I was hoping to be completely finished with this piece by last Friday, but, alas, it has taken on a life of its own. The original plan, as outlined in my previous installment on the subject, was to make an unlined "summer" caftan. Then I considered putting in just facings. Then I decided to line it with a brown/copper lining fabric with facings out of the same fabric. Then I settled on lining it sans facings, stating that it would be "good enough for now." Everything was going well with that until this afternoon when my brain kind of snapped and I realized that "good enough for now" wasn't really good enough and I needed to have a piece that really popped and showed off my burgeoning abilities.
So here I am, blogging at 2:01 am because that damned caftan was hanging on the back of the bedroom door taunting me and I couldn't fall asleep for obsessing over it. Thus, I have decided to take the lining out of it, face it with orange or yellow satin and put the copper lining back in. In my head, the overall look is similar to what is seen in this picture by Dick Osseman. My research has often stated that caftans were lined in a complimenting color with a different color of facing, hence the orange or yellow that I plan to put in. Now if I could just decide which one... any votes?
Also, the caftan's shape just isn't right and I think it's because I put the side gores in too high. Right now they are at my waistline when I believe they should be more toward my hips, perhaps even an inch or two below. I think when I measured and cut them I was trying to make the skirt fuller, but I wound up taking shape out of my midsection in the process. Using Mistress Agnes' ensemble as a guide, it appears that her gores start just at her hips, allowing her to tailor the midsection into a more fitted garment. I'm not sure this is completely agreeable with me since my midsection is not so svelte as hers, but I think it will help to give me some illusion of a figure since the caftan in its present state does not.
Luckily, the question of the side gores is easy enough to fix. I just have to pick them out, drop them down a few inches and resew them in place. The fact that I have to do this on both the coat and lining is what leaves me more than I little annoyed. But in the end having a beautiful coat that I am proud to wear and show off makes it worth any irritation.
I have also decided that this caftan will have short sleeves, but detachable long sleeves that I can button in during the cold months. This is a perfecly period practice and one that will help me get more mileage out of the coat. A fun, period feature is the inclusion of gauntlet sleeves that will form dramatic points on the backs of my hands (think Morticia Addams).
Lastly, it has occurred to me (not without some embarrassment) that I should have made the frogging and buttons prior to putting the lining in. My fiance, always trying to be helpful, suggested I just sew the frogging on through the lining, but because the caftan will probably be worn open from neck to bustline, the stitching would show, so I had to reformulate my plan on that aspect. I'm still not happy with my fingerloop weaving ability, so I'm trying to decide between inkle weaving them or using flat kumihimo braids. I do a lot of kumihimo, but I would have to use several strands of each color to get the right thickness and I'm afraid that would take away from the braid's flatness. Obviously, this requires some experimentation, but I am still leaning more toward the kumihimo because of the ability to make uniform loops with them.
Before I go, I wanted to share a small site I just found that shows pictures of extant caftans. What sets the Cevat Kanig website apart from, say, Dick Osseman's website is that many of the coats are labeled with the name of the sultan who owned them. And since I have decided to be a member of Sultan Suleiman's court, I can't help but be excited to see pictures of clothes he actually wore!
Showing posts with label kumihimo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kumihimo. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Caftan, Part I
I went ahead and put the gomlek to the side for tonight and started working on my caftan. Don't worry, I will get back to the gomlek tomorrow (it's almost finished!!), but I couldn't wait to start working on my green striped caftan.
Caftan Overview:
The caftan is
basically a slightly larger version of the entari, worn as an overcoat. According to Neefa bint Durr, caftans were usually made of silks or brocades and lined with cotton in a contrasting color with silk facings (unless it was a summer caftan in which case it would not be lined, but would still have the facing). Winter caftan were often lined with fur.
Caftans could be made with or without a standing collar or were the same as an entari -- small and round or very slightly v-necked. They had large gores on both sides and in the front.
From the pictures of extant caftan I have seen, the sleeves were usually short, but some have detachable sleeves. The short sleeves often had a crescent-shaped cutout in front for ease of bending the arm (you can see this quite well in the picture above). In some cases it appears there was a gusset in the underarm, but I don't believe it was always done this way.
