The weekend just gone I headed over to the Re-enactors Market for my usual hunt around specialised traders stalls for props or the raw materials to make costume.
This time out, I resisted buying fabric - mostly because I didn't see anything I liked - but sadly still spent far more money than I should have. I blame the luxury of having all those shiny things in one place rather than having to hunt all over the internet... It is just so hard to resist.
With no fabric in my haul, I did buy a couple of costume reference books; namely The Medieval Tailor's Assistant and The Tudor Tailor. I did look at a lot of costume, doing my usual critical examination of the seams and build where I'm mentally working out how to make something similar. The Re-enactors Market is a wonderful source of inspiration for this sort of thing.
Other purchases included the obligatory felt hat, a broach, a nice compass and a pretty sundial thing which I don't know the name for but it will be a very nice prop. I also bought a couple of Egyptian bags and yet another braiding disk.
The braiding disk will be my third one and is the purchase I felt guilty about since I've yet to successfully weave a single braid using the Kumihimo method which is essentially how you should be using with this disk. I can't get the tension right on either the individual strands of yarn or the center pull through the disk (or Marudai if we were talking proper Kumihimo I guess). However, after chatting to the guy selling the disks for some tips on where I'm going wrong I decided to try one of his disks. For the moment, I'm swamped with projects but I do intend to have another go with this real soon...
The rest of the weekend was spent doing either domestic things, fretting about the cat or setting eyelets.
The new cat (or ex-stray) Charlie went outside for the first time on Saturday, hence the fretting. Saturday he was very unnerved by the whole experience and was obviously worried we'd lock him out as he didn't really wander very far. Sunday however he made up for lost time, disappearing for close onto three hours before returning. When he came in, once he'd had his initial fuss he was the quietest I've seen him in a while and actually laid down on the sofa to go to sleep last night rather than being glued to my side.
In between calling for the cat I started setting eyelets into the loose fitting bodice I'm making for Shards. So far I've set forty three eyelets, leaving me with just thirteen to do so I'm hopeful I'll get it finished this week. All of which means, I'm getting there - slowly but surely.
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2 comments:
I'm glad Charlie made it outside with next to no trouble (and returned it) can leave you anxious the 1st time.
So you were drawn to the Egyptian bags as well, nice weren't they although I only bought one.
Eyelets, there a thing that seems drive you insane and you will be glad to know that after rejecting your idea (time reasons only) for trouser bottoms, I'm now reconsidering them as a option, so I may follow the link you left Izzy, still 2 full weekend to get that sorted sounds like loads of time, or did last time and then I felt suddenly felt rushed.
I bought two bags, one of which is for day to day use as I've been looking out for one for a while and those bags were very reasonably priced.
Eyelets and lacing are a good traditional way of fastening practically everything. Of course, metal eyelets are a modern approach to the problem and for the more traditional look you'd sew them. Some sewing machine manufacturers do an eyelet plate, but sadly (at least the last time I checked) Janome don't which means I'm left with sewing them by hand which takes considerably longer than setting metal ones.
You're lucky in that you have two weekends left, I only have the one as I'll be working through the coming one. :(
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