Have I found my people?
Preparation and realities of my first medieval reenactment event
For quite a few years now I have been looking for an outlet for my crafting, something that just seems to 'fit' things that I'm interested in. I'd heard of the Society for creative Anachronism but I hadn't actually taken the plunge and attended any of their events or meetings. A lot of that had to do with my anxiety issues, but also just a general apprehension of joining a group that I knew nobody in. I'd also been told some rather conflicting information about how some of its members acted, thing like berating people for not wearing 'period garb', which in layman terms essentially means not wearing costume that is something that could realistically be found in the time period you're attempting to dress in. All these things kept me from going any farther than appreciating their work online.
I regret that decision so much now. I had such a great time at my first event that I wish I could turn back time and tell myself to just do it.
For those of you unaware of what the Society for Creative Anachronism is, let me try to explain with my limited knowledge.
The group was founded about 50 years ago. In fact, they are celebrating their 50th anniversary this summer with a huge event. They are a medieval reenactment group, though 'practical history society' may be more accurate. They focus on recreating the art, skills, and lifestyle in a pre-17th century Europe (though other areas are also accepted from what I hear!). The idea is to research and attempt to recreate the way of life in several different societies. You can concentrate on things such as fighting styles, armor, textiles ranging from spinning to weaving, to the intricate goldwork embroidery that was popular in many areas. There are those who enjoy recreating cooked dishes and cooking techniques, or woodworking skills. The scope of what one could get into is just amazing, and almost a little overwhelming for someone such as myself who likes to collect all the hobbies =P
Anywho, it was decided that I could put off going to an event by this group any longer. I'd run out of excuses. They were holding an event in my town, so I didn't have to worry about driving anxiety, and I had met a member as part of the Weavers Guild of Miami valley and so I'd know someone there.
But how to prepare to go? I could have gone as a 'civilian' since this was a demonstration open to the public, but did I really want to be that lame? Of course not! I was going to make my own garb, my own period outfit, and go in style!
But... you've never sewn anything Leslie....
Pfft. As if that would stop me!
I had to choose a time period for this garb to be in. It was a difficult choice since I love so many different cultures during the huge time period the SCA covers. The Tudor era of England is probably my favourite but I knew my sewing skills (or lack of) would not do that era justice. So what to choose?
VIKING!!!
These Scandinavian adventurers traveled and impacted much of Europe during their time (roughly 790's to 1066 is known as the Viking Age). They traded and traveled farther than many in their time, and have a rich cultural and religious history. Their pantheon provides a wonderful imagery for crafting, which is what I really look for. Since I've recently discovered that my ancestors could very well descend from Scandinavians I felt it was perfect to research and get into.
I could write and write about all I learned, but I'll save that for another time. For now though, I will say that women were pretty awesome in Viking times. They celebrated a level of freedom that many cultures still have problems applying thousands of years later. Sadly though, their clothing hasn't survived the passage of time as well as others have. While there are some fragments, and a lot of speculation, there is no real clear example of typical female Viking clothing. There are enough remnants, however, to get an idea.
The Viking Apron dress seemed to be the most popular option when I was looking up what to make. Traditionally it consists of a linen underdress, with a linen apron overtop. They loved to layer back in the day but I wasn't going for super authentic for my first costume so I didn't go with any of the undergarment layers. There is often two large pendents that are used to clasp together the apron straps, making dressing easier. Woven tape (or bands) were often used for decoration, and some embroidery though their embroidery generally doubled as functional as well.
Below is a lovely example from mizzd, who has a stock photo of her gown. It features the typical under-tunic, often T-shaped to utilize all of the hand-woven fabric. The apron is decorated with thin, inkle woven trim, and the typical Viking jewelry with beads.
So, after researching how others have made theirs for several hours/days I finally came up with what I thought would work for my... rotund shape. I decided to go with cotton fabric because it was the cheapest while still being natural enough fabric that it would breathe in the Ohio summer heat.
I lack a dedicated sewing area, or really any area that can handle large pieces of fabric, so my living room floor became my workbench. The underdress and apron are deceivingly simple to make if you know how to measure squares and triangles. I used a traditional t-shape tunic pattern for the underdress in this lovely grape colour. It was the closest to a natural dyed purple I could find, which is important in making SCA garb. You want it to be as authentic looking as possible.
Once the pieces were cut the assembly began. This sewing machine has never seen more than a few military patches getting sewn to a uniform for my ex-husband. I had to download the manual from the internet just to remember how to use it =P It went super quick after that though!