Closures consisted of long bands, known as "frogging," across the chest. In her article Making a 16th Century Turkish Coat, Neefa bint Durr states that buttonholes through the fabric were not used. She also says that the frogging was made with the same general colors of the fabric (but usually no more than three different colors), sometimes with geometric designs which were made by either fingerloop weaving or card/tablet weaving. Frogging went from the neck to waist, loops on left, buttons on right. (To see these closures in excellent detail, please visit the Sackler website, choose "View the Robes in Detail" and click on the fourth thumbnail from the bottom. Moving your cursor over the picture will allow you to explore an extant caftan!)
My Caftan:
About a year ago I acquired this beautiful green striped curtain fabric (on the right in the picture) at a sewing party. My friend Adena had it but didn't know what she would use it for, so I purchased the whole bolt from her for $15. I think I came away with 6 or 7 yards, so I feel like I got a great deal. Had I bought it from a store it would have been at least twice that.
The instant this fabric met my hands it whispered to me that it wanted to be a caftan. Always one to listen to my fabrics, I held off on cutting it until I really understood the process. I used the aforementioned article Making a 16th Century Turkish Coat by Neefa bint Durr to work out the measurements. (I would love to link you to her article, but you must be a member of SCA_Turkish_Personas_Moderated to view it. If you join, look in the Files section for Turkish Coats PDF.pdf.)
Now, according to many, many sources on the web, striped fabrics were favored for children's clothing and clothing for the poor because they were easily made and, therefore, cheap. Living in the harem my persona probably would not have worn stripes, but I must make a concession for this particular fabric as the mundane me loves stripes and wears them often.
I have cut the fabric with the stripes going vertically down the body piece, diagonally on the gores and horizontally on the sleeves. This may sound hideous, but it will all come together, I assure you. Due to the fact that coats were often cut without regard to pattern continuation, I'm not too worried about the stripe directions.
I don't think I will line the coat as the fabric is already going to be rather warm, but I will use a contrasting facing (if I can figure out just how to do that).
I will not be using a collar, but instead a slight v-shaped neckline.
My fingerloop braiding skills aren't good enough for making the frogging, so I will use either thin tablet woven bands or kumihimo braids. I will be doing thread covered wooden beads for the buttons.
Anyway, check back often as this project is about to kick into high gear!!
Other Links of Interest with Regard to Kaftans:
Hurayrah's Passably-Period Caftan (instructions begin on page 9)
Dick Osseman's website
Photo Credits:
- Orange/red caftan belonging to Selim I, circa 16th century: Topkapi Palace Museum
- Fabrics: Me
Caftan Overview:The caftan is
basically a slightly larger version of the entari, worn as an overcoat. According to Neefa bint Durr, caftans were usually made of silks or brocades and lined with cotton in a contrasting color with silk facings (unless it was a summer caftan in which case it would not be lined, but would still have the facing). Winter caftan were often lined with fur.Caftans could be made with or without a standing collar or were the same as an entari -- small and round or very slightly v-necked. They had large gores on both sides and in the front.
From the pictures of extant caftan I have seen, the sleeves were usually short, but some have detachable sleeves. The short sleeves often had a crescent-shaped cutout in front for ease of bending the arm (you can see this quite well in the picture above). In some cases it appears there was a gusset in the underarm, but I don't believe it was always done this way.
Closures consisted of long bands, known as "frogging," across the chest. In her article Making a 16th Century Turkish Coat, Neefa bint Durr states that buttonholes through the fabric were not used. She also says that the frogging was made with the same general colors of the fabric (but usually no more than three different colors), sometimes with geometric designs which were made by either fingerloop weaving or card/tablet weaving. Frogging went from the neck to waist, loops on left, buttons on right. (To see these closures in excellent detail, please visit the Sackler website, choose "View the Robes in Detail" and click on the fourth thumbnail from the bottom. Moving your cursor over the picture will allow you to explore an extant caftan!)
My Caftan:About a year ago I acquired this beautiful green striped curtain fabric (on the right in the picture) at a sewing party. My friend Adena had it but didn't know what she would use it for, so I purchased the whole bolt from her for $15. I think I came away with 6 or 7 yards, so I feel like I got a great deal. Had I bought it from a store it would have been at least twice that.
