Jorvik cap (in progress)

Once upon a time, at an An Tir arts and sciences, a friend asked me to make her a green jorvik cap if she ever became princess.

Well.. I decided she didn't have to wait to have a nice cap! Mostly because I found some green and white (her colors) diamond twill (her time period) for a song. I already had some green silk in my stash, so I cut it out and started to embroider a little dragon.

I found an image on line, traced it, and am embroidering through the paper.

Sberna Diary

I'll be recreating the Sbernia (an Italian mantle with arm slits) from, "Portrait of a Lady," by Giovanni Ambrogio de Predis (1485).

Portrait of a lady, Giovanni Ambrogio de Predis

1/27/2019

I was researching mantles in my Facebook sca groups. A few years ago, some one posted the details to a blog, Here. 

After reading this article, looking at more art and seeing half circle cloaks in person, it seems that a Sbernia is a half circle as well. Alcega's tailoring book (which you can down load here) has quite a few mantle patterns and lay outside in it. I'm having a small problem with choosing which pattern to use.

St. Catherine, Botticelli, 1475

Lady with an ermine, da Vinci, 1490

4/27/2019

After some serious thought, Mr. Badger and I made the pilgrimage up to the Washougal to hunt for some wool. 

Glorious, glorious wool. We bought two varieties for this sbernia project. The first  was one I wasn’t entirely happy with, and the second only had 3 yards. After washing the yardages in the washer.. the first piece came out beautifully. Lightly fulled and soft, with a beautiful drape. 

The second? Fulled to a big fluff. 

I’m going to end up using the first fabric. 

I’ve made a mock up, which I am relatively happy with... my couching work, however, is a different story. 

1/13/2020

this project has been in the works for so long that it has completely morphed! I'm using a historical Alcega pattern. I traced it onto my fabric with tallow soap, since Alcega mentioned using it in his book. 

I fold my fabric in half (long was)  and traced an egg shape. 

I cut each section along the line, and along the top fold. I machine sewed each seam with a straight stitch and hand finishing the edges with a whip stitch.

I have a nice gold silk that I will be using for the lining.  I will cut it the same way as above, but without the center back seam. I'll be felling the silk seams.

As in the Elenora di Toledo burial dress, I will be adding the lining in by folding in the outside edges, and whip stitching the two together.


3/30
Amid the pandemic quarantine, I have received my gold purl! I ordered 6 quantities from Here, which sells glut purl by the 50cm section. While the product is lovely, I think I will have to order more.

Camicia!

I've been needing to make new under garments for awhile, but have put it off for a year or two ( I really dislike rectangular construction).

So, I finally had a sewing day with some beautiful friends in my principality (SUMMITS!!), and they helped me math a pattern and cutting diagram.

(left)
My inspiration photo

(right)
My sewing diagram -
Front back panels - 41"
Sleeves - 41"
Gusset - 10"
Side panels - 41" L, 10" top, 20" bottom






I decided to french seam this undergarment due to to nature of the linen I was working with. It's the 2.8 oz IL030 from fabrics - store. I even french seamed my arm gussets! there's a tutorial on youtube for the process.

This is where Things Start To Go Side Ways.
Firstly, I ran out of thread half way through! Luckily, my big leaf
saved the day, and was able to give me some.

Then I sewed one of my side panels on upside down and backwards. I couldn't seam rip my fabric because it was too delicate.. I had to completely cut away the seam and start over.

So, all the french seams now being done.. I do a herring bone embroidery stitch as a seam treatment, copying the camicia of the woman on the right.

I then decided to Pull *ALL* the loose threads from the front, and tie them off in the back.
Only.. it wasn't the back.

***

While I'm taking a break from working on the body of the camicia, I started work on making a casing for the neck band. I had a pieces of fabric about 27" long by 17" wide. I pulled threads at every 3" wide mark, creating five 3" wide sections.

I sewed these together, end to end, and will iron them to form a casing ( like double fold bias tape).

***
I ended up just trimming the knots close to the body of the camicia, since I couldn't untie them. I sewed the casing to the body of the camicia, which was a persnickety process since the casing didn't want to stay put the way I ironed it. I sewed the back side of the casing first, then the front, so the front would look neater.

I added the neck band about this point. I sewed it on, and then folded them seam allowance down over it's self (trying to protect the delicate fabric as much as possible). I finished sewing the front side down

I pulled threads in the sleeves at the 1" mark, so I could have an easier time hemming.

I trimmed up the bottom hem (the bias in the side panels grew several inches!) And then stay stitches them to keep them from stretching again.


I then staystitched the bottom, and did a simple folded over hem.

My Heraldry, what!

My device!

My badge!

Of Names and Devices

After a few years of fiddling around in my local SCA group, I figured it's about time to formalize my persona.

I was originally interested in 1480 - 1495 venice, but given the resources available, I have decided to recreate Florence instead - there is just so much more to look at. I also decided to flash forward few years to about 1505 - 1510. This small time gap allows me to wear the best of both worlds (late period cioppas, but no fuss hair coverings? Yes please).

