cat_cetera | Entries tagged with sca

Apron

Previously completed: Finished edges of apron; did simple embroidery pattern around edges. Sewed three strips together to make waistband; pleated apron into waistband and finished both sides. Noticed that waistband had gone onto apron inside out, so that not-so-nice edges of flat-felled seams were out and nice edges were in.

Yesterday: Chose to leave waistband on the way it was. Finished edges of waistband using a combination of whip stitch and, when that didn't seem to be going fast enough, running stitch. Completed.

Houppelande

Previously completed: I have previously finished and worn this, but I wasn't satisfied with the way the sleeves sat. After I wore it at Coronet, I took the sleeves off and contemplated how to put them back on so they would sit flat. After trying a few different things, I decided to pleat them flat into the armholes and finish the edges inside with a strip of bias tape. I got one finished, and then it sat for a really long time.

Yesterday: Attended A&S day at Villa Tamborri, got the other sleeve put back on while watching satisfying and quoteable modern classic movies Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl and Galaxy Quest, plus a few amusingly dated episodes of the original British Whose Line is it Anyway? (most quoteable line of the evening: Steven Fry in a game of "Props" with some bubble wrap "Look, either the BBC believes in Doctor Who or it doesn't, but how am I supposed to make seventeen monsters out of this?")

Today: Reattached cuffs to bottom of sleeves using flat pleats. It's now ready to wear at Crown, but at some point I need to go through and finish all of the inside seams.

Hose

Previously completed: Previous entry here. Finally had the chance to do the fitting with Papa Don.

falashad may have the pictures on her flickr stream. Got

falashad to trace Papa Don's feet - the only piece of the pattern that was previously missing. Discussed some of my fitting questions with Mistress Issabbella and got some helpful advice - most notably that the ankles need to be a bit baggy, and that they are going to pull down when you bend no matter what, so the best thing to do is not point them to your doublet at the back.

Today: cut apart the old mockup pattern where marked to create new pattern; sewed all pieces together into new mockup, including feet pieces.

I am not sure how it happens, but no matter how reasonable and achievable I think I am making my goals, it always seems that I have to scale back. Recently I have had a couple of conversations with an engineer friend of mine about how projects can be done fast, right or cheap, and if you choose two you might get one. My preference right now for arts and sciences is to do my projects right, especially for the one I want to take to KA&S next year. So here are my re-revised and reprioritized A&S plans and goals:

Finished

Pattens
Finished, with lots of help from

landsknecht_po, and worn at Winter War.

Short Term

Hose Pattern and Mock-Up
Finally had the chance to do a fitting with Papa Don on the weekend, and afterwards had a discussion with Mistress Issabbella about some of the questions I had on how to make it fit better. Need to make a new mockup this weekend and hopefully complete the next fitting at Crown the weekend after.

Apron
I started making an apron, even though it wasn't on my project list, and then I started embroidering it. Consequently it turned from a one-afternoon project into a several-weekend project. I still have to finish sewing the waist straps together, but the embroidery is at least done.

Should Do Sooner Rather Than Later

Documentation
Mistress Issabbella suggested that I should label my process pictures better on my Flickr page (as well as blogging them on LJ). I said I would, but I didn't get to it. Then while I was away a situation came up where it would have been very helpful if I had already labeled them. Oops. I still also want to put together a portfolio of my projects to take to events. Since I won't be camping much this year the portfolio can probably wait, and in the meantime I can take my documentation for my brown linen gamurra and my pattens.

For KA&S

Revised Entry
After thinking about the fabric I had left in the stash, and doing a bit more research about the kind of fabric I really should use for a Florentine overgown, and pining after the picture of a striped dress I found, I decided to focus on the striped dress for my KA&S entry instead of doing an overgown, because I already have suitable fabric for it. I need to do a bit more research on the image of the striped dress before I can get started patterning, and I think the stripes are going to present several interesting but not insurmountable pattern-blocking challenges. Assuming I get the dress done in time, I might then also put together chopines or a cofea tranzado for entry, but I'm not holding my breath and neither should you.

