I've been feeling a challenge to design garb for pre-1066, northwestern Europe (specifically Irish from the Scandinavian extraction). This is difficult, because the graphic record seems to go from mosaics of Theodosius to the Book of Kells with no in-between, and not much else.
Mistress Una sent me to this book:
Dress in Anglo-Saxon England, Gale Owen-Crocker
which Maudey had, and also had this one:
Cloth and Clothing in Early Anglo-Saxon England, Penelope Rogers
I looked at both of them this weekend. I wants them. They did well to feed the weaver-person, just like Clothing Culture and Woven Into the Earth. I am becoming such an archeology geek.
Apparently, all we know about what was worn 600-1000 is based on shreds of fabric stuck to metal pins, or imprints of same on mud/bone/stuff, and from that there's lots of room for conjecture. What is known are general colors and weaves and materials. Not much about cut or embellishment.
On the materials side, I want to learn to weave diamond twills and linen tabby repp, since they're hard to find (I've never seen linen tabby repp ever – for those without a clue, "repp" weaves are those plainweaves (thick checkerboard) in which the weft is much thicker than the warp. Modern woven rag rugs are frequently repp weave.) I wonder how the linen weft is made thicker…is it a lesser grade of linen? That would be efficient use of materials. Another idea for an A&S entry…
Maudey says that at Pennsic one can buy lengths of fabric in historical weaves, 30" wide, ~5 yards, for $100. That seems like a good deal, for both the hobbyist weaver and the seamstress, given that one can spend $100 on materials for ~5 yards of fabric easily, and that I can get through a four-pick weaving pattern at the rate of 24"/hour. (Remember I'm a novice weaver.)
Don’t fail to include the time involved in warping when considering how long it takes to weave a yard.
I love to weave, but can’t stand warping (and my back always hurts after I’ve warped a loom). So, the warping takes so long and is such a major pain (in more than one way) that I don’t weave much.
I keep meaning to get around to doing some inkle weaving on an American Inkle loom (which, I know, isn’t period).
I was once at a fiberarts day event in my Barony, spinning on a Majacraft Suzie wheel, when some guy with an American inkle loom under his arm marched up and challenged “So, exactly how period IS that wheel?” I said “Not at all.”
I felt like adding “…just like your loom.”
Good point, Johann. Fortunately I see the clear bright line between selling to recoup expenses of a hobby I’d do anyway, and the professional’s difficulty of pricing her labor.
I have only warped my floor loom once*, and it took about 6 hours, including fixing mistakes. I know some tricks about lessening this, and intend to use them on the next warp.
I do have an antique wheel that I carry around to demos and events (search for it under “Maud”), whose technology dates to 1620, as far as the historical record shows, because it has both a flyer and a treadle. It *could* be in period…but we don’t have a record to prove so yet.
I don’t mind warping much, though it is rather like making beds, or washing dishes, in that it’s a nearly mindless prerequisite. I put on good audio entertainment and get to work.
*Someday…someday…I will get this yardage done.