences worthy and dressmaking just sort of something that happens in the SCA since everybody has to wear something. When I decided to do this dress for the challenge I picked it because I wanted something that easily worked for a character concept yet was absolutely and totally accurate with no ifs, ands, or buts. I knew that many people were bound to dismiss the challenge as a bunch of fluff that didn't have any place in a re-enactment society and lump it with glitter, elf ears, and plastic Viking helmets. I didn't want that.  Not that I am not the first person to have fun with costuming, but I wanted to demonstrate that thinking out of the box would get people excited about looking at things through a different lens. I hoped that it would put excitement into an educational exercise and get some creative juices flowing. I really am a believer in "A spoonful of sugar." It's the frustrated high school history teacher in me, what can I say.

Anyway, wanting to do an accurate representation of the dress tripped me up first thing.  It is a MONSTER of a dress.  It isn't something I'm going to toss off in a weekend, wear once, and be okay putting at the back of the closet to wait for a bad garb contest or another goofy theme to happen.  My knee jerk reaction was to change my mind and just pick something else.  Something simple that I either could adapt for regular garb later or make and not worry about.  Then I returned to all my reasons for wanting to do this challenge and noticed that "making a silly outfit" was nowhere on the list.  Stretching my skills was on the list. Research was on the list. Adding to my persona was on the list. Being proud of what I create was on top of the list.

So, I'm making a monster of a dress and I'm going to do all the persnickity details. The accessories, the copious embroidery and handwork, the whole hog. Which is how we get back to figuring out manageable chunks and a schedule to match those deadlines.

Couching gold cord to the edges of black velvet is going to be a big part of the time since the overgown is incredibly intensive. There's more going on though. There's a detailed balzo, a lovely lapis lazuli paternoster, a gorgeous undergown with striped sleeves, and then there's the camicia. It looks like pinky peach embroidery on the collar, the cuffs, and down the body as well. Hmmm.  This is totally crazy already. NO!  Manageable chunks.

I'm starting with the collar and the cuffs.  I know myself pretty well and know counted embroidery would make me absolutely crazy, so I'm not going to stick with the blackwork pattern that is there. Instead, I'm going to take the opportunity to incorporate the character concept.  Pinky peach and floral made me snap to "Ursula's Garden" of enchanted merfolk. I know, I have a rather twisted mind since the twisted things aren't sweet flowers. But hey, it's a villainess' dress-- what can I say. To turn it back to historical accuracy, I decided to use the siren embroidery pattern from Osthaus. It is classy and perfectly elegant while still letting me Bwahahahaha! in the dark reaches of my mind as I consider the association that got me there.

Tomorrow's goal is to decide if I am using the gryphon and the rest of the original motif or adapting it some way and draw up the final design.  Then Saturday I will transfer it to linen and start with the embroidery. Here we go. First bite of this whale taken.

Lots of planning, nothing done

Paola Priuli Querini

It's been one of those weeks with loads of planning (and family obligations) so nothing much to show.  I had hoped to show you the adorable pink linen apron I smocked for a friend's Award of Arms as part of my 50 favors and tokens challenge, but she still hasn't gotten pictures to me.

I'm continuing to work with the GIMP tutorials to do some embroidery designing and have prepped y linen for the white scarves in the meantime. My plan is to do some drawnthread work down the long sides and the blackwork on the ends.  In part I think it'll look best that way, but the biggest reason for not doing the blackwork all the way around is time constraints.  Solstice and the White Scarf ceremony is a couple of weeks away (December 8) so I'm in a rush.  I may just end up doing a drawn on pattern and doing real charts later for use on another project.  We'll see.

In other planning, I bought some new fabric at a ridiculous deal.  I've seen this faux silk with flocked velvet pattern at several places over the last year that is a dead ringer for Palma Vecchio's painted fabric in the unfinished wedding portrait of Paola Priuli Querini.  The scale is a bit different, but the color and pattern is a great match.  I've resisted buying it because, well, its polyester.  I'm trying to up my game and do less theatrical sewing and improve my accuracy.  Then I found it again at $4 a yards with an additional 40% off.  I'm weak willed my friends.  I bought the rest of the bolt.  I got almost 11 yards for $27 even with the tax.  Even if it just becomes pillows or drapes it was worth it.  It might be a 12th Night dress if I get a serious wiggle on it.  It'll be fun and I'll do reenactor's penance and make something handsewn from linen after that.

