#wnn sca

[whennnow]

Two T-Tunics

September 19, 2023

[Image ID: the bodice and sleeves of two basic medieval tunics - one pink and one blue.]

While my ultimate goal with SCA garb is to create a 14th century capsule wardrobe, I know it will be a while before I have the money to buy all the wool and linen I'd need and the time to make anything out of it.

So I'm starting with something more basic. The uniform of SCA-dians everywhere - the T-tunic!

The basic pattern can be adapted to fit many eras, whether as a base layer or fashion layer, as a shirt or a dress.

The Fabric

You can make t-tunics out of basically any fabric. Linen and wool are the most historically-accurate, and silk probably is too.

Unfortunately, that's not really in my budget right now, so I used two thrifted cotton bed sheets, which I think are queen sized. I got two tunics for $5 of fabric!

The Pattern

These tunics are made out of simple geometric shapes - rectangles for the body and sleeve gussets, triangular skirt gores, and either rectangles or trapezoids for sleeves.

To make things easier on myself, I used this "Custom Smock Pattern Generator" from elizabethancostume.net to make the pattern, then cut out the shapes it gave me with added seam allowance.

Assembly

Instructions for assembling a t-tunic have been written probably hundreds of times, so I'll direct you back to elizabethancostume.net to spare you another explanation.

I usually flat-fell seams on things like this, but I wanted to minimize the amount of hand sewing I had to do while also not having any visible machine stitching, so I french seamed everything.

I used a facing for the neckline instead of a binding and hand-sewed the edges of that down.

The sleeve and skirt hems were also hand-sewn.

A Note on Fitting

The smock generator pattern I used takes into account your shoulder width, and seems to direct to instructions on how to measure that, but it wouldn't show up for me. As a result, I suspect my measurement was too narrow.

While the resulting shapes fit well over my bust and waist, I almost couldn't get it on over my shoulders!

Thankfully, I had suspected this issue, so my first smock was a few inches wider than the generated pattern called for. I added a bit more width to my second tunic.

Looking Forward

I'm glad to have a base for my medieval/SCA wardrobe, but I can't wait to expand! I want to do some basic accessories next, like linen veils.

I already have a few other accessories - a thrifted straw hat, one of those long fantasy/ren faire/sorta medieval belts, and a mug.

I also have decent-sized leftovers from these bed sheets - I'll save most of it to line wool hoods, but I'll use some small pieces to make drawstring bags to hang from my belt.

Stay tuned for a post on plotting out my plans for garb! In the meantime,

Stay warm, stay safe, and stay healthy.

[Image ID: a photo of Alex in a blue tunic with a dark belt, holding a mug as if raising a toast.]

[whennnow]

SCA Accessories

November 14, 2023

[Image ID: a 3/4 length photo of Alex wearing a blue tunic, brown belt and white veil and wimple, holding a small basket in one hand.]

An Accessorized Ensemble

I recently attended my second SCA event (besides the local barony's weekly meetings), and since the event was focused on garb, I wanted to have a fairly complete, if simple, ensemble to wear.

Having already completed two basic t-tunics and acquired a belt, I decided to go for a vaguely early 13th century look and make a rectangular linen veil and wimple (or godet? I'm not sure about terminology here).

Having nothing else to secure them too, wore them over my crocheted hair net. A cap/coif or filet would have been more accurate, but I didn't have time for those.

The larger veil - the one that goes over the top - measures about * after hemming. The hems are an approximately 1/4" wide double turn hem which was whipped down in white thread.

The wimple/godet/neck piece is smaller, measuring about * with similar hems to the veil. I probable could have made it a few inches wider to cover lower on my chest, but it reaches to about my collar bones as-is, and that's good enough for me.

I actually didn't have time to do the last long edge of the wimple, so it was only ironed and basted into place when I wore it at the event! I'm working on finishing that now.

Other Accessories

The event I went to only had one merchant - Reliquaria Medieval - and I had already given myself permission to spend money there.

I ended up not spending as much money as I was prepared to (probably for the best), but I did get two penannular brooches! One is slightly larger than the other, and they're both more of a 14th century style, but that works well for my SCA wardrobe goals. You can see them (plus the site token - a scissor charm) in the photo below.

