Dress for Dickens Faire (unders)

Dickens Fair is set in the early years of the reign of Queen Victoria. The fair specifically focuses on 1840s - 1860s. Last year I decided I would try to dress up and go for a day, but alas. There were a few issues with the underpinnings that put a halt to things (and then I went on to work on the Magpie Dress for last year's 12th Night Coronation).
I spent hours working on a new corset. I bought this sweet charming nursery print calico from JoAnn Fabrics and tirelessly pieced the whole thing together so that it was carrying the motif around the body of the corset. I was actually very pleased with the results. This is it just before binding the edges (with satin bias binding).

Then I started researching corded petticoats for the support structure of the skirt. After looking at several people's work on the Internet I decided to do the method of sandwiching the cording between two layers of muslin and spiral the cording up and around. This method was tiresome and infuriating. I promptly put the corded petticoat into the UFO pile to think about what it had done wrong. It sat in the corner for a very long time. In fact, I didn't get it out again until about 3 weeks ago and even then I took the whole damn thing apart. I decided to not do the spiral and instead did straight lines across the two panels (that I then sewed together with the serger because...workhorse). Even this took flippin' forever and I still had to do a lot of fiddly working to get the cotton cording to nestle up against the previous row of stitching. I was just about ready to die of frustration and embarrassment when I thought I'd give the double needle a try. This went so quickly that I declared loudly on Facebook "I HATE LEARNING" because [sigh]. Then I starched it with Sta-Flo and made a quick petticoat out of a full sheet.

Just prior to starting the petticoat this year, I made a new chemise. I bought some of the lightest weight sheer cotton tissue this summer with the exact purpose of either a new chemise or a new veil. Or maybe both. I think there might be enough. And while the chemise pattern is not the most accurate for 19th century (I used the free pattern generator from Elizabethan Costume Net), it works just fine. That pattern goes together super quickly and is sized for your measurements. I just put in a shorter sleeve length into the generator. I chose to flat fell all the seams to both enclose the raw edges and to give them a little bit more strength. When I say sheer, this fabric is SHEER!!! No shots of the front unless I'm in my corset...it's that sheer.

I taught a class (yeah yeah, I know I do that all the time)

I'm back. I've been focused on doing several things lately that have kept me from posting on the blog. Mainly, I've been adjusting to the new school site and teaching 3 classes I've never taught before. It's a bit terrifying to teach English when you've never taught it before and there's no real curriculum for you to go by. The drama class is going well. The ancient history class is what it is. 6th grade is the first time most students get any kind of history at all and I can teach my way out of a history curriculum wet paper bag in my sleep backwards (confident in that one). Must be doing something right though because I got my employment status changed from "temporary" to "permanent" last week. Oh yeah, I accepted that offer.

So back to the subject of the post. I've been continuing to do medievally things all these months. I even have a couple of posts partially written. Couldn't post them right when I began typing them up because they're for "sooper seekrit" projects that I was waiting to post to the general public until gifts were given to their recipients. Then I just stopped posting. But last weekend, I taught a class! Should be no big deal, right. It's what I do for a living. But this was at Collegium. It's an SCA event where we get together for a day and do lots and lots and lots of learning. I've been to a couple of them before (also the Arts & Sciences Tournament in the early summer which is a similar type of event) and I LOVE THIS EVENT. I love it because it's full of the people who I feel are serious about recreating the past. And since I'm an apprentice to a Laurel and part of that perrage's job is to teach and educate the populace about medieval stuff, I need to start thinking about these things - this teaching to other medievally people is real.

I was pretty much required to teach at this event. Now, first off, know that the SCA is a volunteer organization. No one was actually forcing me to teach at Collegium. But I'm a Princess's artisan to Her Highness of Cynagua and one of the things she asked us to do was to teach a class at an event and then discuss it with the other artisans afterward. Another reason was my Laurel basically gave me the imperative. I seem to remember the words falling from her mouth being "so collegium...we're not going to be at the event but you are teaching something." This was very matter-of-fact. The sky is blue, you are 37 years old, you are teaching at Collegium this year.

