14th Century Suit: A start

This is a (almost) completely new period for me--I have a suit of 14th century Russian, but it bears little resemblance to the clothing being worn by the rest of Europe at the time--and have done a couple of odd pieces, but not the full outfit I've been dreaming of for years.  Recent posts by the blog Exploring the Medieval Hunt have inspired me to make my own outdoors ready outfit (it was mainly that awesome square hood style)...with winter ready layers and accessories.

While I started out by looking through medieval huntbooks, I soon moved away from them--the ones I could find were either too late, or too early for the style I had envisioned...a close fitting cotte (I eventually went through every image I could find from my chosen time of 1370).  In addition to the required hosen (either red or brown), I want one or two hoods.  The first, a simple pull over liripipe hood, and the second as a square mantled, fur lined hood.

Historical Sew Monthly, January: Foundations

Being worn without an outer layer--I was rather cold...

For the first entry this year, I have a simple undertunic.  Those who know me, know that I tend to play in early medieval Northern Europe, so this was a much needed addition to my wardrobe (all my old undertunics died.  Horribly).  I threw it together a few days before an event, once I remembered that I would need a new one, and did the hand finishing (sewing down the yoke and cuffs) in the car on the way to the event, as well as late that night while partying.

The pattern is simple—two body pieces seamed at the shoulders (it would have been one long one, but I wanted the stripes running lengthwise on the garment), two sets of gores, and two trapezoidal sleeves.  The gores were made approximately as wide and long as I could.  I may stitch rip, then inset gussets in the underarm at some point in the future.

Phrygian Cap Documentation

Phrygian Cap

Being an entry into the Viking Stitchery Competition at Summer Coronet, AS 47

A Phrygian cap to match my new ionar, in green/black herringbone wool, lined with green linen.

Goals

This piece, aside from being a clothing accessory, is intended to example several seams and stitches appropriate for Norse clothing.  What it is not intended to be is a period perfect replica of an existing garment.

Pattern

After trying out several possible patterns, I decided upon a simple three piece one, consisting of two sides, and a circular top.  This pattern, I feel, gave me the best combination of utility (as the hat will be actually used for warmth) and drape for the desired profile.

The pattern used.

A pair of Norse Shoes

Completed Shoes.  Not particularly attractive--especially unoccupied--but they should serve.

This particular project was inspired by a terrible need for a pair of early period shoes—something fairly generic, but period (Viking Age) in cut.  While I started by patterning off of the Oseberg 303s—and did keep the basic outline of that pair--, I ended up draping many trials in order to get the fit I desired.  My goal was to make a pair of shoes which met my desired purpose—something which could be worn in winter with heavy socks and would keep the snow out.

Overall, the shoes are based on a slightly simplified Oseberg 303s—a single piece upper with no center seam.  There is a dart in the center back (of the heel), covered by the triangular extension from the heel of the sole.  The heel extension was more commonly found on Anglo-Scandinavian footwear, but also on Oseberg 172[i]. 

Research Dump: No. 5

This may be the last of the posts on this blog...or not.  I haven't decided.  Anyways, I'm giving a shift to WordPress a try.  My plan is to publish on both for a time, and see which I prefer.  If you have a preference as a reader, please, let me know.
The shift will be to http://matsukazeworkshops.wordpress.com.



7th Century Frankish. 10 9/16ths inches long. The Morgan Scramasax.
The studs are interesting...made of a copper alloy, I would assume that they were part of the sheathhttp://metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/465692?rpp=20&pg=1&ft=%2A&when=A.D.+500-1000&what=Copper%7CArms&pos=8

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A Bibliography of Pattern Books in the 16th Century
Exactly that, including free PDFs of period embroidery pattern books.
http://home.comcast.net/~mathilde/embroidery/bibpatbk.htm

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Feasting and Drinking: Proverbs in Early Sixteenth-Century Woodcut Illustrations

Interesting...but ewww.

Proverbs and proverbial expressions addressing peasant festivals are sprinkled throughout German printed books and pamphlets of the early sixteenth century within the context of peasant festivals. Johannes Agricola, for example, described the frequency and popularity of kermis/Kirchweih in his book of proverbs from 1530: 'There is novillage so small that it does not have a kermis once a year' ("Es ist kain dorH1ein so klain/es wirdt des jars einmal kirchweyhe darjnnen"), and 'Germans go together to church festivals four, five villages at a time, [and] as it [sic] happens only once a year,
it is praiseworthy and honorable, because people are created for that purpose, to live friendly and honorably together.'
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=artfacpub&sei

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Was Steenstrup Right? A New Interpretation of the 16th Century
Sea Monk of the Øresund
How very bizarre! A paper discussing the possible identities of a strange creature--dubbed "The Sea Monk"--which washed up on a beach in 1550.
...

http://www.zmuc.dk/…/JOURN…/PDF/Vol29-1/Paxton%26Holland.pdf

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DEGRADATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINS
A book discussing the above--the effect of the environment and soil on various types of remains.https://www.academia.edu/1971368/Degradation_of_archaeological_remains

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Early medieval textile remains from settlements in the Netherlands. An evaluation of textile production.

