Another Update

I finally did get a chance to wear my Elizabethan burgundy gown this fall. My SCA group hosted the Caid coronation for their majesties Wilhelm and Thaleia. I was helping with the feast, and on the day of the actual coronation, didn't get to dress up very much, as I was in the kitchen all day.



And so, I decided to go all out the next day, at Queen's Champion.




I also finally made my hood and cloak. I used the gray wool I bought at the fabric store near the Great Western War site. They can be worn together, if it's very cold, but probably look best when worn separately. The cloak is a simple half-circle, lined with cotton. It has a half-circle cut for the neck, but no other shaping.



The hood is lined in a turquoise-colored linen. I decided to make it completely by hand. I cut the basic shape, then added two triangular gores at the shoulders. When I made it, I thought I made the liripipe was ridiculously long, but after attending my first cold event, and seeing other people with hoods, I realized my liripipe is actually kind of short. Some make them so long that they drag the ground. Ah, conspicuous consumption. I tried out the method of making cloth buttons that I learned at Great Western War, and I thought they turned out well. I also made my own buttonholes by hand. They're messy, but sturdy. I was very pleased with how it turned out. I actually made a second one for our shire's yule gift exchange, which I think went over well.





I also bought myself an inkle loom, and have been playing with string. I've decided inkle-woven belts are amazing. Leather belts don't look right with women's clothing, and the grossgrain-ribbon-belt I attempted was pretty much a disaster. But I love my inkle woven belt. I need to make more with patterns.




Okay, now I'm updated. I've been attending more SCA events recently, and I find that this leaves less time to sew. I think I've landed on a 16th century Italian persona. My name and device are going through the registry process, so my fingers are crossed. I have two projects I want to get started on soon. One is a blue doublet, and one is a lower-class, working Italian dress, possibly with a hemp-corded bodice. I also want to explore blackwork embroidery.