Viking Seams

Viking women would decorate the seams of their garments both to tack down the seam allowances and to create visual interest along the major lines of their garments. Some of the stitches used were delightfully intricate. I had trouble with one, until I sat down with the instructor of a class on them and made her go over how it was done.

Embroidered Viking seam treatments.

It’s the pink one up there in the middle top. I got it eventually.

Naturally, after I figured out I could actually do these, I hastened to start embellishing my own Viking Hangarok. The pink and brown is on the straps, and the white interlaced stitch is on the front two seams. I’m really pleased with how fancy it’s looking.

Viking seam treatments in the wild.

Finally!

I finished the embroidery on Edmund’s Anglo Saxon Tunic. Finally. I’m very pleased with how well it turned out.

Finished Tunic

Doesn’t that look nice? There are some parts where the blue line is a little lost in the sea of fill stitching, but I think it’s okay on the whole.

Tunic Keyhole

I finished the neck embroidery and decided that something was missing. So I did some quick decorative stitches around the cuffs too. The blue is stem stitch, the ecru is a chain stitch (with 3 strands instead of 6), and the yellow and red is a tied herringbone stitch. Not sure if it’s period, but it’s pretty.

Tunic Cuff

Don’t worry, this will be the last post that this tunic gets. Until I manage to get a picture of Edmund in it, of course. And lest you all think that I’m shirking my embroidering now, I’ve got another project in the works already: a “butt-flag” favor with Afonlyn Shire’s device.

Afonlyn Favor