Stuff ramble

[stellar_muddle]

So, why is it that some people have this odd idea that building things with period techniques or period materials is something that is only done for A&S contests and displays?
Why not do it cause you want to do it, enjoy doing it or want to investigate how it was done?
Why should some one elses opinion be what drives you in doing it?

Part of it is a time thing - do you want an X or do you want the experiance of having made an X in way Y? I can see why you take the modern conveniences when you want an X (maybe a tent say) for Festival and it is only 2 weeks away ... really. Gosh, when my brain, body and the sewing machine are working together, it gets the job done. You may also have heard the swearing over the ether when it didn't. And there is nothing like the incentive of a major event to do a bunch of cool things for.

But equally fun is making X for X's sake eg sewing a pair of tunics using a bone needle and thread taken from the fabric, using a period cut, with historically plausable stitch types. That weight wool (diamond twill), the bone needle worked nice and smoothly and the tunics have held up well through two major camping events. And yes, while I did womble by an A&S display with them (at CF), this was more spur of the morning for feedback and discussion - the documentation ended up being an A4 handwritten note which may or may not have had the references I could remember spelt correctly. Not the best starting point for a discussion...

Which does lead onto the point that for all that the doing it yourself is fun, there is that little bit of the brain which likes the acknowledgement when someone else notices and compliments you on it. Depends on whether you treat it as icing on the cake, or the cake itself (assuming you like icing and cake - can't stand heavy marzipan... but that is something else entirely).

And also there is the danger of wanting to work on new shiny X, Y or Z cause it is practicing a new technique or is a new challange as opposed to what you have done before but is useful and needed. The current example of this for me is an embroidered bias cut bliaut. The old bliaut isn't that old (started after Festival 2005 and finished at KWDS 2005), still fits nicely and is good for the few speccy occasions that it is worn to and will be competing with the new one for occasions to wear it... but I am still in the middle of making the new one. And Z is in perpetual need of tunics and trousers that can be rolled in mud and charcoal and hot sparks and sharp impliments without the maker's heart breaking over the damage done* or the user feeling guilty over having done the damage (more likely). Besides, it is always useful to have tunics you can play in the sand in :) At which point utilitarian dirt coloured linen/wool with enough fabric left over to patch things over the next few years is the way to go. And it does keep the hands occupied in front of the TV or on the bus and there are a few things to improve on that you didn't quite get right the last time... but it isn't as much fun...

And we are doing it cause it is fun.

* I would note that I make 'em to be worn and used, so not really an issue on my part - hand sewn does not mean irreplacable and sacred. Which leads back to the utility and use of period techniques and materials which sparked this in the first place. And having achieved full circle I should probably head off to sleep...

Comments

[alpha-angel.livejournal.com]

Generally, the first time I make something, it's because I want to have that something, and if it's something that I haven't made before then I don't want to be too worried about stuffing it up, and having to unpick several hours worth of handsewing, so I'll do it on the machine (but do the felling and hems etc by hand). That way I have the item in question, get to see if I like it, wear it, work out what went wrong etc. Then the next time, the making of it is as much the point as having it, so I'll do it by hand - someday I'll get around to trying period needles etc to do it.

[alpha-angel.livejournal.com]

My most worn overtunic is one that I won a A&S-type competition with - hand sewn using threads pulled from the fabric and re-plyed etc. It's been singed (and is now fraying at that spot), been stained with soot, walnut dye, horse blood... It gets used, as does all my other hand sewn stuff - I made it for wearing.

[alpha-angel.livejournal.com]

I've also only seriously entered an A&S-type comp once - that is, making sure I had all the documentation typed up etc, the rest of the time someone has basically told me, "you should put that in the display", so I did - occasionally scribbling whatever documentation that I could remember on a scrap of paper. I make stuff for me - it's all about me - and, like pepperbeast, I know what the inside looks like, and I'm the one wearing it, so the inside is as important as the outside, as well as making sure the appropriate layers are there - I feel somehow underdressed if I know all the layers that are supposed to be there aren't - hence I have made 4 layers (5 if you count the pants) for my Turkish outfit.

