chargirlgenius (
chargirlgenius) wrote2008-07-11 11:20 am
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Then and Now - Cauls
I was digging up my old artifact for the "Then and Now" display at Storvik Novice this weekend, and I decided to look for some pics and class notes that I'd written as well. Yes, I wrote class notes on this plasic monstrosity. :-D
I was so very proud of what I'd accomplished. I wore them to my first Twelfth Night, which was, I believe, my third event. I'd been in the SCA less than 6 months.
Oh, and the dress! I thought it was so dreamy. It was my first "cotehardie" and I cut it from this cranberry colored cotton broadcloth. The color was beautiful, but I don't think that's why I kept getting complimented on it... I was quite clever with it - I used elastic looped trim that I found at JoAnns, and little wooden beads for buttons. I knew how to make fabric buttons, and eventually did for the sleeves, but it seemed like so much work to do all the way from my neck to the hem. But the hem - the hem was 5 inches longer than it needed to be - I understood it as conspicuous consumption (but was always annoyed at it). It was my second dress - the first I'd made pre-SCA, from various t-tunic instructions, to wear to the ren fest.
I don't have any of my old dresses anymore, alas. This one picked up close to $40 at a silent auction. Come to think of it, I suspect the winner may have been somebody on my f-list...
The cauls? I will *always* keep those.


I'll have this on display this weekend. Who else is going to bring their funny old things to show? I may or may not have something more recent to sit beside it. I only have one foam head, after all. :-D
I was so very proud of what I'd accomplished. I wore them to my first Twelfth Night, which was, I believe, my third event. I'd been in the SCA less than 6 months.
Oh, and the dress! I thought it was so dreamy. It was my first "cotehardie" and I cut it from this cranberry colored cotton broadcloth. The color was beautiful, but I don't think that's why I kept getting complimented on it... I was quite clever with it - I used elastic looped trim that I found at JoAnns, and little wooden beads for buttons. I knew how to make fabric buttons, and eventually did for the sleeves, but it seemed like so much work to do all the way from my neck to the hem. But the hem - the hem was 5 inches longer than it needed to be - I understood it as conspicuous consumption (but was always annoyed at it). It was my second dress - the first I'd made pre-SCA, from various t-tunic instructions, to wear to the ren fest.
I don't have any of my old dresses anymore, alas. This one picked up close to $40 at a silent auction. Come to think of it, I suspect the winner may have been somebody on my f-list...
The cauls? I will *always* keep those.


I'll have this on display this weekend. Who else is going to bring their funny old things to show? I may or may not have something more recent to sit beside it. I only have one foam head, after all. :-D
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Unfortunately (or fortunately, I guess), I've sold, given away, or repurposed my early work. My the body panels of my wonky first v-neck gown made excellent sleeves for my houpelande. And the body panels of my first linen kirtle just last night got hacked into false sleeves for tomorrow's ensemble.
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Actually, I still do have a wool supportive, straight front kirtle that I made in 2002. If I replaced the machine stitching in the buttonholes, it'd be good to wear (albeit a bit low cut).
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Those are... precious. Adorable. and Hilarious. Who knew you could be a blonde and brunette at once?
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I LOVE the idea of showing off our first projects. I talk to a lot of folks who are overwhelmed by all the wonderful stuff they see folks making now - not realizing that we all started with plastic cauls. Or, in my case, panne velvet. ;) (See icon.)
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(Let's not talk about how much I gained in the 6 month after my *second* wedding. Hi Henry!)
I love this display. I hope a lot of people bring things.
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Can I see a bigger version of that panne velvet? :-D
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It's truly, truly awful. It even involves a ZIPPER!
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you have a lot to be proud of!
and for the record, one of my first costumes was a cotehardie right out of NOrris in black crepe back satin, complete with a train and goblet cuffs, princess seams, and the piece de la resistance, wide metallic trim in gold AND silver with plastic gems at the perfectly shaped off the shoulder neckline, goblet cuffs and the hips (for an erstwhile plaque belt)
I looked stunning :) (no really, I did. I was HOT when I was 22! and an off the shoulder form fit princess seamed dress (complete with black lace corset underneath) suited me to a T :)) I should try and dig up photos.... I still have the dress too. havent had the heart to get rid of it!
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I posted this at the wrong time, because all of the people who helped me at the beginning of my journey are all off at a big camping event. They really did point me in the right direction, throw books in my hands, etc. I had some *special* things, but for the most part they kept me out of trouble.
Heck, I was less than two years in when I made a dress that I'd wear today, were I to sew over a little of the machine work.
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Ah, youth. Totally wasted on the young.
I gave it to my ex-roomie and she still has it, so my tracks have not been quite covered.
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You should've seen me in my initial SCA phase, though: Indian gauze gypsy pieces and mall-bought fake Ren faire stuff, followed shortly thereafter by my poly/cotton, poorly fitted angel-sleeve gown phase. It wasn't until after I had the "why am I playing this music on the wrong instruments?" revelation that I started caring about the garb being wrong too...
And yeah, I have a plastic gem set. :) It might not be quite as obvious, because the headband and templars are fabric-covered and the gems are more subdued -- pearls and "amber." I like to kid myself that with a veil draped artistically it's more or less passable; the truth is my lack of hair (real or fake) is probably what strikes people first, and then they notice the fake gems. :)
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Wanna borrow my foam head? Anne Boleyn won't need it this weekend. :-)EDIT: Saw someone else already asked. Ah, the problems with attempting to read things on the blackberry first!
Hopefully, I'll have my first Renn dress ever next to my 1560's Venetian. It should be ummm...interesting? The Renn dress has a big ole zipper up the back and elastic in the faux chemise sleeves...
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Yeehaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I present to you this little horror of cottonpoly broadcloth, lurex trim, poly blanket binding, bias tape and silver-painted plastic beading. Note the machine stitching on the turned back tab on the left holding the bias tape down:
It's over twenty years old and I STILL HAVE IT-- I kept it because I wanted to shrink back into it someday. The only thing right is that it fit perfectly at the time, and that the petticoat was pointed to the bodies.
::hangs head in shame::
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from the warped minds ofby Winter & Savoy. Complete with corset pocket in the bodice!I owe a lot to Ms. Winter & Ms. Savoy... If it weren't for them, I'd never be wearing things like this (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2122/2172943791_0628263ca6_m.jpg).
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I still have my old sketchbook with my 'notes' from Norris from the first time I saw [Bad username or site: marymont'/ @ livejournal.com]'s photocopy in the early 80s.
Note the silver grommets holding the petticote points... they fit the color scheme!
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The dress also had white bridal satin sleeves, with some kind of floral ribbon/trim along the neckline and sleeve edges. I tied the sleeves to the dress with rattail. The worst part is, I didn't wear a camicia or any kind of shift under it. Bare arms. Sigh.
I do still have it; now that you've reminded me about the "Now and Then" display, maybe I'll have to bring it with tomorrow. I could bring my 1580's Campi gown as a recent example. Worlds apart! :-D