Sewing gores was.... an adventure. By the time I got to the apron it was far easier, but that first one was kind of a pain. I ended up shaping the top of the dress a bit to be more flattering, bringing in the sides to match one of my favourite shirts and how it fit. Worked like a charm. It wasn't exact and any seamstress would wag their finger at me and scold, but it flares and fits perfectly right under my bewbs, which was what I wanted. The hem was a bitch to figure out. I made my gores FAR too large. I think it's, like, 9ft around at the bottom, lol.
Sewing the apron seemed to be easier, with how I designed it. I had originally picked a design someone else had already come up with, but my fabric was far too narrow for that. I ended up having to re-design it to match the fabric, which meant my assembly was easier this way. I consider it a win!
I've never embroidered before in my life. So of course I thought it would be a good idea to EMBROIDERY OVER EVERY SEAM OF THE APRON. Because I'm crazy like that. I think it was a nice touch, though at a distance it doesn't look like it's really there. That's fine with me though, live and learn eh?
I decided to take it one step farther and make an embroidered border for the top of the apron. Again, I've never done anything like this so it was hours of research just to figure out what and how to do it. I love doing it though, so no complaints here. This is mostly satin and split stitch on the green fabric of the apron (the lighting is crummy) Sadly this wasn't done in time for the event, but the beauty of it is, I can finish and attach it any time, or use it for another project. Either way I've decided I really love to do this so I suspect much of my future work will be heavily embroidered.
All done! Yes, it and I are roughly the size of a fridge, what of it? Just kidding though. I embroidered the collar and arm trim of the underdress as well, using new stitches I'd eyed while researching. The silver brooches are not quality ones, but they're definitely creative. I took two small tin tiles from Michael's and pounded them into slight domed shapes (with the help of my father and his tools), and attached a pin backing to each. They don't hold the straps to the apron the way it's traditionally done, but it looks the part which is all I needed. The beads are lovely, and actually a gift from my friend Ellen Ottosen (Ottosan? I'm not sure the spelling) who is the one to introduce me to the SCA officially.
And this was the day of. I need to figure something out for my glasses in the future, I dislike that they aren't period appropriate. At the same time, I like being able to see and refuse to wear contacts, so I'm not quite sure what I'll do. The whole dress was super comfortable but it was so terribly hot that day! I ended up getting a pretty awesome sunburn and some sun poisoning to go with it. You can see my pink face here already, despite spending most of my time in the shade sitting at my spinning wheel.
Final Thoughts
Goodness, this has turned out quite a bit longer than I originally intended! I wanted to share the process though, and was silly enough to not do blog posts as I went.
The event itself was relaxed and fascinating. The fighting (which I'm not necessarily interested in personally) looked like a lot of fun, though I worried for their health in all of that armor! There were some lovely outfits throughout, and I vow to take my camera next event. We had people weaving, spinning, doing bobbin lace, doing traditional dances (which I missed, but that's okay), and even had a blacksmith set up working! I had stationed myself in the Arts and Sciences tent with my spinning wheel and a few of us spun for demonstration purposes. I didn't get to try the axe or spear throwing, but I really want to next time. The only thing missing was the archery that i was interested in, and it was simply due to there not being a safe place to do it.
Everywhere I went I was greeted by super nice SCAdians who were thrilled to have a new person interested in their group. Not once was I made to feel like I'd taken the cheap route with my costume, or made to feel like an outsider not knowing any of the common courtesies and titles. I asked a lot of questions, and in the end I had a genuinely lovely time despite sweating my arse off in the heat. While the local group meetings are a bit inconvenient to get to, I now have a few people I can carpool with and that's going to make all the difference.
If you have any interest in medieval times, this is the group for you. There is effort required to participate, but in the end it is the kind of look into medieval life that I wish more Renaissance fairs had. I can't wait for my next events, and have the next four or five projects already planned!
Next up, medieval spinning? We'll see!
Links
This is the Society for Creative Anachronism homepage. There is SO much information on here, take a look at the newcomer page for a better idea of what the group is about.
My local weavers guild. There is a Wool Gathering fiber festival coming up in September that we will be at doing demonstrations of both weaving and spinning. It's at Young's Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs OH, so come on by and say hello!
This is the West-Central Ohio barony, with links to all of the local area groups. How the SCA divides their territories can be VERY confusing at first, and I'm still learning, so if you need any help don't hesitate to ask!
