I haven’t done a dress diary forever  so am looking forward to this one. I’m not fantastic at the dress diary thing — I often forget to record steps and take detailed pictures. But I still enjoy tracking the process as it helps me to stick with the process. Truth be told, I hate the process! I most enjoy the research and planning stages, since I’m good at costume research but not that good at execution.  However, I like wearing garb that looks a) historical and b) good, that c) I made. So that’s why I sew garb, and sharing research and decisions makes the process more interesting. BTW, I don’t mind the handwork but I get easily bored at cutting and machine sewing. Still, ot enough time or interest to hand sew all the seams — not as yet anyway, maybe some day.

Enough angst, here is the plan.

I am trying to pull everything from my fabric stash, starting with a delicate olive silk for the bliaut. Note: I am using the term “bliaut” as in “court gown.” They were not necessarily laced in tightly at the sides, and tended not to be for mature women. I am doing a rather long documentation on this and other elements of the Anglo-Norman court gown for Pentathlon. I will use different fabrics for that one, so this dress — which will be for 12th Night – is a dry run.

The silk fabric started life as a bright coral silk. It was never a color that I would wear or that was particularly period (too neon) but I though I could probably dye it. At which point I ignored it for the next two years. Then I decided this was ridiculous, so I vaguely threw some green acid dye in the washer, ran the coral silk through, and hoped for the best. To my utter amazement, it came out this lovely, delicate olive, hurray!

I have 100% linen for the shift. I usually use sleeveless shifts under my sturdy Anglo Saxon/Norman tunics because I have a thing about them bunching under the arms. But for the silk it really needs the linen underneath and that is period anyway, so I will make the full-sleeved and long-hemmed version. I will use this same shift for the Pentathlon gown and will do some embroidery on the cuffs. I won’t try to have that done for 12th Night.

I have a couple of different fabrics in mind for the mantle. I might make the mantle for the Pentathlon piece, but again maybe not — it’ll take pearling and I don’t want to kill myself for 12th Night. There is also a blue with taupe-colored figures that I could use, but the color combination would be odd. Their color choices weren’t always ours, but I have never seen this combination in the illuminations or stained glass, so I probably won’t do it. The only thing I know for sure is that I WANT a mantle with this gown. I’ll think of something, preferably something out of my stash.

I’ll do a set of silk veils, but I’m not sure about the classic veil and wimple combination. I’ll play with it in front of the mirror. If I don’t like it I’ll do the veil with bands to keep it on. Either look is perfectly period. And my braids of course! I’ll probably add a braid casing to the braids. The evidence for braid casings is not crystal clear but it’s there, and certainly close enough for a reasonably period look.

I may also experiment with shoe patterns. I plan on making a pair of shoes for Pentathlon. Soft shoes, more slippers than anything. This shoe will probably be another dry run.

Oh, and  ceinture (belt) to match the fabric trim on the gown. the trim is a woven fabric brocade that was an odd eBay find. The brocade is just lovely but it came in a 22″ width, and there was not enough of it to piece into a gown. At least not a gown with the full gored skirts that I favor. I got it anyway and I’m so glad, because it’s perfect to trim this gown. Ideally I would bead it a bit but we’ll see. Anglo-Norman and Franco-Norman representations do not seem to portray a good deal of beading on the clothing, although the romance poetry of the time certainly talks about it. (Endlessly.) German court clothing at least did have a good deal of beading on it, but it’s hard for me to justify a strong German influence in my persona’s little corner of early 12th century Northumberland. Anglo-Norman court fashions, yes. As a well-to-do landowner, Caitlin would have had at least one set of nice clothes to pay her respects to the local Norman baronial court. But German clothing encrusted with gems? Sadly, no.