I taught the latchet shoe class. In fact, my handout was just a slightly less snarky version of the blog post. I wanted the class to be a make-and-take though so that people could leave with a pair of practical and fake footwear that give an illusion of the Renaissance. Too many times I see folks walking around in their running sneakers under their beautiful garb. While I was setting up, a couple of gentlemen came. I missed their names, but I gathered one was already an experienced leather-worker. They mentioned that they were interested in putting shoes on the feet of children. This is such a great idea! I even bought a couple of smallish sized shoes for the class (although not quite small enough - next year when we're at the height of summer season there will be more sizes available). Then as I was beginning, in walked a few of my friends from the Mists. I know that Cyn came because she had already expressed that she wasn't really into any of the classes happening that afternoon. I was grateful for the friendly face. Also, two more friendly faces, Elena and Cathyn tagged along. Now, Elena is already well-known for her gorgeous work in 16th century costuming. She already has gorgeous shoes. She doesn't need my fake latchet shoes made from canvas sneakers. And then Cilean came in too. So I had lots of people who are very 16th century enthusiasts enjoying the class and kibitzing with me. (I think one or two may have come as spies as well, but I'm glad for it - they're friendly spies so I hope they saw good things in my class). My points that I couldn't stress enough:

1. the practicality of the shoes in the types of terrain we often find ourselves at for events (come to think about it, I didn't even mention the new permanent site but I bet it's muddy, lumpy ground too) 
2.  the ease of how fast and inexpensive you can put someone into a period-esque shoe and ease the problem of bad footwear
3. that it's a modern shoe and therefore supports your body in a way you're more comfortable with and can handle things like orthopedic insoles for better comfort
4. more people need to wear 16th century garb

The best part. . . ! Elena, Cynthia, and Cathyn all made shoes!!! Cilean tried, but due to recent foot injury, my shoes didn't quite fit her comfortably on Saturday but she's excited to do so for this spring when we get back to tourney season again. (I will also point out that while I've seen gorgeous appropriate shoes on their feet before, both Cyn and Elena were wearing modern "period-looking" shoes because the weather was crappy and wet on Saturday and they didn't want to ruin their very expensive shoes - see PRACTICAL APPLICATION!). Then another gentleman came in while we were making shoes and he was wearing knee-breeches, hosen, and a nice pair of suede Vans shoes just like the ones we were converting. I convinced him to take scissors and seam ripper to his shoes and he left with a much more appropriate-looking shoe on his feet. See, a random guy came into my class and left looking more medievally than when he arrived. I've done a small favor for the kingdom I guess.

I still feel inadequacies when it comes to sharing my studies of costuming (and embroidery for that matter). I feel like there's nothing innovative or new that I can bring to the table. I'm learning, just like everyone else. There are so many more who know so much more than I. I'm not specialized. I'm not special. I've been reminded by many that everyone starts somewhere new; that I am probably "amazing and know so much" to someone who doesn't know at all. But why would those folks come to me when there are many more better sewists and costumers than I wandering about the kingdom. This is a hill I'm going to have to get over. Sooner rather than later I hope.

Coming up...the chat I had with two laurels about the path to the peerage.

Napkins for Royals

The West Kingdom Needle Workers' Guild has members embroider a set of napkins to give each set of napkins (one for each) when they step up to reign as king & queen. The napkins can't have crowns on them but can have the kingdom populace badge or something reminiscent of the personae of the royals. I took up the responsibility back at October Crown tournament last year but I waited to start planning them until I learned who won in June (to step up at Purgatorio coronation later this month).

The victor was Count Sir Alfar Utherson for Duchess Eilis O'Boirne. I decided to try a bit from both of their personal devices to decorate the corners of the napkins.

Another little monogrammed handerchief

I was supposed to be getting started on the napkins for Kingdom of the West's Purgatory coronation event that's coming up later this month. I stepped up to design the work for the napkins and realized I wasn't very inspired at the moment to make napkins. I was, however, inspired to make a surprise handkerchief for a friend of a friend. Viscountess Syele, aka Songbird, of the West Kingdom is probably the bestest friend of my Laurel and (well, honestly I'm a little jealous of their friendship because damn I wish I had a bestest friend at all) she's had a rather difficult year. I was at the heralds' meeting when we approved her badge of a songbird standing on top of a cage (not inside it, which actually brought up a lot of discussion about "is it really a birdcage if the bird isn't IN the cage as they appeared in historic examples?). Her badge was approved not just by the kingdom heralds but also by the Laurel College and as such is an official badge of hers now.

