This will probably be a relatively short post but....Valentine's Day was my 10 year anniversary of the Matsukaze Workshops blog. As such, I wanted to try talking about some of what I learned, and go over some of my most popular posts of all time. As well as some of the ones I am most proud of (the two aren't necessarily the same), and what needs work.
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| Sorry about the white edges...it wouldn't let me edit those out for some reason. |
For those who have missed it in the past, even though I don't do Japanese fashion a whole lot, the name comes from the karate kata, Matsukaze, which was one of my tournament kata as a teen (and one of the few in Shito-ryu which fit lanky people, as it was allegedly developed from Crane forms of kung-fu). Since childhood, I've liked the imagery of the name, which translates as "wind blowing through the pines". Matsu is also shorthand for my home borough.
There will likely be a whole lot of references to procrastinating, and excuses. To get them out of the way; Pandemic and the lapse in events to sew for, Really Crappy Computer, Building a Cabin, and Cycling/Fitness becoming a primary hobby instead of just transportation. Now having a job which does not allow for nearly unlimited time at the computer working on my own stuffs (I did have that in my employment from...2016-2019? I think?) has also greatly impacted my productivity, both with sewing and on the blog itself.
10 Most Popular Posts:
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| Mistress Etain, in an outfit made by me for her Elevation |
The all time most popular post over the last ten years is my article on 16th Century Irish Dress. Somehow, younger me wrote an article which became one of the main references for the topic on the net. Older me looks back on it and sees all the flaws; it's not a bad article, but it does need updating and re-writing one of these years. I've been meaning to since I finally got my hands on a copy of Dunlevey (*cough* years ago), but given I have actual experience in making at least the menswear now, and have made copies of several of the extant garments mentioned in the article means those insights could be incorporated.
Next up is my tutorial set on 16th Century Thread Wrapped Buttons, where I cover three different styles of Elizabethan buttons, two documentable and one which is not.
Personally, this one doesn't bother me too much, as it's largely straightforwarded "this is how I did this", with a touch of "this is not period, but is a workaround for me". And a dash of "This style is not known in period", which I should probably go back and put in bold since I occasionally see it pop up and be contended. I'm guessing it's so popular because a lot of people do want thread buttons, and I feel my step-by-step photos which mostly comprise the post of the process were halfway decent.
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| Early 19th Cen Corset. MET. Accession #2011.105 |
Aaah.... A "Brief" Discussion on Men's Stays. I am so glad to see this one make this list as it was very much a passion project, covering a subject which is largely neglected...men's shapewear, and actually looking at evidence beyond Victorian fetish corsets and caricatures. It was an article which took some time to write as I gathered various sources, and...well...got around to it as the topic seemed somewhat daunting. It is one of my top two or three favourite articles I have written.
The Moselund Kirtle. One of the two pieces of documentation which made the top seven(?) list, this was written and published early on in my blogging journey. It is a true piece of SCA documentation, which I wrote to cover my mm scaled version of the Moselund Kirtle I made as my Artisan Project for Queen Violente, and then put up--I really don't know why I rarely wear it...out of sight, out of mind, I suppose.
While I learned a lot from this sewing project, I rarely, if ever make these kinds of garments anymore; not only did my focus switch more to late period clothing, but for the most part I feel that I have learned much of what I could from doing slavishly copied reconstructions where I copy every mistake and irregularity the original version has. Some if not many of the irregularities are likely do to fabric shifting in the last millennium in the ground, or just "sloppy" work by the maker. Others, on the other hand, might have actual reasons, or be there to accommodate deformities in the shape of the wearer.
My Front Fall Trousers. I have no idea why this page is so popular. It is the other piece of documentation, and while written in a similar form to my SCA documentation--and better polished as I was getting more practice with writing documentations--it was written as a Historical Sew Monthly entry.
It doesn't have tutorials. And it isn't all that historically accurate or interesting, although it did make a lovely proof of concept and practice piece for front fall garments. I suspect the mention of Hobbits in the title is what helped garner a lot of the hits (which to be fair is the goal of interesting titles).
Sadly, the garment is no longer wearable, as the crotch blew out... Ah well; I later made another pair in blue corduroy which is a bit heavier in weight and better in construction.
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| From E. Dilday's Plain and Concise Method of Garment Cutting, 1856 |
The only one of my annotated Bibliographies to make the list; My Bibliography of Historical Tailoring and Cutting Manuals. Another labour of love, and one which I largely constructed both for my own personal reference for future projects, and so that when someone on a sewing group went "Where can I find Victorian Period Patterns?" I could just share a hyperlink and be done with it. I've played with a few of the manuals within, and always intended to play with more of them; if you haven't done any drafting off of period manuals and you do make stuff for the pertinent time, I recommend it. It's definitely a worthwhile activity, especially if you like puzzles. Make a scaled down paper pattern first to work it out.
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| From Pattern of Fashion 3. Arnold, Janet. page 20 |
The Second of my favourite articles...Buttonholes Through the Periods. Another passion project, as I geek out way too much to be healthy or sane about the topic of the development of buttonholes. You'd think I'd actually be better at sewing them, but apparently I spend too much time looking at pictures... There are so many little details into them both in form and fiddliness (which as an IS type personality, and physical learner is right up my alley), and I feel that correctly handsewn buttonholes is one of the little details which can really make a garment.
