One thing that machine embroidery is definitely good for is making favors!

I have started to make favors for the members of my household (or replace worn favors for those who already had them).  It is a slow process, but I am working them out.

Some of them are simply our household insignia while others are more customized to individual member's personal tastes.

Left is one I created for our matriarch.  Its lightweight linen and is meant to be worn with Middle Eastern garb.  The green and blue scroll work behind the gold Thunder wheels signifies the green and blue cords she as earned for the Arts and Service, respectively.

Even though I try to manipulate my machine embroidery to make it look more period, there are times when you just have a design you are itching to use as is...

To the left is an apron I made for my boyfriend.  He loves to cook and he was awesome this year about cooking a couple of for feasts.  After cooking two events in just a couple months, I made him this apron as a thank you.  (There are wyverns and and a checky-racing pattern on his device.)

If I had an unlimited amount of time, I would finish every bit of garb I own by hand.  Hell, I would likely be hand sewing most of my garb as well.  My day-job, unfortunately, interferes with this dream.

To take up the slack (and fill my need for lushly embellished garb) I employ my machine to do some decorative finishing for me.

I tried, only a few times, to use the machine's built-in stitches to finish the edges of garments.  I was never happy with the results, they always looked machine made. 

Then I discovered Madeira's Lana Wool machine embroidery thread and I was blown away with the handcrafted look that you can get by using these threads.

I have done some embroidery with the thread, but the machine is temperamental about using the thread.  You really have to tweak the designs to get them to work and you definitely need the titanium needles made specifically for these threads.  I hope to eventually get the bugs worked out and be able to do some very hand crafted larger pieces of embroidery at some point.

What does seem to work well is decorative stitching.  Not every stitch works well with the thread, and of those, not all aesthetically work for garb.  Above is the border of a linen Norse coat I made this year for my boyfriend.  This arrow-stitch seems to work very well on earlier period garb.

I love working designs in thread by hand, but I also very much love my embroidery machine.  And, as I have said before, I also love having a more than a fair amount of garb for events like Pennsic.  I do occasionally use the very modern looking embroidery designs as they are, even though they do not pass for period even from 10 feet.  But what I enjoy most in this medium, is playing with patterns and thread choices to try to get items that not only pass the 10 foot rule but often draw someone in to take a closer look.  My experiments so far involve yarn couching by machine and decorative stitches or embroidery designs with wool blend thread.

The image to the left is a tunic/gown in linen with machine couched yarn.  The pattern in this case is applied by the machine and I merely go back when its done and finish the ends and possibly tack down a few missed spots.   The red trim on the facing at the neck is a 5 strand braid I did out of the same yarn and hand tacked to the garment.  (The over and under tunics are rectangular cut tunics with underarm gussets and side gores and are machine sewn.)

For those wondering, I use a Husqvarna Designer SE machine with an adapter kit that has a special foot and hooks/yarn guides that attach to the back of the machine.  The pattern used on this gown is one of the patterns that comes with the kit.

I had to play with several types of yarn before finding one with which I was happy.  Some yarn had an issue of it unplying as it was sewn, some would not feed smoothly, and one seemed to apply well but fuzzed up too much after washing.  My favorite yarn so far is definitely Caron's County yarn - a Marino/Acrylic blend yarn - that has some sort of cable plying that allows the structure to remain intact when passed though the foot of the machine.

When I first went to Pennsic, I had merely 3 outfits for SCA events.  That is definitely not enough for a week spent at a hot, humid event.  (And yes, I know that in period three might well have been more than and individual had, but this IS The-Middle-Ages-As-They-Should-Have-Been... plus, I don't care to spend my entire vacation doing laundry.)

The woman in charge of my group assured us that it was easy to get garbed up for a long event as we could just make a bunch of plaid "Bog Dresses".

Please understand that this all happened before internet took over the world.  Back then, there was no quick way to do a bit of online research before embarking on a project. I merely took her word that this was an early Celtic garment and set off to make my dresses.  I first gathered yards of plaid from the quilting section of Joanns (you know, those dusty looking cottons that are used make curtains for country kitchens?  That is what we used, in great quantity!).  I was instructed to take two rectangles of fabric, tack them at the shoulders and belt at the waist and you have an instant dress.  You could have a folded flap in the front and back at the top, or not. 

Let me just sat that trying to keep those on, belted properly (with the same cord usually used as curtain ties) and not flapping around showing your bits was not a joy.  We did have variety of dresses though (budding Pennsic fashionistas that we were!) - we had some that pinned at both shoulders, some that had flaps, some that only pinned at one shoulder, long ones, short ones, and I even tried to pleat some at the shoulders to get something that looked less like a grain sack.

Never again for me! While I do see the advantage of that particular rendition for people new to the SCA and sewing and who need garb in bulk for their first Pennsic, I am glad I have moved beyond those garments.  (I am, however, dreaming of the day I can do a reproduction one, in handspun, handwoven fabric.  However, even this would be more for my own educational purposes than because I want to wear it.)

I actually wish I could have taken the class about these types of costumes that was offered this year at War because I would love to know more about what is and what isn't authentic regarding these dresses.  Maybe next year!

