IRCC4 - Busy, busy , busy!

I find it hard to keep it simple. I may be the very last to discover this fact, but it's true! :)

Since I can't yet bear to pull out the blue silk embroidery from the sleeves I stated for a camicia for last years IRCC (3)--nor (apparently) can I stand to finish that embroidery--I was a short some pieces for my new Franken-camica for IRCC4. After much hem-ing and haw-ing I decided to use my original front and back panels as the sleeves for this camicia and add new panels for the body of the dress. And then began the debate about finishing...hemstiching...insertion stiching...maybe I should just go ahead and finish the original sleeves after all....

Eventually I was able to reason with myself and stich together

 and hem.

 

This whole thng goes a lot faster when I'm not fancying it up!

IRCC 4 - The Plan

I'm inspired to attempt to recreate another picture that I happen to own appropriate fabric for the gown

Leandro da Ponte Bassano - Summer (July) - 1595/1600 - dining outdoors

I intend to stay true to the details of the original so...

Layer one: A white camicia with a small self ruffle at the neck and wrists.

I already have a plain white cotton camicia that I made about a decade ago and I love most things about it except for two things, 1) I sort of gather/smocked using a single row of back stitch that tends to break when under stress, and 2) the neckline tends to disappear below the neckline of the gown when I am getting dressed-especially in the back-and after I drag it out, the fabric tends to pooch out underneath the stitching line and give me funny puffs between the neckline of the bodice and the neckline of the camicia.

I plan to make my new camicia out of linen and smock and line the neckline using the instructions from http://katafalk.wordpress.com/2012/06/26/patternmaking-for-the-kampfrau-hemd-chemise/. (Adapted to place the neckline above the bust rather than at the neck, of course.)

Layer two: A black and gold open front sottana, trimmed in gold, with ladder lacing and matching sleeves.

Layer three: A sheer silk overgown with gold trim. I am fascinated by sheer silk overgowns as seen in the picture. Layer three is going to be a big adventure as I try to collect more information about this variation of outerwear.

Layer four: The painting includes a set of pearl earrings with a matching necklace featuring a drop pearl in the center, a white handkerchief with lace edging, a white partlet with an attached ruff and a yellow and white ostrich feather fan with a gold sculptured handle. I think those all sound mighty fine, so that's the plan!

Treasure trove of images of medieval people of color!

I've just run into the most wonderful blog, full of images I've not seen before, and sorted by date!

http://medievalpoc.org/mission-statement/

Medieval/Renaissance Geek...Runs in the Family

My Grandmother died a few years back and among other things I inherited a cookbook focused on medieval cooking and feasting. Now her sister, my Great Aunt, died just before Easter and as momentos from her estate I picked three brass rubbings that she and Grandma made from Medieval English burial monuments and this absolutely humongous cookie mold. I think the Ren. Geek blood skipped a generation with my Mom, but I look forward to keeping the family tradition alive. :)

And I'll be using this mold at our next Feast!

Largesse Project #2a - Constellation Region Card Deck

A few years ago I read about an SCA member who was making a game using matching pairs of heraldry painted inside shells. Her project seized my imagination and it has been quietly stewing in my brain...and then, by lucky coincidence, or fate, or something, I recently became Herald for my Barony and also took the first steps towards making largesse. Those new commitments poked about in my brain, discovered the stewing pot of an heraldic matching game, and a deck of cards for an heraldic game of Pairs (aka Concentration) is the result!

I haven't yet discovered enough information about the devices of our local populace to put together a local deck (although that is a long term plan of mine) but I thought a 'get to know your neighbors' deck of the Middle Kingdom would be a great place to start. Upon discovering just how many groups there are in the Middle Kingdom, and that we are conveniently grouped into regions, I decided to break the final project up into smaller pieces. I started with the region I reside in--Constellation

I collected a list of the Baronies and shires of the region, as wells as a map and images of their heraldry and worked in 'Paint' and 'Publisher' to create my deck. I then printed it out on card stock and cut them apart. The finished deck was wrapped in some misprints I had made on plain paper and labled with a sticker which includes instructions for playing the game

To play you lay out all the cards face down and take turns flipping them over in pairs to try and find a set. If they match you keep the pair and play agin. If they don't match it is the next persons turn. The game can be played by any number of people.

I've made up the first batch of ten sets for my local Baron and Baroness to distribute but more will be made soon to send to the Crown. And then I'll get started on the next region!

Update: 4/21/2014

I just wanted to mention that since there has been such interest in these cards I will be posting the PDF on the site so you can print them too. I just want to color correct some of the images and get some of the rougher edges smoothed out a bit. Give me about a month or so to do that work and get some sets sent to the Midrealm Royals and then I will put it up!

Sorry for the radio silence!

This Saturday is our Barony's annual event and I have been madly busy on various projects. Today I managed to rework a too-ambitious project that was heading towards being an epic fail. I scaled back the size, finished the easier half, and now have a Win! I can finish the whole project at some later date. :)

Here is a sneak peek at the pretty!

