This year, Pennsic has a new set of classrooms called Runestone Campus. To help students find this new location, I’ve created a new map of Pennsic University that shows University Commons (the main campus), Runestone Campus, and several other popular class locations through the site. I’ve also mapped out the distance to walk from the University Commons to Runestone Campus, as I thought this would be helpful to know so folks can get to classes in time. Everything should be to scale, as the map was based off aerial photography and actual tent sizes. Copies of this map will be available at University Point, but I’m also including a PDF here for anyone who might like to look at it in advance. Hope this helps someone!

Many thanks to the Deputy Mayor of Technical Services (THL Magnus), the Pennsic Chancellor (Captain Elias Gedney), and the Deputy Mayor of Zoning and Planning a.k.a. Land One (Duchess Elizabeth).

Every year since my very first Pennsic I’ve taught classes. This will be the first year I do not, as I will be Deputy Mayor for Cultural Affairs (woohoo!) and I felt I should keep my schedule as free as possible. But I still want to help and I love to teach. So this year I’m sharing ALL the PDF handouts for every class I or my family (Lord Gregor and Lady Alexa) have ever taught at Pennsic, which includes a lot of Pennsic project things you might like to do now before you arrive. Enjoy!

Portable, Folding Armor Stand (see the blog post for more detail)

Make a Canvas Dayshade (see the blog post for more detail)

Painting Your Pavilion

Portable Clothes Rack (see the blog post for more detail)

A Working Camp Sink (see the blog post for more detail)

Breakdown Hand Cart

Breakdown Gothic Chairs  (see the blog post for more detail)

15th c. Trestle Table ( (see the blog post for more detail)

Breakdown Camp Kitchen

Honeycomb Pleatwork Apron

Drawnwork Hemstitch Hankie Handout

Pleatwork Book

Blackwork Embroidery Book (see the blog post for more detail)

Round Pavilion Papercraft (sides-straight-template)

Round Pavilion Papercraft (sides-sloped-template)

Round Pavilion Papercraft (top-template)

Chain Mail (Youth Activity)

How to Make Butter

Heddeby Leather Pouch

Despite our lack of classes this year, we’re still making things! We have a brand new four-poster bed, new finials for our new shade fly, a new pup tent for Alexa, a new coronet box, and tons of new garb!

Enjoy!

Genoveva, Gregor, and Alexa

Me being placed on vigil to join the Order of the Laurel at Pentamere 12th Night on January 9, 2016 (Photo by THL Eva vanOldeBroek)

On Saturday, a significant and pivotal event occurred along my winding path in the SCA. I was invited to join the Order of the Laurel and placed on vigil. For those unfamiliar with this, it is the Society for Creative Anachronism’s highest honor for excellence and mastery in the arts. I am deeply honored to have been chosen to join the Order and I am greatly looking forward to “being a Laurel” and furthering the arts in our Society.

As you might imagine, I am still processing what this means, how I feel about it, and my intentions for my vigil and elevation to the Order. This will likely take me some time. I am definitely the “still waters run deep” sort of person.

There is one matter I would like to address now, however, and that is a sense by some of my dear friends that this was long overdue, that they were surprised it didn’t happen before now, and, well, it’s ABOUT TIME. For those who said this to me, I appreciate your kind words and I understand your sentiment, but I respectfully disagree on those points all save one: it really is about time. But not for the reason you might think.

As a member of the general populace, my perception of when someone was ready to become a Peer had a lot to do with time. I watched my fellow SCA members working at their art, doing their good deeds, and fighting the good fight. When I saw that someone had been doing something for a long time, with a purpose, I generally thought, “hey, someone should make that person a Peer!” I think this happens often, as I hear my friends and other members make similar remarks.

I recall one of my first thoughts about joining the Order came during Pennsic 2013. A friend from out of Kingdom looked at me and said, “You’re a Laurel, right?” Naturally I replied that I was not—I had not even received an arts award at that point. But it planted a seed in my mind. Why did she think I was a Laurel? Was I Laurel material? Should I be one if she thinks I should? Do I want to be one? And so on.

So now that it’s happened and I’ve been placed on vigil, what do I think? Was it long overdue? Was I held back? Were the Order’s expectations on me too hard? Did the Order make me wait too long and cause resentment and frustration and burnout? (All statements I’ve heard uttered.)

A good friend asked that I address these points for the benefit of others who may be thinking along these lines. I’ll do my best to give the honest answers, not just the noble answers. (That’s not easy for me, by the way. Still waters and all that.)

My first A&S project, a table based on St. Jerome in His Study by Albrecht Dürer. I love this table. I’ve made nearly all of my A&S projects on it over the years, and it goes with me to Pennsic annually, too!

Was it long overdue? I started in the SCA in ’97, but didn’t progress. I began again in 2011 and jumped in with both feet. I made my first “thing” within one month (my early 16th c. trestle table), entered my first A&S display a few months later (blackwork), and entered not one, but two, things into my regional A&S competition nine months later (blackwork caul and the red goldwork Swabian gown I was wearing this past Saturday). From my observation of other artisans, this intense behavior was a bit unusual. But it was totally in keeping with my personality. I’m a go big or go home type. From an outside perspective, it may have seemed I was ready before now. Eight first place awards at Kingdom A&S and Pentathlon A&S Champion could give that impression. But despite this obvious enthusiasm, I was still a beginner at recreating period artifacts. It took time for me to dig deeper, understand nuances, create beautiful things that were both visually and structurally appealling  … and I’m still working on that. I have much further to travel and much more to learn. It’s only recently that I began to feel that I was achieving a sense of mastery, of hearing myself speak to others and being amazed at what information I was able to convey, and at my technical abilities that were all built upon one another. Only in the last few months had I finally arrived at a place where — frankly — I was less interested in other’s approval of my art and it was less of a motivation to do better. My motivation was turning inward, becoming more about my journey and less about proving myself to others.

Me and my 16th c. style carved doll. Displaying and talking about my art took courage.

Was I held back? I don’t know what others have done, but I have no sense of this. It takes time to get to know people, and it took time for the Order to get to know me and see my progress. I won’t fall back on false modesty and say that I didn’t think I was ready, because I was already thinking of myself as a Peer long before I was recognized. If this seems impertinent, you must understand that I do not suffer from low self-esteem. My ego is quite healthy! But just because I know myself does not mean that others do. Part of this journey has been allowing the quiet parts of me to be seen by others. Being out there, displaying my art, writing blogs and tutorials, teaching, and sharing what I know with anyone who asks. These things took time and courage to do. When I consider how long it takes me make big moves in my own relationships, I’m rather impressed the Order came to know this aspect of me as quickly as they did.