Trying not to cheat and over plan, but I'm getting excited about April and the IRCC

I swear, I wasn't going to participate in the Italian Renaissance Costuming Challenge again this year. I told myself 2 Italian dresses was enough and I should work on Rus court garb and camping gear. That line of reasoning is not working whatsoever. I love having a deadline and, more than that, I adore looking at blogs and participating in 4 months of craziness.

So, why mention this now? Well, I'm sort of extending my IRCC by a little over a month because I need to take off a few pounds in order for me to feel comfy in the U dress style I want. After changing shape drastically after making my red bodice last year, I don't want to have that happen again with a dress I put a lot of time in to. I figured if I started now and put some serious work into it (and made the bodice as basically the last thing I did) I could drop enough by August to be comfortable in my own skin again. I'm event stewarding an event this month and prepping for Kingdom Arts and Sciences in May, but I'm making this my other big focus. I won't bore you with further reporting, I'll put that on my personal fitness blog instead, but I needed to announce it in order to make myself accountable and start the clock running on my personal challenge.

Now, back to buttons and frogs.

Looking at rainbows

Still in the early stages of planning where anything can happen. Fia was telling me she was considering not being quite so literal and heraldic with her dress and might go blue rather then the red I was expecting. We both also love purple. I have my crazy adoration of oranges, coppers and rusts. I keep staring at the dye list at Dharma and dreaming. It could be any color. That's actually rather overwhelming. I'm not matching the portrait or dealing with the fabrics in my stash or the fabrics in stock. I'm creating my own fabric and depending on how much experimenting I want to do, I really could get about any color.

I don't have much depth in my closet. At present my only functional garb outfits are: a red and gold Norse-ish apron dress, the red and gold Camilla dress, a peacock and magenta Russian, 3 Persian camp ensembles in various crazy color combinations, and the orange and blue patchwork Italian. Green would be nice and I don't have any. Purple would be fun. I really do love both blue and copper though. Copper/oranges are not my best colors however. Red is the obvious choice for an Italian, but I do have a red velvet dress already. This one would be tons different though. Black and gold would be spectacular. I sort of have issues with black though. I love color. Also, as a big girl most of my mundane clothing options are black and I tend to think of it as depressing rather than elegant. I'm still drifting towards a deep sapphire blue. The Russianizing of the embroidery might change my mind though. Hmmm. Guess I get to keep staring at rainbows.

Designing the stomacher embroidery

This is the beautiful, beautiful pattern from Giovanni Osthaus Perfection of Design, published in 1561 that we're going to substitute for the panel under the ladder lacing. It has Fia's heart aflame dead center. She used that little bit for Alyvia's fan embroidery that she entered in Idle Hands. I think its such a beautiful design and have been in love with it since I first saw it. Obviously, though, its not quite as perfectly in line with my heraldry as it is with Fiametta's. I looked at the other similarly shaped pattern in the modelbuch, but it just doesn't have the same charm. It has more of an abstract scroll design rather than the whimsy of the figures in this one. So, I've decided to completely redraw it, making it very Praksedys. It's going to have a bit more Russian influence than would be reasonable historically. The birds up top are going to become Sirin. That's sort of a cross between a bird of paradise, a mermaid, and a harpy. They're very popular in Russian folk art and show up in enameled jewelry at least as early as the 11th century and continue into 19th century woodcuts. One of my favorite paintings is by Victor Vasnetsov from 1896 and has both the Siren and its counterpart, the Alconost. They're the birds of joy and sorrow, As there are two in the panel I might made them a little non-symmetrical (which is so totally NOT Russian) and make one of each.

