Years ago I made a lovely Cranach gown (materials donated by thorngrove)  with an underdress, all assembled with Lady Anne of Wokyngham's patient help. (just ignore my expression - didn't know I looked so sour!) It was my first effort at mounting fabric on a backing and then sewing it, cartridge pleating, adding a lining to the skirt hem only (to add weight ( Read more... )

...England is a awash with flooding. I'll have to watch the Peanuts Christmas special on YouTube, and the Grinch too, for any white Christmas fill.

Hoping to stop pretending to work and slip out of the office soon, and go shopping in person rather than online.

For this holiday crafty wish list:
- get more gilding tools to improve gilding results, ( Read more... )

This week I finished a pair of socks, and finished a baby project.

Ok, finish is a strong word; they are less unfinished.

One requires weaving in (about 5 mins work), and the other needs buttons (anywhere from 15 mins to sew on plastic ones, to all evening, if I knit them).

I've been trying to clear my crafting in-tray of projects, before starting ( Read more... )

HLady liadethorneggecame through with pictures, and only one of them is slightly tipsy-looking.

Pics are huge, so you an enjoy them in all their splendour! Also, it was a lovely day.

Aside from being happy that it came out the way I pictured it, I was really pleased with the silly hat. It has a wire form inside to provide the shape - there's precedent for wire ( Read more... )

As mentioned previously - finished refitted gown.

The pics show the neckline pinned into place at the back, but after putting it on I had to get Robert to repin the layers - once wearing it, the top layer sat differently than expected, and you can only find it out by trying it on.

I always seem to have crease up around my middle - can't get a smooth ( Read more... )

As promised - photos of refurbishing a gown.

This pink linen gown was always a fitted undergown, but was originally made to go under my fine purple wool gown, c. 14th c. I knocked it together quickly to wear at the first coronet tourney 2 years ago.

Unfortunately, I chose 2 lightweight linens, rather than one heavy and one light, or two sturdy ones ( Read more... )

Ben Hur on TV, while spring-cleaning and trying to put a dent in the UnFinished Objects pile - particularly those promised to other people.

Excellent success on the shoping front - goncalves 's doublet will, someday, be too sexy for him, in the wool that Lady Anne and I found. It's a rare quality. And we found brillant tawny wool for gowns, suitable for ( Read more... )

 Our cheap Argos-sourced iron has patches of Teflon wearing off the ironing surface, and it's catching on my fabrics. I've cleaned it off, but it keeps on sticking. There's also not a lot to distinguish between low and high settings ( Read more... )

Reduced - well, it's no longer got walls
Reuse - it's a former pavalino, replaced after 10 years service
Recycle - ...now going on to a new life as an arming tent

My clever sweetie was hard at work in the heat on the weekend, finishing a lingering UFO (UnFinished Object): making an arming tent out of a pavilion top, left to us by Dubheasa and Terafan ( Read more... )

Lovely Master Bertrik sent me a CD of pics from the January event, including this one, which shows my refurbished gown best:


( Read more... )