The instant this fabric met my hands it whispered to me that it wanted to be a caftan. Always one to listen to my fabrics, I held off on cutting it until I really understood the process. I used the aforementioned article Making a 16th Century Turkish Coat by Neefa bint Durr to work out the measurements. (I would love to link you to her article, but you must be a member of SCA_Turkish_Personas_Moderated to view it. If you join, look in the Files section for Turkish Coats PDF.pdf.)
Now, according to many, many sources on the web, striped fabrics were favored for children's clothing and clothing for the poor because they were easily made and, therefore, cheap. Living in the harem my persona probably would not have worn stripes, but I must make a concession for this particular fabric as the mundane me loves stripes and wears them often.
I have cut the fabric with the stripes going vertically down the body piece, diagonally on the gores and horizontally on the sleeves. This may sound hideous, but it will all come together, I assure you. Due to the fact that coats were often cut without regard to pattern continuation, I'm not too worried about the stripe directions.
I don't think I will line the coat as the fabric is already going to be rather warm, but I will use a contrasting facing (if I can figure out just how to do that).
I will not be using a collar, but instead a slight v-shaped neckline.
My fingerloop braiding skills aren't good enough for making the frogging, so I will use either thin tablet woven bands or kumihimo braids. I will be doing thread covered wooden beads for the buttons.
Anyway, check back often as this project is about to kick into high gear!!
Other Links of Interest with Regard to Kaftans:
Hurayrah's Passably-Period Caftan (instructions begin on page 9)
Dick Osseman's website
Photo Credits:
- Orange/red caftan belonging to Selim I, circa 16th century: Topkapi Palace Museum
- Fabrics: Me
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Portable Fiber Arts Night (PFAN) and the Simple Ottoman Veil
Last night was the second edition of Portable Fiber Arts Night (PFAN) in the Barony of Namron. I live in Wiesenfeuer, but I work in Namron, so after my shift I swung by the cafe where it was being held and, let me tell you, I had a great time!! The circle started at 7, but I don't get off until 8, so I was about an hour late. Not that it mattered much because everyone had just brought their current projects and was sitting around chatting. I am currently between inkle weaving projects, so I just took my new kumihimo wheel and practiced my box braids for two hours.
It was especially nice because my best friend, Kyna, had the night off and came out, too. We got caught up over hot chocolate (by far the best I've ever had!!) and split a bagel.
In just the short time I was there I learned a little about tablet weaving (which I'm not ready to try just yet), how to make a maru dai out of ply wood and dowels, and the best way to finish the edges of the veil I'm working on.
Speaking of the veil, I'm ridiculously excited about this project because it will be my first attempt at handsewing garb. I have handsewn before, but it has been limited to small projects like pouches and pillows. And I know a veil doesn't sound like that much work, but it's a very looooong veil, so it should take me a while. Hopefully I can get it done before Medieval Fair!
It was especially nice because my best friend, Kyna, had the night off and came out, too. We got caught up over hot chocolate (by far the best I've ever had!!) and split a bagel.
In just the short time I was there I learned a little about tablet weaving (which I'm not ready to try just yet), how to make a maru dai out of ply wood and dowels, and the best way to finish the edges of the veil I'm working on.
Speaking of the veil, I'm ridiculously excited about this project because it will be my first attempt at handsewing garb. I have handsewn before, but it has been limited to small projects like pouches and pillows. And I know a veil doesn't sound like that much work, but it's a very looooong veil, so it should take me a while. Hopefully I can get it done before Medieval Fair!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Ode to a Fair
As the new year picks up steam, almost every corner of my head is crammed with ideas. And with the highlight of my SCA year just two months away, it's getting worse by the hour!!
The University of Oklahoma's 33rd Annual Medieval Fair takes place the first weekend in April and is the largest event of its kind in the state, not to mention one of the top 5 or so largest in the nation... and it's FREE!
Even if I wasn't in the SCA this would be a much anticipated weekend, but being in the SCA gives it almost Mecca status. And I'm not the only one who feels this way...
People who haven't come to an event in four years suddenly show up with shiny new armor and fine clothes. People who haven't missed an event in decades are as excited as newbies. Okay, okay, maybe that's a an exaggeration, but it does get people pretty worked up around here, and for good reason. Our local groups see this as an opportunity to widen our appeal, bring in new members, educate the public about what we do, and maybe even show off a little.