Were the Order’s expectations on me too hard? Well, let’s see. My own personal signifier of mastery is the ability to write an entire book about one’s field of study and have it be well respected and regarded by its audience. That’s what I do in my modern world. Did they make me write a book? Have that book win awards? Have that book be a bestseller in its field? No, they did not. Thus, the Order’s expectations are actually lower than my personal ones for myself. (No, I do not expect others to do this in the SCA either, but the expectations I hold myself to are different than what I hold others to.) And for what it’s worth, I would one day like to write down what I know in a book so it can be preserved and shared with others, but I’m still a ways off from that. Just know that that that expectation has not changed just because of this event.

Winning the A&S Pentathlon in 2014 was both joyous and frustrating. It was frustrating not because I thought, “hey, I won now I should be a Laurel” but because it underscored the fact that not everyone was confident in me.

And finally, the big one … Did the Order make me wait too long and cause resentment and frustration and burnout? This one is a less pat answer. I’m rather an impatient person, as can be evidenced by my enthusiasm and history of making things. When I get a notion to do something, darn it, I want to do it. Now. Right away. I hate to wait. This is both a blessing and a curse. If I am completely honest, there were moments of frustration. I felt confident in myself, but there were times it was pretty clear to me that others were not as confident in me. That was difficult for me. But after I cooled off, I could see the solution — if some individual was not confident in me, then it was probably because I wasn’t expressing myself well enough. I usually didn’t even know that person. So then the ball was in my court to get to know them, and if I couldn’t do that for whatever reason (shyness), I could at least try to express myself to the world better. Because in the end, being recognized as a Peer is really just recognition of the awesomeness already present. It won’t change who you are, make you a better person, or anything like that. It’s recognizing something you should already be feeling inside. So, yeah, I felt frustrated when the Order didn’t work as fast as I wanted, but not resentful. Honestly, I’m grateful they even noticed me — I do not like to toil in obscurity. And now that I’ve been placed on vigil, I feel humbled that they chose me at all. It has put many things into perspective for me.

As for burnout, that’s really more about my inclination to take on ambitious projects. That is MY problem. That has nothing to do with the Order. I get burned out all the time. I also bounce back all the time. But the burnouts are usually preceded by burning brightly and making or doing something awesome, often something that challenged me to grow. So that’s alright with me. Life might be a bit boring and mundane for me otherwise.

Of all the things on my mind since this happened, a big one is how my being placed on vigil could make others feel — those who are not yet Peers but might like to be. Maybe someone out there reading this is feeling a bit sad, or overlooked, or just unrecognized.  Why her and not me? Or why her and not this other person? If we’re all honest with ourselves, I bet we all have felt this at one point or another. My best advice, and this comes direct from my psychology degree, is to neither repress this feeling nor to feed it. In time, you will find the ways to express the awesomeness inside you to the point that others recognize it, too. In that way, it really is all about time. Time to be the best you can be, time to share it with others, and time for the Order to recognize it.

This weekend my mentor and friend Mistress Crespine de la Vallée was to become a member of the Order of the Pelican, the Society’s highest service award. To celebrate this auspicious occasion, Crespine’s mentor Master Philip White (also my mentor and friend), asked if I would make her an apron. When I queried him as to what sort of apron he envisioned, as there are many fine aprons one could make, he said he once saw an apron with piece work, white embroidery, and a laurel wreath with the pelican inside of it. He told me to let my creative license go. So after some research and consideration to Crespine’s persona of a 16th c. French noblewoman, I decided to make a fine white apron with a cutwork motif.

There was just one hitch—I’d not done cutwork before. I was familiar with the concept and I’ve done drawn thread work, but this was a step beyond. Nevertheless, I love to learn new fabric manipulation and embroidery techniques, so this wasn’t deterring me. Looking online, I could find examples of 16th century cutwork, but no comprehensive tutorials on how to actually reproduce it. I pieced bits together from two web sites (needlework-tips-and-techniques.com and NeedlenThread.com), which introduced the concept but did not go into great detail. I later found a few pages in Encyclopedia of Needlework by Donna Kooler (Leisure Arts, Inc., 2000). The book that really helped me was a 100-year-old book, The Priscilla Hedebo and Cutwork Book by Lilian Barton Wilson (1916), which is reprinted in the Cutwork, Hedebo, & Broderie Anglaise book edited by Jules & Kaethe Kliot (Lacis, 1992). The Cutwork book didn’t have step-by-step instructions, but it had plenty of notes that lead me in the right direction. After that, I learned by doing, which means trying, failing, and trying again until it worked and looked right.

The style of cutwork I learned is typically called French Richelieu cutwork, named after Cardinal Richelieu, who imposed a duty on all Italian imports and then brought lacemakers to France to teach the locals how to do it themselves. Cardinal Richelieu post-dates the Society’s time period by a few decades, but we know the technique existed in the 16th century and was in employ in Italy, France, and the Netherlands, among others. Cutwork pieces were highly prized amongst the royals and nobles throughout Western Europe—Mary Queen of Scots received cutwork as a New Years gift in 1556 and then later made her own “cutit out work” while she was imprisoned. England has sumptuary laws that restricted cutwork clothing and accessories to the rank of baron and above only. (For more historical information, see Needlework Through History: An Encyclopedia by Catherine Amoroso Leslie, 2007). Richelieu cutwork is characterized by freeform designs with buttonhole stitch bars the stabilize the areas of removed fabric.

Here are photos of the cutwork apron I made, and below them is a tutorial on how to create your own Richelieu cutwork piece.

The cutwork apron as may be worn

The laurel-pelican cutwork motif

The belt and the drawnwork hems of the apron

Mistress Crespine wearing her apron

Richelieu Cutwork Tutorial

Materials:

High quality linen, the tighter the weave the better (Note: I used 2 oz. white handkerchief linen [WLG 109] from Wm. Booth, Draper @ $32/yard. It is their finest linen, very tightly woven with tiny threads, and is not often in stock, so if you find it, get it. If you can’t get it, go for the 2.8 oz linen.)

White Linen thread 80/3 (available at http://www.wmboothdraper.com/Thread/thread_main.htm)

White silk thread (I used 1 strand of the 12 ply Splendor silk available at http://www.needleworkdiscount.com/product/S — I used cool white) -OR- white coton a border #25 (available at http://www.hedgehoghandworks.com/catalog/FBRDMC107CLRS.php)

A word about the threads—it is important to use the right kind. You need linen thread for the buttonhole bars—they must be strong and durable (cotton will fuzz and look messy). You could use the same linen thread for the buttonhole stitching around the motif, but it looks a bit rough. I preferred either the silk or the coton a border, with a slight preference for the coton a border.

