[TUTR] Medieval Clothing Boot Camp idea

Wed Aug 10 22:38:12 PDT 2011

I find that if you stick with the middle class stuff, the underwear (and by 
that I meant chemises and braes rather than/as well as hose and corsets and 
so forth) use pretty much the same concepts and techniques, just the shapes 
of the pieces are a little different ;)  I like to encourage as much 
authenticity as practical/affordable, and have snuck in the concept that the 
techniques are often easier/more long lasting than the modern fakes...heh I 
can be devious too! ;)
You will find some students can make a wardrobe in a weekend, others require 
a little more help just getting the underwear started - but with time and 
patience, everyone completed at least a basic outfit.  I found I had no 
problem teaching like that, but everyone has their own method/comfort zone, 
and I can't really say if one method is better than any other...
I really don't advise starting with something as complicated as Tudor 
either, but I did have a lady who really wanted Elizabethan, so we started 
with the basic structural garments, and she took off from there and has 
become an excellent Elizabethan costumer since!
I guess I was really afraid of ending up teaching the "mediaeval uniform" 
class. Not that I think that was going to happen necessarily, or imply thats 
what you would, just something I was concerned about
cheers
Tanikh

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Erin McGuire" <toranova at googlemail.com>
To: "JBurrows" <joburrows at shaw.ca>
Cc: "UTR New List _ Aug 2009" <utr at tirrigh.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2011 9:20 PM
Subject: Re: [TUTR] Medieval Clothing Boot Camp idea

Thank you for your feedback, Tanikh!

I confess, I was planning to be a bit hard-nosed and have everyone
make the same basic rectangular construction - approximately the style
4 version from this page:
http://www.renaissancetailor.com/demos_rectangles.htm  though we'd
adjust for waists and hem lengths depending on what people wanted.
It's a pattern with a long life, good flexibility and allows us to
focus on core skills - sewing techniques, finishing techniques,
gussets and gores. So, transferable skills.

I really don't want to deal with someone wanting to make Tudor in a
weekend, or any such thing. I lack the skills to teach it and I want
to be able to help as many people as possible get started. And rather
than the focus on the good enough to get by the ten foot rule kind of
costuming that has become common here, I wanted to show how we can
make something period. (Not that I am suggesting that's what your
classes were like, by the way! That would be what any attempt at Late
Period costuming I did would end up being.) So, it's about getting
started and having the tools that you need to move on to whatever
inspires you next.

Then, my really sneaky goal, is to make sure that my first TUTR
session (which would theoretically be in the month after this Boot
Camp) would have a costuming track, covering things that people are
interested in/willing to teach. I'd love an underwear class - maybe a
Braies and Hose class. And head coverings. And I might teach an
Anglo-Saxon/Viking clothing class. And find someone to teach something
late period. Etc. Aren't I devious? :-P

Cheers,
Gunnr
___________________________________________________
Mistress Æringunnr Yrsudóttir, Viscountess Insulae Draconis

On Wed, Aug 10, 2011 at 8:52 PM, JBurrows <joburrows at shaw.ca> wrote:
> Awesome plan Your Excellency ;)
> Can I suggest the research and design parts go first? I have found that it
> seems to work best in the workshops I have run, at any rate.
> I usually start with a costume overview, a textile history (and explain 
> why
> understanding what textiles will/will not do and how to know before you 
> make
> a costly mistake I focus on period textiles weaves and dyes and how to
> inexpensively reproduce some of the more costly later period stuff) A 
> short
> session on design concepts and how to take the research pictures (or 
> extant
> bits) and turn them into a practical reproduction, (or reasonable 
> facsimile
> thereof) This is the 'bring your ideas and decide what you want' session.
> Then we go on a shopping trip and learn how to buy the stuff...
> I will sometimes throw in a corset class or underwear session if there is
> interest.
> Then I do the pattern drafting/geometric construction class, and at this
> point introduce the machine and its functions - people can practice on the
> toile/muslin or undergarment so they have some skill when they get to the
> final costume.
> Depending on interests/skill levels of students, I use both machine and 
> hand
> sewing examples for the various stages of construction, or add in a 
> complete
> class just on hand sewing techniques.
> If you would like a more complete outline and description of my classes, I
> can send you that, and if you want me to come over and help teach I can do
> that too!
>
> Alternatively you could use the introductory/theory parts as weekly 
> classes
> first, ending with the weekend construction blitz (I believe that is how 
> we
> did it when I taught the session in Seagirt years ago over 2 weekends -
> weekend 1 was the theory classes, and generated more interest in the
> construction weekend 2 weeks later)
>
> If there is anything I can do to help out let me know! :)
> Cheers
> Tanikh bint Farida / Jo Burrows
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Erin McGuire" 
> <toranova at googlemail.com>
> To: "UTR New List _ Aug 2009" <utr at tirrigh.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2011 8:04 PM
> Subject: [TUTR] Medieval Clothing Boot Camp idea
>
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> I have an idea that I needed to run past some level-headed people. I
> want to run a boot camp in Seagirt for basic medieval costuming. I was
> thinking that it would be nice if some of it counted towards TUTR
> credits. Here's the idea as it stands. The stuff on the first Saturday
> is what I am thinking I'd like to see as credit-bearing. The plan is
> that this would run over one month, with the first part happening on a
> weekend and the remaining four hours happen before our local dance
> practice/council, if I can get the space. I have yet to look into the
> space, so I may need to revise the plan. I'd be keen to hear your
> thoughts on this...
>
> Cheers,
> Gunnr
>
> Medieval Costuming Boot Camp
>
> Day 1 (Saturday, 10-4)
> 10- 12: A survey of Medieval Clothing
> 12-1: Lunch and a chat about clothing ideas, misconceptions (they
> all wore brown), etc.
> 1-3: Sewing lessons (machine and hand-sewing, care & feeding of the
> sewing machine?)
> 3-4: A discussion and hands-on session on choosing fabrics (weave,
> textile, colour, etc)
>
> Equipment: Several sewing machines, extension cords, power bars,
> fabric scraps, thread, needles, pins, shears
>
> Homework: Buy fabric, matching thread, god-awful cheap thread in a
> very different colour (for basteing).
> Wash fabric. Deadline - before Day 4.
>
> Day 2 (Sunday, 12-?)
> Field trip to fabric shop(s)
>
>
> Day 3 (Tues, 6-7)
> Planning and patterning rectangular construction.
>
> Equipment: tape measures, notepads, pencils
>
> Day 4 (Tues, 6-7)
> Cutting the fabric & attaching the sleeves
>
> Equipment: sewing machines, extension cords, power bars, shears,
> needles, threads, pre-washed fabric, notepads, pencils
>
> Homework: Hand-finish neckline, hand-finish part of shoulder seam
>
>
> Day 5 (Tues, 6-7)
> Gussets and gores
>
> Equipment: sewing machines, extension cords, power bars, shears,
> needles, threads, tunic pieces, notepads, pencils
>
> Homework: Hand-finish seams (finish attaching gores etc if necessary)
>
>
> Day 6 (Tues, 6-7)
> Hemming and embellishing (or catching up as needed)
> Plotting next project
>
> Equipment: shears, needles, threads, tunic pieces, notepads, pencils
> (sewing machines, extension cords, power bars if needed)
>
>
> ___________________________________________________
> Mistress Æringunnr Yrsudóttir, Viscountess Insulae Draconis
>
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