The heart aflame will be switched out for my heart and fleur/krin. I think I might also tweak the shape of the grape leaves. In part that's because Russia doesn't really grow grapes, but the other major reason is a desire to change the symbolism of the panel. The grape is a Christian symbol, especially when wreathing the heart aflame as they do. I don't see any reason to keep them as I'm changing everything else. I'm considering swapping them out for maple leaves as my highest award is the Order of the Golden Maple Leaf (it's the AoA level arts award for Artemisia.) The little spoon handle shaped bit there at the bottom might find itself turned into a peacock. But, you say, that just brings the Christian symbolism back in. Shhhhh. I like them and Juno is my patron goddess (not that Praks would approve) so I have other reasons. There's also the massive Byzantine influence on Russian decorative art and the preponderance of peacocks in ornamental art. Also, as the dress will be blue and gold, it fits in to the color scheme.

So, lots of drawing in my future.

Drooling over fabric gives me crazy ideas

I was up late last night drooling over Fortuny style block printed velvets from Venice. Usually about $600, they're on sale for $119 a yard. I so terribly wish that that with the 15 yard minimum wasn't still in Wonderland for me. Never going to happen. BUT. I found this. A tutorial on stenciling your own Fortuny style velvet. I'm rather bouncy about it. Dharma has white cotton velveteen for $9-11. THAT is doable.
I could totally make that.

I'd already been thinking about doing some blockprinted fabric for my Russian and have done some research into primary sources on it. While the fabrics in the gowns I'm looking at were probably woven, painted and block printed fabrics were made and I think its a nice compromise. Hand printing or stenciling a fabric with a correct pattern seems a step up from buying whatever JoAnn's happens to have. Cennino Cennini wrote The Craftsman's Handbook or Il Libro dell' Arte in the early 14th Century. It has sections on painting banners, designing brocade patterns and block printing fabrics. Its a very fun book and gets all sorts of ideas fermenting. I have the Dover publication, but the previous link will take you to an online version.

Fiametta has been talking about doing "The Seashell Dress," otherwise known as Caliari's "Portrait of a Woman holding gloves." I have been drooling over her plans. The partlet in particular intrigues me with its three dimensional flowers and butterflies. I've been doing some research into ganutell and klosterbeiten as possible means of manufacture of them. They're both construction of artificial flowers using wire and silk threads.

There was some discussion of changing out the stomacher that stands behind the ladder laces for an embroidered one. I keep looking at those seashell tabs and seeing needlelace samplers. I'm drooling over her plans and am sorta thinking about pushing into the 1550's and making something like the Moroni portrait at the top. Maybe some ganutell flowers mixed in to the head piece and a gorgeous printed velvet. Maybe something like "Lady with heron" with an embroidered stomacher behind ladder laces. I think I could integrate the printed fabric into that one too.

Anyway, I'm considering another dress. This one with some super special flourishes in the dress rather than everything concentrated in the accessories. A very slow, rather extreme project. I plan to follow Laura Mellon's suggestions in her article "Extreme Costuming: or how do you make the "impossible" clothing you've always wanted." Lots of planning and all the fussy details. My reward, if I follow my own arbitrary rules and make it correctly is going to be a Savonorola style chair. Not sure yet if I'm buying it, commissioning it or building it myself, but that's the carrot.

How is it that I went from, "hey, I'll make a pretty dress" to planning my third major Italian ensemble?

Colds stink, but at least I get to go shopping

I did not, in fact, get the mantellino done yesterday. Grumble, grumble, blargh! I didn't get much of anything done at all. Big kids stayed home from school sick and everyone was stuffed up and whiny. Especially me.

The mantellino was all bunchy and sat badly in the back, so I drafted Davey to help me re-mark the neck curve as well as help me figure the waist for the petticoat. He was kind enough to pick up leather for gloves for me and dropped it off, then I ambushed him for assistance. Poor guy gets caught up in a lot of my schemes.

The curve is MUCH lower in the back than I would ever have guessed. It makes sense, I suppose, since the entire point of the "baby mantle" is just to cover the cold spot made by a low cut front on the dress. I'm re-cutting it today and pushing forward with the last few pearls. I still need to decide if I'm going to add further embellishment. Maybe some gold trim along the edge. Deciding on closures for the front would help that decision a great deal. nothing has jumped out to be something I adore. Maybe I'll tie some frogs. I suppose I could do hooks and eyes and not have a decorative closure.