[Image ID: two round gold-tone penannular brooches and a bronze-tone scissor charm on think white ribbon, all laid on a white linen background.]

Prior to the event, at one of the barony's weekly meetings, I attended a workshop on making fibula brooches - aka ancient Roman safety pins.

Ours were mostly just simple wire fibulae, but we also had the option to add beads. We used 16 or 18 gauge wire so they were sturdy enough for use.

I made a matching pair of plain ones about 1.5" long, and a third one that had a blue and bronze glass bead on it, seen in the photo below.

[Image ID: three brass-tone fibulae that look like safety pins. The top one has a cylindrical blue glass bead with a glittery leaf design one it, and the two below that are plain mirror twins of each other. Alex's hand is partially visible on the left for scale.]

I'm already looking forward to getting wire of my own to make more! I'd like to experiment with different finishes for the hook end, and make a few lighter pairs for use with Greek/Roman tunics/chitons.

I'm hoping to sneak in one more historical project before the year ends, but the winter holidays are swiftly approaching and time is slipping through my fingers.

Whatever happens,

Stay warm. Stay safe. Stay healthy.

[whennnow]

Making Medieval Plans

October 3, 2023

[Image ID: a photo of Alex in a pink medieval tunic and dark belt, posing with a straw hat and small basket and pretending to wipe her forehead.]

With basic SCA garb done (in the form of my t-tunics), I can start making more elaborate, long-term plans.

Nothing is concrete yet, but I want to do this in a strategic way so that I don't end up with partial outfits for multiple eras.

My goal with each era is to make a small capsule-style wardrobe which I can later add to and upgrade, while still knowing that everything will go together well. I've already decided on color schemes for the Greco-Roman stuff (sage green and slate blue) and the 13-14th centuries (blue, oranges and yellows, small amounts of green and pink).

13th Century (1200-1299 AD) (vaguely English/French)

My t-tunic are a great base for the 1300s, and I'll just need some accessories to really pull off this era. I don't have much interest in this era, so I'm aiming for a general look as a branching-off point for other eras (and so I always have backup garb).

Other than the historical-looking crocheted snood I'm working on right now, my first priority is a white linen veil and wimple, and probably a simple cap to wear them over. A barbette and filet/"pie crust hat" could be made to go with the snood/hairnet if I want to double down on the last quarter of the 13th century.

A drawstring bag to wear from my belt is also high on the list, but I can use some of my Regency reticules for now.

For some variety in over-layers, a cyclas (like a sleeveless overdress) or two out of thrifted sheets would be easy, as would some sort of mantle/cape.

I might work on under-layers while I'm in this era, too, just to really have the basics down. (Or to really procrastinate.) A simple linen smock, probably a supportive linen smock, maybe some hose (stockings) and braies (technically men's underwear).

14th Century (1300-1399) (vaguely English/French)

This was my original goal when I got into the SCA, and still my favorite!

The cap, veils, bags, and any underthings I've done already will be a good starting point here, and allow me to focus on larger pieces.

If I haven't made one already, a supportive linen smock with a wide neckline will have to be my first priority here, since I will be the foundation garment for my fitted cotes/kirtles (dresses).

Next up is the kirtles themselves! I should be able to use the supportive smock pattern as a starting point for these. One is necessary. Two-three in different colors is ideal. I bought a slightly too-large one in dark blue from another SCA-dian which will be refashioned to fit me. I'd also like a tawny/orange one.

The 13th-century cyclas evolved into the sideless-surcote. One sideless surcote would be fine, especially if it is reversible. These were often statement pieces, so something silk-like would be best. Maybe one side in a golden yellow and one side a pink/peach?

In the third quarter of the century (~1350-1375) a second, usually short-sleeved kirtle could also be worn, often with tippets (white armbands with streamers) and fitchets (pocket slits, usually bound in white). One of these is probably enough, and it's a low-priority project. Probably a middling or lighter shade of blue.