Largesse project 1 - Feast basket is complete!

I have been scouring the town looking for juice glass that are not oppressively modern and will fit in my feast baskets and finally met with some success.

The finished baskets (I made six), Tahdah!

Largess 1b - Feasting Flyer

I also created an informational flyer to go into the feast baskets. Most of the information is adapted from several websites (listed on the flyer.) I'm putting it out on the web in case other people might like to use it too.

It's connected now, and it will download just fine but it's still not displaying correctly. I'll keep working at it.

Largesse project 1a - Flatware Holders

I recently decided I want to start making largess for my Baron and Baroness. :)

Since we have a large contingent of college students I decided to focus on useful things for those starting out in the SCA, particularly things that would help a person be able to participate in the social aspects while letting them save their money for whatever their particular interest are.

Naturally, I decided on starter feast baskets for my first largess project.

After some judicious shopping on e-bay I managed to acquire six place settings of passable flatware  and I've just completed linen storage cases to keep them from rattling around the basket. Here's how I did it, in photos:

Turnip Tart

We've been looking to medieval France for recipes for our Barony's upcoming feast and so I've been experimenting:

To make tarts of turnips.

Take turnips, & put them to roast over the fire, when well cooked cut into long, small slices like one chops tripe, then take four ounces of soft, fat cheese, three raw eggs mixed with the cheese, a quarter ounce of cinnamon, two ounces of sugar, a little pepper, four ounces of melted butter, a little rose water, & make tarts like the others, & serve so.

The above is a rough translation of "Ouverture de Cuisine" based on this transcription by Thomas Gloning et. al. And is used with permission, to wit:

© 2006, 2011, 2012 Daniel Myers - This electronic document may be freely reproduced for non-commercial purposes as long as the copyright and this notice are included.

(The entire document may be found by clicking on the recipe, above, or typing the address into your browser.:  http://www.medievalcookery.com/notes/ouverture.html)


The first time I made this tart I bought the biggest turnips I could find. It turned out that just one of them filled two pie shells so this time I went for turnips of a more average size so, of course, it turned out I needed two of them for one pie! I'd say bake a couple more than you think you'll need.

My measured version:

Two small turnips, 3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup half and half, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp sugar, sprinkle with pepper, dot with butter (about 2 tsp) bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.

As you can see I drastically changed the proportions of some of the ingredients, and moved much of the fat content from butter to half and half. I omitted the rose water only because I had none. I'll try adding it as soon as I have some in-house.

I find this tart to be a wonderful, slightly sweet savory tart with a subtle hint of cinnamon that really works. Very tasty!





Step One: Peel the turnips





Step Two: Bake In a closed damp environment

I wrapped them together in tin-foil and added a little bit of water to keep them from drying out, closed it up and into the oven they went!




Bake until soft. In this case they baked at 350 for an hour. Cool.


Step Three: "Cut into long thin slices like one cuts tripe"

I have never eaten or handled tripe (that adventure is still in my future) so this instruction was a bit of a stumper. I decided that intestines are tubes so it wouldn't be very thick, and they are probably something that needs to be cut into smallish pieces. This is all guess-work, but I decided to cut them in a sort of super-super-super-sized julienne, slices of the entire turnip about 3/8th inches wide, then crosscut into strips about twice that size.





Step Four: Arrange turnip in prepared pie crust

I swirled them into an even layer filling the unbaked pie crust. I gave the crust a nifty crenelated edge too.





Step Five: mix together eggs, cheese, half and half, cinnamon, and sugar, pour into filled pie shell. Sprinkle with pepper, dot with butter and bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes





And voila!

Underneath it All! A Venetian Partlet ca. 1550-1600

I have several unfinished partlet projects lying about the house which keep stalling out about the time I get to the place where I try them on and discover that they are not the right shape...in some way or another. I'd pretty much developed some strange complex about them but I think it has finally been overcome!

Thus my report on my project for the historical sew fortnightly project

The Challenge: #4 - Underneath It All

Fabric: Purchased scarf, moderately sheer cotton/rayon scarf with lace bands near each end

Pattern: None. I chopped off the fringed ends of the scarf and bound the edge of the lace to hem it. Then I found the center of the scarf, folded the two ends to the center and whipped together the shoulder seams until they extended past my shoulder strap placement. Then I cut on the 1/4 position folds and hemmed the edges. At last, a partlet that fits!

Year: 1550-1600 Many variations of neckline treatments existed simultaneously during this period

Notions: Cotton thread

How historically accurate is it? Moderately. The shape is spot on and the construction work I did is good but the materials and original machine stitching...not so much.

Hours to complete: About 2

First worn: March 1, 2014

Total cost: $12

This project is also my first project #5 - Finishing Touches for the Five Foundations Challenge. Woohoo!

And now for the pretty pictures!

And for the Walters Art Museum, Huzzah!

