Thursday status.

Another good crafty week since last Thursday.  The shirt and silk tunic for my husband were finished (enough) by the event on Saturday and holiday projects are nearing their ends.

So here's this week's status of projects in progress and "on deck."  

Current project list/status (SCA/Historic):

• Project X for C&L -- the "Convent Stitch" piece.  Threads have been determined and purchased and I'm down to two possibilities for the ground fabric.  Need to do a few test stitches to decide.   Happily, this project can get attention again soon. 
• Couched cord piece for C&L -- Complete change in plan.  This will now be covered by some work I'll be doing for the current King and Queen of the East for an event in January. Good productive meeting with a friend for design and material discussion. A design change request on Saturday has this one a bit in the air, but I think it can be brought back in line time-wise.
• Applique piece for C&L -- Did a little preliminary research, but have otherwise put this aside for other things -- as permitted by its place in my current project timeline.
• Shirt for my husband - - Hemmed and worn.  I will be going back and finishing the seams I hadn't finished before, but it fits and he's happy with it.  
• Silk tunic for my husband -- ditto.  Will probably add some more embroidery too. 
• Class for March.  I've just been asked to do a class at an embroidery event in March which will be a "more in-depth" than the usual SCA class.  Topic will be German Brick Stitch. Deadline is early January to have concept piece done and photos and write up to the coordinator.  My plan is to write most of the class while I make the concept piece so I can do my usual photos in progress method (without having to do the piece twice!).  Designs have been chosen and materials purchased. This weekend will see this firmly on its way.
• Motifs for coronation cloaks (different coronation) -- The embroidery on the two remaining tygers is on hold pending decisions by other people..
• Marshall Hanging -- the very large Bayeux inspired piece that I've been working on (on and  off) for just about forever.  Deadline, June some time summer 2016.  
• Hem stitched square -- Now 3 sides are done and the fourth one started.  I think this one has officially gone to "in stasis," though I did do some on Saturday at the event.  There's about 1/2 of the last side to do. 

• Other garb waiting in the wings... Also in planning are a couple more coifs -- and shifts and shirts.  

Current project list/status (Modern)

• Bay of Fundy Scarf.  The slightly over half done scarf is patiently waiting for its time to return, after the gift knitting....   
• Gift knitting.  I don't take on a lot of knitting for gifts, especially with my usual policy of only having one knitting project in progress at a time, but I found some lovely yarn at Rhinebeck for a scarf for a friend for an EOYHOYC* gift so that will enter rotation.  This is moving quickly.  I'm pretty happy with it so far. At this point I think it's about 2/3 done.
• Annual cross stitch.  A few years ago I started a project for the adopted daughter of friends -- I bought a lovely cross stitch chart that is made up of a number of motifs (similar to Quaker samplers).  There are just enough motifs for me to do a different one for an ornament each year for her until she reaches 21.  Motif was chosen and started.  The main motif is done and I'll be finishing this up in time for shipping on Monday.  Yeah, I'm always a bit behind on shipping things out.  
• Skirts for work.  One skirt that had been languishing in my studio has had some work done, and now just needs a hem (that's the one I pinned up). This hem is on my list for this weekend.  I also have some lovely blue and white fabric waiting to be the next skirt. Yes, you're right, no change here. (Really, what is so hard about getting around to sewing up the hem, which is the *last thing* on the black and white one). 
• Studio project. A number of things have migrated back to the studio (where, admittedly, they belong), and a few things in the studio need to come out.  I need to determine a day each month for specifically concentrating on getting everything back to where it belongs, which should help keep this room organized. 

Blog notes:

• Still working on a three day a week pattern -- Monday for SCA/Medieval/Renaissance related; Tuesday for post 1600 to modern related and Thursdays for status updates.
• I've begun building the "DONE" pages, and moved links around a bit.  The "main categories" are to the right now -- that's the main labels.  Click on one and see all the posts with that label.  Down below are *all* the labels I've used.  
• I'm also considering a couple other pages -- one for links to museums and other excellent web resources, and one for a bibliography (with appropriate links).  

So, that's it for my plans for the coming weeks.  

*EOYHOYC - End of Year Holiday of Your Choice; a once tongue-in-cheek, but now heart felt wish for everyone to enjoy whatever celebration November to mid January brings to them. 

Silk tunic

I finished the silk tunic for my husband -- at least to a wearable stage.  I do want to go back and add some more embroidery and some more of the seams need hand finishing.

Overall, however, I think I'm happy with it.  Things I plan to work on: the neckline is still a little large, and next time I'll have him put on the belt before marking up the hem.

The black silk we purchased in Philadelphia a couple of years ago, and I finally had the nerve to cut it.  First, I did the shirt, to make sure the current measurements and my pattern work well.  The shirt is of white linen from my stash -- I think it was some of the Fabrics-Store.com linen.

The sleeves on the shirt were initially a little large, so I did adjust them. Then, I used the same pattern (which I talked about here) for the silk.  I measured and marked very carefully, and then took a deep breath and cut with confidence.

The seams are machine sewn, but either are or will be (some done, some not yet for time constraint) hand finished.  I used my very old fashioned pin hem marker to mark the hems on both the shirt and the tunic.  Next time, he puts the belt on when I mark the hems.... or we start learning to "blouse" more.