Tools:

Embroidery frame (I used a circular frame because it’s easier to hold in my hands, but you could also use a slate frame)

Small, sharp embroidery scissors (for example: http://www.joann.com/gingher-epaulette-3-1-2in-embroidery-scissors/4655338.html)

Small curved blade scissors (for example: http://www.allstitch.net/product/gingher-312-curved-blade-embroidery-scissors-4718.cfm)

Water soluble pen

Good lighting and maybe magnifier glasses (if you are like me)

Steps:

1. Iron your fabric. You’ll want to start with it as smooth as possible.

2. Create a pattern and trace it onto your fabric with the water soluble pen (test that pen first to make sure it comes off easily). DO NOT use a pattern printed on an inkjet printer and water soluble pen to trace over it — the liquid in the pen will cause some of the ink to come off onto your fabric. Go on, ask me how I know this. (I had to scrap my first yard of fabric because of this mistake.)

My pelican-in-a-laurel-wreath pattern

3. Put your marked fabric in a frame — pay attention to the tension of the fabric. Tight, but not too tight.

4. Outline your pattern using parallel running stitches set 1/8″ apart — I liked to sew along the inside edge of my markings and then along outside edge, and that usually put my two lines of stitching at about 1/8″ apart. Be careful not to pull these stitches tight, as that would pucker the fabric.

5. As you are outlining your pattern, whenever you reach a point where your pattern calls for a buttonhole bar, you should stitch the bar. To do this, bring your needle up between your parallel lines of running stitches and take it across to the parallel stitching on other side, over where the cutout area will be. Do this three times (so you have three threads going across) and then begin the detached buttonhole stitching over these three threads until you get back to your original side. It’s crucial to keep the buttonhole bar from twisting as you work it — I found the best way to do this was to work the buttonhole stitching toward me in a consistent manner, pulling the stitching tight as I went along. This video shows the stitch orientation/direction that I refer to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r637AfscS8

6. Once your pattern is outlined and all your buttonhole bars in in place, you need to stitch around each element that will NOT be cut out. Stitch over the two parallel lines, usually you can align the bottom of your stitch with the bottom running stitch and the top of your stitch with the top running stitch. You’ll use the buttonhole stitch again for this, but in this case it is not detached and it’s important that the flat, corded edge of the buttonhole stitch is against the edge that will be cut out. Do not yet cut out any material — that will be done after you complete the buttonhole stitching. Again, do not pull too tightly — just pull enough to get clean, neat stitching. Do not be tempted to cut out material first thinking that will make for a cleaner edge — while the edge will be cleaner, but your stitched edges will ruffle and pucker, rather than lay flat, and it won’t look as good.

7. After your buttonhole stitching is complete, it’s time to cut out the areas of fabric that are stabilized by the buttonhole bars you placed in step 5. Using the sharp, straight blade scissors, carefully cut a line down the center of an area you want to cut out. Then turn the fabric over and use the curved blade scissors to VERY CAREFULLY cut the fabric away right up to the edge of the stitching. I recommend you keep your fabric in your frame as you cut to provide tension and a better view of what you’re doing. If you cut too close, you’ll snip the buttonhole threads and you’ll need to go back and mend them, so cut carefully. I did have to mend in a couple spots — it’s not easy to cut close, but not too close, with such dense threads and fabric. In the photo below, you can see areas where I haven’t managed to cut away all the threads of the fabric yet.

8. When done, dampen your fabric to remove any trace of the water soluble pen, then wash your piece by hand. Allow it to air dry. Inspect your piece for any stray bits of threads at the cut edges and snip them off carefully. Iron flat.

Tips

When creating your pattern, you want to place buttonhole bars every 1/2″ or so, as well as at the tips of pointy bits (or they’ll just flap about). Avoid bars across too large of a cutout area; instead, keep a small bit of fabric there or even an eyelet to stabilize things and give your bars a midpoint to anchor in.

Your buttonhole stitching (step 6) does not need to be really close together, and in fact, if you get it too close it tends to look sloppy. Try leaving just a thread’s width of space in between each stitch and from 10″ away it looks neater and just as smooth.

Pay attention to the thread as you pull it off the spool or skein, and thread your needle with it the same each time. Remember, thread has a twist and you want consistent results.

In the same vein, be sure to do all your buttonhole stitching in the same direction for a consistent look. It really does make a difference.

Apron Construction Notes

I chose to create a flat rectangle style apron (rather than one gathered into the waistband) so that the cutwork would be displayed to its best advantage. I attached the top 2/3 of it to a simple band that served as the belt.

I hemmed the top and bottom edges with the drawn thread work hemstitch (see my tutorial here).

The right and left edges had threads drawn from them as well, but I did not do the same drawnwork hemstitch — I just kept it as drawn threads because I liked the look.

Creation Notes

I did not embroider the blood droplet on the pelican, but I bled on the apron while stitching — so I think that still counts. -grin-

The heart at the top of the motif is from my device (a winged heart).

My soundtrack while working on this was the radio station on Fallout 4 (Gregor got it for Christmas and I sat on the couch while he played each evening) and the entire audiobook of The Martian.

I estimate this project took 110 hours. (I  Mistress Crespine.)

I would love to see anything you make — please share! I’m always happy to answer questions. Feel free to e-mail me at genoveva.von.lubeck (at) gmail [dot] com

Yesterday I presented a 14th c. embroidered bycocket cap of maintenance for Master Gregoire de Lyon on the occasion of his elevation to the Order of the Pelican. I am pleased with how the cap turned out and thus thought it would be a good idea to document it in my blog for future reference (both mine and possibly yours!). In particular, I learned a new seam technique and I want to record it here so I do not forget it. Here’s the completed cap of maintenance (or cap of high maintenance, as Master Gregoire calls it):

Research: The bycocket, or chapel à bec as it was known in France, was all the rage in the 14th and 15th centuries in northwestern Europe, but it did continue on sporadically into the 16th century. The bycocket shows up frequently in imagery of the time period, but my favorite image is found in margin of The Decretals of Gregory IX c. 1300-1340 written in Southern France (page 40v). In the image, a man wears a red bycocket with a white lining. Another favored image with the same hat style and coloring appears in the 1344 painting “The Effects of Good Government in the Countryside” by Ambrogio Lorenzetti (rider on the left, note that her brim may be decorated).

Construction: The shape of the bycocket looks more complicated than it is. It’s really just a bowl-shaped hat with the brim turned up at an angle. I used a wool felt bycocket that Gregoire already owned to fine-tune the size and shape, as that was his preference. The resulting pattern looks something like this:

Materials: Dark red velvet (outside layer), white linen (inside layer), white linen canvas (interlining, for stiffness), wool batting (interlining, for shape), and white silk taffeta (outside brim layer). I used the canvas and wool batting to give the hat some solidity and structure. The order of layers from the outside to the inside is as follows: velvet, wool, canvas, linen. The silk taffeta was whip stitched onto the brim and only the brim in order to leave the white linen as the layer next to the hair (at Gregoire’s request), the thought being that it would be a touch cooler and easier to clean. Additional materials included silk embroidery floss (12 ply Splendor thread), silk sewing thread (Gutermann), and freshwater pearls.

