Het Gaat Lijk Lukken Bakken

I don't "do" Danish. But these journals (which are all available as .pdf's) look to have some extremely interesting scholarly work. Check out issue 7, for starters.

Have fun, y'all.

http://www.dragt.dk/dragtjournalen/

In order to demonstrate (or fail at, we shall see) my Odd Theory of the German Housebook Dress, I first need my dress form functional. Hence, today.

I painted my Christmas tree stand with Brass finish paint. And painted a PVC pole ocean blue.

Now I'm hot and sweaty. The post assembly is together, and sawed off at the appropriate height.

Tomorrow - mount the duct tape dummy on the pole and sculpt a neck for it.

Later (I get home around 9pm tomorrow), pad the dummy. It's about the right size - but not quite. It was done a while ago, and things have.... shifted. But I think it will work as well to pad this one as it will be "squishier" in the squishy places.

In order to do that, I intend to wrap it (at least partially) in muslin, then baste cut outs of cotton batting where it needs to go. I might even get some soft bra cups to pad the bust.

THEN the cover. I have some very nice stretch velvet, with some contrasting ribbon to mark the important lines for draping.

It's a plan to make a duct tape dummy look nice enough to leave in my front room. I might even baste a tulle skirt around her base. ;-)

I am coming to accept the fact that a fulltime job, two small children, a long commute - and mostly, the raising of a special needs child - will prevent me from realizing a number of ambitions for the immediate future. I lack the time, energy, and ambition:

- to really bother trying to launch a new career designing fabrics or launching a pattern line

- to pursue the skill set necessary for consideration for the Order of the Laurel

- to construct all the projects running around in my head

- to even get my home into the state I'd like it

But every now and then, something DOES go my way. I went to JoAnn's today to get fabric for a corset. I looked at the cotton duck, but it seemed a little coarse and stiff. So I went wandering through the twills. I happended across a bolt of burgundy herrigbone twill of a weight and pattern very similar to corset coutil. It was labeled $6.99/yd, but rang up $2.50. I nearly went for the rest of the bolt. ;-) 100% cotton, even.

Yeah, me. Now to shop for binding, cable ties, and to draft a pattern. ;-)

I'm slow....

I just noticed that RUM is happening in conjunction with the Masque of Courtly Love. Now, I intend to finish one of the Dutch regional gowns for the day. But I suppose I needs something for the Masque, if we opt to stay.

So, what do y'all think I should make?

One of the van Hemessen gowns? (Either the one with the polka-dot cuffs or the brocade skirt and pink undersleeves.)

One of the later period outfits with the bodice and skirt as seen in some of the wedding or skating scenes?

A Cranach gown?

Something Italian/Venetian - since it is a Masque?

Some other German/Swiss/Dutch regional gown?

Something else entirely? Provide pictures!!

I'm thinking of ordering some actual twill tape from William Booth, Draper. Highest on the list are the 1/4 in and 1/2 in Dutch linen.

I also rather like the red wool twill tape (1/2 in). It looks like a good match for the red bodice lacings in some of the Dutch gowns. But I worry that it might stretch throughout the day, necessitating constant retightening.

And while I'm at it, some linen sewing thread.

Anybody have any experience with products or company?

I preface this by pointing out that it is extremely cold and very windy today. 4 inches of powder so far, and probably another 4 to come - all blowing around and occasionally obscuring the house across the street. It MIGHT be affecting my brain.

( On to the so-called thoughts )

It's kind of nice when I hit a day when I don't have many appointments and half of those cancel. ;-) It would give me a complex, but it's a couple of our crazier clients who canceled when they found out I was working today. One of them has, let say, had less than honest dealings with the clinic in the past - I have her number, and she knows it.

Since I wasn't "working" much today - I managed to wander off on my lunch hour and pick up some Hallmark (TM) wrapping paper. Which is conveniently marked off on the back in 1" grid squares. Yippeee!! I picked the stuff with the cool baroque pattern, since it was all the same price anyway. ;-)

Then I got out my copy of The Tudor Tailor, and enlarged the pattern blocks for the basic doublet. I measure out those pieces, split and enlarged them for Darling (though I was going by memory for measurements - hmmm, maybe not so good?), drew them onto my muslin and pieced together a toile. Tonight... a fitting!!!

