First Attempt At An Irish Leine

 A Seditious Irish Leine (or chemise) which I made for my Barony's recent Irish A&S Challenge. 

This Challenge was a great opportunity to start building a set of Irish garb. I decided to start at the bottom of things and attempt an Irish leine or chemise. The leine was worn by men and women and was often dyed yellow. It became a sort of symbol of national identity during the 16th C when specific clothing items were prohibited or restricted by Henry VIII and later Elizabeth 1 (Saffron dyed clothing and excessive amounts of clothing were restricted- which impacted the wearing of leines). Some Irish people adopted English style fashions, and some continued to wear traditional Irish clothing as a symbol of not bowing to English colonisers.

Irish people By Lucas De Heere, c. 1575 (Pinterest)

The men in this image wear the shorter male version of the leine. The little boy has embroidery around his sleeve openings. The lady's clothing is hidden under her cloak.

Noblewoman, townswoman, kern, and "wild Irish" painted by de Heere about 1575. The noblewoman has hanging sleeves over full smock sleeves. The townswoman's raised overskirt is lined with fur and revels red underskirt. The kern wears saffron colored leine which he has shortened with a belt, and a leather jerkin with hanging sleeves. The old man wears only a mantle. From "Dress in Ireland" by Dunlevy (Pinterest).

Watercolour of an Irish woman by Lucas de Heere (16th century) (Pinterest)

This chemise is a bit of an experiment. I have made Italian style chemises and English smocks before, but nothing with a shaped sleeve like this. I used the general chemise pattern that I have used in the past but changed the rectangular sleeve panel into more of a bag shape. I have made it smaller than the bag sleeves shown above, mainly for practicality.

An Irish woman by Lucas de Heere (16^th C) (Pinterest)

The colour is an orangey yellow, like the colour of the under dress this Irish lady is wearing. The leine is an up cycled cotton sheet. In period it would likely have been linen, although there is an extant cotton-linen blend English petticoat in the Museum of London. Cotton was available but was a rare and expensive luxury item.

Skirt | London Museum Item number 79216, dated c.1621

My 'pattern'

The chemise is mainly cut from rectangles and squares to conserve cloth using the same design principles I use for my Italian undergarments. It is machine sewn and the seams are hand felled. The hems are hand sewn with a whip stitch. The neckline is square rather than gathered and will be edged with a bias strip (and possibly more embroidery). The sleeves are embroidered with split stitch shamrocks in DMC cotton floss. Silk would be more likely for 16^th C body linen embroidery of this style but my budget wouldn't extend that far for this project. I liked the idea of using a seditious design on a seditious garment as a bit of a (centuries late) middle finger to King Henry VIII.

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

 Unsure of the manuscript that this little bird came from, but he reminded me of a honeyeater that we have in my local area.

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

 I haven't found the manuscript yet that this weird little guy came from, but I love him!

This piece was worked in Winsor and Newton gouache.

Renaissance Chemise from a Recycled Bedsheet

Several of my chemises and smocks need replacing, so earlier this year I made a new gathered chemise. It was made from a nice, soft recycled cotton bed sheet. The body panels and sleeves were rectangles, with triangular gores at the bottom for extra width and gussets under the arms for extra comfort. The fabric is wonderfully soft and comforting to wear.

A rough guide to how the pattern pieces looked. I didn't measure; just held pieces against my body and estimated sizes.

The interior seams were done by machine and then hand felled. The neckline and shoulder area was hand gathered down into a bias band and hand stitched down. The sleeve and bottom edges were hand hemmed.

Hand sewing the bias band around the neckline.

I plan to put some embroidery on it at a later stage.

The finished chemise. It doesn't look like much, but is lovely to wear.

Pelican Necklace

 Here is a beaded necklace I strung back in May as a gift for a friend. Glass beads and natural pearls on tiger tail with a purchased enamel pendant.