Embroidery: Inspiration for the embroidered pelican came from the Pienza Cope, a richly-embroidered cape worn by Pope Pius II and currently housed in the Diocesan Museum in Pienza. The cope dates to 1310-1340 and features a beautifully embroidered orphrey (medieval pelican). Like the original inspiration, I used split stitch and couched silk in my embroidery, which are some of the stitches used in opus anglicanum style embroidery. And as I wanted the embroidery to feel fine and regal, I used just one ply of the 12-ply silk to work the stitches. This was time consuming (altogether the hat’s embroidery took about 40 hours), but the result was very rich looking. The overall design, with the three ermines and the lines that connect them came from Mistress Melisant, who quickly sketched it on a piece of scratch paper and it was — of course — perfect!!

Split Loop Stitch: Once the embroidery was completed on the silk taffeta, I had to attach it to the brim of the hat and I began considering a decorative stitch or trim along the top edge of the brim. Initially I planned to do a fingerloop braid, but I didn’t find a huge amount of evidence for it in the 14th century. But this lead to a seam technique used on 14th century bags that turned out to be perfect for this project. I found the stitching on an embroidered bag currently housed in the Victoria & Albert Museum (8313-1863). Master Richard studied this bag in person and notes this about the seam on his website: “The seams at the sides and around the mouth of the bag are covered/decorated with a double split stitch of dark red or purple silk and what appears to have been gilt floss … This decorative stitching is composed of two sections, each running up one side seam and around one edge of the opening. This can be seen illustrated in the second pattern sheet. How this decorative stitch was done is unknown.”

I recreated this decorative stitch using two long loops of silk thread and a single length of silk sewing thread, and the end result looks very much like the purse’s stitch. The resulting seam is practical and pretty. Here’s how I did it:

Step 1: Create two loops of silk thread in contrasting colors. The loops should be at least as long as the seam you wish to stitch, plus a little extra. For example, the brim length was 33″, so I cut silk thread lengths of 80″ to fold in half and knot, producing 40″ loops.

Step 2: Put the knots of the two loops between the two fabric sides where you wish to begin the seam. I sandwiched the knots in between the fabric, hiding them. Make sure your loops are not tangled in each other — you need the loops to move freely. Stitch the knots into place with a single length of silk sewing thread.

Step 3: Pull loop 2 through loop 1 and stitch loop 2 down, across the top of the loop 2.

Step 4: Repeat step 3, but this time pull loop 1 through loop 2 and then stitch down loop 1. Repeat steps 3-4 until you are done!

Here’s a 14th century bag with this seam:

From Victoria & Albert Museum (http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O115592/bag-unknown/)

Here’s my recreated split loop seam:

Finally, freshwater pearls were added on the top of the hat, inspired by this image of a beautiful recreation of 14th century bycocket.

And here is a photo by the talented Lady Daeg (called “Daye”) of Master Gregoire in his new cap of maintenance:

The gold silk cote was made by Mistress Giovanna, by the way — isn’t it beautiful?

If you have questions, please post them here or e-mail me at genoveva.von.lubeck@gmail.com.

We’re just about to leave for Pennsic 44! Here are all the handouts we’ve prepared for our five classes this year at Pennsic — each one is in PDF format.

armor-stand

canvas-dayshade

painting-your-pavilion

clothes-rack

camp-sink

hand-cart gothic-chairs

trestle-table

camp-kitchen

Honeycomb-Pleatwork-Apron-2015

Drawnwork-Hemstitch-Hankie-Handout

Pleatwork-Book-Small

round-pavilion-sides-straight-template

round-pavilion-sides-sloped-template

round-pavilion-top-template

chain-mail

Our classes are as follows:

Thursday, July 30

Pleatwork Apron Make-and-Take (Genoveva) – 10:00 am in A&S 12 – 2 hours

A hands-on, instructional class on smocking, or honeycomb pleatwork, the gathering method commonly seen in German Renaissance clothing (but also popular for hundreds of years throughout Europe). You will make your own apron to wear around camp in style! We’ll also discuss pleating in general as we work, and students can read my 30-page research paper on historical pleating techniques. Materials available for 10 people ($10), or bring your own medium-weight, WHITE linen (1 yard). Free handouts for 25.

Period Pavilion Papercraft (Alexander) -1:00 pm in A&S 6 – 1 hour

Come learn how pavilions (tents) were made historically using basic construction techniques. Students will make a paper craft pavilion in the shape of their choice to take back to their own camp. Please bring scissors appropriate to your age (no sewing will be done). Free templates.

Enhance Your Camp (Gregor) – 4:00 pm in Camp Cynnabar (W02) – 1 hour

Join us at our camp to learn about how to make personal camp improvements that can enhance both its appearance as well as your own quality of life. Most projects are made from wood with basic tools and do not require special knowledge, skills, or equipment. Handouts will be available for each camp project ($1/handout), including our camp cart, kitchen worktable, sink with foot pump, trestle table, benches, chairs, clothes rack, armor stand, and more.

Tuesday, August 4

Mastering Pleatwork: Advanced 16th Century Techniques (Genoveva) – 10:00 am – A&S 12 (1 hour)

Experienced pleatworkers are invited to join me to discuss advanced methods of creating and securing pleats used in 16th-century Europe. Includes a review of my in-depth research on imagery and techniques, as well as a variety of reproduction pleatwork to touch and feel. After I present my research and experimentation, I will open the floor for discussion and practice. Participants will also have an opportunity to practice some of the more complicated stitches if they wish. 50-page handouts for 10 ($3 each), materials for 5.

Wednesday, August 5

Drawn Work Handkerchief Make-and-Take (Genoveva) – 2:00 pm in A&S 3 (1 hour)

A hands-on, instructional class on drawn work, specifically the hemstitch, seen in German, Italian, and English Renaissance clothing and accessories. Participants will create their own handkerchief with a drawn work hem, and learn how to make more elaborate drawn work designs on their own. Materials available for 10 people ($1 fee requested), or bring your own medium-weight, white linen (12″ x 12″). Free handouts available for 25.

Hope to see you at Pennsic!

At our first Pennsic four years ago, we attempted our first armor stand. It was a bunch of 2x4s screwed into the semblance of an armor stand on site. Sadly, it couldn’t hold the full plate armor Gregor had brought with him and it had a tendency to fall over.

