I enjoy experimenting with many different arts and crafts in the SCA.  I have helped cook feasts (though have no desire to do an entire feast myself), dabble in period cooking for potluck events, I started archery a bit over a year ago and I want to try my hand at other things too, things like illumination and creating scrolls.  On that list was also woodworking, which I finally started playing with this past year.

The thing I enjoy most, however, the process of truly trying to understand the period methods of textile and clothing creation, which is why I have taken up both spinning and weaving.  I spin with both a wheel and drop spindle (only the latter is period for my Viking persona) and weave on rigid heddle and countermarche looms.  I do not have the space (nor likely the time at the point in my life) to have a full scale warp-weighted loom, so I decided to attempt some basic woodworking in order to construct a smaller version of a loom that could have been used in my chosen time period.  Below shows my research and the process of creating a warp-weighted woven sample. 

I would like to note that I did not always get the best photos of the warping and weaving process.  When I attempt my next sample, I will take better pictures and create a more solid, step-by-step tutorial.

There were two probable types of looms for fabric weaving available to the Viking-era Norse.  The first was a warp-weighted loom and the second a two-beam vertical loom.  The former is considered the most common given the number of loom weights that have been discovered at various Viking era sites.  Norway specifically has more discoveries of loomweights than any other country (dating from pre-history until the 16th century).  (Hoffman, 20)

These looms could be impressively wide (wide enough that weaving took too people) and could likely also be disassembled when not in use.  There was only one beam, located the top, and from this the warp hung freely down and was tensioned at the bottom with weights.

The frame of my replica loom is constructed of white oak.  The braces/legs that support it the frame, however are red oak - because that was all that they had when I went to purchase the wood for that portion of the project.  Most of the dowels I used are also hardwood.  A woodworker who visited my display at Pennsic complemented my choice of woods and said that even on a small scale it would have been a mistake to use pine if I were planning to get much use from the loom (too much chance of twisting).

I had very limited tools at the start of this project and the initial steps were done only with a 6 inch hacksaw, a drill press and a dremmel tool.  The loom has no nails in it, and the loom frame is held together by with wooden pegs (as well as a bit of wood glue between the layers).  Historically, these looms would have rested against a wall, but I built a support for mine (I did have use of a compound miter saw for creating the angles at the bottoms of the back legs) and the support is attached with metal hinges and screws.

When I measure the warp for my countermarche loom, I use a warping board and wind the yarn as seen in the image to the left.  In period, the process was a bit different. 

The warp was often wound on pegs (one example of which I read had women using legs of a bench for measuring warp).  The warp was not, however wound directly to the beam of the loom, but rather it passed through a piece of tablet weaving (as the weft) that could then be affixed to the beam, with the fabric warp hanging down.  This is illustrated in the diagram below.

The next step was to tie the tablet woven band onto the beam of the loom.  After that, I started to tie on the small, handsewn linen bags containing metal washers that would serve as my loom weights and allow the warp to be under proper tension for weaving.  I tied approximately 11 warp threads to each linen bag.

I actually had to do this step twice as I realized I needed to have every other thread tied to weights hanging behind the lower brace of the loom (creating a natural shed on the front).

You cannot see it in this photo, but I also have quite a few metal washers tied to the handle of my beam, which allows it to not roll around as I add the weights to the bottom.

Here is my warp, weighted and with a chain of linen thread to help maintain spacing (yes, I need to work on chaining the warp in this manner).  All of the odd numbered threads are in front of the brace at the bottom of the loom, the even numbered threads are chained and weighted behind that brace.

Finally, I was able to add heddles to the BACK row of warp yarns.  I used a loop of linen thread which was slipped onto onto the heddle rod and then passed behind a single warp, and then looped onto the rod on the other side of the warp thread (trapping the warp thread between the two sides of the linen loop).  And illustration for this process can be found here: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mq9OdoDpzKc/TvTA4rJsYpI/AAAAAAAAAME/RwCw7Qwtygs/s1600/heddle+copy.jpg

To weave fabric on this loom you use the "natural shed" that forms because half of the warm is already behind the loom.  The weft is wound onto a stick shuttle and passed from one side to the other.  A weaving sword (in this case, a pick-up stick) is inserted following that and it is pushed upwards to press the weft into place.  (Photo of this step is forthcoming...)

