Good Garb!

[Berzerker_prime]

Divash

Berserker_prime, I don't have a cultural reference point in my knowledge base for this. Would you describe the outfit in terms of period, place, construction, and other points of interest, so I can really appreciate it (beyond just thinking it looks hella cool)?

I made this costume for Costume Con 28's historical contest back in May. I entered it in the Historic Dress category which is supposed to be for something that can pass as historical but isn't based on an existing outfit.

The garb is 1550-1600 (so, in terms of our game, really late period) garb for an affluent noblewoman in Venice during carnivale. So, even in period, this would have been considered a costume. The intention was that the noble woman was dressing up as a griffin (and I'm from Northshield. Coincidence? Nope.).

I'm definitely proudest of the scalloped bell sleeves. The feather pattern of the embroidery was all hand done in chain stitch and took me two years. I never want to touch a piece of that color embroidery thread again.

I made the costume with the intention of wearing it without all the stuff on the head as normal garb. But it seems a bit of a shame to let those parts just sit, packed away in a box. I'm trying to decide if it would be too over-the-top to wear the whole thing to the next Twelfth Night I go to.  

[Sir_Catherine]

Wow, I think you would drop jaws if you wore it for 12th Night. Please do! I'm hoping to go to that event myself.  

[TN_Lark]

Out to the Black

TN_Lark, that look awesome. You should post some close-up shots of the embroidery.

The embroidery around the bottom of the dress is cats and mice. Here's one of the cats



And here's the neckline on the dress:

 

[Berzerker_prime]

OMG, I love that embroidery!

I can't quite tell from the picture. What stitches did you use?  

[TN_Lark]

Berzerker_prime

OMG, I love that embroidery!

I can't quite tell from the picture. What stitches did you use?

It's all done in split stitch. I use DMC floss because this is field garb that I want to be able to toss in the washing machine. I use the full six strands, splitting them 3/3 when stitching. This gives the embroidery enough bulk to actually stand out on the fabric.

Of course it is all un-documentable, but it does make for some fun garb and some enjoyable stitching.  

[Berzerker_prime]

Yeah, I use a lot of DMC for my embroidery, too. It has the advantages of being cheap, consistent, color fast, durable, available everywhere, and it comes in a million colors.

Not documentable? Wow. A layman would never know it, just looking. That is beautiful work.  

[Runa Whynd]

Berzerker_Prime, I love the idea of a Carnivale costume. It looks amazing and I think wearing the mask and such to 12th night would be a fantastic idea.

TN_Lark, your embroidery is beautiful. I wish I could do anything even remotely like it. Wow.  

[Divash]

Brilliant embroidery, TN_Lark! WOW!

Berserker-prime, please do wear that to Twelfth Night, especially if you're going to the one that's being held in Tree-Girt-Sea (Chicago). I won't be there for most of the event, but I'm driving down once the Jewish Sabbath ends at sunset, and heading up the cleanup. I figure I'll be the only one there who's fresh and energetic when the cleanup begins, so I volunteered.  

[Berzerker_prime]

I might just do that, if I have the budget and someone to ride with and if it doesn't conflict with the Twelfth Night that Nordskogen (Twin Cities) holds every year.

Being as I'm effectively unemployed right now, it might not be in the cards, but I will certainly keep it in mind. smile