Brown Apron Dress

ignore the blue hemline; it hangs correctly
on me, just not on a hanger

With a Viking-themed event coming up in October, I wanted to be sure my Viking wardrobe was ready to go. I realized, though, that the various pieces of my wardrobe weren't all as interchangeable as I thought - I could make ONE outfit out of the pieces I had, and that was it!  I needed a new under dress and a new apron dress.  I decided to work on the second problem first - because I already had the fabric for it.

The fabric is a chocolate brown linen/cotton blend,  harvested from the skirt of a costume that I made back in 2011.  It's got a lovely drape and feels really nice.  I really wanted it to be full-length, but I didn't quite have enough fabric.  As it is it comes down to about mid-calf.  The pattern I used is the same as this one (though I made myself a paper pattern so I don't have to do the math every time).

it's straight, trust me.  It's laying weird in this picture. And I suck at photography.  

The seams are decorated in a 2-color double herringbone stitch.  The band of embroidery across the top of the dress is a double herringbone stitch, too, but the second color is much narrower than the first, and a third color accents the Xs between the stitches.  The entire band is surrounded by a border of teal embroidery floss couched in a spiral with green.  There was supposed to be a pair of ravens capping this off in the front, but my embroidery skills are no longer up to par - I tried three times and couldn't get it right. I have a lot of practice to do.  For now, I am raven-less.

The straps are loop straps, similar to what I did on my orange apron dress. It's just a long tube of fabric, folded in half and hand-sewn together leaving a loop at the end for the brooch to go through.  I really love the look of this style of strap, and the ease of wear. They do have to be exactly the right length, though - they're not as forgiving as plain straps, and not adjustable at all. (Are they period?  Maybe.  We've found loops constructed in this way on brooches that seem to suggest that there were loops on apron dresses - but then, our evidence for these apron dresses is sketchy at best, and only based on small fragments of garments, so the whole "apron dress" idea is kind of made up anyway).

I had every intention of timing all of this work - especially the embroidery - to see how it stacks up against my estimate - but I completely forgot at first.  I can tell you I watched about two dozen episodes of Forensic Files and all of the new Dark Crystal series (and the original movie) while I worked, but I also went way, way past that.  All told, the dress took me about 3 hours (I actually timed that), and I believe the embroidery and hand-sewing on this dress took about 30 hours. My estimate was 6!  How long does embroidery take, anyway??  I guess now I know a little bit better: it takes forever.

So there's one new apron dress to wear to Valkyrfelt in October.  I'm very pleased with it.  I really love the colors in the embroidery, and I love the way the dress fits and the fabric feels.  In the pictures here it's shown with the blue linen Eura dress that I made in  2015.  (I know the hemline looks wonky in the first picture - it's not.  It hangs perfectly straight on me, just not on a hanger!)

So What's Next? 

I have a dress to dye!  Actually, it's already done.  I'll post about that in the next couple of days.  

Making Over A Camp Chair

There's a big push in the barony lately to reduce the appearance of mundanity.  That means finding ways to obscure the modern and blend it with the historical - things like phones, coolers, tents, chairs, mugs, tennis shoes, etc.  In one of those things I found an opportunity to do my part:

BEFORE

This is my camp chair.  It's brand new, really comfy, and even has a little table that flips up from the side, with a cup holder in it.  Neat!  It is, however, glaringly modern with its metal frame and nylon upholstery.  Fortunately, I've solved this problem before.

The first order of business was to remove the upholstery from the chair and spray paint the frame.  I wiped down the frame to clean off any dust, then sprayed it with an automotive self-etching metal primer (2 colors, not that it matters).  Once that was dry, I sprayed it with a brown spray paint.

PRIMING THE FRAME

I painted the plastic flip-up tray with dark gray all-purpose primer, then the same brown spray paint. I clearcoated the entire tray with Polycrylic to seal the plastic.  With the metal primer, the paint won't flake off the frame, but the plastic might flake or chip if not protected.


Next I made copies of the seat and back pieces that I removed from the chair in a blue polyester upholstery fabric with a swirly Italianate design on it.  I made these double-thickness, the seams reinforced with two rows of stitching on the inside, and the seat 5" longer than the original, so that the ends could be wrapped around the frame and sewn in by hand (which was a big pain in the butt!)


This chair had armrest pads, too, which I copied, and used the velcro and interior padding harvested from the original pads to close.  And yes, the cloth seat and back will be just as strong as the original nylon pieces - the red chair I made over in 2013 held up just fine until the frame itself broke.

AFTER

Now, does that look like a period piece of furniture?  HELL no.  But it looks less modern, and when placed under a tent with wooden poles, next to wooden chairs, it kind of blends in because of the frame color.  It's by no means going to fool anyone, but every little effort helps the overall ambiance.  I do need to re-do the back piece:  see how it looks all twisted?  I tried to cut my fabric as straight as I could, but I was cutting it out of an old dress, and I think I got this piece a little on the bias.  I'll fix it. 

