A Winter's Tale

While Folsom marked the end of the 2013 faire season, I of course didn't stop scheming and sewing through the winter months. Christmas brought me a haul of Elizabethan goods--topped off with my very own ruff from the Renaissance Tailor!

 

Progress was painfully slow on the blue & orange waistcoat. However, it definitely helped to get organized by making a project work box. In this plastic shoebox, I only keep the current part I'm working on and the relevant tools to complete it--in this case the pieces of the sleeve & cuff, thread, pins, notions, and trim. That way, I can take it anywhere and pick it up anytime: just grab and go! As long as I maintain the system by keeping it neat and up to date, I have no excuses and nothing standing in the way of my sewing.

Unfortunately, I managed to get viral myelitis, a virus in your spinal cord that I DO NOT RECOMMEND, which kept me from sewing for several weeks due to the pain in my neck, back, and arms. That was, of course, followed by a round of the various winter colds that I thought I had escaped. I managed to make a little progress on days I felt better but it was few-and-far-between for a while.

I even managed to break a needle handsewing--I didn't even know that was possible!!

Finally I managed to finish one sleeve though, and it looks soooo awesome!! The wool-tape trim I ordered from Burnley & Trowbridge looks so incredible! This is the first time I've really used any trim on a project and I'm so happy I went for it. It really adds to the richness and authentic feel of the garment. From now on it is definitely my policy to add trim to EVERYTHING.

Waistcoat progress was interrupted, however, when I was overtaken by a fever, and the only prescription was a sewing work-bag for faire based on the one in the Lady's Guide to Plain Sewing II (pgs 6-7) from 1789. The style & shape is older, fortunately, and a bag of this type is completely conceivable for the late sixteenth century. Here's one from 1669...embroidered by a 10 year old! How embarrassing, I feel so inadequate now!

I made mine out of mulberry-colored "stuff" aka worsted wool, that I ordered from Wm Booth Draper along with some linen tape for a drawstring. This wool is the softest, finest wool I could ever imagine. If it wasn't for the fuzzy selvedge I would think they duped me! I will certainly be making some garments out of this wondrous "stuff" in the future! I added an embroidered name tag that includes my faire name, Mistress Anne Harris, and my guild so that hopefully it won't get lost or mistaken! It was so much fun to make a personal item for Anne, and it definitely helped me to start getting a feel for and starts fleshing out her and her world. Look for more "Anne projects" to come!

With that mania quenched, I have gone back to the waistcoat and just finished the second sleeve. On to the body! Hopefully I'll have a wearable garment sooner rather than later. Only four months until Northern! I'm shooting for Valhalla at the end of May/beginning of June, but sooner would be even better so that I can move on to my other big projects for the year!