Equestrian Costume Project

My husband and I play within an organization called the SCA, which stands for Society for Creative Anachronism. It is a world-wide society, which holds events based on the medieval world between 600 AD and 1601AD. It also promotes research into all aspects of that time period, and members work to create a "persona" that might have lived in the time frame they choose...say 1400 Italian or 1500 Elizabethan. But it also includes Greek, Russian, Viking, Turkish, and even Japanese personas. It just depends on what you are interested in.

I joined the SCA back in the early 80s, played for ten years, then bailed out, moved to Oregon (I lived in Southern California), then rejoined about three years ago. Before I left California, I had done mostly the equestrian games, which attempt to recreate the tactics used to practice for war. I'm not going to go into detail about that, but it can include everything from whacking fake heads on poles (behead the enemy) to mounted archery, which is my favorite.

All the costumes my husband and I currently have are ones I made back in the 80s. They still fit, and still look nice, but....I'm tired of them. I want to make us both some new things, starting with equestrian garb. We do mounted archery outside the SCA, but sometimes those folks, depending on the event, also wear some kind of costume, usually of a Mongolian or Turkish origin since that is the birthplace of mounted archery. So, for about the last year I have been trolling the Internet, especially Pinterest, looking for a Turkish costume that would be rider-friendly. I ride an Arabian/saddlebred cross mare, so putting her, or me, in a heavy "warhorse" type costume wouldn't look right.

I figured I would be trolling along, looking at costumes, the right one would pop up, and I'd have a "That's it!" moment. I came close a few times, but when I saw this tunic, the "ding, ding, ding, That's it!" moment struck.

So, here it is, fresh off of Pinterest. I will make modifications to it, like change the color (green, black and gold), shorten it to mid-calf length, and split the back up to about my tail bone to make it more horse-friendly. And it won't be quite as ornate as this tunic, as it needs to be washable. I even have a pattern I made, again back in the 80s, for a very early period Viking coat (I made it for a male friend), which is surprisingly similar in shape and construction—it's not as pinched in at the waist and there are no sleeve gussets. But it won't take much to convert it to this tunic. Then I will make a matching saddle cloth and breast collar for my horse.

It's going to be weird getting back into SCA-type costuming, since the only costuming I have done in the last five years has been pirate garb for when we do pirate reenacting (yes, we do, and have a ton of fun doing it, with a great gang of friends).

So, let the hunt for fabric and trim begin!

ETT — A Few Process Photos & Comments

Okay, these are probably the last photos of the ETT I will post. I think it has arrived at that "enough is enough" point. LOL Here are a few process photos, and some explanations of why I did what I did, and what I would do differently.

So, this is what I started with. One teal-blue White Stag T-shirt, and a $2.99 Goodwill find baby doll dress that was too small for me.

This is the finished tunic (the sun came out long enough for me to get this photo!)

Right off, the first thing I would change is the bodice. It ended up too wide. I had left it on the wide side so I could wear the tunic over other T-shirts, but it ended up looking a bit too baggy, and needs tightening up for a better fit. Also, I am still debating whether to add some kind of design to the front. Now that I look at it, that is a pretty big expanse of blue. The reason I left it undecorated, is that I wear a lot of my own jewelry, and don't like it when the clothes and the jewelry fight each other for attention.

Here is the skirt, cut off of the baby doll dress yoke. I cut it above the seam that attached it to the yoke, mainly because I was afraid if I cut below the seam, the thing would stretch out and I would have to re-gather it up with straight stitches, which I didn't want to mess with if I didn't have to. As it turned out, the skirt ended up a bit smaller than the top of the tunic, so as I pinned it on, I had to stretch the seam, and in some places actually break the threads. Bottom line, it took a lot of futzing around to get the skirt on the tunic top. I sewed the skirt on to the tunic with a double row of chain stitch about an inch or so below the seam, then when finished, I VERY CAREFULLY cut the seam off.