More forward a bit in time and there were a couple of years I was unable to go to Pennsic.  During that time there was a hurricane that caused flooding at my house, effectively destroying all of my garb.  When I went back in 2005, I had to recreate wardrobes for myself, my boyfriend, my friend Galyana (who often shares my clothes) and another friend and her husband.  I put together then necessaries and we all enjoyed that war and then next as both had fairly temperate weather.  The year following those saw extreme heat and humidity and I started to plot garments that would be passable in the SCA that would use little fabric and have little bulk.

I revamped one of my early Pennsic bog dresses and came up with something that suits the purposes of Reasonable Attempt (at being period) and is also cheap and quick to complete (even given that I hand sew mine). 

Want to learn how to make Elf's rendition of a bog dress?  Just click here:

The bog dresses I make for myself are entirely hand sewn (as detailed in the  document above).  I do however, want to note that if you see me in one, it is likely embellished.  And yes, I "cheated" for that. 

I have an embroidery machine and have been experimenting with couched designs in yarn.  From a few feet away they look quite believable.

The yarn is Caron Country - a Merino/Acrylic blend, stitched to linen fabric.  http://www.naturallycaron.com/shade_cards/country_sh.html  It is a delight to work with on the machine.

My wool embroidery thread has arrived!  Unfortunately, the darkest green was supposed to have been 250m, not 25m, in length so I am now waiting for a response from the company so that I can get the rest of my supplies.  I hope it does not take too long.

I guess I will at least start drafting out the actual embroidery designs this week!

(I heard back from the company this morning and they put the missing yarn in the mail today!  YAY!)

The SCA, for those who do not know, stands for Society of Creative Anachronism.  We are reenactors, but are not tied to a narrow time or place in the way that American Civil War reenactors are (I was once involved in that as well).  Our subject material is older and often things are left up to speculation making it so that we often have to be Creative in our interpretations.

Unfortunately, there are people that love to flaunt the C in SCA.  It means different things to different people (and this is fine), but there should still be a baseline from which we all work.  The question is, where do we draw that line?

I've heard more than one person describe what we do as "The Middle Ages - as they should have been".  I think that is fair.  I think that the Society's rule of a "Reasonable Attempt" is also fair.  It makes what we do accessible to far more people than it would otherwise be.  First, it enables people to get into the hobby for a minimum amount of money and second, it allows them to see what is out there, and to learn, and enjoy it all, without worry over whether or not they used the right thread to sew their costume.

So in my estimation, that cotton-poly blend T-tunic, cut from an old bedsheet which just happens to be some obnoxious color really is FINE.  That individual is trying and if the garb-police do not get to them, they will probably stick around long enough to learn more.  They might even decide they want explore more in the realm of costuming and then next piece they make is out of a nice, convincing wool blend.  And the one after that is hand sewn.  And years down the road they are teaching classes on research and getting their Laurel.

Or maybe they never care about garb, and continue to wear that bedsheet tunic while they help out in the kitchen at events or just show up to socialize with their friends and enjoy the atmosphere.  Both of those are perfectly ok as well.  There are so many different people in the SCA and there really is a time and place for so many different things.

I actually got "attacked" at my first event about a belt I was wearing.  I was mortified and more than a bit angry.  The belt in question, was my imitation of the wrap around belts you see on a medieval bliaut (similar to this one http://www.revivalclothing.com/12th-13thcenturybliaut.aspx ), only mine was canvas encased in cream colored rayon challis (because its what I had) trimmed on both sides with a wide black trim decorated with pink flowers.  I was told I could not wear a white belt (even though I would not in any way classify this as white... lol).  How much better would I have felt had that person complimented my first garb efforts rather than assaulting what they perceived as an indiscretion?

Fortunately, there are not too many people out there like that (and just a note, those folks are in ALL hobbies, not just the SCA).  And some of them are just so enthusiastic about what they are doing, and so eager to share what they have learned, that it can sometimes come off wrong to a bewildered newbie.

So, there are good reasons for many anachronisms (cost, time, interest level, availability of materials).  I draw a line at some things (like blue jeans... yes, denim is period, but jeans, my friends are not, no matter how badly you want them to be).  Is a newbie wearing jeans under a tunic to their first event?  I give them a pass.  Is someone working hard to set up pavilions at an event wearing jeans under a tunic?  Sure, another pass.  Is someone who has been in the society for 20 years wearing jeans to a 12th Night feast?  I have to draw the line there.  We all need to keep in mind that the atmosphere at events is part of what makes events so fun, and at least hitting that bare minimum "Reasonable Attempt" actually helps make an event more fun for all of those involved.  If people are working hard to clean, set-up, cook, play music, display arts, fight, and tear-down, one can at least put in the time to go to Wal-Mart and purchase a pair of nondescript sweatpants to wear as part of their garb.

As an end note, do what you can too add to the atmosphere of an event and, please, try to be kind to that newbie in the polyester tunic, as someday they could be your King ;-)

My local Shire is again hosting the Kingdom 12th Night.  This makes me happy because it means the event will be easy to get too and that I will know many of the people there.  It makes me even happier that it is going to have a Viking theme!