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| MET 2009.300.999 |
The only Featured Garment post to make the list, regarding a Patchwork Dressing Gown from 1820s, I suspect a lot of its success is due to Vincent's delightful recreation of a similar one from the 1830s--seriously, go check out his post and youtube video. I have nothing much to say about my post...it is fairly simple, analyzing the images of the garment for hints about pattern/construction/etc.
I lied...there is another annotated Bibliography in the top 10. The post which started it all...my Irish Clothing Bibliography. It was originally made in Microsoft Word so that when people on Yahoo Groups (remember those?) asked about early period Irish clothing I could just share the document with them, and not spend a lot of time responding. Apparently, that was something I did fairly often then, as I recall there being some thought put into deciding which of my existing pieces would be the first published. The page itself is good; I have no qualms about continuing to share it, except one...it was made 10+ years ago. Many of the pages are likely no longer available, and there has been so many advances in the subject since then.
Lastly is another piece of early documentation, for a 14th Century Lady's Hood. This was one of the few projects I have made for a friend over the years, Bella, who at the time was then Princess of Oertha. It was a fun and challenging project, especially trying to get measurements of her head without giving the game away. I stretched myself with using several techniques I haven't really played with even since then (mostly due to not sewing 14th century)--especially the tablet weaving directly on the hem of the garment. I'm actually still fairly happy with the garment, and still see it being worn occasionally.
Favourites
Featured Garments; a briefly lived series of posts I was doing when I had the time and spell slots for it. In these posts, I would find an unusual or interesting (the important thing being it catches my eye)--but not allegorical to my eye--outfit, and analyze it. I was originally inspired to do this by The Dreamstress with her weekly Rate the Dress posts. This could be any period, and I made attempts to spread out the timeline rather than just posting about whatever period I was currently studying.
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| Männertracht aus Braunschweig (23v) |
On one of them I made the full suit depicted--Männertracht aus Braunschweig (23v)--which became my Brunswick Suit. A few others I really want to make...someday. I have a private Pinterest board filled with potential subjects of these posts.
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| "17th Cen Jacket" The MET |
Over the couple years I was writing these, a few separate ones stand out.
A 1330s Genovese Cioppa. In particular, I remember writing this because it gave me sooo much trouble. At the time at least, there was very little information out online regarding this exact period.
My very first Featured Garment post, regarding an 1820s Frock Overcoat. Not only is it my first, although not a particularly odd garment, I "proved" that the auction site is wrong, and it is likely a costume piece from the 1870s-80s.
And because I do have to limit myself to not too many...my last favourite is probably the seriously funky "17th Century Jacket". Many hours of research trying to prove it a costume or Theater piece from a later period...and in the end, finding it inconclusive. Absolutely wonderful rabbit hole, and hours of staring close at the screen.
Documentation!
It's not a dirty word, I swear. Blogging has been great for learning to write documentation, and is one of the reasons I started this page to begin with. In the SCA, part of the Laurel path is being able to document and essentially show your work, and--especially living in Oertha, away from the Central West Kingdom--getting your work visible to more than the locals can be difficult. Writing on a blog for /every/ project, not just Serious ones, gives you practice at writing informative, and interesting "papers" on your projects--for instance, several of my projects (like the Hobbit pants) didn't require documentation. I wrote it anyways, as it worked well for practicing your writing voice and how you personally build and format docu.
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My favourite is probably that for my Brunswick suite. It's definitely the longest, anyways, and as I was offered admittance (and my elevation 8 months later) into the Order of the Laurel during its debut, it holds a special place in my heart. It was a massive project, with five separately written pieces of documentation--split up so that readers might actually read the individual pieces--,plus spawning the series of posts on pluderhose construction.
Other than that...I am particularly happy with the Moselund Kirtle Documentation, as it was one of the first writings I really went into depth for, as I had to do a write-up for a garment which was /not/ being displayed in a Kingdom A&S display (as after my original Dungiven was stolen when sent down, I wouldn't do so again).
Tutorials
Like documentation, writing tutorials is great. It really forces you to stop, and think about the best way to explain how to do something. Plus, you can go back years later and reteach yourself how the heck you did this when you want to make a new whatever. They don't have to be long...but make sure you have lots of pictures! A picture says a thousand words, which your editor will thank you for not actually writing.
Again, this ties into being on the path as an Apprentice...teaching and getting your knowledge out there is generally considered a requirement, one which can difficult for those who cannot travel readily.
Surprisingly, I don't have as many on the blog as expected; The Pluderhosen Series (in which I realized I have an unhealthy relationship with the garment), and a series covering the 1760s LACMA Banyan, plus a few odds and ends.
Other Types of Posts
Other forms of posts I have made use of over the years include my "Project Roundups" at my peak sewing time, when I normally had 5+ projects going on at a time and was actually working on them all regularly. Those were the days... Project Roundups are my (less gendered) version of the common Dress Diaries you see on other Sewist's blogs. Essentially, every few weeks or month I would share what I've been working on, rather than waiting until a project was finished in order to post. I would also do yearly review posts showing off everything I finished over the year and discussing it in brief.
