Cotehardie Conundrums
 I’ve been mulling making new outfits for Mark and I for 12th Night. A too-small rabbit fur cloak* bargained down from the Boutique needed a home. (Don’t ever let them tell you you can’t dicker down prices at Goodwill!) A fur-edged sideless surcoat and matching tunic for my Love seemed just the ticket.
The tunic will be straightforward, as will the surcoat. I have some fabric in the stash that will make beautiful embellishments for the tunic sleeves, adding length as well as spiffness. It will also become an underdress for the surcoat. Both will be bunny-cuffed.
Thus begin the Cotehardie Conundrums. Â I’m seeking simple, speedy, period and pretty.
Here are some links I’m finding helpful:
http://caitlinsclothing.com/cotehardie.html (this site also has some great quick-n-dirty basics clearly described)
…and a really nifty way to handle lacing using ribbon:Â http://www.festiveattyre.com/research/workdiary/images/lacing.jpg
*I realize fur is contoversial- you’d have to be a wookie straight off the Milenium Falcon to walk into this one blindly. I am as much if not more an animal lover than anyone denouncing fur. The bunnies were already dead before this project was even a twinkle in my eye–at least twice dead if you count the fact they’d been thrown into the Goodwill pile. I like to consider this a celebration of the bunnies’ wonderfulness. It’s a way to make sure they didn’t die in vain but will in fact continue on. Immortality, feasts and faires…sounds like a good deal to me 
…..Mmmmm, and soooo soft….
Spectacle Equestre
The French take on Medieval Times.
Enjoy!
Cie Impulsion : Tournoi de chevalerie, chute de cheval, cascade, voltige equestre, combat à l’épée, fete médiévale
How-To Links
Heraldry
Sabine’s Pages http://www.boryssnorc.com/
Quest for Italian Renn
One of my scavenged successes from Holiday Faire’s Silent Auction was a purple overdress. I fell in love with the color and figured it was worth the whopping 50 cents, despite being several sizes too small.
Whopee! The previous wearer had sewn the shoulder straps tighter. 3 sets of existing grommets per sleeve opened the armholes right up. They also fueled a thought: a little research and sewing machine love could yield a respectable Italian Renn.
I would need MUCH added length to avoid the medieval miniskirt look. I could close the bodice all the way at the expense of breathing and mobility so that needed to be addressed. But the shoulder grommets begged for detachable sleeves, and if I used the same fabric in the sleeves as the additional hem, the disparate elements would harmonize. I could also use that same fabric for a modesty panel, thus enabling breathing (a pastime of which I’m exceedingly fond.)
I also decided I would actually pursue a measure of authenticity with this one.
Thus I hit Google. Here are some sites I found useful and concise in the vast sea of costuming and reenacting information:
http://homepages.wmich.edu/~rowen/renbk/rendressbook.html#anchor320283Â
http://ilaria.veltri.tripod.com/italiandress.html
http://www.jennylafleur.com/diary/ren02.htm
As I read around ideas flowed. During the Italian renaissance, sleeves became an expression of the wearer’s wealth and downright extravagance. My mind flowed to my findings drawer, and thoughts of trim and piping and pearls flowed freely. The findings will bring additional unity to the mix-n-match pieces of my franken-garb.
My garb closet is full of scavenged linens, muckabout garb, and a few modestly nice dressed. Now I’m looking forward to a hoity toity lady dress! Our shire’s Twelfth Night Party is close enough to provide a deadline and far enough out to keep things low pressure.
This is gonna be fun!
Tags: , accessories, authenticity, bling, costume, costume tips, garb, italian renaissance, period garb, renaissance fair, renaissance faire, sca, society for creative anachronism
Holiday Faire
I bounded out of bed (silently, Wolf was still sleeping) rejoicing in energy for the first time in days. The flu was vanquished! I was invincible once again. And most importantly, we could travel to Atlantia’s Holiday Faire.
