Handmade trims for Nick’s fighting and court doublets.
And thread-covered buttons for the latter. Now to have it all done by Queen’s, on May eleventh. Why do I do this to myself?
Letters of intent for Nick’s rapier teacher and fellow student. Illumination and calligraphy by me. I did one for Nick, too, but neglected to take a picture of it. I’ll see if I can fine one that someone else took…
Edit: I found one I took to show Nick what it looked like (he was at work). Forgive my idiotic face, but it was the only decent-quality picture I could find.
A while back, I got tired of getting leaves and bugs in my cup at SCA events and made myself a cup cover. In the same post, you’ll see that I started one for Nick, too, but I never liked it. The design is good, but the colors and progression I chose for it was, um, ill-advised. Not only that, but it was a Viking-era design, embroidered in a medieval style. Not at all what an Elizabethan courtier would use. So I elected to design him a new one.
I chose a hybrid between a compass rose (since Nick’s persona is a sea captain and privateer) and a Tudor Rose (a very Elizabethan motif). I used a few different blackwork fill designs to create light and dark areas, and the plain fabric (100% linen, but not even weave) for negative space. I used some brass beads and faux green pearls for corner weights, and a plain running stich to hem it. I’m much happier with this one.
A while ago, I made an Anglo-Saxon-ish tunic for Nick. It’s a relatively easy thing to make, and an easy thing to throw on for a last minute event. The problem I have with most T-tunics is that they look plain and hastily thrown together. So, in an attempt to avoid that, I decided to embroider the neckline of his shirt.I picked a design that I’ve seen on all sorts of Anglo-Saxon brooches.
Since I decided to do the embroidery after I’d sewn the tunic together (after the facing, even!) it’s been a bit of rough going in spots. The embroidery is pretty stiff and holds the slit in the neck up pretty well. Before, it had a tendency to widen a lot.
Sorry for the washed-out photos; I took them on my phone. They show the general shape of the embroidery and the curve of the stitched pretty well, though. I’m a bit further on with the yellow than these pictures show. The whole front slit is embroidered and I’m one or two sections around. I’m hoping to get it finished fairly soon; I have other things what need working on.