I have a considerable bit of Viking garb already, but I am dying to do some different hand embellishments on one, so my 12th Night garb will be the ideal candidate for that experimentation.

I already have a wool aprondress, but sometimes even indoor events can be warm so I am planning for another linen dress for this project.

Now, my personal opinion is that most outer garments (not considering outdoor items such as coats, caftans, or mantles) were probably wool.  Despite that, I do most of my garb as layers of linen because I am more active at events in the warmer seasons and I like to get as much wear out of my items as possible.

I also love ornamentation on garb, but I do try to keep my pieces within the realm of plausible for the period and culture involved. For this dress, I have a very pale green linen and a small piece of red-violet silk with an olive pattern on it as the start of my materials. 

I started using silk to decorate garb this year at Pennsic and I love the way the clothes turned out.  (It was not uncommon in period to use strips of silk samite to ornament Norse garb.)  Some of my early silk choices were likely not the best, but I have since picked up a few pieces that have more of a look that fits in with period samite.

Unfortunately, the silk for this has a more modern Indian pattern.  Because I will be cutting the silk into a very narrow strip to adorn the top of the dress, that pattern will not be recognizable for what it is and given that I love the color and already have the fabric, I plan to use it and make the best of it.

In addition to the narrow band of silk, I plan to use an decorative scrolling motif similar one found in the Oseberg burial for embroidery and will add appliqued silk leaves (also found in Oseberg).  Hopefully I will be able to start this project soon, that I may get it done in time for the event.  I have already ordered naturally-dyed wool for embroidery from Renaissance Dyeing (http://www.renaissancedyeing.com/) for my needlework.

I was drawn to the Middle Eastern arts from the moment I was introduced to the SCA.  I loved the costumes and the dance, even if I really didn't understand either in a more proper historical context.  Actually, at that time, there weren't many individuals who really did... Ghawazee coats were considered period, as were harem pants and I actually heard ATS styling defended by more than a few on the basis of the fact that cholis are period for India.

Thanks in part to the internet, and to the years since then that people have had to research these things, there is a better understanding of correct costuming for the cultures of the Near and Middle East. An entire community and culture has grown up in the SCA around this facet of the Society.  At last, newcomers have access to good examples and good teachers to help them find their path (something I didn't have at that point in time).

Please don't think I feel that Ghawazee coats and traditional ATS costume and dance have no place in the SCA, I actually think they do.  The Society requires that one make an "attempt" and I feel very much that both of those meet that criteria.  I do believe in honesty though, and in knowing what it is that you are wearing/doing and where it came from.  This way, if asked, you can state that it's not period, but it's perhaps something you already had or something you thought might work for nights at Pennsic.  It helps prevent further confusion.  More on all this later at a later date, as I actually have a lot more to say on the subject.

The point of this bit of background is that in the early days there were not a lot of resources at events like Pennsic and it was often hard to wade through the massive class list to find exactly what you wanted and even more difficult to find locations for classes in private camps.  I remember those early Pennsics where I roamed around the lake for hours trying to find Orluk Oasis and the classes that were being held there.  It was frustrating.

That all changed about five or so years ago, when a friend asked for help putting together a Middle Eastern supplement for the official Pennsic Schedule. There were some issues that were going to prevent all of the classes from being published and he wanted to make sure that good things did not get missed.

I offered to do the task and to that end I created Haberci... a flyer not only of the official classes on the Middle Eastern track, but also an unofficial schedule of haflas, roundtables, henna parties and the like.  The publication (which is available for free on site at Your Inner Vagabond and at Touch the Earth) was such a hit that I have continued the tradition.  Haberci even went to Gulf Wars this year, thanks to another enthusiastic individual!  It is my hope that there will be non-War Haberci issue this winter.  Maybe it will be Haberci: The Peace Edition.

For those interested in learning more, check out the Facebook page for Haberci news: https://www.facebook.com/PennsicHaberci

For those who want to see the last few issues, click below :-)

One of my goals this past Pennsic was to learn to spin.  Now, I did not actually WANT to spin my own yarn (or at least this is what I was telling myself).  I had no interest in taking it up as a hobby at all.  Rather my purpose was to gain a better understanding of the process of creating yarn.  That, in turn, would give me a more in depth understanding of the construction of textiles.

I really tried to not pick up another hobby, but I came home from War with two drop spindles (in addition to the "toy" one from the class), several bags of wool and several books.

Only a few weeks later, I also acquired a spinning wheel, wool combs and a box of Icelandic fleece that needs to be washed.

At this point I have spun about 4oz of some pretty rough feeling madder dyed wool, close to 4 of Corriedale and about 4oz of Icelandic.  I had a lesson with my spinning wheel this week that helped my progress with that method of spinning immensely.  My goal?  To spin my own yarn for weaving period Viking fabrics and trim. 

Of course, that is pretty far off at this time, but it is the long term goal and so far I am enjoying the process.  My next step, I think, will be to experiment with use of a distaff as some recent research has made me wonder if it might effectively speed up my spinning or help me create more even yarn.