Category: Clothing and Equipment

A place to document my kit – things I’ve made or found

Clothing and Equipment2 Comments

Why yes, I handsew most of my garb…

Greet Gijsberts

Yesterday I finished the new linen/cotton blend shift – I went rather nuts with decorative flat-felling on all the seams…red binkies *everywhere*.   It's ostensibly for under the chestnut Tudor kirtle, though I don't think that flat-felled embroiderish running stitch is very Tudor.  However, it looks nice, and since I must spoil myself with beautiful underwear *always*, and am not particularly interested in late period, that's that.  I can certainly wear it under the teal Gothic kirtle too.  We shall see if it's any more comfortable than the all-cotton one, or the all-linen one. The chestnut Tudor kirtle still needs tabs … Continue reading Why yes, I handsew most of my garb…

Clothing and EquipmentLeave a comment

Trim done!

Greet Gijsberts

(I don't know why that last post showed up twice.  Perhaps the exhibit is That Good.) (cheap pen for scale) So here's the other piece of tabletweaving I'm doing for HH Gwen's robes.  I like this stuff, even though it's INCREDIBLY SLOW when compared to other ways to embellish clothing.  And the silk is very fine, and now I understand why Maudey was interested in using No. 5 Japan thread rather than No. 7 – getting the thicker metal strand to bend precisely where you want it to is a bit tough. Thus the silver blips in the back not … Continue reading Trim done!

Clothing and Equipment1 Comment

Camel Saddle Needs a Seat Cover

Greet Gijsberts

I have this camel saddle sitting around useless…it needs a new leather top. I have no idea what sort of culture/time I'd want to research for a camel saddle. Indian?  (Pushkar Camel Festival) Googled "camel saddle 16th century".  That could be cool. Judging from similar new 'camel saddle stools/chairs' for sale, and the label in French on the bottom, maybe this is a Moroccan object.  That's okay, too…but now I need some motifs. Continue reading Camel Saddle Needs a Seat Cover

Clothing and Equipment1 Comment

Silk & silver tabletwoven trim

Greet Gijsberts

Okay, so it's been ages.  Here's an excuse… And there's going to be more… These are reproductions of tablet-woven trim from Spies, Nancy. Ecclesiastical Pomp & Aristocratic Circumstance: A Thousand Years of Brocaded Tabletwoven Bands. How to weave brocade as well as the history of its heyday in Medieval times. More books here. The completed gray above is Page 163, "Based on the amice of Andreas Sunesson, Archbishop of Lund, 12th/13th century.  The black warp is for Page 182, "Band on a relic bag, 13th century."  All thread is silk, or silver 'jap' thread (real silver that will tarnish!).  Technique … Continue reading Silk & silver tabletwoven trim

Clothing and Equipment1 Comment

Versatile gown, other images and self-criticism

Greet Gijsberts

I’ve updated my 14th c European page with the latest pics from Gulf Wars, but here’s some others showing my teal linen fitted kirtle. Here’s what I looked like at Saltare: I know, it’s dark and I’m standing funny. UPDATE: Well, I hope this is better.  I need more modeling practice, clearly.   Composite parts:  White cotton t-tunic shift.  Blue linen versatile gown based on patterning from Cotte Simple, cut 6" long in back to ‘puddle’.   Machine sewing on long internal seams; handsewn eyelets (with fabric’s thread); handsewn silk facing, dyed to match, with fabric’s thread; linen hem facing handsewn … Continue reading Versatile gown, other images and self-criticism

Clothing and Equipment1 Comment

To Line or Not To Line?

Greet Gijsberts

The following is excerpted from my response to an email question from a sewing pal.  The context is that age-old question:  When constructing a supportive cote (Gothic Fitted Dress, Versatile Dress), should it be lined? My reading says that we don’t have extant ones that are lined.  We have illustrations of ones with another color on the inside, but there’s a popular medieval fabric weave (iridescent twill) that is one color on each side, so that could be that answer. My answer is ‘do what works’.  My blue linen cote isn’t; but my figure is very different from other ladies … Continue reading To Line or Not To Line?

Clothing and Equipment1 Comment

Wanted: Mirrored box

Greet Gijsberts

[Continuation of Greet’s Guy’s Garb series, AKA ‘what Greet wants and is willing to sew for’] I saw some adjustable mirrored boxes at War.  These are fairly simple wooden boxes, looked like poplar, unfinished, with a mirror set inside the lid with two small hinges.  I didn’t want my behavior to scream "I love this idea but I could do it better", so I didn’t take pictures, but here’s my drawing: They came in four sizes, small (8×10) and large (12×14), either 4" or 8" deep.  I’m guessing on all of these measurements from my memory – if you have … Continue reading Wanted: Mirrored box

Clothing and Equipment2 Comments

Wanted: Bucket carrier bar thingy

Greet Gijsberts

[Okay, this is going to be a whole series of posts fleshing out the links on the Greet’s Guy’s Garb page.  Bear with me.]Theadora Perplexa (love her name!) and Eoin gave me two wooden buckets that I LOVE, and it immediately occurred to me that I’d like to look like this: (well, alright, with a happier expression on my face.) I do a huge amount of schlepping stuff at events, and am learning that I need some aids if I’m going to minimize the chiropractor bills afterwards.  This poor Norman woman looks like she’d like to learn the word ‘adjustment’. … Continue reading Wanted: Bucket carrier bar thingy

Clothing and Equipment1 Comment

Introducing Greet’s Guy’s Garb!!!

Greet Gijsberts

I’m starting a new service/arts project.  Over the past year I’ve been given lots of fabric and other materials, much more than I can use.  At the same time, I’ve been noticing that many of my male friends are becoming dedicated fighters, but feel they can’t go to events because they lack garb.  Finally, I’d like to learn more about clothing types than I care to wear (or make Daan wear). Four birds with one stone:  I will make garb, both out of my materials, any more materials that are donated, or Guys’ client materials in exchange for kit stuff … Continue reading Introducing Greet’s Guy’s Garb!!!

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