Tunic Conversion

As we only have two medieval events planned, I decided earlier this year not to make my son a new costume. He just had to wear is his old green woollen tunic and brown woollen trousers for another year. At the end of last re-enactment season a friend
gave me a pair of hosen for Myrddin, which her youngest son had outgrown. My son was really excited finally wear real hosen instead of a pair of trousers. This is kind of my own fault. We made him excited for wearing hosen by telling him that hosen where for grown men and big boys in re-enactment and trousers for little boys. So when I told him that he would be wearing his trousers again this year he wasn't to happy.
My son is a little peacock, who really enjoys a nice costume, so last friday I deciced to make him hosen. I didn't have any fabrics that I liked in my fabric stash, what to do now. It was friday, he needed his hosen on Sunday and I didn't have time or money to buy fabric. Than I remembered my old 13th century parti-color tunic which was somewhere at the back of my costume closet. I hadn't worn it for years. When I made it ten years or so ago, I hadn't done much research on who wore parti-colored tunics in the 13th century. When I started to do serious re-enactment I found out that only musicans etc. wore these kinds of garments, so it ended up in the back of my closet.
Finally one half became his tunic, the other half his hosen and hood. The hood was handsewn with silk threads. The whole costume I have made in 1,5 day, with a little help from my husband. Who thougth I was absolutely mad for making in such a sort time. But my son was very happy and proud and that made me very happy.

New fabric and new plans

At the vikingmarket in the Archeon last week I bought myself some lovely fabrics. The top fabric is a very thin, light and soft wool (merino, gabardine) which will become an viking apron front and most likely a (medieval) veil.
The pinkish fabric, is also a thin wool, will be dyed with madder and will end up as a 14th/15th century kirtle.
The gorgeous broken diamond twill grey linnen will become a sleeveless viking under/summertunic or a sleeved viking undertunic or a peplos. (The Museum in Assen that has the Princess of Zweeloo says it is white diamond twill linnen.) Although I think it would look really cool as a peplos, I don't get to wear one often. As I don't want to cover such a beautiful fabric up it will probably end up as a sleeveless summertunic slash underdress. If I am really lucky and cut the fabric real economically, we could maybe squeeze out a sleeved and a sleeveless tunic.

Slowly I am starting to prepare for The Anton Pieck Parade (victorian style event)which takes place in December. My husband wants a new waistcoat and my son wants to come with us this year. So he will need a costume. It's hard to find historical dress patterns for childeren, it's even worse for boys but luckily enough Ageless Patterns has several.

This is one I think would be perfect for my son.



#1206
1868 Suit for Boy 8-10 Yrs

This suit, which was made of gray cloth, consists of trousers and jacket. The last is finished by two front pieces, imitating a vest, of white piqué, furnished with buttons and buttonholes, by which the jacket is fastened.

Viking event Archeon

This is, alas, the best picture of me with my new viking costume. In the picture I am sewing on the lovely tabletwoven trim. I was really warm this event, so I didn´t get to wear this set much. I mainly wore my linnen peplos (tube dress) costume.
The yellow apron/suspended dress has been entirely handsewn and I am very proud of myself ;-) I choose to make the later viking period tailored version as I think it is more flattering.



A lovely picture of our encampment from the back, my husband Gunnar and friend Aud are baking pancakes in the heat.



Here a picture of the front. We shared the spot with our old friends from Tjursläkter. Which was great fun, but sometimes a bit crowed.

Victorian Style Boots

I have purchased black leather replica Victorian boots on Marktplaats.
They just came in today and I am really happy with them, they look amazing (the pictures really don't do them justice) and they fit perfectly ! I can't wait to wear them with my Victorian or Edwardian outfit.

Progress report

Here are two picures of the second thorsbjerg style trousers I made for my son. The fabric is wool dyed with walnuthusk and linend with linnen.


front


back


The simple birka style wool overtunic is dyed with madder, the hedeby style wool suspended dress is dyed with unionskins and complety handsewn with silk thread.




I've already sewn a tabletwoven band to my suspended dress but I am still unsure wheter or not to sew this tabletwoven band to my tunic.



Is this color scheme subtle ton-sur-ton or too subtle?

Making a facing on a keyhole neckline

A couple of weeks ago I got an question by e-mail (sorry Lois I am notoriously slow in answering my email) asking how I make my neckhole. I couldn't explain in words so here is my attempt with pictures. I hope this is helpful.



keyhole neckline in tunic.



Measure by laying the liningfabric (linnen,silk or wool) into the garment and draw the opening with chalk.



Add a couple of centimeters to make outside of the lining and cut.



Pin to the outside of the costume




Sew and zigzag, turn the lining in, covering the seam and edge.



Now you are working on the inside of the garment.

Fold raw edges in and sew by hand, be careful to pick-up a minimal amount of threads of the garment fabric to make visibility on the outside minimal.

Anno 1009

From the 30th of April untill the 4th of May we where at an early Medieval event in the Historisch OpenluchtMuseum Eindhoven. We had a truly lovely time, speaking to old friends and making new ones.
Here you can find our pictures of this event.

I hadn't done much viking stuff during the winter, I had been rather busy with my Victorian Ballgown bodice. But I did manege, to make a pair thorsbjergen style (without feet), brown linnen, trousers for my son. You can see him showing them off in the picture. Together with the weld green woollen tunic, dyed by me, I made for him last year.

Going to this event inspired me to, finally (!) make a plant dyed outfit for myself.

The plan is to make a madder orange/red tunic with a union yellow apron dress on top off it. The tabletwoven bands are made by a friend, Fabiën, who is a member of Dorestad 825. Also I would like to make two new linnen underdresses, one with and one without sleeves. Hopefully the colorful top layers will be finished at the end of the month when we attend a viking event at the Archeon.

And this event I finally finished the pair of socks I was making for my friend Aud!




On the subject of my shawl project, well hmmm my cat ate a lot of my warp threads again and we still haven't had the time and courage to repair the damage.