Bjorn's Ceilidh 2024

 Alternate title: The Dress Seven Years in the Making

Back in Jan of 2017 I posted about the Laurel's Prize Tourney and beginning thoughts about what I would do.  Too many years later I have finally finished the dress!

The background of this blog's banner head is the neckline of said dress. After the Laurel's Tourney, I entered it in a "gentle" A&S competition my barony hosted for those newer to A&S who wanted the experience of competing without the pressure to be perfect.  There was a four-inch strip at the hem that I was thinking to embroider later.  But embroidery is not my passion and the fancy stitching never happened.  What did eventually happen is a thing of beauty.

The inspiration for the finalized version of the dress is a series of illustrations from the Fecamp Psalter.  It is held at Koninklijke Biblioteek in The Hague, Netherlands, and the website is in Dutch (found online here).  There they call it "The Eleanor of Aquitaine Psalter", but the psalter's original patron is not named in the psalter itself.  It is from around 1180, so the clothing is quite contemporary for my persona.

You notice the hem in the overdress
has geometric shapes on it.

Looking closer at it, you can see that they seem 
to be gems and pearls, or perhaps glass beads.

The full outfit with silk veil.

    

Close-up of hem.

 

I used a stem stitch with two strands of DMC cotton floss (color #3822) to recreate the lines in the original.  The blue and yellow glass beads were made by fellow Scadian Irene von Lassen.  Her love of all things glass and her devotion to perfection was demonstrated by her making double the required number of blue beads needed, just so I would have a set all the same size. The blue are 3/4" in diameter, the yellow rectangles are 1' x 3/4".  The white glass beads are 6mm and from a 36" strand I bought from Joann's (bead landing tm).

In order to support the weight of all that glass, I sewed a 3" strip of cloak-weight wool between the layers of the turned-up hem.  The white and yellow beads are sewn on with beeswax coated silk thread.   The blue beads are held with a mesh or netting made with two strands of silk embroidery floss.  The mesh was created by sewing rounds of blanket stitch, decreasing the number of stitches with each round.

The beads cover only the front around to the back edge of the side gores.  Honestly, I didn't feel an imbalance of the weight of the dress because the back hem was beadless.  I'm working on a new reliquary bag to replace the peach one I made ever so long ago.  The new one will be a yellow that fairly closely matches the rectangle beads.

~ Marjorie

Pantelone shirt pt.2

Continuing with the shirt for my husband's Pantelone part in Commedia All-Stars this Pennsic.

I created the sleeve pattern by attaching the front and back at the shoulders.  I overlapped them at the seam line and taped them together with scotch tape.  (That's one of the beauties of using the plastic cloths.  Tape will hold pieces together yet come off easily when done.)   I then overlaid another piece of plastic table cloth and traced the curve of the armhole created by the front and back.

It looked wrong.  Totally not like any modern sleeve pattern.  Yet...it worked.

Muslin mock-up before sewing together. Note shape of sleeve.

I cut the plastic pattern along the seam lines and transferred it onto the muslin to make the first mock-up.  The muslin was cut with an 1-inch seam allowance.  I hand-sewed it together, especially the sleeve because of the curves.

My husband was able to put it on!  

But adjustments are needed.

Add 4-inches to the bottom

Adjust placement of both shoulder/sleeve seams.

Also, the side seams fall towards the back, making the back pattern not wide enough.  Initially, I increased the width of the front pieces, not realizing the issue was with the back.  On the second version I will increase the back by one-inch on each side and decrease each front side-seam by one-inch.

I'll repeat the process for the second version.  Redraw the new patterns with adjustments on the plastic tablecloth before cutting the pieces out of muslin.  I'll be back with the new version.

~ Marjorie

Pantelone Shirt Pattern - pt 1

 My husband loves Improv.  He participates in classes and shows with a local Improv group when he can. It is no surprise, therefore, that his favorite part of the SCA is Commedia dell'arte.  He has participate in multiple Iron Commedias and a couple of Commedia All-Stars at past Pennsics.  

About ten days ago he was asked to play Pantelone in a Commedia del'Arte show at this year's Pennsic.  (It is a small part that will take only a minimal amount of practice time to learn.)  