 There is a little bit of embroidery already done.. both along the neckline of the shirt and the tunic.

Around the shirt neckline a blanket stitch in a very fine blue silk, and around the tunic neckline herringbone stitch again with silk. The tunic seams that have been finished and the hems were also stitched with silk; the shirt with linen.

Now, back to embroidery for teaching in March and pieces for my big presentation in June.

Joy also in the simple

While I work on the early stages of a couple of projects (research, design, material selection), I am also working on some clothing to be worn to SCA events -- known as garb.

My husband, for instance, is in desperate need of a new shirt and a tunic that is not "kitchen grub wear."

Wednesday and this weekend I started on the shirt.  Since I use pretty much the same pattern for both the shirt and the tunic (with the tunic just a little larger to allow for being over the shirt), this allows me to confirm my latest measurements and iteration of the pattern.

My basic tunic pattern, based on one found on the 'net a number of years ago.

And the cutting layout for 60" fabric.
A = shoulder to shoulder (use the larger, front or back)
B = 1/2 arm hole opening circumference
C = 1/2 underarm measurement
D = length of sleeve
E = circumference of fist
Gore length is A-B, not A-D as in the picture
Remember to add ease and seam allowances

I was lucky enough to find that some of that white linen (you remember the pile of white linen, right), was actually *washed* white linen, so I was able to press that and get right to work.  I cut out the nine pieces a shirt/tunic takes -- four sleeve pieces, four gore pieces and the main body piece.  That took longer than maybe it should, because I cut the big pieces by pulling a thread and cutting in the channel caused.  It's time consuming, but it does mean that the straight edges are straight.

I then cut out the four sleeve pieces using a pattern piece I drafted from the measurements I had.  The gores were last.  I cut a piece the right length for two gore lengths, then measured the top measurement required on each end, drew a diagonal and cut. I also rounded off the extra corner on that gore triangle.

Having ironed the pieces again (it's linen, it gets ironed often during construction), I sewed the sleeves to the gores and the top seam on the sleeves.  Those seams I did on my machine.  After pressing open the seams, and folding them in, however, I did the finishing by hand with linen thread.

I also prepared the neck opening.  This is MUCH easier when the main body piece is all one long piece.  I folded it in half at the eventual shoulder line, then in half long way.  I ironed those folds very well (though only a few inches down on the long fold), thus marking the center.  I took a circle of paper the correct size, folded it quarters to find the center, then also in thirds.  I placed the circle, lining the folds up with the folds on the linen, using one of the thirds fold lines so that the circle sat 1/3 to the back and 2/3 to the front.  Drew around my pattern and carefully cut out the circle.  That opening I finished by roll hemming. The tunic neckline will be treated a little differently.

Shirt or shift neckline cutting.
The green would be the fashion fabric and the white circle is the cutting guide piece.
A slit could be added down the front, but I usually keep the shirts and shifts round. 

The final step I've taken so far is to pin the sleeve/gore pieces to the main body piece, lining up the sleeve seams with the center shoulder seam on each side.

That's where it stands now.  I'll report again when the shirt is done.

Better by Hand

Sometimes, hand sewing is better. Both my husband and I wear coifs with our SCA garb.  now, I can buy coifs -- there are several sources for nicely made ones -- but that can get pricey, especially for something that is basically a simple item. A number of years ago I picked up a pattern for a three piece coif -- two side panels and a middle gusset.  It's a pretty simple pattern. 

The one drawback of this pattern is that it requires a very long seam attaching a straight piece to a curved piece.  Curved sewing on the sewing machine is ... well, lets just say it is not my strong suit.  For this reason, the whole wardrobe of coifs I envisioned did not come about.  

Fast forward to late last year.  I was packing up to attend an event, and realized that I was without a portable piece of hand work.  As I stood in my work room contemplating this problem, I spied a piece of white linen just about the right size to cut into pieces for a coif (it takes 6 -- four sides and two gussets -- to make the lined coif we both prefer).  I quickly cut out the pieces and made sure that needles and linen thread were in my basket and we headed out. 

During that event, I pinned the pieces together (two sides to each gusset -- and even managed to get them all pointing in the correct direction) and started sewing.  After completing the first seam with a simple running stitch, I decided that I wanted finished seams.  With no iron at the event, I carefully finger pressed the seam I had just completed open.  I was particularly pleased at how well it opened, with almost none of the puckering such a curved seam generally has on the machine.  Since the coif was to be lined, I did not fold under the seam edges, but simply tacked them down with a running stitch.  Since the thread matches the fabric, that stitch barely shows on the right side.

Over the next few weeks whenever I wanted something to do with my hands I picked up this coif, gradually stitching and finishing all four side piece to gusset seams.  I think pinned the two pieces right sides together and sewed them all around -- remembering to leave an opening to turn.  Once I turned the coif right side out I carefully stitched closed that opening, then topstitched all around the edge. 

Top stitching resulting from seam finishing

My husband is pretty happy with this coif.  I never did put tie cords on it, and there are some changes I'll make on the next one, but this certainly proved to me that sometimes hand sewing is the better choice. 

Side view

Back view