Author: Greet Gijsberts

Greet Gijsberts is a persona created to play in the Society for Creative Anachronism. She authors this blog in order to document her projects and adventures, and share them with a wider audience.
Clothing and Equipment

Persona: Renaissance Flemish working class

Greet Gijsberts

I’ve done the least amount of work on this persona, even though my name comes from 15thC Flanders, and that’s where I (nearly) started.  I keep a set of garb in this timeperiod purely for dancing demonstrations for the public, when it would be confusing to have a Bronze Age chick doing the Black Nag. I currently wear, in pursuit of a working class impression: GARB PICS Smocked shift Wooden sabots Wool kirtle with plain apron, matching tie-on sleeves Lace-trimmed cap SOURCE PICS Originally based on the following pictures: Particularly: The patterns from:A Tudor TailorDrea LeedEva Andersson’s Dress Diary GEAR … Continue reading Persona: Renaissance Flemish working class

Research

Useful Links Elsewhere

Greet Gijsberts

(under construction, I’ve got a LONG WAY to go, cleaning out my del.icio.us files) GARB RESEARCH Google Directory of medieval clothing sites Marc Carlson’s collection of extant garments, see the page on sewing techniques Kass McGann’s Reconstructing History patterns The Highlander’s Saffron Shirt Getting yellow without saffron Red & green stitching on yellow shirt Marie Cadeaux – Gallery of costumes Silver Desert: multiple timeperiods and places Dress patterns from Smoke and Fire Mesterinde Karen Larsdatter Lots of links here And here: Medieval Frocks Pre1000 Midgard Basic Clothing Standards Viking Apron Dress, by Marie Cadeaux 1000-1200 Regia Anglorum – Anglo-Saxon, Norman, … Continue reading Useful Links Elsewhere

Events1 Comment

Bit of housekeeping

Greet Gijsberts

You may have noticed that I’ve made some changes around here. As I post more pictures, the 500px center column format was impractical.  Furthermore, I’m getting better at organizing my projects around themes, rather than dabbling here and there.  So I’ve subdivided the Garb Construction category according to the times/cultures that I’m making. I’ve also started a permanent Page for each set of Garb, which will replace the Greet’s Garb Photo Album.  The Finished Fuzzy Things Album is temporarily disappearing, until I figure out what to do with it.  Email me if you can’t find something.  I’ve also disabled Greet’s … Continue reading Bit of housekeeping

Clothing and Equipment2 Comments

Great response from tailor on Persian!

Greet Gijsberts

I corresponded with Mistress Roxane Farabi, who sent me to her tailor re: my questions about color and pattern choice for artisan class.  Master Safi al-Khansaa’ was very kind and these are her comments: Both cotton and wool were commonly used…especially for the inner layers, which, especially for the working classes, is what would have been worn.  Silk, if used, would have been probably only on the top layer.  Men especially, only used silk on their outer layers, as any garment next to their skin had to be cotton to be in keeping with the Hadith. Most of the coats … Continue reading Great response from tailor on Persian!

Research4 Comments

Persian!

Greet Gijsberts

(This post got out of order – see yesterday’s Stash post for fabrics.) I’m having a confluence of Persian culture, lately. I’ve been working on prepping a "Medieval Desert Gardens" class, in order to provide medieval solutions to our recent drought issues.  This necessarily involves Persian gardens, as we have descriptions and archaeological remains of gardens on the Persian plateau beginning in 550BC.  Also many of the foods that we eat now originated in the ‘Fertile Crescent’ – so studying Persia is really helpful for a gardener. I’ve been impressed with Jadi, a Persian Laurel, both her garb and her … Continue reading Persian!

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Stash pics

Greet Gijsberts

So here’s the loot that I crowed about yesterday.  The pic on the left used flash, the one on the right is natural light only.  Click on either to enlarge. From the top: Mostly rayon jacquard – 4 yards.Joba?  Needs lining, pref silk. (Note, I allowed rayon in this case because it’s my first set, rayon is still cellulose, and it shines like silk.  Also, the odds of the universe dumping a neat SET of silk fabrics in my lap in time to sew before Gulf Wars (mid March) are astronomical.) Linen with rayon machine embroidery, 3.5+ yards.  This is … Continue reading Stash pics

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Joann’s banditry

Greet Gijsberts

Joann’s is having a huge 50% off all the clearance again, and I made out like a bandit. 5 yards of camel wool, 2.50/yard – I’ll probably save this for a European something, and probably overdye it.  But it also goes with, for my Persian garb – (I relaxed my standards somewhat to allow rayon, which is still cellulose, and still washable with care): 2 yards of 100% linen, rather a light pistachio – that’ll be salwar.  A tan 80/20 linen/rayon – the rayon is orange and dark brown accent thread woven through.    A linen/cotton machine embroidered all over … Continue reading Joann’s banditry

Events4 Comments

Saltare 2008

Greet Gijsberts

Saltare is billed as an ‘all-dance’ event, but apparently there’s some broader history having to do with performing arts. There were three tracks of classes: two European, and one Middle Eastern.  I took: Gracca Amorosa – which is a fun and detailed Italian dance with lots of foot wiggles.  Tap dance memory skills.Safavid Persian Dance – 16th c, with Mistress Sindokht.  This was a great intro to Persian, and Sindokht was very helpful about pointing out differences and common themes ("I’m so cute!").  I’ll be doing more of these.Improvisational Dance, European – This really shot over my head; it was … Continue reading Saltare 2008

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New strategies

Greet Gijsberts

I’m back from Saltare, and had a wonderful time.  (Yes, there’s a pic of me in the 14thc Versatile Gown, it’s coming.) However, driving home and talking about future garb projects with Melbrigda, I realized how I can put some strategy into the varied stuff that interests me. Gardens – 16thc Persia, Egypt (date?) and Spain (Alhambra for starters).Dance –  16thc Europe and Persia.Textiles – Coptic weaving (1000AD) and 16thc Persia (I think).Domestic architecture – Roman courtyard houses, Indian brickwork, Egyptian mudwork.  See Persian gardens.Garb – ALL OF ABOVE CULTURES. So, clearly, I still need 16thc Persian garb to talk … Continue reading New strategies

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What does 10/2 mean?

Greet Gijsberts

First, the designation 10/2 is the "lea" number.  The /2 means it’s two strands plied.  The 10 is a bit harder. A lea is 300 yards, traditionally 120 wraps on a 90" skein.  (Hey mom, remember how big my swift is?  Now we know.)  It weighs a pound.  If your actual yarn weighs 5 pounds as a single, wrapped 120 times around my swift, then we have a 5 lea yarn.  If it’s a double-ply, and weighs 5 pounds wrapped 120 times around my swift, then we have a 10/2 lea yarn.  If it’s a quad-ply (is that a "cable"), … Continue reading What does 10/2 mean?