The next year at Pennsic, Gregor noticed Baron Jasen Irenfest’s gorgeous (and functional) armor stand and asked how he made it. It turns out Jasen’s armor stand was based on a 1990 article that appeared in Tournament Illuminated, “A Barbarian Armor Stand,” by Sir Timoch of Nordhem. So, armed with the plans and materials, we set out to make a Barbarian Armor Stand. We found Sir Timoch’s general design to be good, but made our own improvements to key design details, as well as corrected the material list and modified some instructions. We updated the original plans to our liking and present them here with steps and photos. Many thanks to Sir Timoch, wherever he may be, for the original idea!

Notes: These plans will produce a custom armor stand that will fold down for easy transport. It can be setup inside or outside, and optional stakes can be inserted in the base when used outside for windy conditions. The stand will support most parts of your armor, and, so far, is quite sturdy and stable. We’ve used the armor stand at Pennsic for two years, as well as at various events around the Middle Kingdom. It’s continuing to work great!

Armor Stand Materials:

• Three 8-foot-long 2″x4″ lumber (currently $3.57 a piece from Lowes)
• Eight 3-inch-long hinges (currently $2.17 per hinge from Lowes)
• One bolt ³/₈” x 3¹/₂” long
• One ³/₈” wingnut (make sure it can screw onto the above bolt)
• Two ³/₈” x 1¹/₂” washers (make sure hole is big enough to go over the neck of the bolt)
• Eighteen 8d nails or 2 1/2″ wood screws
• One small bottle of wood glue
• One 18″ length of string
• Optional: small cans of wood stain and polyurethane

Armor Stand Tools:

• Hand saw or other cutting device like a mitre saw or jigsaw
• Hammer
• Drill
• ¹/₂” bit
• 1¹/₂” spade bit
• Screwdriver
• Measuring device (tape measure or yard stick)
• Pencil
• Gummy bears (okay, those are optional, but yummy!)

Armor Stand Instructions:

Step 1. Take the measurements of the person whose armor will hang on the stand. You need three measurements:

• Crown to crotch
• Hip to hip
• Shoulder to shoulder

Step 2. Cut your 2x4s down to the following dimensions:

• Cut one (1) at 28″ long (A)
• Cut one (1) at 22″ long (B)
• Cut two (2) at 2³/₄” long (C)
• Cut two (2) at 36″ long (D)
• Cut one (1) of your crown to crotch measurement, or 36″, whichever is shorter (E)
• Cut two (2) of your hip-to-hip measurement less 1″ and then divided by 2 (we cut 2 at 6″ long) (F)
• Cut two (2) of your shoulder-to-shoulder measurement less 1″ and then divided by 2 (we cut 2 at 9″ long) (G)
• Cut two (2) joint boards at 8″ long (H)

Tip: If you intend to sand, stain, and/seal your armor stand, you may wish to do this now before you begin assembling it. It will be easier and the finished stand will look better if you complete sanding, staining, and/or sealing before assembly.

Good German Option: We recently bought a table saw with the ability to do angled cuts, so when Gregor made a second version of this armor stand recently he made fancy beveled edges. It looks sweet. If you want to do this, do it now, before assembly!

Step 3. Take board A, find the exact center of the board lengthwise, and drill a hole all the way through the board using the 1/2″ bit. On one side of this board, use the 1¹/₂” spade bit to create a recess about ³/₄” deep around the hole you just drilled. (This will accommodate your washer and wing nut.)

Step 4. Take board B, find the exact center of the board lengthwise, and drill a hole all the way through the board using the 1/2″ bit. On one side of this board, use the 1¹/₂” spade bit to create a shallow recess (deep enough to accommodate your bolt tip and the other washer) around the hole you just drilled.

Step 5. Attach board A to board B using the bolt, washers, and wingnut. Note: You can choose to put the bolt downward or upward through the holes — what’s important is that hardware be recessed into the bottom of board B so that it can sit flat on the ground.

Bolt recessed into the bottom of board B.

Top of board A, with bolt and wingnut accessible.

Step 6. Apply wood glue to the underside of the two C boards and attach them to the ends of the A board, making sure that you can swivel and rotate the attached B board without hitting the C boards. Clamp and nail (or screw) C to A. These are now the feet of your armor stand.

Step 7: Attach a hinge between the end of board A and the end of one of your D boards. You’ll want to position the plates so that the hinge itself sits just beyond the edge of the boards — this allows you to fold it more compactly.

Step 8: Remove the pin from another hinge (insert a nail into the bottom hole of the hinge and hammer it down a bit to release the pin). Put the pin back into the hinge loosely, then repeat step 7 by attaching the hinge between the other end of board A and the second board D.

Removing the hinge pin

Hinge with pin removed

Step 9: Remove the pin again from the same hinge as in step 7 and tie a piece of string around the pin, then attach the string to board A. This ensures you never loose that pin. Re-insert the pin for now and set this assembly aside.

Step 10: Now that you have the base and two legs assembled, lay them flat on the ground and place board E (the torso board) in between at the top, flanked on either side by the H boards (joint boards). Lay them in a position relative to the legs as though it were all set up. Do not mount or attach hinges to boards E or H yet, but check their placement to insure no other screws will block the pre-drilled holes in the hinge plates. Now mark on the H joint boards the appropriate angle where the legs meet the H boards. A typical angle is 24°, but yours may vary if you significantly changed the measurements of your boards or with the placement of your hinges.

Step 11: Cut the joint boards (H) at the angle you determined in step 10 and attach them to the bottom of board (E).

Step 12: Attach the hinges to the joint boards (H). Make sure that when everything comes together that it fits snugly — if it is too loose, your armor stand will have a tendency to sway. Do not yet attach the other side of those hinges to your leg boards — it’ll be easier if you do that at the end.

Step 13: Attach the hinges between the hip boards (F) and the torso board (E), making sure to test fit them first. Leave about a 1/4″ between the F hip board and the H joint board, allowing the F board to fold down without being obstructed.

Step 14: Attach the hinges between the shoulder boards (G) and the torso board (E).

Step 15: Now finally attach the hinges at the joint boards (H) to the leg boards (E).

Step 16: Fold down your armor stand to make sure it folds neatly. If the bolt gets in the way of folding, as shown in the photo below, you may wish to drill a small recess in one of the leg boards so it folds flatter.

Voila! You have an armor stand.

Gregor’s armor stand made in 2012

The armor stand Gregor made for Baron Ermenrich in 2015

Optional: Consider putting holes in the baseboards so you can stake it to the ground in windy weather. You may also want to add holes in the hip boards or shoulder boards if you have things you need to need to hang from your stand.