The skirt pinned to the yoke of the tunic. As stated...lots of futzing to get it to fit. There are about two inches of blue tunic behind and below that pinned seam, which gave me lots of space to add the double row of chain stitch. Also I figured it would help keep the skirt hanging correctly, and help prevent the skirt from rolling under if there was only an inch or so of tunic behind the chain stitches.

And here is the finished skirt...attached with the double row of chain stitch, the old seam trimmed away, and then the chain stitch beaded. I also trimmed about three inches from the length of the skirt, as it hit right at my knees. I didn't want a dress, I wanted a tunic to wear with jeans.

And the final photo, showing the fit and length (the front and back are exactly the same, so even though you don't see the front of the piece, you're not missing anything...except me going without a bra. NOT pretty and NOT for posting on the internet!). It also shows how the tunic would fit better if the top part was adjusted to be not so wide. I think it would eliminate those loose fabric folds you can see, right above where the skirt attaches to the bodice.

Oh, only one last thing to add to the tunic. From now on I am putting my own clothing labels inside each piece. Just a small section of fabric with the same cartouche design using my initials that I use on my drawings and paintings, and then the year. For now I use a brown calligraphy-point Sharpi, but eventually I would like to make either a rubber stamp or a stencil for the label. 

Now that this tunic is done, would I make another one? Yes, with a few adjustments. However, I will wear this one, as it is comfy and looks okay over T-shirts...and because I spent flipping FOREVER sewing on all those little beads! LOL

ETT — Finished

Here is the finished Empire Tank-Tunic. Mega apologies for the quality of the photos. It has been raining for days and days, and trying to take pictures inside my house is a big pain in the butt.Just not enough light.

So, here is the best I could do.

I only posted a back view to give an idea of the length and fit because....well, to be honest, before taking these photos I was already in sweats and done for the day, and was too lazy to put my bra back on. When I saw the front view shots, I went, "No fricken way am I posting those!" LOL This was taken out on our deck, and you can see it is still raining. I will post better front views later, but this is for Zom, who was wanting to see how this piece came out.

The skirt was sewn to the bodice with a double row of chain stitch. The bead colors are gun-metal gray and copper brown. I wanted to get away from always having the beads match the colors of the garment, and I took hints from some vintage clothing photos I saw on Pinterest. Only thing I would change on this piece, is I would make the bodice a bit smaller under the breasts. I left it a bit baggy, since I wanted to be able to wear shirts under it, like in the picture, but it's just a tad too wide and would look better tightened up.

So, that's it. The Empire Tank-Tunic. I will get better full length photos of the front of the piece when I can, and I have a few more "in process" photos that I would like to share as well.

And again, sincere apologies for the lousy light in the photos.

ETT — Update

After having put everything on hold for over a week while I recovered from The Crud, I have now gone back and done a bit of work on the Empire T-Tunic. I really like the color combination, and I have noticed that my embroidery stitching is getting better, and more uniform looking. Nice to know there is improvement there, as my hand stitching work is not all that great.

Here is the bodice cut out and sewn together. The necklace is one of mine, made from a vintage section of bracelet.

Here is the bodice with the black binding, sewn with embroidery thread. I picked a color of teal one shade lighter than the shirt, because I didn't think the dark teal would show up very well on the black. I think it was a wise decision, as the slightly lighter thread looks perfect.

Here is a close up of the stitching...and the necklace.

Next step is to add the black pleated skirt, and then to bead the binding. I don't think I'm going to put any applique or stenciling on the bodice. I kinda like it plain, and think the beading around the neckline, armholes, and where the skirt will be sewn on should be enough decoration for this piece.

Note: I have tried posting photos on the "Extra-Large" setting, but they bleed over into the blog sidebar and it looks sloppy. So, if you want to see a larger version of the photos, I'm afraid you'll have to click into each one. Sorry 'bout that. 

