Spontaneous biking and sewing

[threadwalker]

I spontaneously loaded my bike and gear into my car today. Since I was up extra early and my bike hadn't been put away from Saturday's ride, I got the impulse and just did it. Now I get to follow through on one of my day dreams, which is to take a lunch-time bike ride.

I'm so excited! Where shall I go? The trail by the Bay? The top of Tunnel Road? Up to University to toodle around that area? I feel like a kid in the candy shop.

AND... I have nothing correct to wear to the PPF.* But since I don't have any plans this weekend or next weekend (except to work), if I'm extra careful about time-management and stay focused, I may be able to alter a gamurra and whip out an overdress. That's not a plan, though. I'll just start it and see how it goes.

*Editted:
I should clarify that the event does not have a dress code. I assume that there is the standard expectation that you make an effort to dress in a period and place appropriate to the SCA, which is the same expectation we have for all events. And that is as broad and deep as it sounds. For me personally, I LOVE this period. I have researched the clothing extensively, taught classes and I have several outfits. However, none of them fit due to extreme weight loss. It is my personal desire to experience this event dressed in the appropriate clothing in order to make the experience more real for me. And that has everything to do with how I enjoy participating in the SCA and nothing to do with what the autocrats and feast volunteers have asked of their guests.

Comments

[ppfuf.livejournal.com]

Please, you are going to be a _guest_ at the feast/class at Spring Collegium. You can wear apron-dress Vikings if you want. There is no garb requirement for this event!
I vote for the trail by the bay.

[thread-walker.livejournal.com]

hahaha!

YOU (and the other fantabulous autocrat helpers and event-pimpers) do not have a garb requirement and it's very clear to everyone who's posted anything about this event that all comers are welcome and welcome to wear their favorite garb regardless of time and place. I would hate for someone to read my blog and think that there's a secret rule about dress that only a few of us were warned about. That is definitely NOT the case. (I'll go repost this in my journal so casual skimmers won't get the wrong idea).

However, I have certain expectations of myself and this is such a unique opportunity to experience a special feast. It may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I want to experience it all the way, which to me includes dressing correctly. AND this is a period that I have researched and made a lot of clothes for.

My personal challenge is that none of my clothing fits.

[ppfuf.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the edit. You don't happen to have any ideas on how they decorated their table-linens, do you? There's plenty of documentation that the master of the house would have had a fancy napkin, but I can't find anything on what made it fancy.
I'd be happy to loan you some fat if it will make your old dresses fit again. :) Seriously, congrats on the getting in shape and weight loss.

[thread-walker.livejournal.com]

I have the book on 15/16th century Italian interiors and it has a blurb about table linens. I don't think there's any foot notes to support what they said, but what I recall is that one end of the table cloth had a woven border and fringe. The borders were based on regional designs -you could identify where it was woven by the pattern. I don't think it would have had the words, Made in Milan, on them. They have a few pictures, too.

I was actually trying to research embroidered table linens and didn't find much to help me out here. However, Lipperheide (author) has a book on late 16th/17th century counted embroidery patterns and most of those are from furnishings and altar frontals. I would personally say that based on scale and that the patterns are for decorating fixtures (as opposed to embellishing clothing), and that they look similar in overall design to the pictures in the Italian Interiors book that they'd be suitable on table runners/clothes. Of course, that's late 16th century, not late 15th century, stitch and pattern techniques. I haven't researched what the correct stitches would be for a late 15th century. You might want to drop a note to Sabrina de le Bere (she's done some research on assissi work and could probably provide more info) and see what she suggests.

You might not have the time to do some elaborate embellishment for the feast, but you could prep the table clothes (square them off, fringe them, hem them) and then assign them to others for embroidery before your next feast. (wink wink... "next feast".. did you catch that? )