[pepperbeast.livejournal.com]

Dunno. I've had a similar discussion with more than one person about approach to construction and finish. Some other costumers really take the approach that what matters is how the thing _looks_, so they put a lot of effort into how the outer surface of an outfit looks, but don't really worry about the inside or about unseen layers. Unless it's for a competition, it's not worth the effort.

My garb tends to be about equally well finished on both the inside and the outside, and in all layers. I consider myself to be the prime arbiter of my own work, and I see all layers and both the inside and the outside, so they are all important from my perspective. I don't do competitions at all, so that's not a factor, but if I _did_, I don't think there would be any real change.

So, I think it comes down to priorities. I definitely consider any praise I get for the look of my clothes to be icing, not cake. (I do, however, really appreciate positive feedback from people who "get" what I'm trying to achieve.)

Oh, and I don't think hand-sewn stuff should be sacred, either. My work clothes have just as much hand sewing as my fancy clothes.

[mmy-me.livejournal.com]

My work clothes have just as much hand sewing as my fancy clothes.

yeah, if anything I find that my handsewn stuff holds up better - I do a much better job of finishing seams than my overlocker...

/marienna

[pepperbeast.livejournal.com]

I've never used an overlocker. I know some people really like them, but the overlocked edges showing on the inside of things would really bother me and I think flat-felled seams are stronger anyway.

[mmy-me.livejournal.com]

I love my overlocker. But not for medieval clothing. :-)

/maggie

Right On!

[mr-bassman.livejournal.com]

Your post's pretty timely, seeing that over on the Medieval Encampment Email List they're experiencing real "growing pains" in regard to this very issue.

The kinds of questions have ranged from the ridiculous, e.g. what kind of oil to put in "Tiki" torches and best plans for a knock-down ice chest to the "choice" .... well I can't think of any suitable "choice" questions.

Anyway, there is currently a meta discussion over the issue that I precis with the question "Does this method capture the spirit of the medieval practice?"

Re: Right On!

[stellar-muddle.livejournal.com]

This post was triggered a bit by the discussion on the Medieval Encampment list - signed up after Festival to see what they had, but currently getting a bit put off by the signal to noise ratio. Will give it a few more weeks and then maybe switch to web only access...

Part of that is whether the list is a "Camping at SCA events" discussion or a "trying to recreate a medieval encampment based some time in the time period covered by the SCA" discussion. They are not mutually exclusive, but people do want different things out.

[auntyyolly.livejournal.com]

And of course the other benefit of handsewing: you actually get things done. I find that the thought of sitting down at the machine fills me with horror, whereas watching TV or chatting or listening to music with something in my hands to work on fills me with joy.

Of course, J still gets the odd bit of all-machined stuff when he mentions he needs it three days before an event, or other people give him stuff (he gets clothes, I get other people's kids for the afternoon. As the Americans say: go figure. At least I can send my charges to climb over his gifts with muddy shoes ...)

[auntyyolly.livejournal.com]

There was a third paragraph, but I just hit send for no reason ...

I think that the best thing about properly made things is that they are a win for everyone. The people who make them enjoy the process as well as learning stuff, the people who see them are inspired and also learn, and the people who do get to see them if they make it to an A&S comp get to be inspired, learn and also see genuine evolution in the group as non-lj memes sweep out across parts of the Kingdom. That's why people like you, basal surge, pepperbeast et al. are important to the group, because you do it as a matter of course and encourage others to see it the same way.

[teffania.livejournal.com]

I agree wholeheartedly.

I love doing things as period as i can. You learn so much more about the finished product. I find small details of extant objects make sense when I try to make copies that no-one else has ever commented upon. The more period I make an object, the better it serves me generally. I find small details of comfort or useability improved by making objects more accurately. Linen thread grips to linen fabric just nicely when handsewing, but the stronger polycotton thread slips too easily and ends up snagging and snapping. The weaker more period thread is better.

I enter competitions mostly because I want people who know something about the topic to look at my stuff. I research at least 3 times as many projects as I end up making, so nearly all projects end up with a pile of doccumentation that just has to be rearranged and made sensible to enter a competition. Research is one of the biggest things I do (it's fun when it's not related to the dreaded T word), and I only see a few ways of discussing it with others. Making up an object is the best way of testing my theories. And given that I hate writing proper articles, showing off the finished article in a competition is a good way of soliciting comments. And of spreading the word. And getting feedback.