On The Back Burner

A Spiffy New Hat
I would still like to make the white linen cofea tranzado I posted in this spot before. I think it would be a good camping hat, but since I won't be doing very much camping this year, I've moved this one back.

Class
There is still a lot of History of Science to be summarized. Maybe I can get ahead on this one while I'm away this summer.

Chopines
Still want to make 'em.

Long Term

Astrology
Stage 1: figure out which treatises on astrology and which tables of astronomical observations would have been available to my persona (late 15th century Florence) - already in process
Stage 2: track down said treatises. In order of language preference, English, French, Italian, Latin.
Stage 3: determine what types of calculations are necessary and how they would have been done in period. Learn how to use abacus if necessary
Stage 4: make necessary calculations, draw chart, make suitably vague predictions according to instructions in treatises.

More Research
Two areas that I need to do more research in for my garb are what types of chemises they might have worn and what types of trim/embroidery their gowns might have had. I'll work on it as I go along. I will likely find that some of this comes in as I'm working on the KA&S entries.

Garb
Have several garb projects in mind:
1. Olive green brocade dress (it is fitted like a gamurra but worn as an outer dress, which I think makes it a giornea, or maybe a cioppa)
2. Colour-blocked dress
3. Black/copper brocade sleeveless overdress, open at the sides, and blue velvet overdress, closed at the sides.

So last fall when I was at Tir Righ Investiture I met Mistress Alicia le Wilfulle, who as well as being generally cool was going around in pattens. I used to wear vaguely period-looking modern shoes for camping in, with extra thick socks made by

missymorgan1 if it got too cold or wet. Then I lucked into a new pair of modern shoes that, while not quite period, are an awful lot closer. They have a thin leather sole and fit very snug to my foot, so no chance to add extra insulation on the inside. Pattens are the answer! (Although as far as I know my persona would have made the much less practical fashion statement of chopines).

After doing some research (mostly in Olaf Goubitz Stepping Through Time and the Museum of London Shoes and Pattens) and taking a carpentry safari through south Calgary, I headed over to

landsknecht_po's house to get some help with the construction.

( Don't forget the duct tape! )

Then I wore them at Winter War:

Frequently Asked Questions

What did you learn from this project?
All sorts of new woodworking skills - I don't have a shop but if I was going to do another project I would have a better idea of how to get started and what processes to use to make my project. Also during the course of my research, learned more about different types of shoe, decorative processes used on shoes etc. Most importantly I learned that if you get a laurel to help you there probably won't be quite as many power tools involved as you think ;)

What would you do differently if you did this project again?
When cutting out the chunks to shape the soles, I wouldn't cut quite so far towards the outline of the sole, because this was what led to the grooves still being visible after I had evened the sides out. I also received a suggestion that I could have used a coping saw (I think) to cut out the soles rather than cutting them out in chunks.

My research suggested that the soles could have been cut out while the wood was still green, and then further shaped after it had dried. I don't know if this would prevent the problem I had with splitting when I put the nails in, but it would be something to try.

I would also leave more time and get a finer punch so that I could do a fancier pattern on the straps.

What are your next steps?
Next on the footwear front is chopines, for which more research and different processes are required. If I did pattens again, I might try to do the one-piece kind with the stilts because I think they look cooler and also because they come from an area that is closer to the area that my persona is from (the hinged pattens are English). I might also like to try making shoes at some point - there is lots of good information in Stepping Through Time.

On Thursday got asked if I had any pieces of largesse I could take with me to KA&S. I did not, but I did some brainstorming with

falashad about what I could make on short notice. After looking through the stash and my usual selection of references, decided I could probably throw together some coifs.

The women's coifs will be Elizabethan, based on the various extant pieces described in Janet Arnold 4. The men's coifs will be based on two boldly patterned silk taffeta coifs belonging to King Enrique of Castile (c. 1203-17) and his brother Infante Fernando (1189-1211), as described in Dahl, Camilla Luise and Sturtewagen, Isis (2008). "The Cap of St. Birgitta", in Medieval Clothing and Textiles 4: 99-142.

