ramping up: here we go again

So here we are, getting ready to do another sewing challenge: The Ethereal Seamstress Competition. This one is even more intense than the Calontir Clothing Challenge, as it’s compressing everything into one month. However, I get to dictate what constitutes an outfit, and I’m going easier on myself by making women’s clothes instead of men’s.

The challenge is a skin-out outfit, completed in a month (originally, it was 24 hours, worked on a team). I could easily do this if I made my tried and true Hedeby smokkr and serk, but of course I’m not doing that. I’m going to make a Køstrup dress, which is pleated, theoretically in the front, which, if you make it to “spec”, can be very flattering.

I’m going to make a linen serk the way I made my wool tunic for C3; I need to make a pattern layout for it. Luckily I bought 4 yards of fabric for it, so I have a lot to play with. I haven’t decided yet if there will be a shoulder seam. It will depend on how I draw the layout. I’m thinking probably not. A double length for a front and back is a lot.

And then in the original find, there was a strip of tablet weaving located between the two brooches, and that is going to be an interesting challenge, and not only is it brocaded, it’s done in wool, which is Very Sticky, and there are only two holes per card. I might need to mock this up in cotton, just to practice with a missing hole technique.

Other accessories I intend to make are hose (which I am allowed to make ahead of time, and I just might do that), a headscarf, and shoes — simple slipper-like shoes shouldn’t take me too long.

The challenge starts on February 27, and several of my friends are playing along. This is going to be busy, and I’m excited about it. Stay tuned!