Lia de Thornegge's Clothes

On this page:

Background
Works-in-Progress
Finished projects in reverse order of completion
Finished projects listed by historical period

Background

One major reason to join the SCA was to get to wear the pretty dresses, it is a major reason for a lot of folks. The type of clothing I think of most when you say 'the middle ages' is from the movie Ivanhoe. In Sweden this movie was shown on TV every Christmas/New Years season so I grew up watching it, and I just loved the dresses.

Fortunately for me, my Shire started arranging bi-weekly sewing meetings when I first wanted to make myself historical clothes in the spring of 2003, so I have had, and continue to have, help and support from local ladies who have been doing this for far longer than I.

I have since the fall of 2004 tried to do all sewing by hand. I do this because I realized that there is no rush for me to get items done, and I like to know that I have made a garment in as authentic a manner as possible. I have also determined to use fabrics that are as appropriate as I can afford. I realize that I may never get to the point of using actual silk brocade, but wool and linen are a must for me. And the threads I use are nearly exclusively silk sewing thread or linen bobbin lace thread.

The usual sewing circle ladies are all very nice, but through their constant good example I have been influenced into going later period, as in the 16th Century, rather than the 12th. In addition, when I spent time looking at period artwork I also discovered The Age of the Cotehardie in which women wore figure-hugging, gravity-defying, simple and gorgeous gowns, also called gothic fitted dresses (or GFD for short), which I began to want. So in the grand tradition in the SCA of not making your mind up, the clothes I make will come from all three periods: the 12th, the early 15th and the 16th Centuries.

As a helpful guide to folks who read these pages and want to get any use of the pattern etc, my measurements, whenever I take them and remember to note them down, are

Height: 1.80 metres, which according to online converters is 5 feet 10 inches
Bust: 36.5 inches
Waist: 32 inches
Waist to Underarm: 9 inches
Cup size: B
Mundanely, I wear a European size 40

Works-in-Progress

A&S50 Breadth Challenge (Ongoing til A.S. 50): (16th Century wardrobe + 15th Century wardrobe: September 2007-); This Challenge was started in 2007 by an enterprising member of the SCA and ends in the year Anno Societatis 50 with the goal of having completed 50 projects. Either persona related, 50 of one thing, or 50 different things. I have opted for the breadth challenge to create 50 different things to flesh out my 15th century and 16th century wardrobes.

>> Check out my progress so far. (Latest update November 2009 - 22 items done)
Green Florentine Dream (On Hiatus, worn but not 100% finished): (1560s Florence: January 2008); With years of thought and indesicion, in the early weeks of 2008 the combination of a new book and the announcement of colours for the Double Wars egged me on to finally make something out of a fabulous green brocade that had been in my stash - it was time to make my first Florentine gown, a dream in green.

>> Check out the Dress Diary. (Latest update October 30, 2010)
Effigy Corset (On Hiatus): (16th Century: February 2007); In the hopes of being a little more practical I wanted to make a front lacing corset, and luckily there is one extant item, Queen Elizabeth's effigy corset, from which to draw inspiration.

This project is on indefinite hiatus, following disastrous results of first trying on, however, a new front lacing corset has been started, using cable ties and my old pattern. Hope remains of progress fairly soon. -- Lia, September 2007

>> Check out the photo gallery.