Basically I'm laurel (and journeyman evivalent) baiting - I'm looking for constructive comments, articles I've missed, things I hadn't thought of. I can't just walk up to everyone and say "look at my seams". I get a lot of grunts (yeah it's a seam. Oh it's handsewn, you must be crazy), or people telling me it's fantastic (yeah, but what's wrong with it, there's always a better way to do it), but hardly anyone who can give me a discussion of the merits of different types of seam finishes, or an analysis of my latest crazy experimental cutting plan. (while I'm talking about baiting, I might as well do some gratitous attention seeking for anyone other than you reading: http://teffania.blogspot.com/)

And I also agree about must do projects. I have so many more ideas (researched) than I ever end up making, that each project that is a repeat of one done before seems a waste. I try to see if I can find a minor angle to make it more interesting, but sometimes I just have to put it in my "do while watching interesting tv or attending meetings pile". And if it's not a mindless task that i find hypnotic or relaxing, then it tends to not get done until I'm desperate enough. I guess that's why I was still in a modern tent this year, but have 5.5 completely handsewn garments.

Speaking of garments: are you sure you want to do a bias-cut bliaut? It's a little controversial, and very low on evidence. (if you do, don't forget to hang it with weight on to counter gravity drag) And as for work tunics - can you play with the design a little - change the neckline (too early for a sideways keyhole?), or maybe the seam finish? Would that make it more interesting, or just more complicated?

[stellar-muddle.livejournal.com]

I'll info-hoard on anything I find interesting/want to give a go, but tend just to do it to the stage where I am satisfied that the reasoning and technique aren't bad and go with that. Hence rambling posts full of links on a subject on LJ, bits of paper in books and in piles, but little of cohearance for anyone else to look at. There are broad folders for the paper copies and some sense of filing on the computer, but nothing really systematic and it tends not to be written up.

WRT to the bliaut, I have done rectangular and triangular construction lots on various projects, but nothing (other than a pair of hose) on the bias - I was curious. I would like to see how differently it hangs and sits and generally whether things fit better. The embroidery is on separate bands and I have meters more of the same fabric so if it all turns to complete custard, I can re-attempt using the cut that worked previously. Should be the same construction as "The Bias Cut Bliaut" Roheisa did for Cockatrice (unless she changed things markedly from the prior Canterbury Faire handout). The last one was definitely close to Bayaux Tapestry look (ignoring the sidelacing :), so will be interesting to see if this one comes out as much higher Chartre like court garb... Need to do the silk veil to go with it too...

Practical wise, it fits my quota of an extravagent garment a year. Next, trousers for Z and I may need to fix a linen tunic of mine that I was foolish enough to use randon polyester thread rather than linen and looks like the threads are cutting. I think I have been talked out of trying a fitted cotehardie out of the silk warp/linen weft fabric. Not from the cut, but due to the amounts of fabric available meaning it would have to be particoloured and the green and brown would be too close to camoflage...

[teffania.livejournal.com]

I have so many projects I follow that good filing has become essential. I used to be slacker, until the time spent looking for stuff was longer than the time spent filiing stuff more neatly. Mind you when I say filing, I mean electronic - it's nearly all on my computer, which disconcerts people who want me to bring stuff along in person.

It will be very interesting to see how the bias cut turns out. Especially in drapy wool (it is in wool?)- most people I've seen doing this use silk or cotton. I figure bias cut cotton gets close to approximating how linen and wool behave.

Random polyester thread is cutting my one working bliaut, so i have a fine excuse for an extravagent garment this year. I did have this theory about my dresses (not acessories) having to fit into my designated clothing chest (actually a basket). That, seeing as I had enough clothes for festival, I couldn't replace articles until stuff in the basket fell to bits, or was so unperiod (compared to where i was at) i was willing to give it away. I think this is the yea when I break that. Besides, I should replace stuff before it falls completely appart :-)

Particoloured green and brown makes me think of a 13thC guy's tunic with dags. That's not a fitted women's cotehardie though.

A little while later...

[stellar-muddle.livejournal.com]

It is in wool (it is a very fine wool) and photos are now up here with more photos linked off there.