Toneelstuk De Rode Prinses/ The Red Princes play

I have been involved in a play for the last couple of months, De Rode prinses/the red princes. The original book was written by the Dutch writer Paul Biegel and adopted into a comical play with songs by our producer Herman Kattemölle.

We performed it a total of five times on the 16th and 17th of June. I played the role of the "drama" queen. A mother in distress because her 12 year old daughter, the red haired princess, is missing.

Trying to look very royal and strict ;-)

I am wearing my white damask 14th century cotehardie 

and red velvet gates of hell. 

The whole cast

Dyeing Persian Red Experiment

When I first started dyeing with natural- and plant dyes, I got really beautiful brickred when I dyed with madderroot. A color that I haven't been able to achieve the last couple of years.  I have tried a lot of different recipes but all with the same outcome, orange!

So one of my sisters brought back madderroot from Turkey and I decided to give an old Persian recipe that I found a go.

The madder root

Madder powder

Dyebath before applying ammonia

End result photographed in sunlight

Photographed inside

(left) First dyebath, pongee silk

(right) second dyebath, chiffon silk

Recipe from: Over Wol en Plantaardig Verven, Frans Smeets.

Although the end result is red, I will be trying out more different recipes the next coming months.

Viking tunics

The Whitsun event at the Archeon was our first early/medieval event of this year. In preparing for it we got a lot of things done.

Our son needed a new linen undertunic and a new sleeveless summer tunic to keep him cool on hot days.

We also made him a pair of white linnen shorts, thorsbergen style only shorter. He had outgrown his shoes so my husband made a pair of his old shoes smaller.

front

back

diagram taken from Viking tunic construction page by Carolyn Priest-Dorman.

I have been wearing the same undertunic for about ten years and I decided it was time for a new one. I've decided that my early medieval persona is from Haithabu/Hedeby, ca. 950. So when I update costume pieces they will have to be appropriate for that. My new undertunic is Haithabu style. I left out the front and back gore as undertunic where often less elaborate in style.

The color of my Haithabu based apron dress was refreshed by dyeing it again with union skins. The seams where reinforced with woollen plant dyed cords made by whipcording. I originally wanted to make 6 plait braids, 3 yellow and 3 red, liked the ones found on the original, but couldn't get it to work.

Whitsun Viking weekend at the Archeon

Our very own hunter's apprentice.

We had a wonderful Whitsun with all our viking friends at the Archeon. It was really sunny and warm so I was happy that I had made a new summer tunic and linen shorts for our son.

Website finished!

I am happy to be able to say that my website is finished!
It was a lot of work, especially for my father who designed and made the website.
Thanks Dad, I think it is awesome!

You can visit it here: http://historicalcostumes.nl/

First event

Our first event this year Dag van het Park (Day of the Park)  at Capelle aan de IJssel was blessed with beautiful weather and the company of friends.

My son loves all, well most, creatures great and small.

So he was really happy when he got a chance to hold Pjort,

the little owl from Stephan and Diana from http://www.widoeghe.nl/

I spend most of the day nalebinding socks

 for my husband.

Ofcourse I was delighted when I got a chance to hold

Pjotr as well

Our next event will be an early medieval/viking event at whitsun in the Archeon. I am currently working on a new clothes for my son. He has grown quite a bit since the end of the re-enactment season, last year. And  is almost as tall as me now.

After the Archeon, Castle House Bergh will be next on our list! 

A new friend

A friend, whether human or animal, can never be replaced. But our son missed having a cat around so badly that we finally caved in. He fell in love with a one year old cat in an animal shelter. So we decided to bring her home with us.

The boy does have good taste, doesn't he?! And although we still miss our previous cat, this little lady won our hearts in a second.

I've been really, really busy. I've started a new study, I have a role in a play, I've been working on my costuming website and I've made several costume parts. So I guess that is why I've been kind of neglecting this blog.

I' had a costuming website years ago but decided to take it down to work on it. I've started to work on it several times, but due to the large amount of pages I never finished it. Now I've got only four pages to go, so it just might get finished this time!

I have finished the chemisette I had  blogged about earlier.

Last December I had made a orange quilted petticoat for my 1840's working class dress, but wasn't really happy with how it turned out. I nicknamed it the hideous orange disaster... 

So when I came across this affordable ivory quilted cover I knew it would turn into a quilted petticoat.

And I love it! Still need to try it on with my costume over it though. I hope the shape works. I used folkwear pattern #206, Quilted Prairie Skirt and it all went together smoothly.

The play is a fairytale about a little princess with red hair. The book was written by the Dutch writer, Paul Biegel and adapted to a play with some song by our producer Herman Kattemölle. The audience will be 5th grade schoolchildren. So some of the kids that I work with in school will be able to see me play. Which hopefully will be a surprise as do not intend to tell them. My son has seen me rehearse and hates it, because when I act  I do not look and sound like his mom! That just might be a good thing  ;-)

I am very proud to say that some of my costumes will be worn, not only by me but also by some other members of the cast.

My current costume project is a black chemisette with black lace inserts and a matching pair of sleeves.

I tried to dye the unbleached cotton black with dylon hand dye, but it turned out sort of blueish gray. When it is finished it will be dyed black for a second time but with dylon washing machine dye.