OK, ok. Once the initial exhuberance wore off, gravity started doing strange things once again and aliens exploded from my lungs. I told Wolf not to let me overdo it, and off we went.
Holiday Faire is held in the Barony of Stierbach. Atlantian denizens turnout by the score to celebrate the pre-holiday season, which means merchants galore! I sought ideas more than purchases, but we scored BIIIIG! The silent auction yielded priceless treasures for a pittance, and inspired a new quest–but more on that later.
We were not the only Sylvan folk venturing into our neighboring kingdom.
Bera and Katharine
Mark with Snaebjorn and Isabella
Bitter cold and biting winds made me linger inside too long to see Margarita fighting. By the time we braved the outdoor lists, she was gathering up her gear. Her flushed face and explosive smile told us she fought well and learned much.
The Choir
A choir gathered in the corner to perform. Their heavenly harmonies swelled the cold, vaulted feast hall. I wanted to save them on video, but the silent auction thundered towards the finish. I hovered like a vulture, vigilant against competitive bidders. Video was out of the question!
Isabella and Katharine
We found a kindred spirit in a talkative blacksmith. As we tore ourselves away we exchanged contact info and found to our delight that he lives but a few towns away!
A good day, a quiet day. A good, low-key event to be enjoyed on flu medicine. And the booty we brought home! But that is another story….
Kalli hosted our shire’s Halloween party this year. As always with her fetes, food and fun flowed liberally. I enjoyed an added treat– my parents stopped in on a their way from Kentucky to Maine and joined us in the festivities.
We faced an unusual conundrum.  We wanted something simple and quick in the costume department. Garb was a no-brainer, but is everyday attire among this crowd. So we took the next path of least resistance– I dressed as a cowgirl and my love dressed as my horse!
See the full gallery at Laughing Gypsy Photography!
Tags: accessories, costume, garb, halloween, medieval, party, reenact, reenactment, renaissance, renaissance faire, sca, society for creative anachronism
If only we’d heard of this before our renaissance wedding! All of our garb needs fulfilled.  Plus, the product promise: “When you put on the Instakilt, you’ll no be able tae stop yir sel fae Dancin!”
Tags: costume, garb, instakilt, kilt, renaissance, renaissance costume, renaissance fair, sca, society for creative anachronism, towel
A last minute decision led us on a Labor Day journey to the Maryland Renaissance Fair. Scott and Noel met us at the farm. Rumor had it that a bunch of SCAdians from the Shire of Sylvan Glen would be venturing forth. We made it our mission to find them!
This was Scott and Noel’s first faire, and Wolf’s first faire on the east coast, and Wolf and my first faire married.
Orange ices staved off the heat while we
played dressup….
…enjoyed ourselves…
…and enjoyed the performances–especially the horses!
We took some pictures and videos of the renaissance faire, and ran into Fergus from a neighboring shire. Our shire folk, alas, changed their plans, leaving us as Sylvan Glen’s sole representatives.
Tags: War Horse!, destrier, draft horse, dressage, equestrian, free video, history, joust, jousting, medieval equestrian, medieval horsemanship, medieval reenactment, mounted combat, palfrey, percheron, reenactment, renaissance, renaissance equestrian, renaissance fair, renaissance faire, renaissance festival, renaissance horsemanship, rennfaire, shire, tournament, tourney, video, warhorse
Everything you need can be found at Goodwill, Walmart, or Ebay. Want proof?
A full size, workable ballista is currently at auction. Not just any ballista but a CELEBRITY ballista at that. (Does that make it a celebrista?) Originally made for a joint BBC/ Discovery Channel production, “Building the Impossible,” this baby can be YOURS!
We love this video (and not just cause we love Peter Gabriel!)
Hurry and place your bid now before its going, going, gooooone!
Tags: , ballista, ebay, medieval, peter gabriel, roman, sca, siege weapon, trebuchet, video