If you have questions, please let us know! The armor stand will be on display, along with handouts on how to make it, at Gregor’s “Enhance Your Camp” class on Thursday, July 30 at 4:00-5:00 pm, located in Camp Cynnabar (W02). Here’s the actual class description:

“Join us at our camp to learn about how to make personal camp improvements that can enhance both its appearance as well as your own quality of life. Most projects are made from wood with basic tools and do not require special knowledge, skills, or equipment. Handouts will be available for each camp project ($1/handout), including our camp cart, kitchen worktable, sink with foot pump, trestle table, benches, chairs, clothes rack, armor stand, canvas organizer, and more.”

[This is the eighth in a series of articles on SCA artisans who inspire, teach, encourage, and/or make the Society a better place for us all! I learned so much through other artisans while preparing for the A&S Pentathlon, and now it is my turn to shine the love on them, learn more about their craft, and introduce them to you.]

The infamous gingerbread

It all begins with gingerbread. I met Helena almost exactly four years ago at the first SCA event I attended after my return to the SCA. Well, at least I know she was there, because honestly the whole event was a bit of a blur for me. The reason I know she was there was because the Baroness of Cynnabar — whom I had also just met — enthused at great length about some amazing “documentably period” gingerbread that Helena had entered in the Arts & Sciences competition and for which she had won a first place. The obvious pride the Baroness displayed for this “Helena” person made me think, “Wow! She must be really talented! I want to do something cool like that one day , too.” It’s the little things that make a big difference.

THL Helena Sibylla does indeed make a big difference, for me and for many others her arts and service touch. Helena’s interests and talents are varied — most already know of her calligraphy and illumination, and many of us have been the recipients of one of her lovely scrolls (including myself—she made my Willow scroll). She also sews, embroiders, weaves (tablet and inkle), and makes clothing for herself and her husband.  She’s also well known for her gorgeous silk banners and her delicious baked treats (gingerbread is just one of the recipes in her book).

One of Helena’s recent tablet-weaving projects

One of the things I enjoy most about Helena’s art is just how much she makes things for other people. She’s currently working on embroidering the Pennsic 44 favors (as seen elsewhere on my blog) and has already made six herself. She paints banners for several baronies and creates heraldic patches for the Order of the Rose cloak. She bakes treats and makes largesse and creates all those scrolls. She just generally gives away much of her art. I commend her highly for her generosity and we are all so much better for it!

Just two of the patches Helena has made for the Rose Cloak

She’s learned much of what she knows because of her participation in the SCA over the past ten years. A basic calligraphy class was one of her first SCA classes ever! And although she’s been cooking and doing embroidery since she was young, she’s learned much more about historical cooking and embroidery techniques because of the SCA. She’s driven to do and make things. When I asked what inspired her, she said, “I like to have something to keep my hands and mind busy and I like to have project goals to work toward. I really enjoy learning about the history of the crafts, objects, and techniques.  I like the process of making things and the satisfaction that comes from challenging myself to learn something new and completing a project!”

Helena’s 14th century embroidered pouch

Helena’s Self-Stuffed Cloth Button Tutorial

The steps for making a self-stuffed cloth button are simple, but the process does require some dexterity.  You should be able to do some very basic hand sewing with needle and thread.

Step 1 – Cut Fabric Circles. You will need to experiment with the fabric you want to use to see what size circles are needed to make the finished size button you want.  Thinner fabrics will crush more and require a larger circle to make a bigger button, while heavier fabrics like wool or corduroy will crush less so you can start with a smaller circle.  Use whatever you like to make circles the right size.

Step 2 – Stitch Around. With a needle and thread, make a running stitch around the circle of fabric  about one-third of the way in from the edge.  Use a thread heavier than regular sewing thread – you want something that won’t break when you pull firmly. There are several varieties of heavyweight or button thread available.  The Gutermann brand makes a heavyweight thread that comes in a wide variety of colors so you can coordinate with your fabric.  Finish so that the needle is on what will be the right side of the fabric.

Step 3 – Draw It Up. Use the thread to pull in the edges of the circle – make a little drawstring hat for your finger! Pull carefully so you don’t drag the knot through the fabric as you go. Work the fabric around as you’re pulling so the gathers are roughly even. This doesn’t have to be perfect – you’ll be able to even things out in a later step.

Step 4 – Tuck It In. Flip the gathered circle over, keeping slight tension on the thread so the gathering doesn’t come undone. Pull gently on the thread and at the same time, start tucking the raw edges of the circle into the gathered center, working all the way around as you go. This is what creates the stuffing for the button. As you work, keep tension on the thread to help the edges stay tucked. Keep tucking until all the raw edges are pushed into the center of the stitching.

Step 5 – Pull It Together. Once you have all the edges tucked in, gently pull the thread tightly to draw the button closed.

Step 6 – Stitch It Up. Now is your chance to lock everything together and adjust the shape of the button. With the gathered side of the button up, push the needle through from one side to the other and draw it tight. Do this at intervals around the button, keeping close to the bottom, gathered edge.

As you stitch, the button will pull together more tightly and become firmer.

Step 7 – Shape Up! Flip the button over and check the shape. If it’s not quite as round as you would like or if there’s a little bit sticking out oddly, it can be adjusted. Here you can see my needle pointing at a funny little bulge on one side of the button.

To fix this, flip the button back over and make a stitch through the area sticking out to pull it in toward the center.

Presto! The odd corner disappears!

Do this anywhere you need to adjust the shape of the button until it’s as round as you like. These stitches will also help make the button more firm and solid to feel

Once the button is the shape you want, draw the thread to the center on the bottom side and knot it. Leave the tail of thread for attaching the button to your garment when it’s ready and your button is done!

Buttons, glorious buttons!

[As my Barony’s A&S Champion, I have been asked to coordinate the making of at least 25 favors for this year’s Pennsic War. Below is my call to action for my fellow members of Cynnabar!]

Pay heed, good gentles of the Barony of Cynnabar, for we have been charged with a task by Princess Arabella. Her Highness requests that we make 25 favors for the coming war at Pennsic. The design, pictured here, symbolizes the joining of forces between the Midrealm and the East to take over Aethelmearc. To help our populace answer Her Highness’ call, I have prepared kits with the right size linen, good amounts of floss, and an embroidery needle. I also have embroidery hoops for anyone who needs one. Favor Kits will be available at the weekly business meetings starting tonight, as well as at Sunday practices and our Spring Revel. To encourage the productivity of the favors, I will reward the Cynnabar member who makes the most favors by the day of Coronation (May 2) with a hat or cap of their choosing, made by me. If you are new to embroidery, this is a simple piece and I am happy to teach you how to do it. Any straight stitch, such as outline, stem, or chain, works well. I made this first favor with an outline stitch with just one evening’s work. Please let me know are able to help by posting here, emailing me, or speaking to me at one of the above-mentioned places.