I also assembled the shirt, but for collar and cuffs. That, I needed an iron for, and hadn't brought it to work with me.

At least I got SOMEWHERE. I also created a paper journal for my Dutch research, tabbed off in sections. Now I can store info as I find it. And then use it to put together my class. Now if I just get better images of those portraits.... *fingers crossed*

In other news, the Muffin's Dance studio suffered a fire over the summer. They're rebuilding - in Fruitport. I don't want to drive that far, and I wasn't that impressed anyway. I've interviewed a new studio, that wants to put her with her own age group, rather than with the 3 year olds. They have around 16 other autistic students. And they've invited us to come observe a class. Hmmm, think I've found a new studio!!

SO, Darling's shirt is cut out (or rather, torn into appropriate rectangles. I never fuss with cutting muslin if I can help it). I've got some of the pieces zig-zagged on the edges. This is a quickie piece, not a show piece. So I'm cheating a little. OK, a lot. Out of thread, and so can't continue until after lunch.

Whilst zig-zagging, which requires very little thought, other things have been running through my head.

( Things I do not understand )

I really do appreciate all the nudges and leg-ups I've been given as I try to expand my research skills. And I'm glad other people are finding some of the info useful/enjoyable. The plan is for a web page coming this fall/winter.

Toward that end, I wonder what advice you all may have in regards to finding period wills that might list clothing items or other fun stuff.

Parte the First - If you know the inventory number of the manuscript, how do you locate it? And what are the chances that, having located it, you might be able to obtain a copy? Most importantly, at a decent rate. The Bodleian has an Album AMicorum that looks interesting, but I'm not up for shelling out $60-70 if I don't know if it will be useful

Parte the Second - How do you systematically search for extant documents, like wills, that may not be obviously costume-related? And while I'm at it, other than the Alcega, Enns, and Milan books, are there other extant tailor's books anyone knows of? Has anybody spent any time at all looking into the Polish one in L.A.?


One other tidbit that's been knocking around in my brain. I noticed, when comparing, that the "Cheese Museum" ladies are all in dark colors, though none in blue. The ladies in Bruyn's Trachtenbuch are VERY often in blue. And a bit of yellow/ochre is not uncommon. Is this just a factor of those colors preferred by the artist? Or are we seeing a difference in dress? The Cheese Ladies appear to be middle class, in what Dad would call "Sunday-go-ta-meetin'" dresses. And dark aprons. The trachtenbuch ladies are sort of all over the map classwise. And there aren't enough Dutch ladies to REALLY get a feel. Is it just a Nord-Holland thing that eschews blue? Or is it a more work-a-day color, perhaps due to the cost of the dye. Which doesn't QUITE add up, as some of the Flemish ladies are in red in the trachtenbuch. And one of the Cheese Ladies was in Dark green, I think. Which is most likely to be weld over indigo or woad.

?!?!?!?

I'm chasing my tail here, if anybody has any thoughts, I'd be interested.

EDIT: I did find THIS one, which is interesting. I wonder how "German" the German cloak is.

http://www.vertetsable.com/research_freyle.htm

I'm so over-tired and it so shows. *sigh*

I'm busy pulling the ol' ribbon off the linen, as it requires little in the way of active attention or manual dexterity. And contemplating the ins and outs of a website as my body of research in Dutch costuming grows. (I JUST remembered that I have a friend in grad school in Amsterdam. *g* Maybe she'll find me some goodies. E-mail is somewhat limited for file size. Any bright ideas on how she could send me large files?)

In my defense.... I do like listening to the Lime and Violet knitting podcast. So today's weird idea:

A podcast on historical costuming. Hosted by mineself and Baroness Alaina. With interviews with various costuming afficianados. Cause we know a couple of those. Just wondering how we'd manage to interview the Overseas folks without it costing an arm and a leg. And what sort of hardware and software we'd need. And what I'd have to offer 'Laina to get her to do it. And would there be an audience?