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 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.
  Both of these images are from Osebergfundet, Volume 4 (pages 331 and 335). It is the scrolling, red, vine type patterns that are my inspiration for this project. |  Leaves shaped from silk in Oseberfundet, Volume 4 page 301. |
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