Looking for closures is on today's shopping agenda. As is buying Sculpy and some chain to do the necklace in the portrait. I stripped one of my belly dance pendants in an attempt to come up with another option for making the pendant and am going to fiddle with that as well. We'll see what develops. Cable ties for bodice boning are also on the list along with thread, possibly something for the partlet, and a few other notions. Why yes, it is payday.

I did another couple of inches of blackwork on the garters and Davey brought over buckles when he brought the leather. We're driving down to my mom's Christmas party Saturday and will be out of town all weekend, so I plan to get some serious work done on them in the next couple of days as they are the best traveling project I have.

So, in general, progress continues. I am a little worried that its going to have to stop again so I can work on my kids' Christmas presents, but we'll see how that goes.

Even more planning

I know, I know. Nothing much to see here. I have made bits and pieces of progress, but there's nothing to see yet. I've taken a few reference photographs of the kids for their miniature portraits and started writing the poetry. Well, I've put a few random words down on paper in forms that sort of vaguely resemble Petrarchan structure. It certainly isn't poetry at this point.

I'm trying to decide how crazy I want to be and if I want to weave the inkles (narrow strips of fabric) to attach the endbands of the book to. Its a late period method, but it was done and the bookbinding business was a big employer of the inkleweaver. It won't be seen, so it might be a good place for my unskilled weaving to be. It would add more authenticity, more handwork, and more things for me to babble about. Its also more work for no particular reason.

Other things to think about include the leather. Apparently goatskin was more common in Italian books than calfskin. I don't know how it would work with the cuir-cisele (water carving) I'm planning to use for the tooling of the cover though. There is this extant book box dated to 1475 from either Venice or Lombardia that is Italian, goatskin, and cuir-cisele so I'm probably safe but I have no experience with using goatskin leather so I'm nervous. I really love the central medallion on the book box though and it is causing me to consider changing my design to once again use the krin motif.

More planning

I feel like Pooh Bear. "Think, think, think." That's how the first day of the mini-challenge has gone. I've just been thinking. I have decided to meld several of the ideas. I think I'm going to do a series of Petrarchan love sonnets about the kids and Gandhi and the "wondrous occurrences" of our lives. I'll use the frame from the German manuscript since it is used in each of those miniatures 9although the flowers vary)and do miniatures to accompany the sonnets.

I was going through our wondrous occurrences, and there are actually quite a few that I think will illustrate well. My husband and I both realized we were in love while flying kites and celebrate our "kite anniversary." The illustration above is from Konrad Kyeser's 15th century "Bellifortis." I'm looking at other kite images, but since kites seem to be primarily of military use, its going to be stretch to use them. Not that that I won't. Should be a fun scene to draw. I'm going to start the poem tomorrow.

The new mini-challenge is up!

Bella just put up the new mini-challenge at Realm of Venus that will run next month. The theme is "Idle Hands." You have the month of October to make an item that would be held in or worn on the hands. The winner will be the prettiest and most period. I love the concept, its so very different from the "do as much as you can in 4 months" marathon that is the IRCC. Is it sad that I already know exactly what I want to make?

I really like the last set of pictures we took when doing my dress where I am holding my rosary and the little book of selections from The Hastings Book of Hours.  It made me wish I had a better book.  So many of the period portraits have the sitter holding a book in their hands.  So, I've decided to make a book of hours.

I was lucky enough to get to look at Randy Asplund's 3" high illuminated book of the life of Jeanne d'Arc made using entirely period techniques at Southern Regional Collegium a couple of years ago and have wanted to do something similar ever since.  I am NOWHERE even in the realm of his awe inspiring talent and dedication, but hope I can make something nice as a first attempt.  I've had a couple of classes in bookbinding and have made a few journals, but nothing of this magnitude.