Research Dumps; Also known as Lorum Ipsum Bran after the feature I had in the local SCA newsletter, they date from the days when I had an attention span and would spend my nights reading a variety of theses on medieval material culture and sharing them on a FB page built specifically for the purpose--Bran's Linkspages and Medieval News (which is essentially no longer used...). Essentially, after a long couple of days of rabbit holing, I would assemble them into an annotated bibliography. Vashti Research Assistance is now doing this and it is fabulous--I'm down with it, although I wish they would annotate the links.
Class Handouts: I admittedly do not teach as many classes as I should, and never have. It's a good skill to have and way to learn to speak in public (still terrible at), but I am very much a "physical educator" rather than a verbal one--it's how I grew up (excuse warning). My favourite there (but again, not that of my long suffering editor) is that for my class on Plainsewing In Depth. Somewhere between writing the handout and publishing it online, it went from a shorter handout to save on printer paper, to something with over 20 pages of text (not including photos). I'm not sure how I got a reputation for "handsewing everything" because I don't...but I still have a lot of tips, advice, and tricks which I share in there. And wear a thimble, dammit!
Lastly, we have Articles, and Inspiration posts. Directly related to the Featured Garments (which could be considered an intersection of them). Articles are just that; they aren't on any particular project, but are a research paper discussing a specific topic...such as my Men's Stays article, Irish Clothing, or a couple of random others like on Wound Men, or Pinterest for the Researcher (which is a little dated given app updates since, but still should have useful tips).
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| The MET. #1986.179.1 |
The few Inspiration Posts are a remnant of my time as an (active) Moderator of the Historical Sew Monthly/Fortnightly. We (the mods) used to get together and assemble posts to give ideas for the various challenges; the HSM is still kicking, and I'm somehow still a moderator, but I haven't truly been active in it myself since Pre-Pandemic, and we've all been hit by *gestures at the world*. Essentially, I would spend many hours on Pinterest gathering topical resources, and share some of my favourites and ideas to give participants ideas of what might be "permissible".
To Sum Up;
If you're on the fence about creating a blog for your Arts projects; Don't be. It's a valuable learning experience, and can especially help force you to actually take progress photos while you work. Your writing can improve drastically since practice makes perfect. Personally, I write much like I think (less so than how I speak, as WORDS...they get garbled), and it is largely done as a mental "lecture" between myself and a faceless one. Your methods may vary.
If you plan to enter A&S competitions, two things of note; as said, the blog is great practice for learning to write in that particular style needed for SCA Documentation--it needs to be half academic, but remain easy to read and (I feel) humourous. Secondus, schedule your post to drop right after the competition will have been judged, especially if it's supposed to be a blind judging.
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Some friends who I've instigated/pressured/maybe inspired into creating their own A&S related blogs:
- Mistress Gisla: http://anothercraftingblog.blogspot.com/, WHO IS EVEN WORSE AT UPDATING THAN ME, and was admitted to the laurel for "Viking Stuffs" a few years(?) ago.
- Ulfhildr's Black Sheep Workshop: https://blacksheepcraftsworkshop.blogspot.com/. They's doing it!, mostly with Project Roundup style posts. Also kitty photos included.
- Arnthor's Hippogriff Craftwerks: https://hippogriffcraftwerks.blogspot.com/. He's doing great work, and writing interesting documentations.
Tie-ins; Like "if you give a Moose a muffin" if you have a blog...I recommend also having a matching FB page to share it on and small things not worthy of an actual blog post. That way you don't have to post publicly on your personal profile. I also like to have a matching, tailored Instagram (which can be linked to auto-share onto your FB page)--it is a great way to keep interest and share progress photos while you are in the middle of projects with no end in sight.
I also have had a brief flirt with making video tutorials for youtube...it didn't go so well due to poor technology on my part. I doubt I will resume doing so any time soon.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading my ramblings! You should probably always be scared when I start with "it'll be a short post"...I think every time I have said that, it ended much longer than intended.
I also want to give a thank you for my early photographer for shoots, and proofreader Halfdan...sorry about all the extra long posts! We need to do some photo shoots again someday. If I ever finish a project...
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| Baby Grete sleeping on my Wanderer Frock Coat. |
Here's to another 10 Years!
Some things to keep an eye out for in particular are my Low Countries Menswear Research, which is /finally/ progressing since I gave myself the largely achievable goal of analyzing one painting a day, and posting it on the Matsukaze Workshops FB page--the feedback I am getting by doing so gives me the little encouragement I needed to progress and keep moving. I do want to start in on Featured Garment Posts on occasion, and I have a few pieces of Documentation for projects finished years ago that I never got around to doing a write-up for--this is why you journal your sewing (also, looking back at my instagram posts helps). I also have a few random notes in my journal regarding research I'd intended to go down and publish.
© John Frey, 2024. The Author of this work retains full copyright for this material. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this document for non-commercial private research or educational purposes provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all copies. But there is no reason you should be printing and sharing it.
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