Medieval: A Word That Shouldn't Leave a Bad Taste in Your Mouth.

Ever notice how some words make you cringe.  The mere mention of them raises goosebumps.

My skin used to crawl whenever the word Medieval surfaced. I always associated it with really bad things...evil things...and evil people. i.e the Plague, King Henry VIII etc. That has changed.

Ever since I became acquainted with the local canton (Lynchburg, VA.)  of the S.C.A,  I see medievalism in a new light.

Instead  of cringing, now I appreciate the time period, and enjoy being part of a group devoted to preserving the institutions, arts and practices of the Middle Ages.

I've been hooked and enlightened. Thank you Black Diamond Barony.

Next step...selecting my persona name. Now tht is something that really gives me the chills.

The Medieval Fates are Against Me

     I am so eager to start participating in our Canton's and Barony events, but it seems that the next few conflict with other events I must attend...unrelated to S.C.A.

    Perhaps, this is a blessing in disguise as I have no garb to wear over my newly made chemise. But, I am making progress. I have the pattern pieces cut out for a side-slit surcoat--now if I can only figure out how to keep my sewing machine's thread from slipping out of the needle. Do I have a bobbin problem? A tension problem? A me problem?

     Why is everything related to sewing such a difficult thing for me? I fear the Fates have seen my sewing and have conspired to keep me from ever attaining needlework nirvana.

CONFESSIONS OF A S.C.A. "NEWBIE"- PART 2.

PART 2---The Trials and Tribultions of Constructing My Chemise.

Who ever said, "A stitch in time, saves nine?"  What does it mean, anyway?

Perhaps this quote may have application for Hollywood costume designers, English Tailors, seamstresses, and Betsey Ross  (in the past), but to me it is a conundrum. There is more ripping out than sewing.

When it comes to sewing, allow me to quote the King in the play/movie The King and I,( which had nothing to do with sewing, but everything to do with my observation when it comes to sewing ). "It's a puzzlement."

Keep in mind I do not know how to sew.  This is my virgin voyage into the world of tissue paper patterns, notches and darts.

Encouraged by others in our Canton, I dove headlong into the project of constructing my chemise. After all, How hard can this be? I'll just follow the directions. Well, as you will see, I am the poster child for the saying..."Pride cometh before a fall."

The section of the pattern that gave me the most problems were the sleeves. First, after cutting them out, I lost track of the wrong and right side of the fabric. I was using a fine muslin. It all looked the same to me.

When nothing matched up, I realized I had attached the sleeves to the wrong armholes. Rip, rip, clip. I tore out the lenght of the sleeve seam, inverted them, and re-attached them correctly. Then, heady with success, I dove into the fray like the leader of a Holy Crusade.

I took up my needle and thread and hand-hemmed the opening edges of the sleeves forgetting that I had pre-folded and ironed them flat prior to inverting them. Hastemakes waste. Once again it was rip, rip, clip.

I flattened the ripped-open edges with my hand, re-folded them under, and re-pressed  them.   This time I wasn't so quick to get the job done. I made sure everything was in order before pricking my fingers with anymore hand-stitching that I'd have to rip out.

All I can say is  this project caused me to exude enough heat to fire up a kiln. Groaning and grumbling, fussing and fretting, I finally completed my first project.  I now have a very serviceable chemise--don't look too closely at the stitching--that I will be proud to wear under my next project that I assure you will not have sleeves.

"Why no sleeves?" you ask. 

"It's too much of a puzzlement," is all I can say.