I'm going to concentrate on the bookbinding itself and decorative binding primarily.  I found a really interesting article examining fifteenth-century bookbinding structure and comparing the differences (or lack thereof) of printed books and hand copied ones.  I need to work through this bibliography as well.  I'm really intrigued by the cartolai, Florentine workshops of booksellers.  There was a significant amount of decoration of printed texts coming out of their workshops (Randy's Joan is actually printed text as well.)  I'm totally on board with illuminating printed books.  To be honest, my calligraphy is atrocious but I really enjoy painting.  There's also the question of time.  I want to make sure I have the time to really do what I want.  I'm deeply in love with this Italian tooled leather cameo binding from around 1529 and want to do something similar.   I'd almost decided to just bind a blank journal, but I think I'd like some text.  That's still provisional since I know trying to do illumination to already bound pages is not going to be much fun.  There also might be a book curse, even though they had fallen a bit by the wayside by this time.  They're just so full of awesome.  Also, I'm teaching a class on "How to keep track of your stuff: book curses, book plates, and decorative bindings" at kingdom collegium in November so it will be nice to have a visual aid.

Lotto Gown Master List

I've been making a list of the accessories and new things I'd like to try for this gown as well as the things that won't match from the other gown.  I'm sure I'll add and subtract from it as I go along, but I figured it was best to have a starting plan.

Mantellino-- The gollar type.  Watching Siwsan with her cuddle fur and Fiametta with her gollar in the evenings when the bugs come out and the temperature drops has convinced me that I need one of these.  I don't normally think of myself as getting cold, but that may well be because I've usually got multiple layers (veil, dress, collar. and coat) wrapped around my neck.  Having a little extra to cover the neck and shoulders seems like a fine idea.

Loose gown/zimmara--  I started one in blue and gold with a pomegranate pattern in the print.  It was supposed to be an Elizabethan style one, but it really has a lot taken from Italian engravings.  I've been making all the trim and dozens and dozens of threadworked buttons and sort of stalled on it.  Its been begun within the year so it meets the challenge requirements.  I think it will work okay with the dress colors and I need the deadline excuse to finish it.  It has sleeves and the decoration is much more complex than the one I threw together for the IRCC.

Muff-- I just love the envelope style type with the buttons.  My other one is red and this one could be blue.  That's my entire excuse.

Flag fan-- I adore the elephant one that Cara (Hannah) made for the IRCC as well as the one Aurora (April) made that had the lyrics to a song printed on it.  I'd like to do something similarly interesting for my fan this time.  Possibly something heraldic since heraldic display is an a&s category and thus I could get some bonus points (yes, I am a dweeb.)

Stockings-- I really like my green ones, but the loose weave linen I used has already needed to be darned.  I want to make a more heavy duty pair.


Garters--  Seems a good excuse to practice my tablet weaving.  I also like the buckles that Marguerite put of Serafina's garters.  Its hard to resist buckles.  They seem so much nicer than knots for some reason.  Also I just love the blue and orange combo (they're my two favorite colors) and want more accessories in it.

Shoes-- I'd like to do a pair with hand stitching and of a little heavier weight than my rather fragile slippers.

Zoccoli-- Maybe a shorter pair of plainer patten type overshoes that are more wearable and less ostentatious.  That's a big maybe though, I'm really not sure how motivated I am on this one.

Dress-- pretty self explanitory

Petticoat-- I'd like another one.  Less full and heavy than my cartridge pleated, heavily lined underskirt of doom.  Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love it, but I'd like other options.  I'd also like to experiment with more cording and do some decoration.  Maybe even play with some trapunto quilting or some applique.

Camicia-- I'd like to have a back-up plain one.  I get a bit nervous about spills since I only have the one.

Soccacia-- I was just blown away by Aurora's embroidered pocket in voided work.  I'd like to do something a bit more fun than my plain brocade one.  Also, I made mine rather small (It's perfect for keys and my cell phone) I'd like to make a larger one.

Needlecase-- I want to take another run at this.  I've been thinking about what I did wrong the first time.

Drawers-- I may try doing the embroidered ones I didn't get around to the first time.  Again, this one is iffy and depends on just how motivated I get.

Hat-- whatever we're calling it.  I'm leaning toward capigliara..

