A few things I’m currently curious about and will be working on:
- Pigments – researching and expanding my collection to be able to faithfully mimic a particular period illumination – particular TBD
- Saving/revamping my ratty existing garb collection enough so that there are no obvious holes and no more will appear
- Making/finishing more supportive period undergowns
- Finding out whether demicent / split girdles were worn in conjunction with another type of belt or not.*
- Using my brand new BODY BLOCK (TM) to make something new… perhaps in time for Gulf Wars?
- Finishing or scrapping my terrible houppelande/burgundian coat hybrid monstrosity that’s sort of slid into a ditch, metaphorically speaking OR
- Making a cloak or something else warm, and potentially lining it in something warmer, because holding a blanket around my shoulders is cute but not practical.
Regarding the belts – and this also leads into my Big Longterm Curiosity: I want to use the power of modern technology to collect and analyze information about how historical fashions are depicted in contemporary art and manuscripts. Given that more and more museums and collections worldwide are going digital, the time is right to get some hard answers on trends and frequency and whatnot in the realm of historical fashion. I want to know what colors were worn when, and by whom. I want to know what belts were worn with what style gowns.
Something you should know about me, in regards to costuming: I have some issues with equipment and space. I’m kind of budget SCA right now. My sewing materials are sort of shoddy and/or I am too clumsy or rushed. I don’t have an ironing board, I never seem to have enough pins, my table is too slippery. Maybe everyone deals with this and I just have no patience. I have no idea why every sewing machine I’ve used will constantly tangle up, and so consequently I have no faith in it and put off starting projects because I’m not actually sure if I will be able to dependably sew a long straight steam, and I don’t ever have enough room to lay these long gowns out completely. I guess I could plan to handsew but I’d rather save that timesink for when I have actual nice materials and not just still working with this cotton broadcloth I bought years ago.
Anyway, there you have it! That’s what I’ll be doing!