Here is the instruction sheet I am including with the favor kits: favor-kit-directions

How to Embroider the Favors

For those who are new to embroidery, here is a step-by-step photo tutorial on how to embroider these:

1. Take your kit and a pair of scissors to a comfortable spot with good light. If you don’t have a kit, check the favor-kit-directions for the list of items you need.

2. Put your material in the embroidery frame. First loosen the thumbscrew on the outer circle. Then push the inner circle out of the frame and put it under your design, centered. Then place the outer circle of the frame on top of your material, centered over the bottom circle, and push them together. Tighten the thumbscrew.

3. Take your embroidery floss and cut off a length about 18″ long. Note that you can use ALL six strands of the floss together, or you can divide the strands so that it is thinner (as shown in the photo below). I personally like how bold it looks with the full floss (all six strands) and I have NOT divided mine into fewer strands for this tutorial. You may do as you please.

4. Thread your embroidery needle, pulling about 5″ of the floss through the thread. Tie a knot at the end.

5. Now let’s learn a simple, period embroidery stitch: the Back Stitch. Hold your embroidery frame in one hand, and, with your dominant hand, push the needle up from the back of the material to the front so that it comes out on the outline of your traced pattern on the fabric (as shown in the photo below).

6. Push the needle up and out and pull the thread through the material until it is stopped by the knot.

7. Push your needle back down into the fabric about 1/8″1-/4″ away.

8. Pull the thread down through the fabric until your thread lies flat. Do not over pull, as that will place too much tension on the fabric.

9. Push your needle up from the back of the material to the front about 1/8″-1/4″ ahead of the stitch you just made.

10. Push your needle down into the material back at the very same point you came up in step 6. This is the back stitch, which is ideal for following both smooth and complicated outlines like those in our pattern.

11. Continue like this along the line of your pattern. Once you feel comfortable, you can simplify and speed up the stitching by doing both the pushing in and out of the needle through the fabric at the same time, as shown in the photo below. As you can see, I pushed the needle in at the end of the preceding stitch and immediately came back up along my pattern line ahead of the thread.

12. You can do the back stitch around corners easily — just make the corner the start/stop of your stitch, as I’ve done in my next stitch here:

13. Keep going until you have only a few inches of thread left. Push your needle in and pull it through to the back of the fabric.

14. Flip your frame over and weave the needle (with the floss still threaded in its eye) through the stitches nearby. You want to go between the stitched floss and the fabric. Do this several times.

15. Once your floss is securely woven into the stitches on the back, unthread your needle and cut off the tail. Go ahead and cut off the tail of the knot on the other end of stitching, too.

When you’re done, the photo below shows what it looks like on the back of your fabric. Simple, neat, and secure.

16. Now just go back to step 5 and repeat until you’ve stitched along all the lines in your pattern! There are two other stitches that I think work well for this pattern: outline stitch and chain stitch — if you want to learn how to do these, let me know and I’ll take photos for you. When you are all done, mist your fabric with water or dampen it slightly to remove the blue pen lines.

17. With your blue lines gone, iron your embroidered fabric until it is nice and flat.  The material can now go back in the bag and you can give it to me (Genoveva) for sewing!

How to Sew the Favors

If you are finishing these favors yourself, here’s what you do:

1. Fold the fabric in half along the vertical center line, wrong side out.

2. Sew 1⁄2” seam down and press open so that the seam is centered.

3. Sew a 1⁄2” seam along the bottom edge.

4. Sew the seams a second time to reinforce edges.

5. Clip corners and turn right side out.

6. Iron flat. The image should now sit 1” above the bottom hem and 1⁄2” from each side.

7. Fold the top SA inside and stitch closed. You should now have a 5” x 12” rectangle.

8. Fold 3” down the back and stitch, forming the belt loop.

If you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to ask.

[This is the seventh in a series of articles on SCA artisans who inspire, teach, encourage, and/or make the Society a better place for us all! I learned so much through other artisans while preparing for the A&S Pentathlon, and now it is my turn to shine the love on them, learn more about their craft, and introduce them to you.]

Those of us who study a particular topic or era, as I do, come to identify certain individuals as role models. Amie Sparrow is one of my role models in 16th century German costuming. Several years ago I found Amie online through her blog, where she posts dress diaries, research notes, and period images that inspire her. I find her information valuable and have tried to follow her example through my own blogs. And I believe I have shown considerable restraint in waiting until my seventh article in this series to focus on her and her wonderful adventures in 16th century Germany. But I digress … let me tell you about Amie!

Lady Amie Sparrow is a costumer and embroiderer from the Kingdom of Atlantia. Amie has been sewing nearly all of her life—at the tender age of 5 she made herself a skirt for Kindergarten—and began researching and making costumes in the SCA about 11 years ago. Her favorite thing to do is make clothing no one else — to her knowledge –has tried to reproduce before, which is an impressive feat in this day of blogs and digital photos. “It’s an intellectual challenge and a technical challenge at the same time,” Amie tells me. “The whole ‘experimental archaeology’ thing is really, really fun for me. When I make an outfit using period materials in a period way and discover that I am comfortable and warm enough when wearing the outfit, I’ve met my goal. And of course, when someone remarks that I look like I’ve walked out of a painting, it makes my day!”

Many of Amie’s images do indeed look like she’s walked out of painting. So it should come as no surprise that the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History itself asked Amie to create two early 17th century blackwork coifs for an archaeological exhibit. Now that is an arts and sciences project! Amie’s coifs were fully documented and the exhibit opened in May 2013. As far as I am concerned, being asked by a museum to reproduce an artifact is a penultimate achievement for a costumer! Amie tells me making these coifs was the most fun she’s had working on a project to date, and she notes that the Smithsonian found her because she posted a photo of one of her embroidered coifs online (if this isn’t a good reason for everyone to share their projects online, I don’t know what is).

Amie has made a lot more than coifs, though. Her favorite projects to date have been her German leather and velvet purses, a 1527 Gotha peasant dress, and her first sweet bag. My personal favorites are her 1577 Nuerenberg Gown and her array of German Woman’s Gollers, which you can learn to make yourself in the goller tutorial (see below).

Amie teaches often. Of late, she’s been teaching German Peasant Garb classes, which is a topic in sore need of attention! She says, “I was asked to teach that topic a couple of months ago for The Shire of Isenfir so they could learn about German peasant clothing for their Gemütlichplatz event. I found that I could talk for two hours without a break on German peasant clothing.” For Pennsic next year, she’d like to teach a make-and-take class on German purses. Amie’s next project will be to make a new dress based on artwork by Freydal for Crown Tournament. And as the former Mistress of St. Anne’s Guild of Clothiers, she is running a Garb Triathlon at Atlantian Crown Tournament in November. Other items in the works are a research paper on German clothing, a woodcut with accompanying documentation, and possibly a pair of leather shoes. Sounds deliciously ambitious!