Every good Italian woman needs a fantastic name. A quick Google search brought up quite a few resources (these will be listed in my collection of links and tutorials). I had a lot of luck with the first article I read - Late Period Italian Women's Names: Venice by Juliana de Luna. In addition to listing names with dates, Juliana also talks about Italian name formats. You will often see a given name (up to three in later period) .."either paired with a family name or with their father's name and a family name (in the form di <father's name> <family name>)." Please note, if you use a locative, "da" is used instead of "di."

Using Juliana's article, I came up with, "Francesca di Marco Luppi." Sounds pretty great, right? >.<  I totally spaced that a friend of mine had used Francesca as her name! So, rather then give up a good thing completely (Franchesca was my grandmothers middle name and I'm horribly attached), I went ahead and decided to add another first name. I found this article, Names of Jews in Rome In the 1550's, which lists Luna as a given name (it also states that hebrew women were often named in the local language, thusly these names are usable for italian personas as well). I loved it.

Luna Francesca di Marco Luppi.


So, Luna means "moon" and Luppi means "wolf." I had to make a a sly joke about werewolves with my device.

Gules between a crescent and two bicranial wolves rampant addorsed Or, a pall pean

Simple, low key werewolf implication. :D I designed this by myself, after looking at multiple registered devices. Interestingly, I couldnt find any examples of bi-cranial wolves. I find that kinda excited and slightly nerve wracking.

I am working on my badge this weekend, and then will be submitting this all in the next few days.

Wrap Scrap Bunnies!?

So, When I had my baby (almost two years ago 😱), there were these wrap scrap (made from baby wraps) bunnies that were crazily popular. They are freaking adorable! While the phase seems to have passed the world by, I'm still rocking these bad boys. As a matter of fact, I make them when ever I know some one is having a baby, lol.

Here's one I made for my son <3

I got the pattern from here. It's free (and super begginer friendly) as long as you sign up for their news letter and confirm it (this took me a try or two, actually). There's also this one, which is more advanced, but also gives you the option for a bear head.

I really like using the linen/rayon blend from joannes for the outer shell. It's really durable, but soft - and gets softer as you wash it (as does the wrap scrap :) You can also get it on sale, for $5 a yard.

The lining used in my pictures is baby wrap scrap! It's made from woven 

baby wraps ( like these ). This fabric tends to be a little more expensive (I just bought a mixed 4 yard grab bag from stay for $30), but it's really worth it. The fabrics are beautiful, and just gets softer the more you wash it. Since its also made to hold babies, it is also super sturdy. 

I'm going to be making some of these and the bunny ear teethers  (Here)  for holiday Market this year! 

Sailor jupiter in 1490! (Updated)

I love sailor moon. It has been one of my most cherished childhood memories. So, Sailor Jupiter is one of my role models. She is an even mix of masculine and feminine  (she gets into fights all the time, but also bakes). There is very little about her that I don't identify with.

After seeing a viking Sailor Scouts! And Morgan Donner's take an a mid 16th century Sailor Moon, I have decided to make an Venetian style gamurra, a la Sailor Jupiter.

I have purchased a green linen for the body of my gamurra, and I am repurposing raspberry silk pj's for the neck trim. I also found some rhaspberry linen for the sleeves.  .....update: I found some pink wool at st. Vinnies that I plan to use instead for trim and sleeves.

My pattern is based on Period pattern 41, and an old Tshirt. I made the bodice much shorter, and created a low scoop neck. I will be cartridge pleating rectangular panels for the skirt.

Here is my lining being cut. It's a green duck cloth that I bought from St. Vinnies. I was going to do three layers of duck cloth and pad stitch them together... but after reading about corded bodices from Jenny la Fleur, and Jen Thompson, I've decided to go in that direction.

Jenny La Fleur didn't cord her shoulder straps, so I figured I wouldn't either :P

After I cord the lining, I'll flat line the bodice with my green linen.

So there's my bodice after I added the cords. I used floral wire to pull the hemp through the channels. I stitched the seam allowance down to keep the cords in place, and then cut off the extra seam allowance.

I folded over the seam allowance of my linen over the corded interlining.. I whipped stitched this down (after using fray stop on my linen. I should've used pinking shears).

Here's a view of the front. Looks super clean. I have the entire front tacked down,
now just to do the same to the back lining.

Here's the lining being whipstitched into place.

I ended up having a small hiccup I didnt notice in my mock up. The armscyth in front wasnt deep enough, and ended up digging into my armpit. I had to take the lining off, cut into the bodice, and reattach the lining.

For my skirt, I cut 4 squares of fabric and sewed them together, to make one large width of fabric. I hemmed this, and sewd a 4 inch strip of pink wool about a foot from the bottom edge as a skirt gaurd. I then cartridge pleated the skirt with 1 inch gathers (total mistake. I took the skirt off and am repleating it with 1/2" pleats, finished by midwinters 2019).

I modified the sleeves from period pattern 41 so that the lower arm slides on, and the upper totally closed instead of lacing.

The front of the dress is finally attached to the skirt again. Completed 1/2019