Hoods are an important cold-weather accessory. I'd like at least two wool hoods - one in an earlier style and one in a later style. I have enough cotton from my t-tunics left over to line one hood with each color.

Misc Accessories

I managed to thrift a nice, generic-looking straw hat which is suitable for most of the medieval era. I also have one of those long leather belts with a metal ring at one end that you see on a lot of SCA/ren faire/fantasy outfits.

A simple linen apron would be a quick project and should be plausible for the 13-14th centuries.

I've started accumulating a vaguely medieval sewing kit, which I would like to continue adding to and upgrading. I even have a lucet fork, which I'm excited to learn to use! These currently live in a small, stained linen pouch, which in turn lives in a thrifted wicker basket. The basket is about the size of a small purse, and is a good size for carrying at smaller events.

Speaking of bags, I also have a large, heavy-duty linen market bag which I made at a local workshop! It's a bit too big for most of my needs right now, but I imagine it would be nice for bigger events. A smaller one might also be nice if I can find something suitably heavy-duty.

Other

I'd also like to upgrade my ancient Roman ensemble with maybe a new chiton, some sort of decorative border on the pallas, and maybe even a patterned stola.

Eventually I'd like to take a stab at a 1490s/northern Italian Renaissance ensemble too, but that's even further down the line. (Colors: maroon, yellow, and warm pink.)

[whennnow]

Roman Garb for SCA

April 27, 2023

[Image ID: a photo of Alex wearing blue and green Roman garb, posed in front of a dark grey backdrop.]

I discovered my area's SCA group last summer and started going to their weekly meetings around the end of the year. I'm lucky - our local barony's meeting place is only a half-hour drive from me!

I had managed to avoid garbed events until recently - a neighboring barony hosted a Roman-themed event at the end of April and I wanted to go, so I needed garb. Roman garb wasn't required for the event, but I figured it was the easiest option to pull together on short notice.

My planned outfit was simple - a gap-sleeved tunic/tunica, a palla/shawl, a belt, sandals, and jewelry. I had decided on a color scheme already (minty greens and muted blues), which made it easy to coordinate.

The Tunica

The tunica is the main part of my garb, like a dress. I popped by Joann Fabrics and picked up three yards of a double-layer blue cotton gauze, I think. It's opaque, but the fabric is textured and shifty. I have a modern shirt and a dress in a similar fabric, so I knew how it would behave. (And I knew that when I was ready to level up to a linen tunica I could make modern clothing out of the fabric.)

The fabric was about 60" wide, give or take the texture, so it was wide enough to reach from wrist to wrist on me. The three yards were just barely long enough to reach from shoulder to ankle on me when folded or cut in half. I wish I could have used the selvage of the fabric as the top and bottom hem - I only would have had one seam to sew and I would have a bit more length to work with - but the texture of the fabric didn't look right going that way. So I made do.

I cut the three yards in half and sewed the selvage edges of each half to each other, creating one big tube. I did a zigzag stitch over the raw edges at the top and bottom because they frayed a lot. I hemmed the top edge by hand, but didn't have time to hem the bottom. Thankfully it wasn't noticeable!

To create the gap-sleeve look, I raided my button stash and found eight brown metal buttons (brass? bronze? whatever the go-to steampunk color is). One button was placed on each side about seven inches from the side seam to create the armhole. Another button was placed seven inches on either side of the center front/back to create the neckhole. Then I sewed two more buttons on either side, evenly placed between the arm and neck buttons.

And with that, the tunica was wearable!

The Palla

The palla was the really long draped shawl Roman women wore over the tunica and was also used as a veil.

I ordered 3.5 yards of a mint green cotton voile from Mood Fabrics for this - I wanted to be able to straighten both raw edges of the fabric and still have plenty to drape.

It was even simpler to make than the tunica. I just tore the raw edges to make sure they were on grain, pulled out a few extra weft threads, and called it a day. I could have hemmed the two raw edges, but I didn't have the time, and it wasn't really necessary.

After the event, I actually washed the palla (which had fallen on the ground and been dragged a bit) and only lost one or two more weft threads on either side.