I started from the patterns in The Tudor Tailor and The Medieval Tailor's Assistant (men's) and Janet Arnold 4 (women's) and scaled them up onto my trusty yellow plaid practice fabric.

( It's an obscure project; you probably haven't heard of it. )
( I liked this project better before it got so mainstream. )

What I'm Listening To
- Boccherini's Quintetto In Do Maggiore la Musica Notturna Delle Strade Di Madrid Op. 30, No. 6 (G. 324): Il Rosario - Largo Assai - Allegro - Largo Come Prima - this recording is a Jordi Savall project, but I first heard this piece on the soundtrack to Master and Commander and so for me it's very evocative not only of that movie but also of my time in Victoria.
- KT Tunstall, Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
- my iPod on random, producing Tainted Love followed immediately by Rihanna's S.O.S.

What I'm Playing
- Francois Couperin, Les Folies Francaises, ou les Dominos, a set of theme and variations with each variation named after an aspect of love, such as "La Virginite" and "Les Coucous Benevoles". Am considering attaching the name of a Doctor Who character to each one: "La Coqueterie" - Jack Harkness; "La Jalousie Taciturne" - Ninth Doctor.
- Polyphonia - this week my favorite herd of cats managed a pretty good rendition of the Agincourt Carol, and didn't quite butcher Amor Potest - Ad Amorem, despite its use of hocket.
- Rock Band. Rage Against The Sewing Machine takes the stage again!!!

What I'm Reading/Watching
- Wading my way through the Metropolitan Museum of Art's online catalogue, which has led me to some new portraits from the late fifteenth century, a few "no image available", and many irrelevant yet very interesting other things.
- Oh Stargate SG1, how I love you.
- Far too many facebook updates letting me know every milestone other people reach in Farmville and clones. If anyone knows how to blanket turn off updates from new games that people start playing, PLEASE let me know.

What I'm Making
- New shift is done. Handsewn from start to finish, mostly using linen thread. Liked using the linen thread, but discovered it is not very well suited to backstitch. Attempted to do some basic blackwork around the neck edge based on the pattern seen in this portrait, but since the neckline was not cut on the straight grain I was not able to get a satisfactorily even and symmetrical pattern.
- Some time ago, the House was gifted a large quantity of brocade in an indescribable colour. To gaze on it directly is to invite madness, but if you squint just right, it looks like a sort of blasphemous imitation of the brocade worn by two different women in Ghirlandaio's Tornabuoni chapel. Lacking a sufficient colour name with which to refer to this fabric, we decided to call it "Dead Spaniard", which I knew to be a renaissance name for some colour. Apparently "Dead Spaniard" is actually a pale greyish tan. That is not this colour.
Cut out pieces for "Dead Spaniard" giornea, then sewed together long seams by machine in the interests of time. Currently staystitching edges by hand using running stitch. Had an interesting discussion with

rectangularcat about whether colour could/would have been produced in period using natural dyes, and whether colour should have been produced at all in modern times (answer to all: probably not). Well, if it's too offensively bright, I'll just save it for some morning when everyone's hung over but me.

Previously
Got help from

landsknecht_po on patterning my new doublet - yay! Spent almost 2 days cutting everything out, then got started on construction.

Ordered "Dress at the Court of King Henry VIII" and "Before the Mast: Life and Death Aboard the Mary Rose", which have now arrived. Tried to order Mary Rose shoes but they are currently unavailable.

This Weekend
Have succumbed to the madness that is Rock Band. Also went to karaoke on Friday night - lots of fun, but still have no voice on Tues. On Saturday and Sunday,

minyata hosted sewing practice. I mostly worked on braiding my own trim:

Also in attendance was

guardian_hero, who worked on a shirt based on the new Janet Arnold book with help from Blue.

Current Music: Pour oublier mon malheur (To Forget My Sadness) - Various Artists

Previously
Bought a bunch of fabric last weekend, some of which was even wool. Once washed, the navy blue wool had a very strong smell sort of like a newly sanitized outhouse. Better obviously than a very strong smell sort of like a used outhouse, but still not especially desirable. Wet wool should smell like, well, wet wool. On suggestion from Demetra ap Samarkand (and endorsed post facto by Missy M) soaked it in vinegar before drying. Seems to have had some positive effect.

