Event Report: Fête Médiévale de Saint-Colomban

Today was a nice, sunny, not too warm day. Perfect to spend it at the Fête Médiévale de Saint-Colomban. Nancy-Raven and I have gone together for the past three years and we love to walk around and mock the really bad fantasy garb. Today was no exception and I took many pictures to share with you all, but for tonight, since I'm beat, I'll just show you pictures of Nancy-Raven, my daughter and myself. I'll do the mocking thing with you tomorrow.

My Daughter

My baby is wearing her linen tunic (Baby Shower gift from aunt Sciath), Coif (made quickly last week) and SCA - The Next Generation bib (bought at Pennsic XXXVI from Claus the Toymaker). Many people kept pointing at her, saying "Oh, look, a Medieval baby!". Her daddy is proud, she was a success once again!

Nancy-Raven

Look who got the message and covered her head this year: good girl, no sun stroke for once. And yes Honey, she drank plenty of water!

Gwenyver and Daughter: Medieval Mommy and Baby

Nancy-Raven

I love to just point-and-click and get great pictures. I'm pretty good at it too!

Nancy-Raven the Anglo-Norman

Another nice picture of her (whatever she says). I should mention that her jewelry all comes from The Crafty Celt, Raven style (of course!). Specifically, it is the Raven Fibula & Chain Set and the Raven Head Torc (she also owns the Raven Bracelet and Raven Brooch, but was not wearing them yesterday).

Gwenyver in her new Medieval Heraldic Tabard

At the end of the day, we went by the river to take some pictures. As promised, one of my in my Medieval Heraldic Tabard and Glittersweet cote.

Nancy-Raven and her Goddaughter

Two Craft Sisters: Nancy-Raven and Gwenyver

I'm also pretty good at taking self-portrait pictures by holding the camera in one hand and pointing it at myself; just look at my profile picture!

Medieval Baby

One last cute picture of my daughter for the road! Now I'm off to a nice bath to wash the dust away.

Finished Project: Medieval Heraldic Tabard

I did it again! I'm ready in advance. Oh yeah baby, I'm getting organized! Last night, I finished my tabard. Yeah me! A whole 36 hours before an event, two weeks in a row! Believe me, if you've known me for years, that is an impressive feet!

So, do you remember my device? I've shown it to you twice already, why not go for thrice (besides, I love my device):

Device of Mórag filia Scayth

And now, this is my tabard (shown here over my Glittersweet Cote):

It looks great, right? I love it. (And yes G'Kwan, you're very cute too - G'Kwan is our cat; what can I say, we're geeks!). So tomorrow, that's what I'm wearing to the Fête Médiévale de Saint-Colomban, and I'll ask Nancy-Raven to take some pictures of me wearing it.

Do you realize, that's the first costume I've made myself this year, as in 2009? Wow, I was so overdue. I feel really happy about myself.

Portrait of a Costumer: Trystan

I've been wanting to present another one of my favorite costumers for some time now, but I always lacked time to write something decent. So today, I'm taking the time and I'm presenting Trystan.

Trystan was was president of the GBACG for a couple years and organizes many costuming events in her area. What I love about Trystan's costumes is their originality. As she herself says, "While I've studied various eras of historical clothing, nit-picky accuracy is not my bag, baby". This means that she can create gorgeous 19th century gowns... with skull printed cotton? Yes she does! She's also a goth, and as I have a penchant for this look, I can't help but love her costumes.

Another thing is, she's a gorgeous girl and "real woman"* (as in "real women have Curves" - just like me!).

*It just seams to me that often when seeing pictures of Cosplayers at Cons, we're always shown the tiny waisted teenage girls wearing Slave Leia Bikini, so it's nice to see another variety of girls and women in costumes.

And now, on to some of my favorite costumes of hers. You've already seen her Victorian Bathing Suit in a previous post.

Victorian Sushi Polonaise

This one has got to be my all time favorite Trystan creation. Not only does it look gorgeous and delicious, it is absolutely original. This is one dress I'd love to make for myself. Actually, I love the fabric so much, I could make many dresses!

