Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Medieval Petrol Outfit

So last week I went to a medieval fair or market to work. Of course I had to wear something proper otherwise I wouldn't fit in. After some scouting and browsing I found a reconstruction of the Moy Bog-dress from Ireland that I felt could work. The pattern is dated to late 14th century.

Then the fun began. I enlarged the print so that I could just draw of the pattern and it kind of looked like this: 

I found this lovely dark blue petrol coloured wool fabric that didn't made me that poor and decided to hem it with a black velvet that I had laying back home. We had early on decided that I would look as I came from the higher stands so I could wear both blue and dark which at that time were expensive colours. Velvet was also made in use during the later time period of the middle ages so the dress is almost according time except that I was lazy and sewed it on machine. 

Under the dress I wore a cotton dress which not exactly is according to the period, since cotton was mostly used in Egypt and I would have been at the World's End according to the Greeks. But I had to have something under my wool dress and I already had some meters at home. I still haven't sewn on the sleeves but it worked since they would still not be visible. 

The underdress took about five-six meters, but with the width that I gained I kind of understand that. The dress contains eight wide wedges and is surprisingly easy to walk in. 

Now for the wool dress. I changed the pattern a bit, as I have a habit of doing. I skipped two of the wedges since I didn't needed them and added a little trail. Until I learned not to walk on the trail, that took some time. 


My buttons were dressed by CarpeDentum and Madiijre as I didn't had the time to make them. I am so grateful to them, specially since I wouldn't made it in the dress if I didn't have the buttons. 

To the outfit I also made a veil, that big white thing on my head, and the bag. The bag was something that I don't think would be seen in the middle ages as it is made of one of my old winter jackets. It is always good to use old things.

A better picture of the outfit can be found here: link