Fabric stash, I mean. How is it that I have gobs of fabric and can’t figure out a single thing to do with any of it?

All right, I exaggerate. But right now I have a dining chair piled high with fabric. I am trying to decipher what fabric and design will go best for upcoming events. Making it even sillier, it’s all late 11th/early 12th century England.  You would think that would make things easier because I don’t have to decide on different periods. But for me, it’s making it harder because I want nearly everything to go with nearly everything else. Undertunics, overtunics, mantles, hoods: I don’t want the modern equivalent of a full closet and nothing to wear.

Not every single piece needs to go with every other piece, it’s true. And period color combinations could be quite colorful, that’s one reason I like the period. But putting everything together is a little frustrating.

Thanks for letting me vent. I will now list what I THINK this stuff wants to be to help me feel more organized.

1. Red wool blend. (Might be cotton pretending to be light wool, it’s a mystery fabric.) Gorgeous true red but not very much of it. I just cut it to make a shorter Anglo Saxon overgown so that’s decided at least. This is meant to go over a dark green gown I already own. It’ll be Christmas-y (or Yule-y?) without making everyone want to hum “O Tannenbaum” on sight. I’m planning the outfit for Lyondemere Yule and al-Sahid Yule, and it’ll make a nice tourney combination for later.
2. Gold embroidered.. er… silk samite. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Actually this stuff is gorgeous. It’s probably synthetic which I would normally not wear, but it was a seriously great find and is so beautiful. It stepped out of the pages of 12th century silk samite, so samite it is. This is my full-on  Anglo-Norman bling for Pentathlon, specifically the gown and mantle.
3. Bright green wool jersey. Too bright and on the stretchy side, but not too bad. If I dye it down a bit it will make a lovely cloak for Estrella. I have a great faux fur coat that is too big for me, that I always meant to cut apart to serve as a warm fur lining. I’ll plan on it for the green once I darken the color.
4. Blue striped something-or-other — once again I’m stumped! Probably a cotton, could be rayon blend. Either way a non-period fabric for gowns, but it is just gorgeous. I’ll think of something for it!
5. Olive silk. This one is 100% silk at least! It started life as a screaming bright coral, but a dyebath changed it to the loveliest shade of light olive. This will be a bliaut for 12th Night. Heh, at least I’m sure of one of them.

So  there it is. I do feel a bit better, thanks for listening!