The Schaube

[hakerh]

This has been my biggest project to date - it took me 2 years to finish (wringing spare time out of a grad student's schedule - not *too* much actual time sewing). All handsewn, it's the collar to a medieval German garment called a schaube, worn as an outer garment. This is yellow wool salvaged from an old blanket, sewn with mulberry wool thread. I got the thread from a weaving mill that was going out of business, so it all came on shuttles and everything. :)

Patternwise, I used a modified version of the bar and ivy pattern common to medieval illuminated scrolls. (Word to the wise: Don't Google-image search "bar and ivy," 'cause you'll get a metric assload of porn pictures of a Philippine hooker named Ivy, who apparently works in a bar. Sigh. Damn you, Internet.) The design was executed freehand, using the Holbein stitch.


Here's the overall collar, lying on the floor:


Detail of the neck:



At the nape of the neck I embroidered my partner's arms (We're in the Society for Creative Anachronism):



I lined the collar with more yellow wool and attached it to the schaube body.

The finished garment:



I made everything we're both wearing, except his hat, the green sash, and our shoes.

It took a while, but I think it's worth it. :)

x-posted to cf_embroidery