Partlet/scarf thing-- much less structured than the one for the Camilla dress.  This is going to be something I'm going to have to purchase fabric for.  I just don't have anything close to being right for the fine sheer gold it is.

Necklace--Since this is such a distinctive piece I wants it. Obviously, I'm going to have to sculpt it myself however.  Aine http://zibiesjewelrysewing.blogspot.com/was telling me about a metallic powder she's been using lately that anneals to the clay and gives a more metallic finish than other things she's used since it actually is metal.  It seems much easier than the precious metal clay I was looking at so I may give it a try.

Earrings-- none in the portrait but I'll probably do some anyway since I love earrings.

Bracelet-- considering something

Gloves-- I have a pair cut and would like to finish them

Parasol-- I fell deeply in love with Christa's heraldic parasol she made for the IRCC and I adore my fringey one.  It was so fun to go walking with it at Coronation, so I think I'd like to try painting one.  Since that means I'm going to have to order some silk I'll probably do some banners as well.  We'd talked on Garb Girls (an informal facebook sewing group with a lot of the kingdom seamstresses on it) about doing some banners for the Kingdom.  The Province could use some new ones, and I want some.  Buying the larger amount of silk should make the stuff I use for my parasol either scrap or at least inexpensive enough to go into my budget nicely.

Handkerchief-- I did drawnthread work on Serafina's towel and have been wanting to do something for myself since so this seems like a good opportunity.

So, here goes.  Time to get started.  At least my research time is going to be significantly less this round.  I hope.

Change of plans

I've been staring at some of the bits and pieces I have for the Russian dress for the Artemisian Costuming Challenge and am worried.  My plan for the gown involved this linen brocade.  I planned to attach the enamel peacocks and the bronze and black glass diamonds and then surround them in pearls.  They'd be outlined in bel (a couched cotton cord) and then have pearls couched on top of that and then a gold cord couched around that.  I also want to couch gold around the pattern in the brocade.  Ummmm.  Somehow I doubt that that is getting done by New Year's Eve.  I could simplify it or not do it, but I REALLY want it that way with the totally encrusted dress.  So, new plan.


I'm sick this week and the Lotto gown isn't going as fast as I'd like, but I like how its coming along and want to have the dress.  I already have all the undergarments and accessories for an Italian gown and they have been made within the parameters of the ACC.  I'm going to change from the Russian and do the Lotto gown as my ACC entry.  If I have time I'll actually get around to embroidering the drawers I planned for the IRCC and didn't do, and I want a new pair of stockings and new slippers.  Maybe I'll even get the gloves I started done.

I'm going to continue working on the Russian with the intention to have it done by May Kingdom Arts and Sciences.  The research I have for this gown is some of the best available for Rus (which isn't saying much, but I've tried) and I think I can justify my choices when I deviate.  That gives me more time, but still gives me a deadline.  It also lets me out of the budget constraints of the ACC so I can buy more pearls.  Happily enough, the Lotto is going to be made from stash so it works nicely with the $100 budget of the ACC.  Win, win all around I think.   

Apparently I couldn't be a courtesan if I tried

It seems I do not have the sensibilities of a courtesan. This is my second Italian gown and I keep insisting on picking "matronly" dresses without knowing it. The first one was pretty obvious, what with the 3 little kids. Then I found out about all the additional symbolic supports to Camilla's position as a good mother with the zibillino, her jewelry, and such. This time around I managed to pick another model of virtuous womanhood based solely on the fact that I like her dress and hat.  I was, of course, aware of the story of the rape and suicide of Lucretia from Livy, but I didn't pick the painting for its title, just the dress.  Shows me for not thinking.

I found a really interesting article on Lucretia here. It goes into an explanation of this unusual painting of a woman that emphasis her virtue and chastity by depicting her in a masculine pose and giving her thus "manly virtue." She is apparently more active and virile in motion as opposed to being docile and self contained as an ideal woman would be. Its a fascinating read. 

Also of interest is the Elizabeth Taylor version of "Taming of the Shrew." The costume designer chose to put Kate in a version of this dress for the speech in Act 5 scene 2. I think it adds another intriguing layer to the interpretation of the "submission' speech.