What's Next?  

I'm working on a little painted wooden box right now, and on some embroidery on a new Viking apron dress that I made last month.  Show you soon!

A To-Do List: On Project Management and Prioritization

In days past, project management was a big topic on this blog, mainly because I (like most of us) tend to take on too much work, work in a rush, and end up either not getting everything done or turning out half-assed work.  Right now, as I come back into the SCA after a long hiatus, I'm in a pretty great spot:  I have no projects right now, and it's up to me to pick and choose where I spend my efforts going forward.  A fresh start!

So I'm looking at the upcoming Bjornsborg Viking event, Valkyrfelt, and trying to decide where to spend my money, my time, and my sanity.  The event is on October 19th, which is exactly one month away from my start date of September 20th (payday).  Here's what my list of ideas looks like right now:

• a new apron dress
• a pair of men's pants for myself
• repairs to my broken Hedeby bag
• a refit of my old parasol which needs a new cover
• new Viking jewelry for myself
• a wooden box I'd like to make just for fun 

Let's look at the time frames on those:  

• apron dress - 3 hours, not including embroidery (approx. 6 hours)
• men's pants - 2 hours
• broken bag - possibly 12 hours
• parasol - 2 hours
• new jewelry - 3 hours
• wooden box - 6 hours

All told, that's 34 hours.  I'll round it up to 40, because you just never know.  That's great!  I have plenty of time to get everything done.  

However, I also have a set of couch cushion covers that I'm making for a friend, and I'm spending about 4 hours a week on those right now.  All in all, I still have "plenty" of time to get all of this done...but do I really want to spend an average of 14 hours a week working on all of this?  No. No, I do not.  I want to have time to do other things with my life, too.  So how do I prioritize this a bit better?  Let's look at what each project is worth to me:  

1. Apron dress:  I'm down by two apron dresses, and so this is definitely needed for this event. 
2. Hedeby bag:  this is my only Viking bag, and I'll need it to carry at the event - it's not unusable right now, but it's definitely a pain in the ass.  Plus, I'm very proud of it and I want to have it with me, and I want it to look its best.  This one stays.  
3. Wooden box:  this takes very little time, and I've already got the box and the supplies I'll need, so this project is free.  It stays on my list for Valkyrfelt, but it'll be the first to go if other things need more time. 

• Men's pants:  while I really want a pair of pants to go with my male Viking outfit (great to pack up camp in on the last day!), I don't really want to spend the money on this right now.  Tabled for future events. 
• The parasol isn't necessary for this event.  The site is fully shaded by trees, and the parasol isn't Viking at all - I'd rather use hats and sunscreen for a Viking event.  This one can go.  
• New jewelry would be fun, and beautiful (and I'm craaaaving amber right now), but do I really need it?  No, I do not.  I'll table this project until necessary items are done, if I still have time and money.  

There.  I've just cut my list in half!  From +/-40 hours to about 23 (round up to 26).  That's much more doable, and I'll have the time I need to do each of those three "needful" things nicely and correctly, instead of rushing through trying to get 6 projects done.  I'd like to try to time myself as I work to get a better idea of if my estimates are correct - if I remember to, I'll post about it here.  

As of right now, I've already completed the brown apron dress and am now working on the embroidery (seams, top edge);  and I've begun the wooden box.  Hopefully I'll have pics of finished projects for you soon. 

CIVUS ROMANUS SUM

I'm back!  Hi!  When last I wrote, I had just attended Candlemas in February of this year.  Not a lot has been going on since then - there are very few events in the summer, and the couple that happened in the spring, I couldn't attend for one reason or another.

But this weekend I made it out to our Roman-themed baronial event.  It was 107ºF outside, so a lot of us just sat around in the shade fanning ourselves and guzzling water.  But it was WONDERFUL to see all of my friends again, and to hide from the sun geeking out about history together.

I don't have a great pic from the event that shows my whole outfit;  this is a pic taken before the event, in my bedroom.  A white linen tunica (which is badly hemmed and needs fixing, but it was what I had on short notice - I only decided to go to the event the day before!),  a teal linen chiton (the pattern for which is here), a looooong sash made from upholstery fabric (stolen from one of my Italian outfits), and a palla cut from what I think might have started life as a chiffon curtain panel.   Simple, lightweight, breathable, and comfy.  The jewelry is the same blue lampwork-glass bead jewelry you've seen me wear with many an outfit (better pics soon).

IT ME

So what's next?  

The third weekend of October is Bjornsborg's annual baronial event, and it's Viking-themed, as usual.  Hooray!  I love Viking!  While I threw the Roman outfit together out of pieces I already had, and at the last minute, this time I have time to properly prepare, and I plan to create a few new pieces for the Viking event - namely, a new hangerrock, new wooden handles for my Hedeby bag, and some new jewelry.  I'll be back soon!  