Peacock Bustle Gown

Did I mention before that I had a thing for Peacock dresses? The nice thing about this dress is it used a hot pink Sari as fabric (saris are often 6 metres long and you can get them on eBay for as little as 30$ - that's a great fabric source!). She also has a Pink Sari Ballgown that uses a Sari bought on a trip to India (That does it - I want to go!).

Aouda from Around the World in 80 Days

Making costumes from literature references can be fun too! OK, and once again, the fabric used is a Sari.

Marilyn Monroe (from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - 1953)

It's a classic, but I myself have wanted to make this costume since I saw the commercial patterns at my local fabric store when I was a teen (maybe even a tween...). Besides, pink and diamonds? What girl could resist!

Burgundy Embroidered-Silk Robe à l'Anglaise

Lastly, an 18th century dress. Considering my love for them, how could I not show at least one of hers! I particularly like the Burgundy embroidered silk she used.

Now off you go and explore her website!

Wednesday Weekly Wishlist: Victorian Underpinnings

On my long "to-do" list is Victorian Underpinnings (underwear). As previously mentioned, undies I often leave undone because they are boring, and I can get away without them, but I think a corset would be necessary, especially with my Tartan Taffeta Victorian Ballgown project. It will also come in handy when I start making Bustle Gowns (and they will come, oh yes!).

When I get around to it, I plan on using a pattern I already own:

Simplicity 9769

With this basic kit of chemise, corset and drawers, I can wear either a crinoline or a bustle.

Mid-Nineteenth Century Undergarments (including Crinoline and Petticoat) by Katherine

Bustle Petticoat by Trystan (based on Truly Victorian's Grand Bustle Petticoat pattern TV108)

Originally, I wanted to make this set of underwear to participate in The Underwear Affair for the fight against cancers below the waist, but apparently Montreal is no longer one of the cities where the event takes place (and I'm not driving over six hours to Toronto for a 5 km walk, even if it's for a good cause; there are plenty of good causes locally).

Note: Yes Nancy-Raven, I did watch Anna Karenina (1997) this morning, which might explain my renewed desire for a bustle gown.

Back to school!

It's September first, you know what that means: it's back to school! Now, I graduated high school 10 years ago (yikes, it makes me old!) but from the WalMart flyer, I seem to gather that uniforms are becoming more and more popular. That's how it used to be in old times and that is how it is in other countries, so why not here too!

"What does that have to do with costumes?" you might wonder (don't you know by now I always find a way to link things together?). Let us go back in time, to as far back as the 1920's, and talk about the Gymslip, also known as a pinafore or jumper dress. That is what our grandmother's wore to school (my grandmother used to bring back the cafeteria food she disliked in her dress pockets, but that's a whole other story).

Girls wearing Gymslips

For years, I've been amassing data on this type of dress in order to eventually reproduce it. "Why would she want to do that for?" I hear you think. Simple. I'm a Costumeholic, AND I'm a fan of the TV show The Worst Witch.

Kate Duchêne as Miss Hardbroom, Emma Brown as Maud Moonshine, Georgina Sherrington as Mildred Hubble and Joanna Dyce as Ruby Cherrytree; The Worst Witch (1998)

Emma Brown as Maud Moonshine and Georgina Sherrington as Mildred Hubble, The Worst Witch (1998)

So obviously, I want to make a Cackle's Academy uniform, which includes a black gymslip, a light grey shirt, a black and grey tie, black Inverness cape and black witch's hat. I've even redrawn the school's coat of arms to eventually embroider as a patch!

Cackle's Academy Coat of Arms

So far as my research goes, imagine how thrilled I was to see a gymslip dress up close at my favorite museum last year!

School uniform (front), Manhattan Childrenswear, About 1960, 20th century, 79 cm, Gift of Mrs. Douglas T. Bourke, M988.68.1.1-2© McCord Museum

School uniform (back), Manhattan Childrenswear, About 1960, 20th century, 79 cm, Gift of Mrs. Douglas T. Bourke, M988.68.1.1-2© McCord Museum

More recently, a pinafore dress was seen in a Box Office movie, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008).