Friday
Read through Patterns of Fashion 4. Had previously intended to make two new shirts for camping that did not have any embellishment, since am not especially enthusiastic about blackwork. This book did not help. Came up with a plan for a fairly simple embellished shirt using blue embroidery and another using inserted lace. However, all this is academic at this point, since still do not have white linen.

Saturday
Visited Three Star Fabrics and bought silk broadcloth in coral and light blue for lining of camping suits. Also bought gold trim for olive green camping suit and needle lace like stuff for chemise. Also visited Fabricland and bought navy blue and grey cording to make own trim for navy blue camping suit. This camping gear is going to end up involving way more handwork than I meant it to. Oh well.

Sunday
Spent most of afternoon cutting out pieces for trunk hose for green and navy suits. Of course, green and navy fabric are not the same width as each other, and neither is the same width as the interlining. Also, spilled the pin container - would not be a true sewing project if I had not. Blue wool is a little wider - each leg will have the inseam panel (half the width of the fabric) plus one full width panel, making a ratio of approximately three to one at the waist. Green brocade is not as wide - each leg will have the inseam panel (half the width of the fabric), one full width panel, and one half width panel, for a ratio of probably 3.5 to one.

Made a fair bit of progress on sewing in the evening, all by machine, which took a surprising amount of thread. Have constructed canions so they will lace up the back - this is not shown in any of the three examples in Janet Arnold, but it was an emergency fix I had to do on the blue and gold trunk hose and I ended up liking the fit. Am still debating whether I will have the trunk hose fasten with a button fly or with lacing points and a codpiece - my weight fluctuates a lot so the lacing points are probably a better bet if I want them to have an adjustable fit. Am planning to cartridge pleat the legs to the waistband, as I liked the result better than the pair that I pleated into the waistband.

Current Location: Palazzo Eccetera
Current Music: Amid the Falling Snow - Enya

Am having a good fabric weekend - today bought 25m of linen/cotton blend at $2.50/m, very suitable for interlining. Now just have to buy silk broadcloth lining for each of the two camping suits, plus some trim - Three Star Fabrics, here I come! At this rate, I might even be able to get started cutting out some of the fabric next weekend, though I think I want to revise my doublet pattern again - I am not very satisfied with the collar and neckline in the current pattern, and I had an unusual amount of difficulty with the fit on the blue and gold.

In other news, my copy of Authentic Everyday Dress of the Renaissance has resurfaced - yay!

Current Location: Palazzo Etcetera
Current Music: There Is No Rose of Swych Vertu - the Mediaeval Baebes

On a quick web search for Japanese costuming links for the SCA time period, I found the following. From my one foray into Japanese costuming to date, I would like to point out that it is always better to do some research on what type of fabric would be appropriate before shopping for the fabric.

http://www.wodefordhall.com/kosode.htm - Description of garments, pictures of extant garments and paintings, information on how to make.

http://www.dementia.org/~djl/sca/japanese/patterns.html - I think this is the website I used when I was making Kenshin's garb. I found the instructions pretty clear.

http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/garb/index.html - I haven't looked at this site, but given that it has a front page it is probably pretty extensive.

http://www.wodefordhall.com/samurai.htm - Samurai Eye for the SCA Guy. Mostly pictures of garb people have made.

Current Location: You guessed it - Jean's House
Current Music: Requiem Mass, for soloists, chorus & orchestra (Manzoni Requiem): Tuba Mirum - Tullio Serafin

Recipe tested: Orange Rice Pudding

Technique: Put milk and cream in crock pot, then add sugar and flour. Flour clumped, so next time would measure sugar and flour together before adding to milk. Then added cooked rice and orange juice concentrate. Was outvoted on adding a few traditionally medieval spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Whole mixture is now cooking in crock pot. Results will be tested in a few hours. Stay posted...

