Progress update on the unicorns. I have finished the first of the 2 of them.

View of the set, the right side one is finished. (click for larger)


Full view of the finished unicorn (click for larger)


View of the torso (click for larger)

The bezants and couching are fully visible in this shot.

Now on to the second one.

I was perusing the odd set of Google links. Look up one thing and follow the path sort of thing and found this.

Hussein Chalayan- Tiny Bubbles


I immediately think WTF? That can't be for real. Yes, Yes it was for real. It walked down a runway.
So I shared my bemusement with dorinda2212

Dorinda: nice
Dorinda: I've always wanted to be dressed in bubbles
ari: lol
Dorinda: is it hamster wheels?
ari: rofl
ari: dunno
Dorinda: so confused, lol
Dorinda: it looks like Lilu's thermal bandages with a rainjacket made of hamster wheels
ari: OMG ROTFLOL
ari: I love you
Dorinda: I love you too, lol
ari: that is the best laugh I've had in a while
Dorinda: I'm grinning my face off
ari: therefore I shall share it
Dorinda: sweet

Yes folks. You too can grow up to be a designer, rip off big name Gaultier, and cover your shame in hampster balls.

Woke up with the threat of my sinuses going all wonky again. I am so paranoid about getting another sinus infection. DO. NOT. WANT. Then the running around with the kids and the heat and humidity really got to me and I felt like hell most of the day. What I really wanted was a nap, but Linnet was too bright eyed and busy tailed to sleep while Mason was napping so I had to stay awake.

The good news is I made a good bit of progress. This means y'all get photos.

Full shot (click for bigger)

Full unicorn on the hoop. The spine embellishment is complete and the laid threads are in place for couching in the thighs.

detail of spine stitching (click for bigger)

In this shot you can just make out how the stitching goes over a seam. I pin the seam fabric flat on the underside and stitch through it to hold it in place.

Detail of thigh couching (click for bigger)

red threads anchored in place with a stitch of gold. Simple yet effective fill stitch.

Today I plan on finishing the rest of the couching and moving onto the neck and mane.

Latest installment of the coat project.
The major outlining of the unicorns is finished and I have moved on to the detail embroidery. The first eye is complete, so I thought I would pull it off the hoop and share a couple photos with everyone.

Here is the view of the coat with the outlining of the unicorns. (click for larger view)

The unicorns are the same size, the camera angle is a bit off. The red mane and tail are a nod to the lovely fieryredhead's tresses.

Here is a detail view of the finished eye. (click for larger view)

The eye is pale green silk mori, couched with gold, edged in black stem stitch, then surrounded with couched gold. I am still working on the couching so it is still a bit on the wonky side. It will get better, I swear.

Thanks raventhourne for the photo.
I promised folks I'd post the picture.
This is the outfit that had the little girl insist I was a princess.


It is natural color embroidered linen. I believe I found the fabric at a store a year or so ago and had been hoarding it. The smock is loose weave Silk. Veil is linen and pinned to a linnen tailed coif. (it makes me grumpy how it misbehaves and is on the list to get its hem beaded) Tho you can only just see them I am wearing the incredible 14th century shoes that master_tomas made for me. The belt is cast pewter plaques made by Mistress Alex.

excepting the last image
yeah all these garments are so cool
http://ranaan.altervista.org/html/SCA-Gallery.htm


MUST FIND THE BOOK THESE ARE FROM.
Leads are appreciated.

Edit for lead on finding the book.
Norman Sicilian garments
Definitely made by a reenactment group out of Italy

* Not the right book but interesting none the less.... GERVERS, Veronika, 1983, 'Medieval Garments in the Mediterranean World, in Cloth and Clothing in Medieval Europe, eds NB Harte & KG Ponting (London:Heinemann, 1983.)

Edit #2 the book has been found!
The pictures are from the following exhibition catalogue.

"Mostra dei Costumi delle Armi e Degli Ornamenti del Palio". Commisione
Permanente dei Costume, Citta di Legnano, 1993.

caveat:It appears that the costume makers have taken images from many 11th- and
12th-century sources -- mosaics, woven fabric, embroideries, etc. -- and
composed costumes based on the general Norman garb of the time. From what I know at
this point, these are not reproductions of any known extant garb.

Will make things happen. Because no queen, I don't give a hairy rat's ass who she is but especially the sweet new ones, should never be without pretty and useful clothes.
My queen, I discovered right before she was to go off to war, did not have a beautiful coat to fight in. This irked me. I fixed it.
Her new fighting coat.




Made of 2 layers of middle weight blue linen, with yellow linen sleeves. Blue and gold trim. The suns are gold composite leaf heat adhered to gold acrylic paint. They should put up with a heck of alot of abuse.
Dropping it off tomorrow. She leaves for war tomorrow night.
I feel better now.

After a recent discussion with atensibilla I had to come to grips with the sheer depth of my burnout and frustration on a certain topic. I am under orders to RELAX and FIND SOMETHING NEW.
However my nature will not allow me to do it without a certain level of being able to document the clothing and fun/curiosity meter must be pegged.

So for Middle East feast I will be making myself a new outfit. I was paging through a copy of the Padashahnamah (This book was made for Shah Jahan who reigned at the very end of the SCA time frame) and saw these fabulous processions of dancing girls.
click on any image for the big view


"Ooooh" says I. "It gets darned hot in the hall what with all the people and dancing happening, and it's location in Phoenix. I could totally make one of those."
I have all the fabric. Need to find a good pattern for a choli top, but those are readily available and I am sure I can figure it out myself without too much frustration.

I am going to make an outfit that is a combination of the elements on these girls.

making her skirt out of 6 yards of very fine powder blue fabric with a gold floral woven band at the bottom.


Simple choli top which will be out of a light blue and gold woven patterned indian cotton. Notice the sheer, and I do mean sheer, chemise is worn under the choli. Just in love with the arm bands too.


I will be making the stripey pants out of green and peach woven striped linen. The little choga will be made out of burnt orange and gold patterned sari fabric with lovely woven 8 pointed stars all over it. Notice how the choga is pleated at an empire waist level, and it is clearly worn over the choli and chemise. I am making a leap and thinking that the sheer chemise is constructed in the same manner. (I feel safe in this after looking at the extant 14th century shirt on Roxanne Farabi's page where that same pleating shows up.)


My chemise will look much like this one out of very sheer gold fabric cross woven with purple. I have all the fabrics stacked together and the colors make me happy.

What all I've been up to whether you want to know or not.
I was just SUPER BUSY on the sewing front in the months before and after Estrella. Click on the photos for the big view or to get to the albums.

To whit:
12 full outfits for my kids of which I do not have photos yet.



Then there was Ivan's Knighting scroll You can view the photos here

And full Turkish outfits for Eduard and Asa for Estrella war. pretty pretty
I really need to get more photos of these.

Finally the gilding and seals on Ianuk's Laurel scroll
and Ianuk's Laurel mantle
I wove all the trim for this as well. My very first card weaving.

I have been awfully busy over the last few weeks with string and embroidery
Here are the results of my efforts.

Winking sun


Cross Formy


Two Ravens


2 Wolves

right side wolf


left side wolf


eye couching detail

I have finished the booties for the gift basket I am taking with me to al-Barran mid winter.



They are Men's size 9-10, 3 layers of polar fleece, Outlands colors with a leaping stag cut out.