I love having lots to mull over while I sew.  It makes the time go faster and builds the excitement for getting to wear it.

The bodice is patterned, I just have to calculate how I'm going to assemble the patchwork and mark a second version of the pattern for the fashion fabric.  Should get it cut tonight.

Just a little detour

I had way too much fun this weekend at Coronation. Mostly thanks to my friends Fia, Malatesta, and CiCi, but I have to be honest and say a lot of it was I got to wear my dress and brag. The best part? I didn't even have to do my own bragging. Baroness Casamira, my friend and kingdom A&S minister (and thus my boss as a local MoAS), was sweet and pulled me up before court and had me talk about my dress. Their (outgoing) Majesties Morgan and Esabell called me up in their final court before the official business. (Now) Duchess Esabell said some very touching things about bringing prestige and honor to the kingdom. I truly hope that I have. Being a part of the SCA Kingdom of Artemisia is such a gift to me. I am so glad to be a part of it. Queen Claire was also kind enough to say some very complimentary things while we were watching the tournaments and I got to giggle when His Majesty Ronan ended up borrowing my parasol to get a little shade while watching the tournament for King's Champion. Vikings and fringe don't go together very well. All in all the dress was a total success.

And thus we arrive at the detour. I'm going to Harvest War in 2 weeks to celebrate my birthday (and Fia, and Cici, and Owen's and Eli's-- a good portion of my friends were all born within 3 weeks of each other. Lots and lots of Virgos.) I want something pretty to wear. I've got the Persian camp gear I just made for Baron's War for most of the time, but I'd really like one nice dress. It's my birthday, a present to myself is in order. So, I've decided to do a quick version of the Lucrezia dress from this portrait by Lorenzo Lotto.  I absolutely adore patchwork and it was one I considered doing for the IRCC.  There's a totally fabulous hat as well.  On top of that, I have a cotton brocade in a deep salmon rust and a clear wedgewood sort of blue in my stash that I think will give me the contrast I need while not being green and red.  I'm doing my Russian in green and red and just did the red velvet gown so another color combo seems in order.  Blue and orange are actually my favorite colors.  I've got 5 yards of each so that should be plenty.  There's no trim so I won't have to worry about that.  No way am I crazy enough to fur line it like the picture.  Even in mid-September it would be too hot.  I've already got canvas and wool felt for interlining though as well as a couple of options for lining, so this might actually be a "free" dress with nothing new to have to purchase.  That would make my husband happy,

I'm a little nervous about putting the Russian off further since I'm already behind, but I really want to make this so I spent a good portion of the evening drafting.  My measurements have changed recently with a little bit of exercise and the weaning of my twins so I started by making myself a new conic block according to Missa's instructions at Sempstress (which are similar to how I learned in my costuming classes in college, but that's been awhile so its nice to have step by step instructions to look at.)  I figured I'd need that regardless.  Not that I really need anything that fitted for making Rus clothes, but it was a reasonable justification and having updated measurements is a good idea regardless.  I'm planning to work on the applique on the povoinik tomorrow.  If I finish, which should be pretty easy to do, I can draft a front lacing bodice from the block.  My husband is home with the holiday and having an extra set of hands for fitting will be helpful.  Wish me luck!

Another salvage operation

I'm looking at my list of stuff to do and already despairing.  EVERYTHING has to be heavily embroidered.  I don't have a lot of trim in the stash either, having used most of my reserves for the IRCC.  I started opening random boxes in the garage, hoping for inspiration when I came across the lengha.  Heavily, heavily embroidered with mirrors and goldwork its been something I haven't ever found the perfect use for.  I did use one of the sleeves to make a bag to keep my zills in for bellydance, but the rest of it has just been sitting around for several years.  While the motifs aren't really correct for Russian, I'm thinking the sheer amount of gold and bullion knots might make it something I can work with.  I'm still amazed at how useful the Christmas ribbon salvage was for the Italian.  The cord and the ribbon itself went into quite a few of the different pieces of the outfit.  hopefully this will be half as useful. The little flowers aren't obnoxiously wrong.  So, I'm plunging in.  As sad as it makes me to waste some of the embroidery, I think cutting the individual bits apart, mounting them and appliqueing them to create some trims is the best use.  I'd already planned to integrate some orange and gold in with my green and red (it ties in with the fabric for the letnik and clashing is a good thing anyway.


