I really need to stop trying to wing it for my dress hems.  I finally adjusted my gold silk kirtle to the point that it fits fairly well and my hem (done hours before Crown) is distressingly short.  I did as well as I could -- a scant 1/8" hem backed with bias tape worked really well, but seeing the pictures from Gryphon's Ball I noticed a distinct ( Read more... )

I don't know why I always feel the need to pile on 3 or more projects with a deadline of less than two weeks.

Vidar and Ellisif are entering this year's Crown tournament, and I was tasked with getting Vidar into something more suitable for a Varangian.  He needed more...everything.  More color, more embellishment, more layers.  His fighting kit is ( Read more... )

I was able to cut out all of my pieces from the purple wool, with very little by way of funny seams (there's seams running across the top of the sleeves, which is unfortunate but livable) and even enough left over to guard a future dress someday.  100% wool my eye -- the way it's pilling, it seems very likely to be a blend.  All well.  I can't ( Read more... )

I hope everyone who's at quest is enjoying themselves.  Drew and I are trying to gear up for Uprising, so no unnecessary money drains for us until then.

I'm conflicted about what I should do with some lovely purple wool in the stash.  The wool itself was purchased for Christmas with the intent of making a new kirtle, as I'm almost always freezing ( Read more... )

I finally (FINALLY!!!) finished the eyelets on my hemp cord corset, so I could try it on properly.


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So, the only copies of my farthingales class handout that I can find are only half finished.  How dumb is that!  I thought that the full one must surely be on my email, or on my work computer (where I would have printed it out) or *somewhere*, but nope, not anywhere.  I'm a bit sad, but it won't be that bad to redo, and you know, actually SAVE this ( Read more... )

So far, I've found seven glove samples that are like the one that I fell in love with at Manchester:  Smallish cuffs, made from the same leather as the gloves, embroidered right on the leather.  Here, here, here, here, and here are the other ones from Manchester, and here's one from the V&A.  And I adore every single one.  I love the subtlety of ( Read more... )

Pluderhose...DONE!  At least, except for a button (which he still needs to try on so I can put it in the right place) , and the codpiece (which I don't have enough fabric for anyway).  They actually look pretty awesome, and surprisingly heavy.  Quite possibly the most difficult project I've done to date, just trying to figure the heck out of the RH ( Read more... )

I'm kinda falling in love with the little tufts of black thread coming out of the neckline of Claude's gown, and it might be coming out of the weaving of the embroidery/trim on the kirtle neckline.  It's just a little bit out of the ordinary, and uses black silk thread I just happen to have a buttload of.  Plus, it looks like the blue gown might ( Read more... )

Portrait of Queen Claude by Corneille de Lyon.  Maybe 1530s? Found here:  www.artst.org/northern-renaissance/corneille_de_lyon/


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