The ETT — Empire Tank Tunic

In the Alabama Chanin Studio & Design book they refer to this design as a Babydoll Dress. At my age, I am not going to refer to anything I wear as being "babydoll." I'd feel silly. So, I am calling this next project the empire tank tunic (ETT). Empire = having an empire waist.

Caveat: I took these photos outside on the deck (you remember me saying previously that the inside of my house is like a cave in winter), so the sunlight has lightened the colors in the photos, especially the closeup of the pleats, which look gray.  They aren't.

The teal blue T-shirt is one I bought years ago. I like the color, but the shirt is too short and too boxy. But it is a good, thick knit, so would make a good base for something.

The black-skirted mini-dress is a piece I found at the Goodwill for about $2.00. It is too small for me (tight across the back and under the arms), but I liked the pleated skirt part. I also wasn't too crazy about the pleats being above the bustline. As well as sewn in, the pleats are permanently ironed into the knit fabric, so that was new and different. Downside of this dress is that the knit is thin (you can see the sun shining through the yoke fabric in the closeup photo), and is one of those that collects lint and cat hair like a magnet. However, if sewn into a heavier yoke, I think the thin skirt will be okay. As for the lint and cat hair...well, I'm used to it.

For the binding color, I haven't decided yet. I have enough other black T-shirts to do black around the neckline and armholes, but I doubt I'll have enough of the teal blue to add to the black. I'd really like to have a strip of beaded blue on top of the pleated fabric just where it is sewn onto the blue yoke. If I don't, then I may opt for a third contrasting or complimentary color for all the binding.

What I hope to end up with is something like this, only longer...about mid-thigh. Blue on top, pleated black on the bottom. It will also be beaded. I want to be able to wear it over long-sleeved T-shirts, or with a bolero, for when the weather is cooler, or I know ahead of time I'm going to be trapped in a building with the AC running at sub-arctic temperatures.  

Revamping, Improving, and...Bees.

I've mentioned in a few posts here that I am in the process of trying to improve my Etsy site. Currently, it looks dated. Well, to me anyway. I have put the site on "vacation" mode until I decide what I want to change, and until I have enough new stock to freshen things up. Many of the pieces currently on the site are old, and after repeatedly being re-posted with no response, and having been lugged around to various SCA events where they essentially got  ignored, I am going to dismantle them and use the parts for something new.

Another of my problems is photographs. I have limited ability for snazzy photos. Mainly due to lighting. My house is dark, especially in the winter, and even with lots of lights focused on a piece, I still get shadows...usually of my head as I bend in to get a closer shot. During the summer I can take pieces outside and that works fine, but the bottom line is, I need to make a light box. Nothing fancy, but something that will give me a better quality photo no matter the season. So, add that item to my long list of "Need to do/make" projects.

Here is an example of what I am talking about. To show off this new bracelet, I was attempting to use one of my old books as a prop. Not sure how successful the experiment turned out, since I still think the lighting is terrible. I like the idea, just not this current execution of the idea. And as per usual, there is the shadow of the top of my head on the left bottom corner.

 

Then I got really wild, and attempted a few iPhoto options for enhancing pictures. In my old computer I have the ancient Adobe Photoshop 2.0, which allowed me to play with effects. My new computer doesn't have Photoshop, and I've been told the old 2.0 disc won't work with it. So, this is what I came up with in the limited resources of iPhoto. I got a bit of feedback on this from my FB friends, who liked the effect. However, when I thought about what it would look like with a whole page of items surrounded in black halos, I decided the effect would end up making my Etsy home page look like a weird chessboard. This is the photo, but I am not going to use this effect for displaying my work.

So my search for an eye-catching way of displaying my pieces without taking the focus away from the piece, and not making my Etsy home page look like I should hand out game pieces with each sale, goes on.