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

I decided to do this little fish because it reminded me of a Dr Zeuss fish. It's pictured next to the original piece which I haven't yet found attribution for. I'm still enjoying doing the scribal trading cards, but as always have tons of projects to work on when health allows. And mending. Ugh.

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards - Froggie

I love frogs, and I found this cute little frog on Pinterest. I had to try and make a scribal trading card with froggie on it.  I'm not 100% on the attribution, but it is possibly from the Spinola Hours from around 1510-1520 in the Flemish style. My frog turned out looking cross - maybe frustrated at the lack of accurate attributions on Pinterest?!

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

Tadpole Dog found in the Maastricht Hours (housed in the British Library; Stowe 17, folio 192r). This manuscript was created in Leige in around the 14th Century.

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

Another cute weird little guy; this time from the St Omer Manuscript held in the British Library, Add MS 36684.

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

 

Another weird little guy from a medieval manuscript. This one is from a manuscript held in the Morgan Library. He is from a Psalter, French (possibly St Omer,) 13th Century. MS M.79 folio 41 r.

ica.themorgan.org

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

I couldn't resist this strange little dog bird from the Bestiaire of Pierre Beauvais, Bibliotheque Nationale de France, NAF 13521. 

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

 Another phoenix, inspired by folio 24r, Bibliotheque Nationale de France, lat. 6838B [Bestiary Second Family]  Medieval Bestiary : Manuscripts : BNF lat. 6838B

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

 Here is another one. This depressed duck is actually a phoenix.

(Grootseminarie Brugge, MS. 89/54 [Ter Duinen Aviary], folio 77v)

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

Oh my! It has certainly been a very long time since I posted. 

I have been very busy over the last several months with multiple projects that just don't seem to have an end in sight. I've been plodding along with not much to show (so far) for my efforts.

One thing that I have recently become involved with is the SCA Scribes ten-minute-a-day 100 Days of Scribal Challenge. I found the SCA ten-minute-a-day A&S Challenge that I joined some years ago to be extremely helpful in getting into the habit of regular A&S activity, so when I saw that the Scribes were promoting a similar Challenge I was enthusiastic. I generally do my illumination in big blocks with not much in between, which is not ideal for maintaining and developing skills, so I hoped that being involved in this challenge would provide several benefits.

I have also wanted to get more involved with creating Known World Scribal Trading cards, so this seemed like a great time to pursue that. I have been doing a tiny amount every day, and I am finding that it has reignited my enthusiasm for illumination, especially my favourite areas of drolleries and bestiaries.

A Phoenix from De avibus of Hugh of Fouilloy, [De avibus/Physiologus] Bibliotheque Municipale de Valenciennes, MS 101, folio 185r with my version below. Painted in W&N gouache.

Season's Greetings

 Wishing you all a prosperous and peaceful holiday season!

Embroidered Order of Defence Heraldic Panels

Here are the devices I worked on the Lochac Order of Defence cloak for some of the local members of the Order. The devices are worked in black DMC cotton thread in pre-worked shield shapes in a variety of stiches including double running, split, stem and seeding stitch. 

(In case you were wondering why the embroidery isn't fancier (e.g. goldwork) for such a prestigious peerage Order, this cloak can be used on the rapier field and so needs to be very hard wearing. It has a wool outer layer with black-on-black embroidered decoration, and a linen lining with black embroidery.)

 

Order of Defence Cloak Designs

I recently had the privilege of adding the devices of local members of the Order of Defence to the Lochac Order of Defence cloak.

The cloak was not created by me, but I embroidered five devices close to the one I previously added for Master William Blackwode in 2019. They were embroidered in black DMC cotton floss in a variety of stitches including split stitch, double running stitch and stem stitch. 

This cloak is used on the field and it will be great to see it in action. Congratulations to the new Members of the Order!

The cloak ready to continue it's journey around Lochac.

Working the final design in the pre-made shield shape.

The devices that I worked.

