Life...and Pennsic A&S Display

L-I-F-E happens.  And tends to put a big dent in hobby-time.  In my case, Life was my daughter's pregnancy, my son's wedding, and the birth of my first grandchild three weeks early.  And then came Pennsic.

Pennsic, as you most likely know by now, was hot!  I had plans of relaxing and writing, but the heat so sapped my strength, that I barely made it to the classes I wanted to attend and the must-do shopping while at Pennsic.

At the insista...(cough, cough) encouragement of my Laurel, I entered the wool dress I had made over the winter in the A&S Display on War Sunday.

This is a late 12th-century English dress with side-laces and beadwork at the neckline.  The sleeves are tighter fitting with underarm gussets.  The skirt has front and back gores, as well as at the sides.  The main body of the dress was cut as one long piece and has no shoulder seams.  Everything is hand sewn.

Two main things I took away from constructing this dress:
  - I LOVE working with wool.  Seams were sewn by overlapping the pieces and stitching down the edges.  No elaborate finishing needed.
  - Wool likes to heal itself.  Using an awl to stretch the holes for the eyelets wasn't enough.  If I didn't quickly tack open the opening at the four cardinal points (N,S,E,W or 12,3,6,& 9 o'clock positions) the wool would close back to its original shape, something linen doesn't do to me.  I overcompensated on a few eyelets until I caught onto the best method. Consequently, some of the eyelets are oversized or misshapen.

Many people stopped by to talk with me, from the young girl who was there with her mother and so very excited about giving me a bead, to laurels and A&S Champions of all levels.  I answered every question as best I could, justifying my styling and methods.

Two main things I learned:
  - Document, document, document.  I had researched paintings, illuminations, and read research and suppositions of other SCAdians, but none of it came with me in written form.  I had to pull it all out of my head as I talked.  I could not remember individual sources or examples.  While I could say with confidence that there are extant period ecclesiastical garments with beading, I could not recall where they were from.  Written documentation will be a must in the future, even for a Display, as opposed to a Competition.
  - Create a pleasing display.  This includes the tablecloth, documentation, and any other aspects that will better present my work.  I'm planning to finish off the edges of the material I bought last-minute to cover the table, and make something else that is larger if I happen to have more space next time.  I'm a large woman, and my clothes take up a lot of table space.  I need a proportionally large table covering.

I will close with a photo of the main distraction in my life now, my grandson, B.

YIS,

~ Marjorie