For the next shed, heddle rod is pulled forward and set in place on the heddle rod support.  This causes the threads from the back move to the front allowing me a new shed to be created.  Again the weaving sword is inserted and pushed upwards (further packing the previous row of weft), and then the stick shuttle is passed back adding a new row of weft yarn.  Press again with the weaving sword and it is time to weave another row using the natural shed.

Woven fabric on the warp weighted loom. 

(Note that the weft is actually thicker than the warp, which was quite common in period weaving.)

Sources

Andersonn, Eva. Tools for Textile Production from Birka and Hedeby (The Birka Project for Riksantikvarieambetet), 2003

Harte, N.B. and Ponting, K.G.  Cloth and Clothing in Medieval Europe, (Heinemann Educational Books), 1984.

Helle, Knut.  Cambridge History of Scandinavia, Volume 1 (Cambridge University Press), 2003

Hoffman, Marta. Warp Weighted Loom (Scandinavian University Press), 1975.

Jenkins, David. The Cambridge History of Western Textiles (Cambridge University Press), 2003.

Ostergaard, Else. Woven into the Earth: Textile finds in Norse Greenland (Aarhus University Press), 2004.

Walton, P. "Textile Production at 16-22 Coppergate." The Archaeology of York Volume 17: The Small Finds.  1977.

At the end of the third article in this series, I alluded to the fact that creating your own patterned fabric was a very viable option for getting the right look for Ottoman garb and for avoiding the over-wrought look of patterning in most modern fabrics.  This post will show some examples of fabulous work done by other members of the SCA who are exploring these methods of fabric ornamentation. 

Weaving your own textiles is quite feasible for someone pursuing other areas of interest in the SCA (such as Norse), but it would be an immense undertaking (financially and in terms of time) to do so for Ottoman fabrics.  There are, however, other ways to get that "look" without creating the fabric from scratch.  Some of these methods are stenciling, block printing, debossing, applique and gilding.  Some of these techniques are period (gilding, debossing and applique) and others just help us to achieve fabrics patterned with appropriately period motifs.

I also have to take a moment to note that any of these methods make it easy to achieve the really BOLD look of period patterning without the superfluous squiggly design elements that tend to show up in our modern printed fabrics.  Busy and Bold are not necessarily the same thing, and learning to see the separation in the two is key to recognizing the more period looking fabrics.

I have stenciled textiles before and find the process to be a relatively simple one that offers excellent results.  I have not, however, done fully stenciled fabric for Ottoman costuming so will feature here a very lovely piece by Mery of Ellersly.  I think this piece is a great example of the contrast and scale you often see in period Ottoman textiles.  Further, it is linen, so the garment will be quite comfortable and likely will get plenty of wear at SCA events.  Typical Ottoman motifs such as crescents, cintamani, 'tiger stripes', and stylized tulips can easily create bold forms and make for excellent garb fabric.

Stencil Planet also has several large-scale motifs meant for covering walls that I think would work splendidly for Ottoman garb.  Below left are two that I particularly like (I own one of them... just need the time to use it)!  This store also does custom orders for those not willing to cut out their own stencils.  They are fast and do a great job with this (I have used them before for custom Viking stencils).

Stencil Library is another source of stencils that has a broad selection that includes some that would work well for garb.  Below right is just one of the lovely designs they offer.

Sites such as Dharma Trading carries textiles paints suitable for stenciling techniques. 

Bushra al Jaserii bint El Nahr, Avacal An Tir, has been working with block printing fabrics and has created some very appealing textiles that favor the bold, stylize motifs that are so common in the Ottoman world.  A PDF of her tutorial can be found at the link above the images of her fabulous fabrics pictured below!

Blocks for printing can be self-made or purchased online at a variety of places, including Etsy (there are some vendors that will even create custom stamps for you).  Look for large scale, bold designs when purchasing a stamp, or ask to have one custom made in a pattern that you know is period.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BlackleafArt

http://www.etsy.com/shop/charancreations

Sites such as Dharma Trading has information on fabric painting and decoration and can be a great resource for supplies. 

Another option that was used in our time period is gilding of fabric. 

Lady Behiye bint Kismet is working out the process to lay silver onto fabric to reproduce a period caftan that is attributed to a daughter of Murad III.  I understand the garment will be finished this winter and I quite look forward to seeing the results.  You can follow her progress on her blog here:

http://behiyebintkismet.wordpress.com/2013/08/27/silver-gilding-on-silk-gilding/

There are two other techniques that I have seen in period examples that I hope to see eventually done in the SCA. 

