Progress and a saccocia

I spent yesterday sewing round and round my petticoat, attaching the lining, sewing two cording channels and putting three rows of trim on. I'm planning to take it to fighter practice tonight and have someone help me mark the waist so I can trim the top, pleat it, and add the waistband. I think I solved some of the problem I had with my last petticoat by making it quite a bit shorter and less full. That should solve the issues my gold one has with slipping down and showing. There's also more fabric in the petticoat than the skirt of the dress so the red skirt doesn't hang as well as I would like. Part of the issue is that I made the gold one intending that it could be worn separately with an Elizabethan jacket. The new one is just a plain old petticoat. I'm sewing it by machine rather than by hand like the first one. I even did the cording channels and trim by machine in the interest of time. I'm not really that pleased by it, but it should be functional. Its at the bottom of the picture. Salmon colored linen I bought for 97 cents a yard at Handcock's last year with the rest of the chestnut linen I used for the lining of my gold petticoat as lining. I corded it with the cotton clothesline rope I had left over from the gold petticoat. The trim is green cotton ribbon that I sewed down with the honeycomb stitch on my machine. The ribbon is actually ribbon yarn. I bought it on super clearance at my favorite knitting shop for 99 cents a ball several years ago. One of the cheapest ways to buy really nice trim is the have a look at novelty yarns. Even really expensive yarn can be very cheap trim once you calculate the yardage.

I also spent some time working on the sleeves for my zimmara. It's the blue and yellow fabric with pomegranates in the picture. I cut it out in January (or maybe February?) with the intention of doing a loose gown to wear with my blackworked coif. Its cut using the diagram for the "Learned man's gown of cloth" from Alcega dated 1589 as pictured on page 6 of Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion. Since then, I've read several reviews of people using the giant bag top sleeve in the Reconstructiong History pattern (which is basically the Alcega sleeve) and HATING it. I got rather worried by that. I didn't have enough fabric to re-cut the sleeves into the round sleeve that I would have preferred for the zimarra, but I had plenty of leeway to futz around with the top of the sleeve I had cut. I ended up trimming some of the sides away so it wasn't as unstructured and cutting the top section in panes. I still need it to have quite a bit of fullness as it will be worn over the puffy baragoni of my Italian gowns and I think it should have it this way. I guess we'll see how it works. At present I have 2 somethings resembling either badly drawn trees, tentacled monsters, or possibly cubist squid. The panes are cut and sewn to the interlinings and I'm trying to determine if I'm going to catch the panes at intervals and pull out false puffs or what. I'm also staring at a silver fabric for lining and trying to determine preferences. A deeper blue or possibly a crazy yellow are also in consideration.

Then we coma around to something I actually did complete. I made a giant saccoccia. My previous pockets have been much smaller, mostly because I just don't have much to put in to them. I have to carry a diaper bag with my twins anyway, so I haven't had much need for a small bag. Decided to try one out anyway, especially as I will be attending Solstice and 12th Night by myself. This is closer in proportion to historic examples, although the shape isn't as long of a teardrop. For that matter neither is my tasseled bag. I just prefer a broader bottom and a more blunted shape. Not sure why, but that's what keeps coming out. Looking at the various pockets we have from frescos and paintings as well as the extant Spanish example (assembled for easy viewing by the fabulous Anea)it seems like one of those items that is decorated to the wearer's taste, and the Spanish one is shorter and more blunted.

I absolutely don't have time for embroidery right now. I'm already doing blackwork garters, couching cord to sleeve panes, and stitching pearls to the mantellino so something pretty for the pocket just wasn't going to happen. I looked instead to the trim application of the gold and black saccocia that is most often reproduced. Since I'm using the orange silk of my dress I considered making piping from the blue silk but then I found about a yard of crazy orange and gold trim a friend had sent me. It really wasn't enough to do much with, so I figured this would be the perfect project. I laid it out, matched it up, and the trim determined the pattern. I like the trillium effect the tiny triangles near the bottom of the opening create. The pocket is lined in a navy linen and I had a package of brown bias tape so that's the strings for tying it on. Looking forward to trying the larger size out at the upcoming events.

Pocket gryphon pattern

I've been trying to come up with a cute (and easy) gryphon stuffed animal for awhile. Over the years I have tried doing a couple of flat styles and some overly complex versions, but nothing stuck I was looking for something that could be easily made for largesse. So, I pulled up one of the most popular stuffed patterns out there for SCA use and decided to adapt it since it had already proved to be able to do what I wanted. Lady Katsumi's dragon pattern is amazing. Having seen them turn up in many a largesse basket and seeing how fast they were snapped up, it seemed the logical starting place. My gryphon didn't have much in common by the time I was done, but you can definitely see where it started from. Gryphons need forepaws. ears, and eagle wings to be recognizable, so the pattern pieces aren't as straightforward as the dragon, but it is still easy to assemble. A scanned copy of my handdrawn pattern in pdf is here

 Just to give you an idea of what the pieces look like

Cut out the pattern pieces and trace them onto your felt.

Cut out your pattern pieces

First you will want to do the decorative work. I like to blanket stitch things, so have done all the stitching on this in that, with button thread. You could use embroidery floss if you prefer, but I have tons of black button thread to hand, so that's what I'm using (my gryphon is orange and grey rather than gold and black for the same reason-- those are the materials I had on hand.)

Just stitch the interior details of the tail. You will stitch the outer curve when putting the two body pieces together.

I have trimmed my grey wings to be slightly smaller. You don't need to, but I found that it made the wings cup and curve when I stitched them and I liked the effect.

Once the decorative stuff is done, put your two body pieces together. I start stitching at the top of the tail because I find it easiest to stuff the finished gryphon from the back

when you reach the bottom, you will insert the tummy piece by catching the point between the two body pieces.

start stitching the tummy piece to one body piece, go around the bottom leg, up around the foreleg and to where the point of the tummy meets the bottom of the beak.

 
Continue stitching the tummy onto the second body piece. Continue to base of the tail and finish off.

Go back up to beak and stitch the body pieces together until you reach the top of the beak.

 Insert the top of the head by catching it with a stitch at the top of the beak. 

Stitch top of head to one body piece and continue stitching around the ear until you reach the back of the head. Continue onto other body piece and end at front point of head piece. Finish off.

Leaving the back of the head and the upper back open, stuff gryphons ears and wings. You can add a little or a lot, it it will make the personality of your monster. Stuff the feet and forepaws firmly.

Stitch the back of the head closed and continue stuffing your gryphon. I like to use scrap fabric, felt, and other oorts I have hanging around, but wool, cotton, or fiberfill all work. 

Stitch the rest of the back closed and lay you wings along the spine.

Backstitch your wings onto the back of the gryphon.

Ta-da! You're done.

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.