I like to monogram hankies for people, especially for shits & giggles. I did the same thing the day Tullia asked me to be her apprentice (had it ready to go and gift to her, wasn't expecting to even be asked something so awesome by a person I idolize). Last summer I embroidered hankies on Vittorio (my fighter), Vyncent, and Violet (notice something. . . I was practicing the letter V). I made one as a thank you for autocratting this year's Crosston Ball for Jacques de Sion. Last year, when Miles & Ariela stepped up as King and Queen of the West, Ariela had requested handkerchiefs with the letter A on them to give to the weepers in court. I completed two of those. Man, I wish I knew who had gotten them.

For Syele's handkerchief, I drew up a pretty little S in one corner. It's about the size of a quarter coin. I did it in my favorite scarlet red and trimmed it in a little silver thread. Split stitch and stem stitch to outline.

For the opposite corner, I simply copied the badge as it was submitted to the college of heralds. A gold cage worked in harvest gold thread with the Hungarian braid stitch and the outlined in that silver thread done in stem stitch. Atop the cage is a little songbird in the same scarlet color with silver outline as the S on the opposite corner; split stitch and stem.

I was so excited to give it to her when I finished that dropped it off with Tullia to give to her. I was also so excited that in my rush to drop it off in the South Bay, I completely forgot to snap pics of my work for my portfolio work. Syele got it today and it made her super happy. She also took photos and posted one on Facebook and tagged me in it so all the SCA world got to see a bit of my work. Yay!

She graciously included her engagement ring for scale. 

Selfie of the lovely Songbird with her badge.

Sewing for Royalty

Saturday was the Investiture ceremony for the newest Prince and Princess of Cynagua (the area of the Society for Creative Anachronisms that encompasses interior Northern California and most of Nevada). My new friend Sylvie became our princess and last month she asked me to make her coat for her stepping-up!!! Wha?! A new laurel and now royalty asked ME to sew something for her!!! I'm shocked and tickled pink. This was the first time I've sewn for royalty that have actually enlisted my services. Last year's summer investiture featured the stepping down prince and princess in garb sewn by me, but I was helping with the task as people had had sudden cases of life and I was available to tap in and help out. But this. . . this was the first time the royalty asked me to do something and I'm very very honored.


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Here's Sylvie's write up on her own blog of the whole ensemble. She looked so great! Research Dumping Grounds - Kentish Step Up

The Great Game Board Project

Plan: Create a set of fabric napkin game boards for my dear friend (and laurel's fiance) Master Vyncent who generally runs the West Kingdom Publick House as a birthday present. The game boards will be on heavy linen fabric, made up into napkins/table cloths and will be embroidered by me using period stitches. This should be simple enough because most of the game boards are just lines that one uses markers for.

Some planned games:
Nine Mans Morris - completed
Glukhaus (added) - completed
Checkerboard (in blackwork) - in progress
Game of Goose - still in planning stages

12/31/16 ETA: I finally gifted 2 of the game boards to Master Vyncent as a Christmas gift. I gave him the Nine Mans Morris board and Glukhaus.

4/1/2017 ETA: still woring on the damned chessboard. I'm almost done. Almost. This will be the death of me.

Meeting neighbors

We officially funded the loan on our house and the title got transferred last Wednesday. Granted, we've been living here since the 1st of the month, but it's really and truly ours. And we've already started to put our stamp on it.
The first couple of days we were here, I met our neighbor to the south, Jennifer, who is a widow and has lived in her house for a little over 20 years. She's in real estate I think. I have also seen some 20-somethings at her place recently. I think it might be her son home from college (I'm only assuming). Later in the first week, I met Jeanine who lives across the street. She's been in her house since it was built in the 1960s. About 2 weeks ago, I met Jeanine's husband (but his name is totally escaping me right now) when he came over to help Hubster and I with my mom's car.

Well, I just met our next door neighbor to the north. Sandy's been here since '66. "I've known all 4 owners of your house. It's a good house." And she brought us grapes from her own vines and apologized for potentially waking us up because she and her husband get up around 3am. So now I've met everyone except the guy who lives behind us (who I've heard is pretty nice too).

It's a nice sense of pride when we move into a neighborhood like this. When these people hear that our kids are going to the local school, that husband works there and I am teaching at the junior high up the street, you can see in their eyes and smiles that they know we're bringing goodness back into the neighborhood; not that it's bad, but that there has been a transition in the neighborhood in the last few years. All these people have had their kids grow up and move away. There are not a lot of children in the actual neighborhood around the elementary school here anymore. In fact, on our street, I think there is only our family and the single-mom with her kids about 3 houses up the street. Everyone else is grandparents. You can see it in their smiles though; they're happy to have us here.