He needs to bring his own red garb if possible.  I made him pants 5-ish years ago, so after ordering more material, paying extra for earlier delivery, laundering and ironing it, I am whipping up a red shirt for him in the next eight days before we leave for Land Grab.  😵

The short turn-around time necessitates a few concessions to historical accuracy.

• This will fit the 10-foot rule.  It looks good from 10' away, because...
• I'll be using the sewing machine.
• The item is actually a jacket.  This will be a shirt because...Time constraints.
• Modern Buttons.  They'll probably be ball-shaped metal or plastic shank buttons "dyed" black with a Sharpie.

This is the painting I am using as a design model:

Giovanni Grevembroch: "Pantalone"
pen, ink & watercolor (18th century)
Museo Correr - Venezia

The painting itself is out of Period, but this looked like on of the easier designs to recreate, and poses at least one opportunity for Experimental Archeology, as you will see.

Step one is to make a pattern.  I did this using my favorite pattern "paper", part of a disposable plastic tablecloth taken from a roll like you would use at a birthday party.  I like using table cloth plastic because of it's flexibility and light color.  It is easy to mold into the shape you need.

I had my husband wear a close-fitting t-shirt inside out so I could easily find the shoulder seams.

I pinned the plastic at the shoulder seam and front neckline.  I had to trim it close the the neck so it would lay without bunching up.  I drew the pattern's basic lines, following the shirt's neckline and shoulder seam.  For the center front, I just followed my husband's breastbone down to his naval, ending at the waistline of his pants.

I repeated the procedure for the left front.  The back was done in one piece.

The armhole seams are a guestimate.  They'll be finalized at the first fitting, after I draft the sleeves based on the measurements I took.

That will be the next post.

~ Marjorie

The Secret Revealed

 I was reminded when I posted about the Camp Pants project that I owe you a post about that secret, pretty item I made for a friend.  Here it is.

I was asked if I could embroider a pelican for a friend's elevation to the peerage.  I was overwhelmed, to say the least, and hesitated to accept.  My embroidery is not that advanced, and I have no mastery of the split stitch, which is the most used stitch to fill in designs of this type.  But, I can applique, so once that was suggested I readily agreed.  My part of the whole project is contained on the blue material.

Material List (all linens from Fabrics-store.com):

- White of pelicans: IL019 Optic White Fs Signature Finish linen

- Brown Nest: IL019 Potting Soil Softened linen

- Blue Background: IC64 Strong Blue (a color that is sold out)

- Outline stitching of babies and nest, black on mama pelican: DMC cotton embroidery floss, 1-2 strands

- Gold thread: High quality thread gold thread from Japan (don't have the brand name at my fingertips)

- Glass beads

The goldwork was done using two different techniques.  The outline of mama pelican was couched using two strands of gold thread and her beak filled in with lines of four strands couched down.  For the definition of her plumage, I used one strand of gold in a double-running stitch (aka Holbein stitch).  I found out when I paneled the completed item that the double-running stitch is an unusual way to use gold thread, though not unheard of.  The gold thread had a tendency to kink up, so I can understand why it's not often used that way.

The embroidery on the babies and their nest was the stem stitch.  The drops of blood are actually two glass beads tacked down only at the top, so they shift with movement or hang in the direction gravity pulls them.

This was my first time doing gold work.  Having been awarded a competency rating for this, I suspect it is also the last time I work with it.  It's a bear to use!  I will also have to stock more tightly-woven material than the white linen I used for the pelicans.  The sharp details of the outline had a tendency to unravel, even with using fray-check on them.  I'm thinking a fine silk would be better.  Or a very light iron-on interfacing might do the job.  Having a larger color selection of silk embroidery thread on hand would also be a good idea.  Given the time-frame for the project, I didn't have opportunity to order higher-grade supplies, none of which can be found locally.

I'm thankful for being given the opportunity to work on this.

~ Marjorie

Camp Pants - A Patterning Project

 We are back from our non-Pennsic camping vacation and I have a project I want to try.  