Which brings us to bees. In one of my jewelry/beading books, I noticed that a few of the artists featured add a special charm to each piece. Sort of an ID charm. I liked the idea, and thought about what kind of special charm I might like to add to each of my own pieces. At first I thought of dragonflies, as I love the creatures and we have a lot of them around our place. But the available charms for dragonflies were either too expensive or too dorky. Then I got a new Fire Mountain Gems and Beads catalog, and on one page was a cute little bee charm, sold in packages of 50.

I like bees. I look forward to seeing them return to the garden every Spring. I have a special understanding with the bees—and not just honey bees, but native bees, and all the different bumble bees—I respect them, and they don't sting me. It has worked out fine for over twenty years. I also like the symbolism that bees represent: Industry, productivity, and giving back to the world in which they live by polinating flowers and trees, literally keeping us in fruit, veggies, and flowers. And they create something lovely in the process. Honey.

So finding that special price on a package of 50 bee charms was a sure sign that the bee should be my personal ID charm for each piece. This in hopes that it will symbolize for me the industry of working hard at my craft, producing new pieces, and giving back by donating pieces to non-profit group silent auctions or raffle prizes whenever I can. And although many would consider it frivolous, I think a lovely piece of jewelry is like honey, in that it feeds, if not the stomach, at least the spirit. That can only "bee" good thing, don't you think?

Belle Epoch Necklace

Two things happened recently that inspired this necklace. The first was two friends sending me boxes of beads and findings, because they were things they couldn't use. Between the two, I scored a huge stash of agate, jade and quartz beads, faceted glass beads, painted wood beads, and a large collection of silver coins with bales already attached, from several foreign countries. Also my mother gave me a inexpensive (from a Big Box Store) heart bracelet that she didn't want. So, a ton of new stuff to play with, which is always fun.

The second, was finding a site on Pinterest that showed dozens and dozens of period clothing, hats  and jewelry from the Edwardian and the Belle Epoch eras...approximately late 1800s to the outbreak of WWI. These are my favorite eras for ideas in unique color combinations, designs to tweak and adapt for stencils, appliques, and beading on clothing of my own. Also for wire jewelry ideas. Obviously, there is NO way I can copy the amazing work by jewelers of that time. Those pieces are works of art, and most reside in museums. But I can simplify...a lot...the swirls and leaf/vine shapes of those Art Nouveau and Edwardian pieces.

Which brings me to this latest necklace, made from agate beads, faceted glass beads, glass leaves and flowers, turquoise chips, dusky-blue ceramic beads, drop pearls, two slides with rhinestones, "silver" worked wire, purchased chain, one of the dozen lanyard clips included in one of the gift box stashes, and faux-silver marcasite hearts from that bracelet of my mom's. As you can tell, I am all into recycling, upcycling...or whatever they call it these days.

Work table...necklace in progress.

The lovely green pearls did not end up in the finished work.  The three connected hearts to the left of the photo are what is left of the little bracelet my mom gave me to play with.

And here is the finished piece.

And here is an FYI: My Etsy site is temporarily closed. I am in the process of updating all of my jewelry pieces and revamping the site. This piece is the first one in that process. I got to the point where the site looked dated, and a lot of the jewelry were things that had been on and off the site since I opened it, about three years ago, and hadn't sold. Also, I am trying VERY hard to improve the quality and workmanship. Which is another reason why most of the old pieces will be taken apart and made into something else. I was new to a lot of the techniques needed, and have improved, I hope, since then. Still improving and learning, which is a lot of fun. And I'm still collecting bits and bobs, haunting junk/antique stores for that special find...like the mason jar full of broken bits I just scored the other day for $9, which ended up being 75% usable for upcycling. I don't usually get that lucky, and end up tossing or giving to the Goodwill almost half to 75%, with only that last 25% being anything I would want in a piece.

So, thanks to my mom, friends, and a lucky junk store find, I have lots of new things to play with, and an eye-candy web site to inspire me to keep pushing that design envelope.