You may have suspected that I have a tiny bit of a crush on this museum, and you'd have been right in the past. But not anymore! Now my admiration has blossomed into a feeling far to warm to be described as a mere crush, and in a moment I think your's will too.

They are offering the companion book to their exhibit, "Revealing the African Presence in Renaissance Europe" free for both viewing on-line and downloading.

I'm still gonna by a paper copy but now I'm gonna ask them to autograph it! <3

Steampunk Project 3: A Pair of Knitted Waistcoats

So while my striped fabric is nicely swooshing around in the washer I started poking at another project. Inspired by a lovely double breasted sweater vest from the early 1900's and taking ideas from a lovely sweater recycling project I went shopping last weekend and picked up a couple of sweaters at the Salvation Army store. I'm gonna see what I can do with these...

Oooo! Another GREAT collection of Appliquéd Tent Pictures!

http://www.rugtracker.com/2013/05/khyamiya.html

Go look!

Teslacon wardrobe project 2, Striped underskirt love!

When I first started looking at the late bustle period for ideas for outfits for Teslacon 3 I fell in love with this outfit from the Brooklyn Museum collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art:

Or at least that wonderful draped overskirt and the overall effect of the striped underskirt with matching striped accents in the balance of the dress.

I recently found the most wonderful striped fabric (on e-bay, of course. I think that's that place to shop when you live in the fabric-less wilds of middle America) and am now embarking on my own outfit with a striped underskirt, asymmetrically draped over-skirt, and bodice with matching accents. I've collected several related outfits from the mid 1880's on a Pinterest board and after consideration I have decided to go with seperates--partly to make a more flexible wardrobe, and partly because I have yet to purchase a coordinating solid fabric--so I'll be making a skirt and waistcoat from the stripe, for starters. I'm basting hems into the yardage tonight and prewashing. such a good girl I am!

Valentine's Day's Secret Plan revealed!

So, what indispensable item of gentlemanly flash can be cobbled together from a few cool bits and bobs bought on e-bay? Well it all started with a necklace ...

With the perfect steamy links...



 And ended up a pocket watch and chain!

We are now on the hunt for the perfect fob, or three, to subtlety hint at the interior life of his steampunk self. Kids, we're going to Teslacon 5! And this year I've sworn not to bring anything that still needs sewing.

These...Are Not Potatoes

I've been starting to make my own recipes based on Medieval and Renaisssance period cook books which sometimes leads to interesting dilemmas like "what could I do with these baked turnips I have left over from *way* overestimating how many turnips I would need to make turnip tart?"

Todays answer? Fried Turnips!

Yes, they are as yummy as they look. :)

The Secret Project of Secretness

I am indebted to Graverobbergirl and her blog "Just Another Crafting Blog" for the title of this post! I read with interest her posts on her own secret project of secretness in 2012 and the phrase captured my mind and has since invested all my sneaky little gift projects with a mysterious allure befitting such a grandious name!

My current project is a valentines gift for my Clarence and, while I won't go into any details at present, I must say that shopping has been successful, assembly has begun, and the whole thing is shaping up marvelously. I'm also *really* enjoying teasing him about it every night!

:)

Corset re-do--Done!

 

The almost-final product!

 

I still need to add hooks and eyes to the bottom front but woohoo - the re-do is DONE!

 

What I did:

First I cut off the old lacing just inside of the eyelets and took out the remaining bones on each edge. Then I folded the fabric at the next bone--which is now my outside edge.

 

I attached a strip of white linen just inside the bone on the inside of the corset, doubled the fabric and stitched down the opposite edge. I then had many layers of fabric to hold the new eyelets.

 

Aren't they pretty?

I had eleven empty boning chanels left by bones that had worked their way out of the fabric over the years so I opend up the stiching at both ends and added hemp cord 'boning' to those.

Then I trimmed the edges and stiched it all back up!

I also turned down the center fronk neckline to the top of the bone. This gives it an ever-so-subtle sweetheart neck line and I *hope* it will correct the recurring issue of just a bit of the center front of the corset showing above the neckline of my bodices.

'Cause I sure wouldn't want to have to *raise* them! ;)

I added some trim to cover the holes where the bones had worked their way out and ...DONE!

1987 Corset Re-Do. So 2014 Sewing Begins!

I'm taking on both the Historical Fortnightly and Five Foundations Challenges this year! We are stuck inside today due to unusually (dangerously) cold temperatures so I am jumping in with some desperately-needed alterations to a corset I made back in...1987-ish. It has been my go-to corset for literally decades now and has held up surprisingly well but the eyelets were shot long ago and the surrounding fabric was never intended to do lacing-duty all on it's own--poor thing--and really should be relieved of the job! I've also changed in shape and a bit in size so a remake is in order and will allow me to rethink my corseting before I jump into making new patterns for a whole new corset wardrobe.

Squee! A whole new corset wardrobe! That's a lovely phrase. :)

And now, so you can truly appreciate the desperateness of my need, the dreaded "Before" picture!