We stayed in-state (NY), choosing to camp at a KOA site where we could rent a cabin for less than a hotel room. The weather was cool at night, down into the low 60's (Fahrenheit), to the point I wished I had fleece pants for that inevitable 3:00 am potty run.  During a visit to the camp store it occurred to me that if I bought a pair of fleece blankets (50" x 60") I had everything else I needed to whip up a pair of pants.  They would look silly, considering the choice of patterns on the blankets, but they would be warm.  I never did make them, but on the last day there, I bought the blankets so I could do them at home.

The photo shows what I had with me to create a pattern and sew the pants.  The white roll is plastic table cloth you cut to size and is mostly used for outdoor parties.  I regularly use it as my pattern paper, but had it with me to cover our picnic table.  The aluminum foil will be used to create a more fitted-to-me crotch line.

I will work on these pants using these items only with the caveat that I'm going to use my sewing machine instead of hand stitching the seams.  I am experiencing issues with my thumb, so I will save wear and tear on it.  This is more an experiment/project to test my patterning skills than my hand sewing.  

And here's hoping I don't need to use that seam ripper.

~ Marjorie

The Secret and Mundane

I have done a "Thing" for a friend.  A shiny and glittery thing for a friend from a neighboring group.  After she receives it, I will tell you all about it.  Shhh.

Today I finished a nightshirt for my husband.  A simple, mundane item, you might think, until you see it.  My husband is mid 16th-century German and partial to coordinated, but non-matching socks.  This nightshirt is a basic tunic made in his colors, black and gold.

Yes, that's one green
sock and one blue

I still need to applique a counterchanged mask of comedy on front to mimic his Arms.

Now that the nightshirt is wearable, I can move on to other projects without eye-daggers thrown in my direction from my very loving, patient, ...very patient, husband.  Projects like Christmas presents.

~ Marjorie

Trimming the Neckline

Bjorn's Ceilidh is almost upon us and, believe it or not, I'm actually done with my Viking outfit.

    ~ And there was great rejoicing.

Last week was spent sewing?/weaving?...creating the trim on the neckline of the under dress.

I don't know if this technique has an official name.  Mistress Ose Silverhair taught it to our local Keepers of Athena's Thimble group back about six years ago, just before I started attending.  She learned it from an Australian who taught it at Pennsic that year.  Locally, because Ose showed it to us, the technique has been dubbed "The Ose Stitch".

Second pass is done on the diagonal.

The technique starts with a foundation of blanket stitches.  The length of the stitch determines the width of the final trim, while the separation between stitches affects the 'tightness of the weave'.  A row of color is created from two passes of the thread.  The first is woven in a simple over-under manner.  The second pass is woven over-under also, but on the diagonal.  (see photo)  The row of stitches is then pushed up to the top (or bottom) of the blanket stitches.  All rows are done in the same manner and patterns are created by the direction of the diagonal stitches.

Things I have learned:
 - Consistency of the length of the blanket stitches is imperative! It is possible to run out of room for your pattern if some of your stitches are too short.  A potential way to avoid this is to lay out side-to-side the total rows of thread you will be using to give an idea of how long the blanket stitches must be.

 - It is possible to have your blanket stitches be too close together!  Again, it's probably better to leave a space between them equal to the width of your colored thread.  In some places the blanket stitches were so close I had to weave my color over-under two stitches at a time.

 - If there is a 'background' color to your pattern, weave that as the first pass of the row.  Weave the pattern diagonals with the 'main' color.  In my trim, I wanted the orange/peach to stand out, so I wove the green first.

 - This is another one of those crafts that requires good lighting.  (see my previous post)

 - Perfection isn't going to happen the first time.

Materials used:
 - The dress is 100% linen (IL019 BLEACHED Signature Finish from Fabrics-Store dot com)
 - Blanket stitches were done with a natural colored cotton/linen thread.
 - Colored threads are 100% linen.

So, the apron dress, under dress, cap, and necklace are all done.  In the future, I will be adding the same type of trim to the sleeves of the under dress, making a scarf for a head covering, and adding gores to the apron dress.  I did not have enough material for proper width at the lower end.  I will also be tablet weaving new linen shoulder straps and a silk band for the top of the apron dress.  That is, after I teach myself tablet weaving.  Oh, and I still need to finish off the seams of the under dress.

On another note, here is a photo of my grandsons.  It was the younger one's 2nd birthday two weekends ago. 

~ Marjorie