Medieval Hood!

At last I'm pulling my finger out and doing something with the blog, it being very nearly a whole year since I last posted.

On Sunday (so less than a week away) there's a local event: Earby Medieval Mayhem! I contacted the organisers and wondered if they'd like a random medieval spinster wandering around, demonstrating and talking about generic medieval spinning, textiles, clothes etc! They said yes, and when I provided details of insurance they actually offered a small payment too!

So I have a dress and shift and coif so far, but I needed a bit more on my head so on Saturday I decided to make myself a hood (inspired, like so many things, by Sally Pointer.) All my fabric is still in bags and boxes as we've still not fully unpacked from the move, so I had a dive and found a green tabby-weave wool and an unbleached fine linen.

Saturday was a warm day, so I set myself up outside in my lovely new garden, cut out the hood and gores in both linen and wool, and handstitched it all together. I did nearly everything except a last bit of top stitching and the fastenings. I got the pattern from here, and drew it straight on to the wool fabric with tailors' chalk and a tape measure, then cut that out and used it as a pattern for the linen.

It's a lot colder today (Monday), so I stayed inside to make the buttons and buttonholes. Buttons are made from 2" circles of fabric, gathered up and firmly stitched. Most of the stitching is with cotton thread; I used an ancient reel of rayon (it used to be green, and my memory was overlaying its current colour with its original one) for the buttonholes. I may throw it away, every time I use it it springs off its reel.

I'm really rather pleased with the hood, and it's certainly very comfortable and draught-resistant.

Now, can I be bothered (or find time) to sew sleeves for my dress before Sunday, given that we're away Thursday through to Saturday and we're off to a funeral tomorrow? Is it going to be baking or freezing or raining or somewhere inbetween next weekend?