One gambeson down, three to go

Got my pattern, cut it out on Friday, and got it sewn on Saturday. T decided to go with the 'short' version. I just need to get him to try it on to hem the sleeves and then put lacing holes in and I'm done! I had to cut the shoulders shorter and the armholes deeper and the fit was pretty good. The other three I need to make are all 'skinny' so I think I will need to copy the original pattern onto paper and then cut them smaller. Another job to do on the sooner rather than later list! I'm at work so cannot upload any photos - if I remember, will do it in the next few days. (I am off to the movies with my mum tonight.) Pre-quilted cotton fabric is awesome ;-) I know it is cheating a little and is not as thick as some of the gambesons however it suits our needs and what my husband is comforatble wearing. Will see how it holds up in combat - I dare say this will be version one and it will evolve! LOL

Too much sewing to do..........

and not enough motivation and time to do it in! LOL

Got some mundane mending done on Monday night - at least that is out of the way!

Got a whole stash of fabric from Aminah on the weekend so lots to do! I'm hoping to get motivated when I have some time off over Christmas and period patterns 101 arrived so I can have a go at making some gambesons and arming caps (which are top of the list).

Sewing for pressies

These are the bags I have made for Xmas pressies for SCA people. When we have our tavern feast on the 5 December, we are each bringing a small gift to go in the 'box' for each person to draw out a present. I'm quite happy with how they turned out! I was going to start making a gambeson for T but trying to draft a pattern nearly did my head in! I decided to do the sensible thing and call Blue Draco to order Period Patterns 101! I can fiddle with it to get a nice fit if I have a starting point - I don't have enough experience or confidence to start from scratch - yet!

An update on the 'to do list'.......

Here is the long awaited photo of Kristy and Pete with the garb I made them. They threw them on over their mundanes so it probably doesn't sit the best! LOL Kristy broke her lacing and you can't see the pretty sleeves in this photo - I'll have to take one just of the dress I think ;-)

Have done some research for patterns etc to make a start on my list of things. Made my 'roman' tunica last night - not entirely happy with how it sits. I'm sure in the book I have 'Patterns for Theatrical Costume' there is 'roman' garb - I'll have to check it out tonight and have a play. I am using a pale blue linen which looks nice (and feels nice too!). Will try and get photos for here. Once I get mine sorted, then I'll make Kristy's - hers will be pink.

I've also done some research for gambeson patterns - I am awaiting a response from Blue Draco to see if they have Period Patterns 101 in stock. It has gambesons, surcoats, tabards, leggings etc. I'm not too confident with drafting my own pattern from scratch so I am hoping I can buy one! Although I have had to *fiddle* with the other PP I have (which you need to do with any pattern to get the best fit) and no doubt will have to with this one too, I find it much easier if I have a *base* from which to start. Drafting is something I would like to learn to do (I think I have a book on it somewhere) - maybe that is project for next year ;-)

Back again

My family has decided to become actively involved with the SCA now which has helped me to become refocused on what I would like to do. Other stuff is talked about on Rath's Ramblings so I will just focus on the sewing/garb making stuff on this blog. My to do list is getting scary!
Before 6 December
7 x roman outfits (2 womens, 2 mens, two teenagers and one child)

For armouring
2 mens gambessons and 2 teenagers gambessons
2 mens arming caps and 2 teenagers arming caps

General Garb over the next few months
* Finish my cotehardie's lacing holes which has been a work in progress for over 12 months!
* Make some t-tunics for K as well as a cotehardie and sideless surcoat
* Make some t-tunics for P and a tabard
* T needs at least another shirt and I need to find out what else he wants. Probably some more cotehardies in cotton drill - the plain cotton hasn't held up particulary well especially as it was worn under armour in a war! He also needs a tabard
* Conrad wants some doublets
* Wolfstanus wants doublets and cotehardies
* Gryffen wants cotehardies
* I still want to make the cotehardie based on the picture - I'm thinking about investigating florentine too.

Boy that list is scary! How long did I say I had to do it? In between all of this I have several events to organise as well as household activities as well as the stock clerk website. OMG!

I'm getting back to work before I think about this too much more! LOL

Still nothing to see

because I have not been doing any sewing. I did make a dress to wear to my niece's wedding but did not like how it sat so did not wear it. It is very pretty but it wasn't practical either as I was 'official photographer' for the wedding. Opted for flat boots, trousers and a nice blouse. Oh well, I will wear the dress one day I am sure. The two cotehardies remain not complete and eventually I will do the lacing holes. If I was feeling energetic I would get mine done for this Sunday's tourney. Now there is a challenge...hmmm...a Friday night special me thinks! LOL Bets anyone on whether or not I get it done?

Not very good at keeping this updated am I?

I guess that's partly due to being ill, being too busy and not really doing anything on the sewing front. I did make Kristy a Cotehardie and Pete a T-tunic. They look very cute together in matching material ;-) I haven't been able to get a picture of them so will try too.
I still haven't finished my cotehardie or Wolfstanus' - the lacing holes remain not done. *sigh* I really do need to get motivated again! I also need to make a list of clothing I need to make for the boys. Maybe that's a job for this weekend.

