The Armour Archive

Charlotte J

(Personally, my hair goes all crazy-staticky when I try wearing any sort of silk headcovering; I've also taken to lining my wool hoods with matching linen to avoid some of the static frizzies. My husband, on the other hand, has no problem wearing a wool hood directly on his hair, but his hair's a l...

Charlotte J

Please rethink your decision to not do the tourney. You're on to something, and you need to start it somewhere. So what if it's not perfect? That's what photoshop is for.

Charlotte J

Speak for yourself Lord Grey's uses only time appropriate recipes and uses the Book of Carving as its guide to setting a serving the table. I still wonder is there a 14th c version of the Book of Carving out there? Any source materials of serving a 14th century feast? Table setting can be derived f...

Charlotte J

mattyd at mattyd dot com We have not been able to find anyone who can say yes to us yet... No one... had a few nibbles but that was it..... The Prince of the East (who will be king at pennsic) is all for it as is the current EK Marshal. Mid Marshal seems to like the idea, just cant get him to give ...

Charlotte J

My opinion, if you can't afford the fabric in the real material, then you can't afford the impression.

Charlotte J

FYI: we now have a message board site for these pennsic 14th century endevours. You'll have to sign up but at least it's a place we can all get together! m Run by super duper nicety nice guy, Matty D.. otherwise known as D. Sebastian! I just went to sign up. Is the email addy really Verizon at matt...

Charlotte J

One of the ways to balance out the shiny bits is to only do living history activities with them. Groups like the COSG don't do any sort of re-enactment combat, they only do drilling and training and what not. Having a vision of what you want your group to be and doing the research and work to make ...

Charlotte J

While Grey's is traditionally focused around a military format, we've been undergoing a successful breeding program. At any given event, we can have about half women, and quite a few children. I think we still have places that we can go with this that we're not, but the men have gotta have their shi...

Charlotte J

There are many experts who claim that the flash photography excuse holds no water. We were allowed to use the flash. They just didn't want us distributing the photos publically. Apparently, a few years ago they found some photos of their stuff that was mismarked, but said Museum of London. Many muse...

Charlotte J

I was teaching proper techniques long before I ever had a dress that I could wear that I was happy with. Once I knew what I wanted to do, I focused on one 100% handsewn dress. In the end, the fabric was too fragile to wear, and so I only ever had it on once. But I knew what I was doing, and I knew h...

Charlotte J

James,

Have they recently changed their policies? They didn't used to allow pictures, and only let us if we promised to not post them publically.

Charlotte J

This might help:

http://www.mathildegirlgenius.com/FurDr ... essDoc.pdf

This dress is the top layer, and should be worn over a supportive undergown, which is worn over a smock.

One theory on supportive undergowns of this period:
http://www.mathildegirlgenius.com/FurDr ... essDoc.pdf

How to fit said supportive undergown:
http://www.mathildegirlgenius.com/Dress ... ssDemo.htm

Charlotte J

Murdock wrote:Jusst of the top o my head, my red Dubois doublet has the lil bead things, but my coathadies have buttons.

Oh, I thought you meant historical examples. Never mind!

Charlotte J

Murdock wrote:Depends on the garment. We've got and have seen both.

Spiff! What, when, and where? I used them on my first dress because I was too lazy to make cloth ones, and too poor to buy pewter ones. If I had something that was actually documentable to 14th c. women's clothing I'd be amused.

Charlotte J

I think the short answer on HE and revival is "Yes, their machine stitches are not visible" I believe they use a blind hem stitch on all of their edges. *I* can tell it's done by a machine, but most cannot and I consider it acceptable. The eyelet holes are all machine stitched, which is very notica...

Charlotte J

I haven't read the entire thread, so forgive me if this has been asked. Is there a baby-doll shirt up for sale? I don't wear regular t-shirts. I'd take pictures of a baby-doll if it were available...

Charlotte J

Murdock wrote:we could throw tools....

if you can dodge a wrench......

Or women.

If you can dodge a wench...

Charlotte J

:) Wow - it's interesting to read everyone's thought processes on washing wool. Me, I'm pretty casual with the washing. I just throw it in - throw in some Tide and let it go. Usually on warm - and dry on High. I don't really think about it much. The wool comes out the way I like - so I guess it wor...

Charlotte J

We're frosting, Charlotte! We're frosting!! Makes sense. I'm always going for the piece of cake with the most/best frosting. "I want the rose!" Seriously though, people do want historical context. Not just rules for the list, but this activity is based on xyz from the year 123. It makes it into som...