Mostly I see it as a test of my abilities. It seems that every year since I was sixteen Medieval Fair weekend has been the time to prepare for and learn new things. The year I was sixteen I tried my hand at sewing my first piece of garb: a far-too-long, off-the-shoulder English-style gown in some heinous fabric I can only describe as a mixture of fleece and felt. I was miserably hot and constantly tripping over that ugly train. I think the next two days of the fair my friend Adena loaned me some middle eastern garb because I was so disappointed. In fact, I don't think that dress lived past its first wearing. I'm pretty sure I threw it out that night.
Last year I was just getting to know my new persona so I spent several weeks before Med Fair making middle eastern garb. I made two new ghawazee coats, two new pairs of froofy harem pants, and a standard undertunic, all of which I thought was period for this new persona -- wrong! -- but I didn't know that at the time so I felt like a goddess all weekend and got plenty of compliments on my new, pretty garb.
This year I know better. Much better.
So, in preparation for this year's festivities, I started working on some mock-ups tonight. I've been experimenting with period garb for several months now after finally learning how to draft my own patterns. Thus far I have only been able to get the salwar down because the entari instructions I had were a little off. But I've been tweaking the pattern and the mock-up I cut tonight appears to be the right formula. I'll baste it together tomorrow and, if it works, I'll tear it apart and make paper patterns off of it (then I'll sew it back together, chop off a foot or so from the bottom and call it a chirka!).
In the meantime, I also need to get a kataginu finished for Ashi. I made him a gorgeous pair of red court hakama for Wiesenfeuer Yule Revel, but he didn't get to wear them because we had to leave the event early. And since he is going to Estrella War in a few weeks, a couple more kimono probably wouldn't hurt.
Anyway, I will have a proper "dress diary" in the next week or so. Until then, thanks for reading!
The University of Oklahoma's 33rd Annual Medieval Fair takes place the first weekend in April and is the largest event of its kind in the state, not to mention one of the top 5 or so largest in the nation... and it's FREE!
Even if I wasn't in the SCA this would be a much anticipated weekend, but being in the SCA gives it almost Mecca status. And I'm not the only one who feels this way...
People who haven't come to an event in four years suddenly show up with shiny new armor and fine clothes. People who haven't missed an event in decades are as excited as newbies. Okay, okay, maybe that's a an exaggeration, but it does get people pretty worked up around here, and for good reason. Our local groups see this as an opportunity to widen our appeal, bring in new members, educate the public about what we do, and maybe even show off a little.
Mostly I see it as a test of my abilities. It seems that every year since I was sixteen Medieval Fair weekend has been the time to prepare for and learn new things. The year I was sixteen I tried my hand at sewing my first piece of garb: a far-too-long, off-the-shoulder English-style gown in some heinous fabric I can only describe as a mixture of fleece and felt. I was miserably hot and constantly tripping over that ugly train. I think the next two days of the fair my friend Adena loaned me some middle eastern garb because I was so disappointed. In fact, I don't think that dress lived past its first wearing. I'm pretty sure I threw it out that night.
Last year I was just getting to know my new persona so I spent several weeks before Med Fair making middle eastern garb. I made two new ghawazee coats, two new pairs of froofy harem pants, and a standard undertunic, all of which I thought was period for this new persona -- wrong! -- but I didn't know that at the time so I felt like a goddess all weekend and got plenty of compliments on my new, pretty garb.
This year I know better. Much better.
So, in preparation for this year's festivities, I started working on some mock-ups tonight. I've been experimenting with period garb for several months now after finally learning how to draft my own patterns. Thus far I have only been able to get the salwar down because the entari instructions I had were a little off. But I've been tweaking the pattern and the mock-up I cut tonight appears to be the right formula. I'll baste it together tomorrow and, if it works, I'll tear it apart and make paper patterns off of it (then I'll sew it back together, chop off a foot or so from the bottom and call it a chirka!).
In the meantime, I also need to get a kataginu finished for Ashi. I made him a gorgeous pair of red court hakama for Wiesenfeuer Yule Revel, but he didn't get to wear them because we had to leave the event early. And since he is going to Estrella War in a few weeks, a couple more kimono probably wouldn't hurt.
Anyway, I will have a proper "dress diary" in the next week or so. Until then, thanks for reading!
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