Eva's journal

Maja didn't really need more clothes right now, but then I bought this lovely, soft and draping yellow wool from Italienska Modetyger at a sewing faire. I bought all there was, but it was in no way enough for a gown. So mi-parti it had to be, and with Maja's arms being in red and yellow, red wool was an easy choice. It's no way near as soft as the yellow wool, but since the whole gown is lined with blue silk habotai even a kid may be able to wear it without dying from wool itchiness ;) (Except the yellow sleeve, I ran out of fabric and had to use red habotai in that one - contrast was important in the Middle Ages, so of course I couldn't use red in the red sleeve.)

The cut, which skims the body, but isn't tight, and the modest neckline would probably place this one in the 1330s or thereabout.



Now I'm going to rip of the skirt from Måns' waffenrock and replace it. And make Pies of Paris for dinner.

My friend Alfhild took really good photos from the event. I also took some of my faminly. Here you are!

Alfhild's:
Me and Måns swearing on the baronial coronets:


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Mine/my family's:

Lady Elisabetj tablet weaving:



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Maja's Merida gown is now finished. Hand sewn line shift and partly machine sewn gown from 100 wool. It's not a perfect photo, but  it was the first time she tried it all on.

Pieces of white rabbit fur and the same velvet as in the gown are found. All I need now is a working body and brain - both of which seem to be hard to find :( I didn't sleep much tonight ant my left foot feels like I have twisted or sprained it, but I haven't; it's "just" arthritis.

Sunday and I was up at six. Yes.
Because Vendela is competing in dressage today and we're leaving early. Especially she, who was up at five to go to the stables and load the horses.

I have my new(ish) shorts on, a tank top and a scarf around my head since it's supposed to be really warm and none of my straw hats are something I want to wear to a horse show, at least not if Vendela is riding; I don't want to embarrass her more than necessary. Of course I'm also bringing a book and a water bottle.

Right now I'm just waiting for her dad to give me a call to tell me that he's outside, waiting to pick me up.

Then when I come home there's a "Mend, unravel, re-make" meeting over at my neighbour herzeloyde's place. I need to take a shower first, since at least one of the person's attending is really allergic to horses, but then I will work on r-making some of Valeria and Vendela's old garb for Maja. My quality has improved so I want to change some of the clothes before she wears them. Not that I know when she will wear them, since we're actually not going to the Visby medieval week this year.

Yesterday, before my friends Marika and Daniel turned up and we packed all our camping stuff on their trailer I made a flat cap for Maja and a velvet cap for Valeria. Now, when all my things have left I didn't know what to do - so I started on a jacket for Maja, so that I'll have something to sew on on the train and boat. Once we made camp (and slept since we arrive in the evenign) I have gold trim to put on a shirt and I can always put more faux pearls on my gold damask kirtle. That's actually what I plan to do during the week - sitting in helwig's and liadethornegge's camp.

Maja's Saxon court gown is sewn together and I'm now working on the sleeves. Depending on the amount of pearls on the brustfleck I hope to have it all finished tomorrow night. Then cuffs on Vendela's and Valeria's smocks and then I may be able to make something for me for this Visby medieval week, I need to make some kind of new headwear for the Margareta Leijonhufvud gown. Maja needs something fancy too, since she has short hair now.

Ever since I saw the cutting diagram for Mary of Hapsburg's gown, some ten-twelve years ago I've wanted to make a Saxon court gown with a full circle skirt. Of course that uses up lots of fabric, so it hasn't been really practical.
But for Maja gown it is, especially since I have lots of the green velvet I made Vendela's Saxon court gown from. It will have a few pleats, since I made the circle in the middle larger than Maja's waist measurement, but it really is a full circle. My main inspiration will be St Catherine's dress on this painting by Lucas Cranach the Older.
And no, I do not look forward to cutting the brocade guards.

I've been a busy sempstress yesterday and today. Yesterday I cut out a high necked 16th century smock and I've been sewing on it on and off since then (hand swing really isn't good for my hands, especially not now when some of the finger joints already are inflamed) and it's at least half done. I also cut out and assembled a new gown for Maja from the remnants from this gown, which I already had cut a gown for her from two years ago. But now there are only tiny scraps left and she ended up with short sleeves due to lack of fabric. I will fell all the seams by hand tomorrow when Maja and I go and visit some acquaintances. I will bring the smock too since I think that there will be plenty of time for hand sewing while the children play.

But, to save some hand sewing for tomorrow and to save my hands from too much of it tonight I treated myself to making a "modern" peice of clothing: a reversible 50s jacket. I have a skirt from the same turquoise fabric and the pink one is of course the same as in the dress I'm wearing in my userpic, so it matches these two. I also plan to make a sleeveless blouse from the dotted fabric to wear with the skirt.

Maja's "cold evenings in Visby-dress" is finished - it's a german dress in yellow wool with bands of dark red velvet on the skirt, around the neck, front opening and wrist, a yellow and white brocade gollar lined in murrey wool and a white cap in self-striped linen (tabby and satin weave). It is adorable and I hope to be able to take photos of her in it tomorrow.

Just before bedtime I also cut out the body pieces for a gothic fitted dress for Vendela from very fine wool tabby. It will be fully lined in a fine linen in a sort of pale pink/lilac colour.