 Many fragments of archaeological textiles have been found in the Netherlands during the last century. This article focuses on the way these textiles were made and used. How and where were textiles and clothes made and by ...whom? Was cloth production already a practice of specialists, acting in an extensive trade network, or was it a craft that mainly took place at the household level? To answer these questions 440 fragments of 265 different textiles, from 31 sites have been examined. Without exception these textiles were discovered in settlement context, mostly in the north of the country. The analysis of the remnants has resulted in the distinction of the different steps in the production process and insight in the way the textile products were used. The results show that many textiles are likely to have been produced at a household level. Only in a few cases were they made using special skills and tools or did the production process require much time. Some products, such as the finer fabrics, the fine needlework on several hats, fabrics with a raised nap, piled weaves and a veil-like garment, may be considered as the work of textile specialists. In this article it is argued that these specialists were either working for a patron or in an independent workshop.http://www.jalc.nl/cgi/t/text/get-pdffb8f.pdf?c=jalc%3Bidno%3D0201a02

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FABRICS IN MEDIEVAL DRESS IN POMERANIA

In Pomerania, there is a large number of archaeological sites of medieval provenance where textiles were found among other kinds of manmade objects. The material has been identified and thoroughly exa...mined from the technological point of view and the finds have been presented in numerous publications. The boundaries of the region referred to as Pomerania need to be precisely established here. Because of the relatively broad chronological range of the present paper, including the entire medieval period, the territory marked by natural boundaries seems to be the most adequate point of reference. Thus the region lies on the south shore of the Baltic Sea and stretches out as far as the line of swamps and marshes of the Warta and Noteć rivers. The eastern limits of the region are marked by the Vistula River and it borders on the Oder River in the west.http://www.rcin.org.pl/iae/Content/22988/WA308_35561_PIII348_FABRICS-IN-MEDIEVAL_I.pdf

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MEDIEVAL NOVGOROD LEATHER

A selection of images of leather goods found from medieval Novgorod.

http://users.stlcc.edu/mfuller/novgorodleatherp.html

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Staraya (Old) Russa: archaeological investigations of the medieval town.

A paper discussing the history of the excavation, and offering a number of photographs of pieces from the finds. 

http://www.novsu.ru/file/995376

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FROM FLAX TO LINEN IN THE MEDIEVAL RUS LANDS

https://www.academia.edu/859238/From_Flax_to_Linen_in_the_Medieval_Rus_Lands

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 Warp Weighted Looms: Then and Now: Anglo-Saxon and Viking Archaeological Evidence and Modern Practitioners

https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/api/datastream?publicationPid=uk-ac-man-scw:229035&datastreamId=FULL-TEXT.PDF

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Fabulous beasts—leather, silk and gold: recent research on and conservation of 12th century footwear from the episcopal tombs in Trèves Cathedral.

http://www.viks.sk/chk/14tmh_90.doc

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GUIDE TO VIKING TURNSHOES
A run through of the basic process of creating your own pair of turnshoes.  It does not really cover patterns, but rather, how to measure and make your pattern, then construct the shoes.

http://www.aidan-campbell.co.uk/PDFs/Guide%20to%20Viking%20turnshoes.pdf   

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MEDIEVAL LEATHER DYING
An article quoting a late period treatise that included dying leather.

http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/leather/ld.html 

14th Century Women's Hood: Documentation

Finished Hood.

Garment Description:

This piece is a 14^th Century woman’s open hood, in a style appropriate for the early to mid 1300s.  This style of hood—rather than pulling on over the head as earlier and men’s versions do—buttons up the front, allowing it to be worn open in warmer weather, often folded back.  It is a fairly standard liripipe hood design—fairly fitted and having a short mantle, with a tail (the liripipe) running from the back of the hood.

 

The find and sources:

I decided to not duplicate a period piece for this project.  However, much of my inspiration came from the London Hood, which I patterned the construction off of[i].  In addition, some of the dimensions (most notably the circumference of the hem) and construction is from the Greenland find.  While mid century examples tend to be shorter and tighter than earlier ones, I also took the colder climate into consideration—upon discussing this project with another apprentice--, I tried to design the hood so that the mantle would cover the neckline of the recipient’s dresses in cold weather.

 

 

Pieces of the Garment:

The construction is fairly simple, being only four pieces (times two, if you count the flat-lining).  These consist of: the main body, which is roughly rectangular, with pieces missing for shaping (removed from under the chin, and rounding in at the back of the head); two gores which are set above each shoulder; and a liripipe.  Looking at period examples[ii] you can see that the liripipe is usually cut as a separate piece from the main hood.

 

Historical Sew Fortnightly #22: Menswear

At the last moment, I decided on a cravat for my entry.  Something nice and simple that I needed to wear with my frock coats. 

A cravat--the predecessor of the necktie, is a simple piece of fabric--often a fine linen--which was wrapped around your neck in a number of ways, and tied (usually in the front).  Earlier in the century, it was more or less exclusively white, and eventually other colours worked their way in.  Mine is made of piece of fairly fine white linen (I believe it is a blend--I'm really not sure where the fabric came from) 5.75 by 91 inches, which I hemmed with a rolled hem.  That's it!  The exact dimensions are personal preference, and depending on the knot to be used.

It should be starched for wearing--the amount of starch depends on the how you tie it; my favourite--the waterfall (or Mailcoach)--requires little to no starch.  The oriental requires a very stiff cloth.