Vikings in the Woods: Making the Goods

I just got back from an immersive SCA event that I really enjoyed. The group that hosted the event is forming a new SCA guild devoted to "Viking Hiking." I spent the weekend learning skills like how to start a fire by using a flint and steel, cooking over a fire, building a smoker, making bread and skyr, identifying useful wild plants, and more. Here are some photos:

https://goo.gl/photos/oTyLBTdEs54Crpmq6

Useful plants identified on our weed walk - https://www.evernote.com/shard/s13/sh/bbd4d2de-b562-4c92-9a47-2358b77aaf77/3ee42a040a3548dd9b9dfd60bdc35bbc

Getting ready for Pennsic: medieval fashion accessories

I made this hood last year, based on the pattern in The Tudor Tailor book, to go with an early Tudor gown, and I just got it out to tweak it a bit before Pennsic. There are several layers, precariously pinned together.

I also got out the curling iron to reshape my Elizabethan ruff. It was very droopy, but a little starch and it's springy again.

And so it begins...the pre-Pennsic sewing frenzy

When I can squeeze it into my busy schedule, that is. I sorted through a big bag of wool tartan scraps that a dear friend donated to me and picked out the biggest pieces to do something with. After a long contemplation over my historical pattern collection, I decided that I'm going to bodge together something late- period. I'm going for something a bit like this:

From Drea Leed's web site - http://www.elizabethancostume.net

I have some lightweight wool gabardine in a solid color to do the kirtle (underdress) and I'm hoping to piece together enough of the tartan to make the gown. Many years ago, I attended a class that Drea Leed gave at Pennsic on constructing a 16th c. Flemish womans garb, and then she published her notes from that class as a book, which I have: The Well-Dress'd Peasant: 16th Century Workingwoman's Dress - out of print. It provides detailed instructions on drafting the patterns. However, there are lots of other resources available on her web site here - http://www.elizabethancostume.net/lowerclass/makeflem.html.

ReconstructingHistory.com also sells a full-scale pattern that would work nicely.

I'm not too concerned about mashing up a tartan fabric with a Flemish design. Wool is wool.