Current Location: Still at Jean's House
Current Music: Death and the Maiden - Vienna Philharmonic String Quartet

( Doublet with Trunk Hose )
Hey

kaerran, stuff about music and alchemy behind the next cut...
( Calgary Renaissance Singers & Players Concert )
( Planned New A&S Projects )
( New Additions to My Library )

Thursday night: Got waistband attached to trunk hose. Tried on trunk hose, with blackworked shirt, existing doublet(s), and stripey socks. Spent several minutes admiring self in mirror.

Friday night: Cut out collar pieces, binding strips for waistband (2 inches wide), and tab pieces (12 tabs at finished width of 3 inches at the top, each). Had forgotten what a pain tabs are. Got started sewing collar pieces to doublet, sleeve seams, and tabs. Tabs are a pain.

Saturday morning: Finished sewing tabs and sleeve seams. Ironed everything. Tabs are a pain. Sewed doublet (with collar) to doublet lining, then basted sleeves in to check fit. Shoulder seam a bit too long, and sleeves a bit wide, even with most voluminous shirt underneath. Packed up sewing to go over to

falashad's place for Doctor Who marathon.

Saturday afternoon: tried on doublet again for benefit of committee - resolved that sleeve width and shoulder seam should both be reduced. Re-sewed sleeve seams, then picked out the old ones. Attached binding strip to waist and fly opening of trunk hose. Sewed bottom of foundation breeches to top of canions, with raw edge inside. Trunk hose now finished except for lacing holes and fly flap. Started sewing trim to tabs. Tabs are a pain. Hope I have enough trim for the whole project.

Found Doctor Who very entertaining - I had never watched any of the classic series although of course I was familiar with the setup.

falashad had a good group of people gathered to watch and we had a good time watching, discussing, and suggesting items for a drinking game, and identifying tropes.

kaerran will be pleased to learn that several episodes feature Ominous Latin Chanting. I also noted several examples of Not So Different, and if I may be allowed to quote the love-to-hateable Dr. Rodney McKay (Stargate: Atlantis), of Captain Jack I wish to say, "Oh my god, he really is Kirk!"

Edited to add:
( Favorite Quotes )

( Cooking )
( Costuming )

After much fiddling around, which I expected I would spend a good part of the evening doing, I figured out a good way to do the darts. One side is now done. Very dull details inside so I can hopefully remember what I did for the next go round.

( Details inside... )
Now all I have to do is make one more exactly like it, except in mirror image!

Current Music: TriContinental Live in Germany "Dance and Celebrate"

After questing unsuccessfully on Monday for a tabletop ironing board (one disadvantage of living downtown with no car is the distinct inability to conveniently access home supply stores), I went to my parents' house today so I could sponge dinner off them and borrow their car to go to Wal-Mart. They had what I was looking for, and I also got some spiffy new pearl-headed pins in funky pastel colours so I don't have to split my fingers open while pinning things. They did not have the bulk wooden beads that are good to use for button cores, so I guess my button making adventures will have to wait.

Got all of the preliminary steps to the leg pieces done - canions, foundation, outer leg panels and interlining. Am sewing by machine because it's faster, and am not finishing any of my seam edges. I washed the wool so it's sort of felted, and it's not fraying. The linen look is not fraying too badly and no raw edges will be exposed when the whole thing is put together, so I should be okay. Next is that pesky bit with making all the darts, which is probably just as quick to do by hand. Hope I keep my momentum going!

Current Music: Mussorgsky "Pictures at an Exhibition" (original piano version)

Despite not having AutoCAD ;) I altered all of my pattern pieces and moved on to cutting my fabric out. This is usually my least favourite step but tonight I didn't feel too bad about it (usually it feels like it's taking forever). To my irritation the linen look is about 8 inches narrower than the wool blend, meaning that I had to cut the panel pieces for the trunk hose at different widths for the outside and the interlining. I got everything cut out except the collar, shoulder wings and tabs, which I usually leave for later in the process anyway. I will be lining and interlining with the linen look.