In addition to the Yale online history course that covers the dark ages (which is interesting even if the Professor is not as animated as Dr. Hanak could be), I am trying to get a better sense of Viking era culture, customs, and, in general, how they lived.  My garb is coming along nicely, and I have started to pick up more and more period accessories over the last couple years.  But I want that better sense of "how it was done then" to better flesh out my persona.

I picked up a book this summer and finally started reading it. Women in Old Norse Society discusses the lives of women in both Pagan and Christian eras in Norse society.  I am almost halfway through the text and would highly recommend it.

http://www.amazon.com/Women-Norse-Society-Jenny-Jochens/dp/0801485207/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384354414&sr=8-1&keywords=women+in+old+norse+society

Next I will be reading Judith Jesch's Women in the Viking Age in it's entirety (I had previously co

Until fairly recently I have been very old fashioned when it comes to research methods.  I collect articles and print them out, read them, take notes in a notebook and go from there.  I did not really need to organize beyond that because my memory is pretty good when it comes to remembering a source for something I read (meaning I rarely had to even look back to the notebook if I needed to track down a bit of knowledge).

But now my bibliography for my Viking research has grown to four pages of sources (some of which are massive books) and I can no longer remember what came from where in that sea of knowledge.  When I recently came on the idea that I wanted to compile an annotated bibliography to share with others, I realized I could use some help and that lead me to do a different type of research... one to find a tool to help me organize my collected mass of data.

There are several premium products on the market, such as EndNote, and a host of "free" products as well (Zotero, Qiqqa and Mendeley).  I finally decided to look further at these and based on the amount of free storage space and ability to use it on an iPhone/iPad, I chose to test out Mendeley. 

Wow.  I never in a million years thought that organizing my books and articles would be so easy!  I import a PDF and the program often is able to compile the base data (author, publisher, year) itself.  I can then add tags, notes and I can highlight passages and annotate those.  I am overjoyed!  It will take me some time to enter everything, make notes and highlight items, but eventually I should be able to export my bibliography to share.  Yippee!

http://www.mendeley.com/

If you are interested in looking at some of the other options, here are the links for those as well:

http://www.zotero.org/

http://www.qiqqa.com/

http://endnote.com/

And while I am speaking of research, it seems that quite a few people are just now finding Academia.edu (a site that houses research articles).  I had assumed that the whole world knew about this resource but apparently not.  Quite often I have found some of the same articles there that are housed on Jstor (which is inaccessible to most folks).  Enjoy!

I majored in History for a few years in college and loved all of my classes with the exception of American History.  It has, however, been 20 years since I took most of those courses and I realized that a refresher on what all was going on in Northern Europe during the Viking Age would likely benefit my general understanding of the Viking world.  I plan to dig out my old textbooks but also remembered some conversations I had with a friend about Coursera. 

The Coursera site (and others, such as edX) offers many free (non-credit) courses on a plethora of topics.  Reviewing that site sent me on a journey for looking for something more specific to my immediate needs and, at last, I found one offered by Yale that covers the time from the late Roman Empire to 1000AD.  Perfect!  I plan to check it out very soon.  http://oyc.yale.edu/history/hist-210#overview

In the process of looking for this course I also came across a series of podcasts that covers Iran during much of the SCA period, and that one can be located here:  https://itunes.apple.com/itunes-u/w3710-history-iran-to-safavid/id412486414?mt=10#ls=1

Too many projects at once and too much work has been needed on my car, so little progress has been made!  I did, however, finally cut out my Ottoman coat for 12th Night.  Some of the fabrics I may be using are below.  The Rust colored fabric with the repeating medallion motif is one I have had from sometime and it will become the Entari.  The golden fabric is linen that shall be the coat lining and the green is silk for the facing.

The large pomegranate pattern on the left will possibly be a set of sleeves or hat or even the lower part of a pair of salwar (pants).  The lovely large scale pattern on the right will become shoes and possibly a hat.  I also have blue linen on which I will stencil a pattern for my chirka.

I also found that one of the oak trees near the cabin is infested with oak galls.  I have been collecting these for a few weeks now (I now have 3 or 4 times as many as I have in this picture) and will be crushing them to test some dying out with them.  I hope to have enough galls to run small samples of both wool and linen using two different mordants (alum and iron).  I look forward to seeing how the samples turn out!