The Belt

I was really at a loss for what to do about the belt. In the SCA, certain belt colors mean certain things and none of those things apply to me.

My original thought had been to make a fabric sash out of the same fabric as the tunica. It would be a color, but I thought that it would blend into the tunica well, especially if I wore the palla in a way that mostly hid it. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough fabric to cut a sash and still allow the tunica to be as long as I wanted. And I didn't have the budget to buy a cord.

I ended up just using a black leather wrap belt I've owned for years. It's not historically accurate, but it still looked nice.

The Jewelry

My original thought was to just wear my dark blue and silver jewelry set that I had originally made for my Regency wardrobe. It certainly fits in with Roman jewelry, and it was close enough to my intended color scheme.

Then I remembered that I had a set of connectors that looked like the style of Roman earrings that have three beads hanging from a horizontal bar. And I had sodalite beads that are similar in color to my tunica. And I had oval-disc-shaped stone beads that matched the product photos of my palla material (I had ordered the fabric but it hadn't arrived yet).

So I made a pair of earrings, each one consisting of a sodalite bead, a disc, and another sodalite bead dangling from a silver bar.

Then I couldn't stop admiring the minty-green disc beads and thinking how lovely they would look on a necklace. I didn't have enough of those beads for a necklace, though, and I didn't even have enough sodalite beads to alternate them on a necklace. I did, however, have another kind of green bead that coordinated nicely with the discs.

So I made individual links for all the beads - 10 discs total and 11 of the round green beads - and used a silver toggle clasp at the ends. That gave me a good length to rest loosely at the base of my neck.

And then I wanted the earrings to match the necklace, so I had to switch the sodalite beads out for the green ones.

These were absolutely impulse projects, but I love how they turned out! I'm especially happy that I was able to use all stash materials after how much I spent on fabric for this.

Further Notes

For shoes, I just wore a pair of flat black sandals I've had for years. I figured the black coordinated with my belt and no one would be looking too closely.

This outfit is pretty far from historically accurate, it's more like historically passable. The SCA group I've joined is very self-aware about SCA-isms (aka things that the SCA community considers acceptable, but that aren't historically accurate) and they openly embrace the "creative" part of the Society for Creative Anachronism.

Many women doing more accurate Roman garb would wear a stola, a sort of narrower tunica over the other tunica. That is considered to be something matrons would wear, and I'm neither married nor a mother, so I decided to skip it. I did see a lot of stolas over white tunics at the event and they were really pretty!

The silver-tone jewelry doesn't seem to be accurate, either. Most (if not all) extant Roman jewelry and the jewelry seen in paintings, frescos, etc, is gold tone. I only had silver bars for the earrings though, and my outfit is more cool-toned anyway.

Finally, for the sake of modern modesty and comfort, I did wear modern underthings under this, along with a slip.

Looking Forward

I really enjoyed pulling this ancient Roman ensemble together, and I'm proud of how it turned out, given my time and budget constraints.

I do want to upgrade it, though!

For one, I'd like to switch the jewelry I made to gold-tone findings. I actually went to a jewelry-making workshop at the event, so I now know how the Romans made their connectors and I have the wire to do it with! I'll need a clasp for the necklace and connector bars for the earrings, though.

Next up would be the tunica. You often see tunicas with a contrasting band along the top and sometimes bottom edge, and sometimes they're even patterned bands. I'd like to add that to my tunica - I could really use the extra length. I'm thinking a lighter or darker blue or maybe a grey. Maybe a patterned ribbon trim, maybe a design stenciled on with fabric paint. I haven't decided yet.

I'd also like to get a cord or ribbon to do a proper belt. Having multiple would be even better! I'll have to chat with some SCA-dians to figure out what I could do without infringing on the color codes.

Last up would be the palla. I could totally leave it as-is, which is why it's my last priority, but I could also hem it or add colored bands around the edges.

Eventually, if I find myself going to more events (especially in the hot summer months), I might add more to my Roman wardrobe. That's a long way off, though!

In the meantime,

Stay warm. Stay safe. Stay healthy.

[Image ID: a flay-lay photo of green and silver jewelry on a textured blue background.]