project journals
Shoejournal, part the next:
Well. Now I've read all about pattens! It seems to me as if flat wooden pattens with a hinge at the ball of the foot are going to be the most sensible ones for me. I like the look of the tall ones, but think that with my foot problems, I'll be better off with the hinge, which the tall ones don't have. Also, the closer I am to the ground, the less likely I will be to fall over and break an ankle (AVERT).
A lot of the late 14th c. pattens they pictured have straps that had patterned stitching on them. Yay, more opportunities for ornamentation! Also, bonus--an opportunity to use some of my 8 miles of silk. :-) There's no info in the book on what fibers were used for the stitching, so silk would certainly be acceptable. Certainly, it would be the most durable. We'll see whether I decide to get that detailed with my pattens, but it's within the realm of possibility.
At some point, I'd like to make a pair of layered leather pattens, which the authors surmise could have been used as sandals or worn just with hose.
Speaking of that, I need hose. But I digress :-)
I really need to see the turnshoe CA at this point, I think. In the interests of good research & all, you know.
I've also decided to keep a cotehardie journal for my first cotehardie. The shoejournal is really for fun because I'd like to do a pictorially-documented project, but the cotehardie journal will be a necessity if I have any hope of remembering how to make a second one. I'm very sewing-challenged in certain ways, and drafting/constructing garments is at the very very top of the challenge list.
I've now spent some time researching heraldic cotehardies. I can say based on what I've seen so far that they did not necessarily always depict their entire arms as blazoned. The garment might contain an element or elements, but they could and did display portions of the device--a charge here, a field division there, etc. Since my arms as blazoned would be really hard to do on a cotehardie (I can't figure out any way to make a diagonal line bisecting the entire garment--or even any portion of the garment--look anything but unwieldy), I'm going to go with my original idea. So, my heraldic cotehardie as currently planned will be particolored azure (blue) and or (gold) with a counterchanged wyvern on each side of the skirt. This will have a much cleaner look and still be appropriately period.
And now, experts, I have the first of what is likely to be many cotehardie questions.
Has anyone here made a wool cotehardie? I've recently acquired a source (in PA) of really fine-weight wool tabby in a variety of heraldic colors. It's pricey, but totally droolworthy. I've got 3 yards of yellow already (previously purchased). I'm seriously considering buying 3 yards of blue when I'm in PA in a couple of weeks for eventual construction of a particolored cotehardie. It probably won't become THE heraldic cotehardie, since I suspect that appliqueing wool on wool for the wyverns would be a real PIA. But the blue and gold that are available in the wool are fully plausible woad and weld colors, which makes my little heart happy.
My flight home from Baltimore is delayed. It was originally delayed 1/2 hour, but that's gone up to "delayed" now, which means we've reached "entirely random". I also note that there are about 30 tweens here who appear to be on this flight. Hopefully they will all sit together and leave a window seat for me. :-)
In the interim, I have achieved step 1 of registering for college (woo!)--now I just need for them to e-mail me my password so that I can sign up for the specific Spanish class I want.
Well. Now I've read all about pattens! It seems to me as if flat wooden pattens with a hinge at the ball of the foot are going to be the most sensible ones for me. I like the look of the tall ones, but think that with my foot problems, I'll be better off with the hinge, which the tall ones don't have. Also, the closer I am to the ground, the less likely I will be to fall over and break an ankle (AVERT).
A lot of the late 14th c. pattens they pictured have straps that had patterned stitching on them. Yay, more opportunities for ornamentation! Also, bonus--an opportunity to use some of my 8 miles of silk. :-) There's no info in the book on what fibers were used for the stitching, so silk would certainly be acceptable. Certainly, it would be the most durable. We'll see whether I decide to get that detailed with my pattens, but it's within the realm of possibility.
At some point, I'd like to make a pair of layered leather pattens, which the authors surmise could have been used as sandals or worn just with hose.
Speaking of that, I need hose. But I digress :-)
I really need to see the turnshoe CA at this point, I think. In the interests of good research & all, you know.
I've also decided to keep a cotehardie journal for my first cotehardie. The shoejournal is really for fun because I'd like to do a pictorially-documented project, but the cotehardie journal will be a necessity if I have any hope of remembering how to make a second one. I'm very sewing-challenged in certain ways, and drafting/constructing garments is at the very very top of the challenge list.
I've now spent some time researching heraldic cotehardies. I can say based on what I've seen so far that they did not necessarily always depict their entire arms as blazoned. The garment might contain an element or elements, but they could and did display portions of the device--a charge here, a field division there, etc. Since my arms as blazoned would be really hard to do on a cotehardie (I can't figure out any way to make a diagonal line bisecting the entire garment--or even any portion of the garment--look anything but unwieldy), I'm going to go with my original idea. So, my heraldic cotehardie as currently planned will be particolored azure (blue) and or (gold) with a counterchanged wyvern on each side of the skirt. This will have a much cleaner look and still be appropriately period.
And now, experts, I have the first of what is likely to be many cotehardie questions.
Has anyone here made a wool cotehardie? I've recently acquired a source (in PA) of really fine-weight wool tabby in a variety of heraldic colors. It's pricey, but totally droolworthy. I've got 3 yards of yellow already (previously purchased). I'm seriously considering buying 3 yards of blue when I'm in PA in a couple of weeks for eventual construction of a particolored cotehardie. It probably won't become THE heraldic cotehardie, since I suspect that appliqueing wool on wool for the wyverns would be a real PIA. But the blue and gold that are available in the wool are fully plausible woad and weld colors, which makes my little heart happy.
My flight home from Baltimore is delayed. It was originally delayed 1/2 hour, but that's gone up to "delayed" now, which means we've reached "entirely random". I also note that there are about 30 tweens here who appear to be on this flight. Hopefully they will all sit together and leave a window seat for me. :-)
In the interim, I have achieved step 1 of registering for college (woo!)--now I just need for them to e-mail me my password so that I can sign up for the specific Spanish class I want.