The Pevensies: Edmund, Peter, Susan and Lucy; The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)

That's right folks, Lucy's school dress is a pinafore!

So, plenty of reasons to like your grandmother's school uniform. Why not try to convince your school to pick it up instead of the plaid skirts? (Too much? Yeah, I do get carried away.)

Movie Monday: The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Edition

It's not a new movie, but a classic. It has inspired countless commercial costume patterns (currently in store are Simplicity 2546, 2547, 2548, 4024, 4133, 4136 and 4139). And it is now 70 years old (really? Wow!). The Wizard of Oz (1939) is coming out on DVD and Blu-Ray on September 29. In honor of such a unique birthday, 440 movie theatres across the US will be showing the movie on September 23, 2009, at 7:00 PM, local time (no luck for us up in Montreal). If yours does, don't miss the chance of a lifetime. And while you're at it, go in costume, or wear your ruby slippers!

Event Report: Pointe-À-Callière's 18th Century Public Market

Finally! I made it to an event. Seriously, I wasn't sure I would be able to go, as the weather report last night said it would rain all day. While nursing in the middle of the night, I was already imagining today's post saying something to the effect that once again I couldn't go, that my life as a costumer was a boring one, etc.; but I did go!

So sure, we only went for an hour and a half, I never met with Marie-Ange-The-Celt, I ended up leaving my costume in the car (which was a good thing: the place was so jammed packed with people, my skirt would have been stepped on non-stop), it rained while we were there and the batteries in my camera died before long (I had charged them, but I guess they were old batteries), but hey, I went, I saw, and I have pictures of costumes to share!

(As for pictures of my own costume, I am planning a photo shoot with Nancy-Raven in the following weeks for our 18th century outfits, so stay tuned...)

A couple of volunteers at the UPA stand

They gave me yellow bean seeds to plant in my garden next summer, so "Thank you UPA!"

Two volunteer ladies

Notice how similar peasant clothes in the 18th century are to say, Ren Fair wear? That is because A) peasant fashion did not evolve that much and B) Ren Fair people have got it wrong - period wise.

A noble woman at the market

I have to say, I loved her outfit, and I do believe she was just visiting (not actually working there). Sadly, when I saw her again and could have gotten a front pose, the batteries of my camera (and the spare ones - did I mention I had come prepared and brought spares?) had died.

Historical Lady

I'm sorry I kind of just snapped a picture of her without giving her the time to pose (darn dying batteries!). I do believe she is a member of a historical society, because there was a sign above the stand that said "Société d'Histoire", but I don't know which one (someone please enlighten me).

The Seamstress

Also a member on the unknown historical society (and another unfortunate quick snap with a dying camera), she was full of information about the craft of an 18th century seamstress (she had irons and cutting shears reproductions, fascinating stuff!)

An Amerindian

According to my Sweetheart (did I mention he is a historian?), this guy is wearing a proper Amerindian feathered headdress.

Another Amerindian

Again, wearing a proper feathered headdress.

An Amerindian Warrior

Upon seeing him, my Sweetheart replied "Finally, an Amerindian costume done the right way!"...

An Amerindian Warrior... bearing it all

... and then he confirmed his affirmation by pointing out the "leggings" (which a lot of people were pointing at!)

A soldier of the Compagnie du 2ième Bataillon du Régiment de la Sarre

He and his comrades are the reason I managed to convince my sweetheart to come with me to that event (and when I told this to the girl at the information kiosk, she started laughing because I was apparently the 6th person to tell her that).

At the encampment of the Compagnie du 2ième Bataillon du Régiment de la Sarre

You see, I can take great pictures when my camera is not dying on me!

Two soldiers and a peasant girl with my Baby and Sweetheart

One of these days, I have to make my Sweetheart a Soldier's Uniform so he can join the of the Compagnie du 2ième Bataillon du Régiment de la Sarre (and he wants the musket; he's been saying it for years but since we actually got to see a couple mousquetades during the group's military exercise demo, I found him shopping for one online last night!).