 

I was most pleased with these two devices.

New Goldwork Threads

After jet setting for more than four months (returned to India for incorrect postage and re-posted,) my gold work embroidery threads have finally arrived!

Heraldic Split Stitch Badge

I made another split stitch heraldic badge this year, for a friend. Instead of working the white split stitches in an oval shape around the tree, I drew a sort of wave pattern across the background and worked the split stitches in waves. I did this to make the sewing a bit more interesting, and to create a feeling of texture across the background.

I wouldn't do this again. I don't feel it was particularly effective in creating texture and it also didn't make the process of stitching it any more interesting. (It was worth trying though.)

This patch will be sewn onto a Championship cloak. It is a cotton calico base fabric with split stitches worked in DMC cotton floss.

Thrift Flip Trinket Bags

I needed some little baggies to keep some metal girdles in so that they don't tangled up and damaged, so I was very happy when I found an embroidered fabric Christmas placemat that I liked the design of at the thrift store.

I cut it in half after washing and ironing it, folded down a little casing and sewed it in place, and then joined the conveniently pre-hemmed edges of each piece. Finally I sewed an organza ribbon in half and used it as ties for the baggies.

Quick, cheap, useful and ultimately ticking that oh-so-satisfying 'easily completed task box!

'Oldies but Goldies' Series - "Virtues" Chemise

I recently was surprised to find a folder on my computer with notes on old projects and research notes that I meant to blog about. I hope you won't mind if I occasionally post some of these less than current projects.

This one is from at least 2015 or 2016 (possibly earlier, I can't remember the date!). I made this chemise band for a dear friend. It is embroidered with chivalric virtues and the design is taken from a 16th extant modelbuch. The base fabric is linen, but it was so long ago that I can't remember if it was worked in silk or DMC floss. 

The chemise poking out from under the beautiful gown (gown made by C. Linder), image credit: P. Abrahams.

Mer-folk Embroidered Band

I made this embroidered band last year thinking I might use it on the front of a chemise. I had a big SCA event recently, and I decided to use it as a decorative band on a stomacher to cover my pair of bodies. I actually ended up wearing a different stomacher to the event, but I am glad to have another one in my wardrobe.

I have admired the clothing in this Portrait of Lady Kytson by George Gower held by the Tate Gallery for a long time, and her chemise band is what inspired this piece. (Image from‘Lady Kytson‘, George Gower, 1573 | Tate) One day I'd love to have time to work a pair of sleeves like this too. 

The base fabric is linen and the embroidery is worked in black DMC floss. The project was created entirely from stash items. I worked out my design and then marked it on tracing paper and traced it onto the fabric with crayola washable marker using a light board. Stitches used are split and double running stitch and knots.

I sewed the band onto a panel of stash cotton fabric, ironed it and bagged it out with another panel of cotton. 'Bagging out' means sewing your lining edge to your fashion fabric edge right sides together. Then you trim, grade or notch (if necessary) and turn right side out. The seam allowance ends up on the inside and you have a finished edge that needs no other treatment. You just need to handsew the opening shut. My understanding is that this is a modern method which is predominantly used with a sewing machine. It is a quick and easy way of sewing squares and rectangles together.

I feel like the top edge needs a little something extra; maybe some tufts or black needlelace similar to the smock/chemise in the portrait.

The finished band

The back of the work

My little helper

My pattern is taken from the Modelbuch 'Splendore Della Virtuose Giovanni' by Iseppo Foresto, published in Venice in 1564 and held by the Met Museum, available here: //www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/349915. I have seen many variations on this design in period modelbucher, usually with mer-people (often mermaids) holding something between them and foliate designs around them. (Maestra Praxilla Taurina has put together a useful list of Modelbuch to drool over, which can be found here: Is that an Apres?: Modelbuch List (daughterofthebull.blogspot.com) )

My adjusted design based on the Iseppo Foresto pattern