Laurel Cloak for Asa

My husband's apprentice sister, Asa in Svarta, was recently honored by being elevated to the Order of the Laurel.  (For those not in the SCA, this means that a very good friend was honored with a very special award).

I was pleased to be able to step forward to do the embroidery on a cloak for her. A simple "blanket" style cloak was chosen.  Mutual friend Rainillt provided the wool fabric -- and being a better artist than I she also drew on the simple laurel leaf vine design, modified from extant Viking era embroidery examples. 

I began by outlining the entire design, using DMC Medici wool in stem stitch.  The small blue nodules were also done in DMC Medici.

The outlining, and the start of the leaves

Hand dyed (using natural, period dyes) Persian weight embroidery wool was provided by Thora Sharptooth in two greens and a lovely yellow.  At first I was concerned about using the heavier weight thread with the lighter crewel weight of the red and blue, but ultimately they seem to have worked well together.  The larger laurel leaves were done with the darker green using "Bayeux" style laid and couched work.  The smaller leaves were done in stem stitch using the lighter green and the yellow was used to fill in the stem (again with stem stitch).

Stem stitch outline and fill

One of the laid and couched large leaves

Recently, I got together with Asa and we determined where she wants to have the pin go. When she has lived with it there for a little while and decides it is right, I'll make eyelet holes (or, if it needs to move, we'll do that).

Asa prefers not to be photographed, so the model here is Asa and John's Laurel's husband Reijnier Verplanck (with help from puppy Hoshi).

Next week -- the unveiling of my work room studio. 

Some changes -- and future plans

Last week was my return to this blog.  I have also combined my "Historic textiles" and "Modern textiles" (Shuttle Needle) blogs here in one place.  Across the top are links to the labels for my "main categories."  Every post will have one (or more) of those. That list may grow a little, but not by much.  Over to the right is the entire list of labels I use.

My hope is once a week posting, on Monday evenings.  Why Monday?  Well, it gives me the weekend to come up with a topic, and it's something to look forward to Monday for -- and I hope it will become something to look forward to.

While talking about plans, here's my current "on deck" list of projects, some or all of which will be discussed in future posts.  A number of these are for people, so my descriptions may be a little vague, and there won't be progress posts -- but a few are actually for me, and there may be progress posts.

Historic and SCA items

• The Marshall Hanging.  This is the name I've given to my slowly progressing Bayeux Tapestry based piece.  Slowly progressing because it is large and requires a certain level of time available to make getting out the apparatus for working on it viable.  It does have a goal now, though, of late Spring 2016, so there may well be some progress posts on that.
• Medallion for a queen.  No progress posts on this one with an end of summer deadline. This will be a little more portable, though not "toss in my bag and work on at lunch." level of portable.
• Motif(s) for a friend.  A slightly earlier deadline, but more portable, this will probably be my work project once started. 
• Fancier garb for us both.  There should be a post shortly about the over gown I recently finished, and I have some actual plans for the lovely linen and silk I own, now that I can find it (see below).

Modern Stuff

• Work room for Kandy.  This project is almost complete -- at least for now.  Possibly next week's post will be the great unveiling.  I've been re-doing my work room gradually.  The new shelves are up, the furniture has been moved around.  All that's left is to finish putting stuff away. 
• Salto gloves -- a pair of fingerless mitts I started on vacation which have been on hold at the very end until recently. Just received the additional yarn needed to finish binding off and do the thumb on the second glove -- this will be a post pretty soon. 
• Vest for Joe -- This one is done but for the blocking and putting on the buttons.
• Yellow alpaca shawl -- a knitting project that I've been looking forward to.  I bought some beautiful yellow alpaca at Rhinebeck last year and am itching to get to knit it up.  
• Clothing for work.  Ok, this probably *won't* be blogged, but I really need to make some more skirts -- and maybe even take the info I learned on making a pattern and work on some tops, too.  Hm, maybe it will be a blog post... wait and see. 

There will also be some posts about pieces I've done in the time since this was an active blog, posts about research, teaching posts.... I have lots of ideas of posts, and several started in "draft" just waiting to be finished and scheduled to post.  If I get way ahead, maybe I'll make it a twice a week thing -- but for now, check back Monday evenings.  

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