Fun fact: one of the sets of trunk hose in Janet Arnold has a button fly! I barely got enough buttons to fasten the doublet for this go-round (if I can just remember where I put them), so this suit will just have the front fly lace closed, but maybe next time...

Confusing fact: For the same pair of trunk hose, Janet Arnold says in one place that they are pleated in to the canions, and on the next page talks about darts. Not the same thing at all! Has anyone tried this? Which works better? Obviously pleating would be much less work.

Facts you don't care about: After looking at several portraits from this time period, I have decided I can get away without wearing a hat or a falling band, but may have to make the later style cuffs. Also, either all the pairs that had portraits painted didn't have canions (it's true, one of the pairs in Janet Arnold doesn't), or else they are wearing their canions inside their hose. Hope my socks are long enough!

Edited: I have lots of fabric left. Hmm, maybe a cloak and another pair of sailor pants?

Things watched - thanks to

falashad for providing the big screen TV and the cable connection:
1. The episode of ST:TNG where Barclay becomes a super genius
2. The episode of Voyager where Tuvok, Paris and the little girl's mother are stuck in some dangerous cavern and Neelix has to babysit the little girl
3. The episode of Voyager where Chakotay and Kim have to send a message back to the past through Seven of Nine's borg implant to save the crew of Voyager from dying in a slipstream drive accident

Things accomplished:
1. Sewed the side seams together on the outer layer of my black on black doublet and then got all three layers sewn together along the front and collar seams. At one point I had done some research on methods of seam finishing appropriate to the second half of the sixteenth century (many of which seem to involve wax - messy!) but I didn't have Patterns of Fashion with me and I'm pretty sure that I used a method there is no evidence for in Patterns of Fashion. Oh well. As long as it keeps the silk and the velveteen from falling apart, I guess that's more important.
2. Reinforced the side seams of

kaerran's hakama using satin grosgrain ribbon. Have not done any research on Japanese methods of construction so don't have a clue whether this is appropriate. But, like with #1, it's more important that it keeps it from falling apart. Think I will also reinforce the other seams, especially the crotch gusset seam, the same way. New Theory!

kaerran's persona must have come back with Pier Francesco from one of his many sea voyages, which explains what he's doing in western Europe, and now Caterina is making his clothes for him, which explains the Japanese style clothing constructed using European techniques.
3. Attended meeting of people in the barony interested in mediaeval cooking. As only three people (plus

falashad) were there, not much cooking got talked about, but fun was had nonetheless.
4. Read several chapters of Sense and Sensibility

Things bought:
1. Several more ink cartridges for my printer.

Things not bought:
1. This week's copy of Entertainment Weekly - couldn't find it at Northland Mall.

Current Mood: rainy
Current Music: William Lawes - Consort sets in 5 and 6 parts

I have created

false_parrot, a community for members, former members, friends, fans and supporters of Polyphonia. Since the main purpose of the community is to have a place where I can keep track of what we've worked on from week to week, I'm afraid the first post is a bit dry.

Current Location: Palazzo Etcetera
Current Music: Loreena McKennitt "Kellswater"

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May 2011

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Page Summary

Arts and Sciences
Arts and Sciences Revised Guidance
These Shoes Were Made For Walking
Hipster A&S
My Life So Far
Costuming Update
Sewing and More Sewing
More Fabric Shopping
Random Japanese Costuming Links
Polyphonia Test Kitchen Part I
Multipurpose Update
Ten Twelve Things I Hate About Costuming
Cooking and Costuming
Darts part I
Pier Francesco and the Quest for the Holy Ironing Board
Some Progress Made
Yesterday
New Community

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The Raven and the Writing Desk

Entries tagged with sca

Arts and Sciences

Arts and Sciences Revised Guidance

These Shoes Were Made For Walking

Hipster A&S

My Life So Far

Costuming Update

Sewing and More Sewing

More Fabric Shopping

Random Japanese Costuming Links

Polyphonia Test Kitchen Part I

Multipurpose Update

Ten Twelve Things I Hate About Costuming

Cooking and Costuming

Darts part I

Pier Francesco and the Quest for the Holy Ironing Board

Some Progress Made

Yesterday

New Community