Lady Madylyne Goes To Candlemas

2 years, 2 months, and 3 days.  That's a pretty long hiatus.

I've really missed the SCA these two years.  I had burned myself out pretty badly, and had no interest in even dipping a toe back into the whirlwind of stress that I remembered.  All that "project management" I posted about?  I missed the most important part: don't overload yourself and drive yourself insane! 

This past weekend, I dipped that toe back in, though - I went to Candlemas (fittingly, it was also my very first event, back in 2011).  I had a BLAST, reconnected with a bunch of old friends, made some new ones, and just generally immersed myself in that wonder that is an SCA event.  I got so many hugs I think I may never need another one.  I went into it thinking, "I'll just do this one event, and if it goes well, I might go back to the SCA...but we'll see."

Well, ladies and gents, I'm back.

I didn't make anything new to wear to this event.  The theme was late Elizbethan, and there was no way I could have pulled that off in a short amount of time - so I wore my favorite Viking, since that's what I had from before that still fit and was still in decent condition after sitting in a box for more than two years.

"Please, Mr. Photographer, will you take
a picture of my outfit for my mother so
she doesn't kill me? Thanks." 

(Caveat:  no, the green hanging apron in the front isn't technically correct for 10-11th century Viking.  If I remember correctly, the idea of it was based in one guy's misunderstanding of a grave find from, I think, the 70s, which was later proven to be not at all what he thought it was.  But it looks cool, and I felt the outfit needed it, just this once).

Now, Edna, that's not nice. 

It took a hot minute to find something that fit me properly; and then I had to re-do the jewelry that went with the outfit and put together a new set of feast gear.

Jingle boobs. 

So, what's next?  In general, I'll be taking things slowly and participating on a smaller scale than I did before, at least at first. There are many reasons for that;  the first being that I don't want to overwork myself like I was doing before...but it also doesn't help that BOTH of my sewing machines just died. That's going to put a bit of a damper on things, I think.  (C'mon, tax refund!)

I think the next event I'll attend is likely the Academy of Defense in Bjornsborg.  It's a rapier tournament, and it's at my very favorite event site of all time - grassy and cool, filled with mature pecan trees and surrounded on three sides by a quiet little river.  Lovely.

See you soon!

Belated Event Follow-Up

The good news is that I DID find my box of 14th-century stuff, so I did not go to Lions naked. The event was fabulously fun, exciting, and beautiful, though a bit on the chilly side at night.  My poor tent, which was brand new in January, caught in a tornado in March, and has been breaking down bit by bit ever since that event, finally gave up the ghost when I tried to set it up at the event, so I slept in my friend's car the first night we were there.  As much as we wanted to stick around for the post-court party the next night, we opted to drive the hour-and-a-half home and luxuriate in hot showers and warm beds instead of weathering another frigid night outdoors.

me and my shabby parasol

Since then, I've been hard at work whipping my new fixer-upper house into shape.  I'm pleased to report that I have - mostly - got the sewing room together, although it's not remotely decorated or even within earshot of "done".  But I can work in it, which is fortunate, because I have a commission coming up in the next week or so (more Caerleon company livery, nothing terribly out of the ordinary - which is good. I don't think I could handle anything majorly complicated right now, with all the other work I still have to do). Updates on both the room and the commission coming soon.

Oh, Dear

In my head, the move went like this: 

The movers would show up, move all our stuff, and by that evening - or possibly the next day - we'd begin unpacking and setting up house.  My sewing shop would be up and running again in a matter of days, and I'd make a pretty, new, blue cotehardie to wear to the upcoming Tournament of Lions event - I mean, there'd be three weeks to work on it, right? No problem! I can whomp out a cotehardie with one eye tied behind my back!

What actually happened was that everything that could go wrong, did.  The short version is, we've only JUST begun setting up and unpacking this week.  Lions is in two days, and guess which box of garb I CANNOT find anywhere?  That's right: the one with all my 14th century stuff.  None of which even fit me when I packed it up two months ago - I have two days to locate it and alter it, or, I guess...

I'm kidding.  I can make due with piecing the rest of what I have together, if I need to.  If there's one thing this move has taught me, it's to resist panic and think up another solution when the first idea falls through. 

Pics, hopefully, after the event.  With any luck I won't be wearing blue jeans and sneakers in any of them.


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One Month Later...

The move is technically complete, but there've been some hiccups - and that's putting it mildly.

Suffice to say (rather than sit here at my keyboard and complain about things, which nobody wants to hear) I haven't gotten any work done. I wanted to have a new outfit made in time for the Tournament of Lions event on the 21st, but that hasn't/isn't going to happen. I should be able to find a moment in the next ten days to alter something old to fit; or at least to throw together something relatively early-14th-century that's baggy enough to just throw on, at the very least.

If I can locate my boxes of garb.  And, you know, shoes. Veils. Camping equipment...? I have no idea where any of my stuff is.

I'll be back when I have a solution to ...*gestures vaguely at everything*



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