And here is the picture I was talking about........

It is by Rogier Weyden.

Not a lot to see here.......

I haven't done anymore sewing since Festival. As it was cool on the evening of the feast I didn't bother finishing the yellow cotehardie and wore one of my other dresses. I still have to do the lacing holes for it and Wolfstanus' cotehardie too. I really should look at finishing those off!

Conrad wants some doublets made too so I might start planning it. There is also a dress I want to make - I have some beautiful material I bought just for the sleeves (it was the end of a roll) and I had this dress in mind when I bought it. Will have to scan it and see how it goes (and find the picture on my computer to put here).

Update on sewing for Festival

The ever lovely and helpful Johanna came over again on the weekend and we got some more sewing done.

Completed:
The two shirts for Wolfstanus
The shirt for T
The two doublets for T (apart from the frog closures which will hopefully arrive in the next few days!)
Another 3 hoods cut out
Sewing together of two hoods

Still to complete:
The sleeves and hems on my linen chemise (the sleeves have been unpicked - need to fix the shape of them and re-sew)
Sewing together of 3 hoods
Lining for 5 hoods
Frog closures on doublets (x 2 doublets)
Lacing holes on 2 cotehardies for Wolfstanus
Lacing holes on my new cotehardie
Hem on 'old favourite' cotehardie that needs shortening

And I think that is it! Phew! I hope to have all that done by this weekend!

Only 17 days to Festival! Yikes!

Well, I've cut down some of my list of sewing - made use of loaner garb, buying trackie dacks and doing the minimal amount required. Johanna has been a life saver helping me sew all weekend.

Achievements:
1 shirt for Wolfstanus complete except for handsewing of hems
1 shirt for Wolfstanus almost complete - need to sew in sleeves and do hem
1 Shirt for Cyriac (still need to do a name change!)- collar and sleeves to sew on - hemming to be done
2 x doublets cut out for Cyriac - need more interfacing and to cut out lining before sewing
2 x hoods cut out and pinned - need to do lining
1 x linen chemise for me - sleeves went funny so need to re-do those and hem/finish off edges

Still to cut out and finish off
3 x hoods and lining
Lacing holes for Wolfstanus' cotehardies
Lacing holes for my Cotehardie
Button holes for Cyriac's Cotehardie

The goal is to get all the cutting out and pinning done by the weekend so I can just get in and sew like crazy! Lacing holes I can do in front of the TV of an evening.

I HAVE to get back into my study this evening for my short hand course - I am 4 assignments behind and have forgotten half of what I have learnt (so will need to revise as well). Bugger!!!

If I can get most of the sewing done by next weekend, it will give me the weekend before Festival to organise the camping gear. I do have the day before we leave off work but being on crutches kinda limits what I can do on my own!

Garb update

Well, not much happening at the moment. I have a fractured ankle and bruised tendon so need to learn to drive my sewing machine with my left foot!

I'm working on a yellow cotehardie at the moment but progress has halted somewhat. I hope to get back into it this weekend as I'm not allowed to put any weight on my ankle for the next four weeks (I've already spent the last 6 weeks on crutches with it being treated as a sprain - found out today I have a crack fracture, bruised bone and bruised tendon - explains why the 'sprain' wasn't getting better LOL)

Also need to do the lacing holes on Wolfstanus' cotehardies! I have aglets and lacing on order - hopefully they will turn up next week!

Cotehardies for Wolfstanus

These are the two cotehardies I made for Wolfstanus on Sunday. It was a new pattern I tried taken from 'Patterns for Theatrical Costumes' by Katherine Strand Holkeboer (listed under the section as Mid 14th Century). So whilst probably not historically accurate it does give the right look and fit - Wolfstanus exclaimed it was 'really comfy!' He doesn't want buttons so I just need to do lacing holes now. It is fully lined.

I copied the pattern from the book onto 1/8" grid paper (the scale used), printed it onto an overhead transperancy and projected it onto the wall so that the grid was 1". I then traced it onto brown paper, cut it out, and voila! A pattern! It was originally intended for Conrad but is way too small - thank goodness I have three sons so when it doesn't fit one, it will usually fit one of the others!

The material used was from some I had in my stash - the blue I think is some sort of cotton blend (I only paid about $1 a metre for it ages ago and still have quite a bit left), the other I had bought to make a lounge cover about six years ago. (You know you're in the SCA when...........)

All up, from cutting, pinning, fitting, lining and sewing took me about six hours for the two. Not bad for a day's sewing.............

The most important thing is that Wolfstanus likes them and is happy to wear them. Just need to make some hose to go with them......

Time is ticking away......

Not much to report - I was hoping to get some sewing done over the Christmas break but no such luck. I have a cotehardie cut out for myself and partly sewn but the fit isn't great. I need to cut bigger gores so it sits better on my hips. I seem to recall having to do this last time - didn't write it down on the pattern as I thought I would remember. Ha ha ha ha ha!

Got some nice material for the boys for duds - it's their favourite. I might try and get those cut out on the weekend as it is a pretty simple job. I need things nice and simple at the moment .

My goal for 2008 on this blog is to do better diaries and more photos etc!