Red and gold sideless surcote – HSM April 2021

Wearing my red and gold damask sideless surcoat

Back in 2019 I threw out my back right before an SCA event. I wanted to still attend, but found myself wondering what to wear – since I also wanted to wear a short corset to support my back. I decided to use a regular underdress, then my corset, and then a sideless surcote which still gives me easy access to adjust the laces/etc. Having them in my wardrobe was fantastic, since most of my other garments really wouldn’t give me that ability.

Since I totally love all the wacky wild 15th century hats, I thought it might also be a good idea to pull together a few more sideless surcotes to add to my Medieval Capsule wardrobe since they’re pretty easy to wear, and I certainly have enough headwear to accompany them!

Historical Sew Monthly 2021 challenges

Historical Sew Monthly 2021

Well I didn’t really do much for the Historical Sew Monthly 2020, but with the beginning of a new year, and my sewing area sorted out over the summer/fall 2020, I am hoping that I’ll be able to tackle more of the challenges this year.

It might not bode well that I’m not even thinking about this until mid-February though…

This year’s challenges from The Dreamstress:

Horned hennin V4

V-neck Burgundian gown worn with a white horned hennin

While constructing the thid version of my horned hennin, (which isn’t complete yet…) I was struck with a different idea, so kind of dropped that project (for the time being) and went back to the drafting table.

I wanted to continue on the path trying to make a collapsable and packable hennin, and decided that for this one I would do an all-white hennin, like some of the inspiration images from the research I did when constructing my second version of a horned hennin in red velvet.

Historical Sew Monthly 2020

Well it’s already October – and only now am I thinking about the Historical Sew Monthly 2020 challenges. I used to LOVE working with the challenges, but in the couple of years… my life just hasn’t cooperated on multiple levels.

In fact… I don’t think  I even did (any? many?) of the 2019 challenges either. Even though I’ve still be sewing and making, I haven’t found the time to blog, research, photograph… the way that I used to.

Still I figured I’d record what I would have LIKED to do for each of these challenges – possibly to do in the future if I can play a little catch-up once my life cooperates with my desire to sew and craft.

I also LOVE that the 2020 theme that spans the entire year is Sustainability!

Saint Birgitta’s cap

St. Birgitta’s cap

This post is incredibly long in the making – I started working on a St. Birgitta’s cap several years ago, when one of the people in the SCA (Coryn of the Wode) taught a class on how to make the cap.

Unfortunately, the cap wasn’t finished in class… so I took it in parts home, and then promptly forgot all about it. Then, for the February edition of the Historical Sew Monthly, the topic is “linen”, and while there are more elaborate linen items on my to-do list, this seemed like an accomplishable project given how few projects I was able to accomplish in 2018.