My Project List

Well...while I am pleased with getting my chemise remade and getting a set of bases (French, late 15th C. upper garb) made for Ken, the list of things that need to be made (or that I *want* to make) is staggering -- JUST FOR ME!

So, here is my list (I'll mark them off as I finish them)....

• new body block (bodice pattern for those not familiar with sewing terms)
• a body block for hose (yup -- I'm going to attempt to make proper linen stockings)
• a simple farthingale (I already have the materials for this, just need to get it going)
• a simple corset (again, already have the materials, just need to take measurements and start working on it)
• add stripes to my other chemise and raise the neckline by 4 inches (an ant fell out of a tree and down my cleavage at the last event...rather uncomfortable place for bites and doesn't look particularly lady-like which fishing the angry ant out either!)
• black linen dress with red trim and short cap sleeves
• red linen petticoat with black guards around the bottom (one large black stripe, bordered on each side with a thin black stripe, with gold calatrava crosses appliqued on the large black stripe)
• black and white embroidered partlet (high collared -- to help with the 'ant' problem :)
• black bag cap and a stuffed pony tail
• add red or black trim to purple dress
• raise hem of olive dress and add a black guard around the bottom, as well as lowering and squaring the neck line (to wear with a black linen petticoat
• blue with red trim spanish 'waist' dress (looks like a bodice with a short peplum skirt attached, worn over a matching full length skirt)
• Elizabethan loose overcoat style dress (kind of an Elizabethan 'housecoat' worn over other dresses for an added layer of warmth in winter)
• 2 new chemises (1 with red stripes and 1 square necked chemise with blackwork and beading around neckline)

Whew! That is my clothing list. Lucky for me Ken can do his own sewing! On top of the clothing, I want to add a 'few' (hah!) heraldic items to our camping/event gear including:

• chair covers (Ken is making stamps of our primary charges and we plan to stamp the covers to mark them)
• paint our heraldry on our feastgear (plates and bowls)
• make a painted square banner for me
• finish Ken's painted square banner
• silverware pouches
• leather cup sleeves (lots of SCAdian's have the same style of drinking mugs, so we need a way to distinguish ours)
• heraldic napkins
• box for carrying feastgear
• and last but very necessary.... pilgrims bags (for toting stuff around events and a place to hang all of the event tokens we are collecting)

So there you have it....the to-do list that keeps growing!

Striped Chemise - DONE

Well, the chemise has been done for two weeks now, but I am just now getting back to the blog.

After marking the the lines with the washable marker, I used the very thin (1/4 inch wide) black satin ribbon and stitched along the marked lines with a zigzag stitch. Getting the right size zigzag stitch is somewhat difficult, but is a key part of getting the ribbon to lay flat. If the zigzag is too narrow or you are not sewing straight, then the ribbon will end up looking slightly scalloped in shape rather than straight. The second stripe from the bottom shows this somewhat 'rippled' effect.

I was a bit miffed about this rippled effect initially but then remembered Mistress Constanzia's sewing mantra --

If it can't be seen 10 feet away or by candlelight, it isn't worth worrying about!

I really like that rule. :)

After sewing on all of the stripes, I put the shirt back together and finished the edges of the sleeves and neckline with black binding. I am pretty happy with the final result (pictured at right -- kindly ignore my headdress and red face. It was hot and my headdress was slipping off the back of my head -- Note to self, must make better headgear!).

So, what did I learn in doing this?

1. I need more work sewing a straight line! I have therefore decided that every chemise I make for myself, for the foreseeable future, will be a striped chemise. Putting the stripes on is an EXCELLENT exercise in sewing straight. Besides that, until I can work out the exact setting so that the zigzag doesn't cause a ripple, I vow to keep practicing.


2. Stripes are not overly hard to put on (if you don't worry about the ripples) but do alot for adding some non-shiny 'bling' to a Spanish oriented SCA outfit.

Next personal sewing project: a lightweight, Tudor style "payre'o bodies' (corset) out of linen and a farthingale (Spanish style hoop skirt).