Princess of Zweeloo costume

After (hand)sewing the tube for my peplosdress together I found out that it wasn't wide enough to drape well. So I have decided to make a viking undertunic out of that fabric and try to save some money for the right fabric. If I am honest I have to say that I don't really mind that it didn't work out with this wonderfull grey linen. Now I have more time to do research on the costume and the accessories and I can make a more accurate reconstruction. Only downside is that it will take more time and money, but I hope and think that the end result will be worth it. Meanwhile I have ordered a magazine (Kostuum 1996/Costume 1996) with a article written by S.Y. Comis -De Kleding van de prinses van Zweeloo (The costume of the princess of Zweeloo) to start my research off with.


More information:



Prinses van Zweeloo - Encyclopedie Drenthe Online (Dutch)




Drents Museum(Dutch)




Coevorden - De prinses van Zweeloo (Dutch)

Studien zur Sachsenforschung' article Das Grab der "Prinzessin" von Zweeloo und seine Bedeutung im Rahmen des Gräberfeldes' (1977)- W.A. van Es en J. Ypey (German)

The Compleat Anachronist #59, Women's Garb in Nothern Europe, 450-1000 C.E. Frisians, Angles, Franks, Balts, Vikings and Finns pages 19- 22)(English)

Dress in Anglo-Saxon England, Gale Owen-Crocker, page 45-46, fig 31.(English)

Kostuum 1996, yearbook of de Nederlandse Vereniging voor Kostuum, Kant, Mode en Streekdracht, article by Comis.S.Y- De Kleding van de prinses van Zweeloo, p43-p45.(Dutch)

Een nieuwe reconstructie van de kleding van de 'Prinses van Zweeloo' [A new reconstruction of the costume of the 'Princess of Zweeloo'] article - S Y Vons-Comis printed in:
* Van rendierjager tot ontginner, Nieuwe Oudheidkundige Ontdekkingen in Drenthe, 33, [1988?]
* Varia Bio-Archaeologica, 74, 39-75
* Nieuwe Drentse Volksalmanak, 105, 1988, 39(151)-75(187)

In a fresh study of the ornaments and textiles, parallels were sought in Belgium, France, England, Scandinavia and Germany. The dress is now reconstructed as a long tunic with paired shoulder brooches from which a double necklace hangs, over which is a fringed cape fastened on the chest with an equal-armed brooch. Emphasis of the study is on the reconstruction of textile weaves. Date: mid-5th century.
Source: biab online

Naalbinding

At this moment we are very busy. Usually September is the time that things slow down. But this year we still have many events, mostly viking, to go, four to be precise. Our "normal" live is hectic as well, I am amongst other things in autumn cleaning mode, so there is little or no time left to spend on costumes.
At this moment I am working on a peplos (tube) style dress, based upon the Princess of Zweeloo dress. The fabric that I am using is grey broken diamond twill linen, her costume was made of white diamond twill linen. For the rest I intend to be as accurate as possible and I need to do more research before I proceed working on it.
The other thing that I, really should be, working on, is a victorian boys coat in grey wooll. It was almost finished when I discovered that the back of the coat looked really akward, and I haven't found time, energy or courage to try and find out what's wrong and how it can be corrected. "Sigh"
Here are some small things that I did finish and turned out nice.



This was a gift for a friend, who loves textile crafts. I used as many different colors and techniques as I could. The pouch was made with nalebinding, the cord through the pouch was made with fingerlooping. The wool and silk where all dyed with natural dyes.



Finally! I've got two pairs of socks. But I am not done nalebinding for a while as my son has outgrown his two pairs of socks... Well no rest for the wicked ;-)

Victorian necklace

For a couple of months I have been working on a victorian jet necklace, collecting vintange and antique beads, looking for period descriptions and actually making it.

If finally deciced to make this:


It is a bead necklace from De Bazar (A Dutch Magazine for Ladies), 15th of February
1875.

Making a necklace seemed pretty easy to me, but was much harder than expected. Especially as the description then weren't as detailed as they are now. I guess a Victorian Lady knew how to make one of those things. Also the right tools, thread etc are much harder to find than back then. Never the less I am quite pleased with the end result, eventhough I know with more practice it probably would have turned out much better.

Vacation 2009

I finally put the pictures of our historically themed vacation in Great Britain on-line. Read more about it here

Mittelalterliches Burgfest at Burg Winnenthal, Germany

Finally a picture of my natural dyed viking costume! The apron is dyed with union skins and sewn by hand with silk. The tunic is dyed with madder. I am pleased with how they both turned out. I also dyed the silk kerchief myself with union skins.
This picture was taken early in the morning when it was still relatively cool, later on it became more than 30ºC. And then ofcourse I wore my linnen tunic without sleeves.



This evenent was really well organized and people where really nice, but as I don't speak German I wasn't as chatty as usual ;-) I took the opportunity to work on nalebound socks for myself using scraps of wool I had lying around.



I didn't finish them complety, I still need to make the heels of both socks, but I am never the less quite pleased with myself.

More pictures of this event on our website: http://www.muninn.dds.nl

Vacation; Restormel

The thing I like best about the 13th century castle Restormel, build on a eleventh century mound from an earlier castle, is it's unusual shape, it is circular, and the fact that it is relatively well preserved. You can still make out where the kitchen and the chapel where and even some other private rooms.

Vacation; Morwenstow

Morwenstow church is dedicated to St Morwenna and St John the Baptist. It was appropriated by the Bishop of Exeter to St John's Hospital at Bridgewater before 1291. In a document dated 1296, the church was referred to as an 'old and well-known structure'. Although this is a Norman church, it must have replaced an earlier Saxon structure. The chancel is separated from the nave by a richly-carved screen erected in 1575 by the Kempthorne family. It has a fine Norman doorway.

The arcades consist of seven arches, some of which are semi-circular, and others pointed. They are supported on piers and pillars, one of which bears the date 1475. The tower is of two stages and is finished with pinnacles; it had four bells.

There is an interesting, but defaced, polychrome wall-painting on the north wall of the chancel, which is thought to represent St Morwenna. It shows a gaunt female clasping to her breast, with her left hand, a scroll or volume; the right arm is raised in blessing over a kneeling monk.

Quote from http://www.cornwall-calling.co.uk/churches/morwenstow-church.htm

I couldn't find the wall painting mentioned in the text above, but I do remember seeing it when we visited the church eight years ago.






Normandic font.



Stained glass window with an image of Saint Morwenna.





The beautifully carved ends of these benches are from the late 16th century