Holding my breath and starting to cut.  Ouch!

Another historic skill being kept alive by seamstresses

With GPS there just aren't that many opportunities to truly frustrate yourself by trying to fold a map back into its original dimensions.  Luckily, however, anyone who sews gets to continue to practice this obscure and disappearing craft by attempting to put the tissue paper pattern back into the envelope.  A good time was had by all. . .

Actually, it was. I had a pretty constructive day yesterday.  I got the pattern cut out so that I could try it on Gandhi and retraced his size on to plastic.  We decided with the heat to wait on the fur lined scholar's robe until winter, so I'm doing the half circle cloak that is part of the pattern.  I got that cut out.  I finished another yard of the veil edging and did 8 more of the eyelets on the bodice.  I'm still dissatisfied with them, but have decided to finish them.  If I still detest them once they are all complete, I can re-do the bodice entirely, but I'll have at least practiced eyelets that much more.  My friends keep reassuring me that once the laces are in them I won't be as bothered.  I hope they're right.  The eyelets are very functional and placed correctly, its just that the stitches are not at all even.

Today is a shopping day (payday!) where I plan to pick up fabric for Gandhi's shirt, buy silk to make the lacing cords, and purchase lace for my camisia since I've given up on getting the lace I was making done in time.  I found what I hope is a suitable replacement at a local shop that caters to heirloom sewing for children.  They have one of the largest selections of laces I've ever encountered.

It doesn't take much to make him happy

I once made my husband a hoodie.  It took me less than an hour and he wore it basically every day for a couple of years until the nap wore off of the elbows.  The hood was badly shaped and the front pocket was on slightly wonky.  He didn't care.  I'd made it for him and thus it was his favorite thing.  Even in its current state he still wears it from time to time.  Every time he can find it in fact.  I keep hiding it. . .

Nothing like that sort of vote of confidence to make you feel like you can make anything.  I've been feeling bad about my construction skills so I figure the perfect antidote is to make the planned doublet for my guy.

I bought Margo Anderson's pattern for the Elizabethan Gentlemen's Wardrobe.  I've got just over a week to get it done for this wedding we're attending.  Nothing like a deadline to motivate.  The nice thing is I know he won't care how it turns out.  I could make him a rectangle of fabric with a hole cut out for the head, call it a tabard, and he'd wear it.  That fact makes me want to make him something truly beautiful, however.  He deserves it.  To brag about him a little more, he just got a new job.  He's rather brilliant actually and is a computer software developer.  He wasn't looking for something new, but it found him.  His current job wanted to keep him so much there was a sort of bidding war for his services.  I'm pretty darn proud of the man. 

So, I guess I better get busy cutting his doublet and making him something nifty. 

Chug a chug a choo choo

Maybe just a little train?  I watched Jenny La Fleur's video of her pink Florentine gown in action and now I'm wondering if a train wouldn't be rather nifty.  I certainly have plenty of velvet for it.  As my friend Marguerite pointed out when I was obsessing about cutting the bodice, "you've got enough fabric to make a dress, burn it, and make another one."  It'd also make the dress a little more exciting, which is something I've been worried about since its just so darn plain.  A train would also be something unusual for me.  Russian dresses don't even go to the ground.  They are normally just a little short in order to stay out of the mud and had the added bonus of showing off beautifully embroidered boots.

 Going to have to think about it for a day or so.  I've got probably at least two until I have to cut the skirt.  I finished stitching the lining on the front section of the bodice last night.  Today's project is the back section.  Then I need to make the lacing eyelets.  I'm rather excited.  There's a really good chance I'll have a wearable dress by the end of the weekend.  No sleeves, but since I still need to make my husband something to wear to this wedding in two weeks I'm going to leave the sleeves for awhile and shift to working on his doublet.  Trying to get things done quickly but not rush anything on my dress.