Sewing Circle

[Imzy]

This is a thread to discuss the joys (and woes!) of SCA costuming/garbmaking/whatever-you-want-to-call-it. smile Discuss the pros and cons of various patterns, post pictures or links... have fun, and look fabulous doing it. wink  

[Annalise Morwen]

Discovery:

Most plain skirts for garb work wonderfully for the pre-Civil War era.
Thank goodness or I would go crazy.

I really like the McCall's mideval patterns. They make it very easy to change.
Also the chemise pattern 4091 is really good expect you have to hem the sleeves BEFORE you make the drawstring channel. That could have been aggrivating.  

[Arithrel]

Annalise Morwen

Discovery:

Most plain skirts for garb work wonderfully for the pre-Civil War era.
Thank goodness or I would go crazy.

I really like the McCall's mideval patterns. They make it very easy to change.
Also the chemise pattern 4091 is really good expect you have to hem the sleeves BEFORE you make the drawstring channel. That could have been aggrivating.

Good to know. I can't sew yet (I've made one piece of garb, a nice 12th century gown, and that was with my mother dictating my every move, lol...she makes my garb for me) but I plan on learning as soon as I can.  

[Sunegami]

I posted on the original SCA thread pictures of the dress my Lord made for me over the Christmas holiday. I'll repost it here:

Sunegami

My boyfriend goes to UPitt, and he found out about it through. . . I can't remember. sweatdrop When I was out visiting him one weekend, he took me with him to a practice, and I was hooked. heart

He made me my garb, too, as a Christmas present (my persona is a 14th-century Florentine):

The Front

The Back

The Sleeve

 

[Annalise Morwen]

I got promoted to the Head Costume Mistress: Portable this weekend.
It's for the curch play I'm helping with. I get to do the repairs on the run, because the Head Costume Matron is not very mobile. And appearently my youthful enthusiasm and inherant skill seem to have aquired me another job. *sigh*

(Somedays I REALLY hate being judged competent)

Working on a 1800's vest. Trying to make it reversable, It should work, but I think there might be a discrepancy. Not sure. Will worry about it in the morning.  

[Imzy]

Arithrel

Annalise Morwen

Discovery:

Most plain skirts for garb work wonderfully for the pre-Civil War era.
Thank goodness or I would go crazy.

I really like the McCall's mideval patterns. They make it very easy to change.
Also the chemise pattern 4091 is really good expect you have to hem the sleeves BEFORE you make the drawstring channel. That could have been aggrivating.

Good to know. I can't sew yet (I've made one piece of garb, a nice 12th century gown, and that was with my mother dictating my every move, lol...she makes my garb for me) but I plan on learning as soon as I can.

Best thing to do is just to dive in and get your hands dirty, so to speak. Start with simple stuff and cheap fabric. The dollar-a-yard tables at wal-mart are your friends. That's what I did. After a bit of practice you start getting more comfortable with it and pretty soon you'll find that you can confidently make just about anything. smile  

[Faeyas]

I have an early italian rennisance dress. Its made with real dyed sage linin (My 18th birthday gift from my mother who is the seamstress of the family.) I had help making it from my mom and my step mom. It looks really good right now, I can't wait to wear it publically (although I will be showing it off at the Renn Faire first.).  

[Annalise Morwen]

I have become a HUGE fan of the white marking pencil by Nonce. (for dark fabrics)

Tip: It works much better on the fabricif you get the tip damp.

Also air erasable maeking pens. They just fade away, but can be brought back by ironing, in 24 hours of applying.  

[Imzy]

Annalise Morwen

I have become a HUGE fan of the white marking pencil by Nonce. (for dark fabrics)

Tip: It works much better on the fabricif you get the tip damp.

Also air erasable maeking pens. They just fade away, but can be brought back by ironing, in 24 hours of applying.

I have some of those... I kinda went nuts in the notions section of the fabric store and bought a whole pile of junk I thought I needed. wink But lately, I've found myself using plain, ordinary chalk. Not even tailor's chalk, just chalkboard chalk I found in a drawer in the basement, and subsequently added to my sewing supplies.  

[Annalise Morwen]

Imzy

Annalise Morwen

I have become a HUGE fan of the white marking pencil by Nonce. (for dark fabrics)

Tip: It works much better on the fabricif you get the tip damp.

Also air erasable maeking pens. They just fade away, but can be brought back by ironing, in 24 hours of applying.

I have some of those... I kinda went nuts in the notions section of the fabric store and bought a whole pile of junk I thought I needed. wink But lately, I've found myself using plain, ordinary chalk. Not even tailor's chalk, just chalkboard chalk I found in a drawer in the basement, and subsequently added to my sewing supplies.

a small sliver of soap works very well also!!  

[Blue Eli]

Wow, these are great hints. I'm Maid-of-Honoring for my cousin's handfasting, and it's a Faire themed gathering...i.e., we must make three flower faerie outfits, six or seven Scottish kilt ensembles, four bridesmaid uniforms, each consisting of bodice, skirt, and shirt, my outfit, two for the bride, one for the groom, as well as garb for about eight to ten of the guests.

...it's madness. But lots of fun.  

[Annalise Morwen]

I have a new love for Borax.

Not only is it alaundry booster (and helps to get smells and whatnot out of fabric) and a cleaning agent; it is a repellant for cockroaches. My mom pointed out that we have never had any anywhere we have lived.

But I've been using it in my brothers stinky clothes (which he can never get to smell pretty) and they smell like laundry detergent!  

[Dragostae]

I really hate being near incompetent without a machine. And that's arguable. However, I'm looking for good patterns for a Ren fest I'm really wanting to go to (the Brobdingnagian Bards are playing!) in October. My fiance will be easy, a Great kilt (in Lindsey plaid). Five yards of sixty inch fabric, and just hems, at that. I think I can handle that.

However, I need garb. And badly. I don't want to go all wench-like, but not so noble that it freaks me out. Do you guys have any good patterns that could help me out? I'll go ahead and caution that the closest thing I've got for a fabric store is Walmart. >.<  

[WitchyChick]

I got into the whole SCA-thing just as we began to pack for moving, so I haven't gotten to try my hand at sewing any garb yet. I have, however, been doing TONS of research on different garb I want to make, and having a mother and two aunts who are amazing seamstresses helps matters out as well.

In the meantime, while I wait for the move, I've been doing cross-stitching. I'm actually quite good at it; it's been a hobby of mine for a long time. I'm trying to find some medieval patterns, but with no avail as of yet. If anyone could give me a hand it would be greatly appreciated.  

[LittleGreenGirl]

ooh ooh! the fall preview of the pattern books are out now, and Simplicity, McCall's, and Butterick all have new medieval patterns, and a lot of them look pretty damn good! of course they're not all completely accurate as usual, but they all look simple enough to modify... now to get some money...