Charlotte J

SyrRhys wrote:These are far more crucial questions (pardon me, Muriel) than whether button holes are hand stitched or not.

It's all a matter of perspective.

Charlotte J

Tasha McG wrote:Hey Connor -- are you saying that's a late-14thc representation of Chaucer?

-Tasha

*headsmack*

Heh heh... I was too busy busting on him about the full beard to notice the style...

Charlotte J

Connor: That looks like a full beard, to me. Re: fake materials... I understand the desire to get some of the upper class guys into a richer looking material, and that some of the jousters at Leeds* do it. I'm concerned that it will give people the green light to use craptastic and inappropriate uph...

Charlotte J

15th c, eh Charlotte - hmmmmmmm . . . can I be swayed?? (I've already got my viking-age-type persona - BUT can I really go later???) mwhahaha I never thought I'd go 15th c, but it's amazing what a sexy guy in a shiny suit can get a girl to do... seamlines... all of the pictures have seamlines... yo...

Charlotte J

Sir Crispin wrote:I'm feeling your pain; but I'm the other side of the 14th C. I was thinking of hosting a 15th C. Pas at the next Pennsic.

we'll see

If we're at Pennsic that year, we'll be there.

We're 14th AND 15th c mafia.

Charlotte J

Unfortunately, that's the nature of the beast right now. While we hammer out requirements, there's going to be a lot of "this isn't ok" before the "this is ok" happens. On another note... We need to break requirements up into different areas. I'm thinking of a few: Armour Arming clothes and accessor...

Charlotte J

Murdock wrote:I dunno, getting peple out of the colman chairs is hard enough.

I kinda think the arms on the Smoke & fire ones are too low, myself.

I'm gonna try and get some with backs. What do the ones your selling run?

I say, 100% NO PLYWOOD.

Charlotte J

My thoughts on shape vs hand sewn buttonholes is that the manufactureres of the correct clothing seem to have the shape down, I'm sure I'll get in trouble for saying this, but... I'll be honest, and say that I disagree. I, and many other costuming-oriented folks, would say that off-the rack clothin...

Charlotte J

I know...I know...the temptation to just say "Fuckke itte! Goeth thee alle the wayghe!" is there. I know whence it comes. BUT. Be still thy beating hearts. Understand that putting forth multiple stringent standards above and beyond what is already being done as the top end in the SCA is probably no...

Charlotte J

Ok here's what i'm hearing on soft kit. "No visible machine stitching, hand finishing of buttonholes is recomended. Hand sewn 14th century style garments prefered but not required." I wouldn't even say that "hand sewn" is preferred. That implies that the entire thing should be hand sewn, not just t...

Charlotte J

Frankly the hours and I mean HOURS it would take to re-quilt an arming cote seems way over the top for the first year of this grand Emprise. People are going to want to make new clothing, armor, arming cotes, tabards, furniture, and so on. Adding a requirement of hundreds of hours of sewing for eve...

Charlotte J

But 125 folks ata party hosted by the 14c Mafia, imo thats huge. Hell ya! 125 people, all dressed out in quality kit? That IS huge. Considering that many LH groups are happy to have 15 or 20 people show? Oh yeah. Some peoples brains are gonna shut off when they read "no visible machine stitching". ...

Charlotte J

In many LH groups, you can over-sew machined button holes - leaving the machine stichery in place and essentially covering it with the hand stitching. The other visible machine stichery is usually the hem, collar and wrists. Even the fumble-thumbed like myself can usually knock that out in a few ho...

Charlotte J

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it on something like a tent. On an arming garment, on the field, I'm not sure which way I lean. For civilian garments, it's actually very easy to create a garment with little to no visible stitching at all, outside of eyelets or buttonholes. It doesn't have to be a...

Charlotte J

5. You've captured the attention of LH types who know how to make this sort of thing happen. Hell, you've got Jeff J excited about going to Pennsic, which is something even I haven't been able to do. You don't know how big that is. I think I have a clue on how big this is. I do a little bit of LH a...

Charlotte J

On another note... While "sheep to shawl" projects in the SCA are not entirely "accurate". I think it takes a huge amount of time and skill building that is impressive. I would never knock anyone for giving all of the skills a try. It builds a respect for the process, even though one person would n...

Re: 14th century hoods