So what inspires Amie? She has many friends in the SCA who inspire her with their quest for knowledge and authenticity. When pressed for names, Amie says, “Chiefest among the German researchers/costumers are Mistress Sophia Kress, Mistress Katrine De Saint Brieuc, Baroness Emma West, Herrin Genefe Wolflien and you. Truly, I get inspired by a lot of people. If someone is making cool stuff, I want to know that person.” It will come as to surprise, Dear Reader, that Amie inspires me. I asked her for her words of wisdom, so I could pass them on, and this is what she told me, “Have No Fear! To paraphrase Frank Herbert: Fear is the A&S killer. Many people psych themselves out of participation because they think that their work is not good enough. Well, I’m here to tell you, there’s always somebody who is going to be better than you, so don’t worry about how good you are. It’s a waste of time. Enjoy what you do. Base your A&S in some kind of research and show off your efforts. If you don’t try, you don’t learn. Want to know what I do with my A&S failures? I keep them. I wear them. I use them as examples in classes.” Well said, Amie! Her favorite quote about artists is attributed to both Ray Bradbury and Kurt Vonnegut. “We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down.” If you see something you want to make, then make it. You will succeed. All you have to do is try.

Amie lives far away from me within the Barony of Stierbach in the Kingdom of Atlantia, though I had the good fortune to meet her in person at Pennsic 42. She is apprenticed to Master Tristan Alexander and a protege of Mesterinde Karen Larsdatter. She is the recipient of many awards, including the Atlantian Order of the Pearl which honors and recognizes those subjects who have distinguished themselves by their efforts and their excellence in the arts and sciences of the period and/or their willingness to teach those same arts and sciences (this is a grant-level award, roughly equivalent to the Midrealm Order of the Evergreen). I’ve always been surprised that Amie is not a member of the Order of the Laurel yet, and I hope to see her so honored in the near future. Amie has a high standard of excellence and she frequently applies her knowledge for the instruction of the Society at large through her classes, guild, and writings.

German Woman’s Goller (Capelet) Tutorial

As I mentioned, Amie’s gollers are one of my favorite things she’s made. A goller is the German word for “yoke,” and as a clothing element it refers to a variety of styles, such as very short capes worn on top of clothing, vests worn both in and out of the clothing (i.e. partlets). For this tutorial, we’re using goller to mean a short cape worn by women in 16th c. German images. If you’d like to learn more about gollers, please read my more in-depth article on German Gollers at GermanRenaissance.net which I’ll be posting in a few days (along with a cross-post of this tutorial).

What You Need to Make a Woman’s Goller:

• 30″ x 30″ muslin or other inexpensive fabric to make a test goller
• 30″ x 30″ outer fabric (more if you need to match patterns), such as wool, damask, velvet, or linen
• 30″ x 30″ lining, such as a wool, linen, or fur (fur goes on the inside to retain warmth)
• 30″ x 30″ contrast fabric for trim, such as a wool or velvet (optional)
• scissors, needle, thread, pins, ruler, chalk
• clasp or ties to keep your goller closed
• pattern (here’s two — one at size 10/12 and another at size 16/18): goller-pattern.pdf

How to Make a Woman’s Goller:

1. (Optional) Using the pattern, cut out two fronts and one back from your muslin. Stitch together along the indicated areas on the pattern and try it on. Adjust as necessary. Also pay attention to the line of the shoulder, as you may need to adjust the curve there so that your shoulders fit inside. Modify your pattern as necessary.

2. Using your customized pattern, cut out two fronts and one back from both your outer fabric and your lining. I used a rose damask for my outer fabric, and thus needed extra fabric to match the patterns nicely. My inside fabric is a slightly fulled dark red wool.

Cutting out the outer fabric

Cutting out the inside fabric (wool)

My outer and inner fabrics, pinned and ready for sewing.

3. Sew your outer fabric pieces together along the orange dotted lines on the pattern. You could do a simple seam and press open, or a flat-felled seam (which is likely to be more period). I would avoid a French seam, however, as I think it would produce too much bulk at the shoulder. Repeat with the lining fabric. Do not yet sew the outer fabric to the lining.

4. (Optional) If your outer fabric will have any guards (trim), now is the time to add it. Don’t try to attach a straight line of fabric and curve it — rather, lay the sewn outer fabric on top of your trim fabric, smoothing it flat as much as possible, outline it with calk on your trim fabric and cut out the same basic shape from the trim fabric. Now cut the guards from the shaped trim fabric in even strips—I cut 3.5 inches from the bottom guard followed by 2.5 inches for the narrower guard. I used the remaining fabric to cut 3.5″ x 11″ strips for the two side guards.

Placing and pinning the guards

5. (Optional) If you cut guards in the previous step, sew them on now. To do this, I first pinned the narrow guard into place using a ruler to make sure I was at a consistent distance from the bottom, then I sewed the top edge down, folded it over, pinned it, and sewed it down by hand in small, neat backstitches. The bottom guard’s top edge was sewn down, flipped over, and pinned (but not yet sewn). I did the same thing for the two side guards — sew, flip over, pin, but not sew.

Sewing down a guard

6. (Optional) If you are using ties rather than cloak clasps, you’ll want to pin them in place now so that they are sewn in when you do the next step.

7. Now you attach the outer fabric to the lining, right sides together, along the blue dotted line on the pattern. I start sewing at the bottom of one side, sew up to the collar, sew around the collar, go down the other side, and sew roughly 1/3 of the way around the bottom curve. Then I went back to the other side and sewed another 1/3 around the bottom curve from the other direction, leaving 1/3 in the center back bottom unsewn (the red dotted line on the pattern). I then clipped the corners (to avoid bulk at them), turned the goller right side out, smoothed all my corners and edges, and ironed it flat.

8. To finish sewing the outer fabric to the lining at that open edge in the back, fold each raw fabric edge along the red dotted line inside to create a nice seam, pin, and sew together using a blind stitch. When you’re done, remove the pins and iron to make sure it’s all nice and flat.

9. If you’re using cloak clasps, sew them on securely now with doubled or extra strong thread. Be sure to sew through all layers of fabric for a better drape and fit.

Finished goller

Time Spent: If you make a goller without guards, you can make this in under an hour. The guards add another hour or two, depending on how fancy you get with them.

Here’s me in my new goller at Red Dragon — it was 45°F and the wool goller kept me feeling quite comfortable! Many thanks to Amie for the wonderful pattern!