All posts tagged: medieval

A trio of Medieval accessories

You’ve already seen my medieval dress, and a costume-y medieval belt, but I’ve been working on much more historically accurate accessories. My first belt was fun and sparkly, but I wanted a proper belt: (shown, with complete lack of properness, with my Miramar Gothic dress) I made the belt from two strips of soft leather in mid-brown. I couldn’t find a leather scrap within my budget that was long enough for a single strip (a $200 hide is out of the question at the moment), so I joined the two strips with a bit of stitching. I have no idea if a leather join like that is accurate, but I suspect it’s plausible. And it reminds me of the mended sashes of the sword-wearers of Damar, so, win! I used a vintage English-made brass buckle I found at an op shop: it’s not quite right for the 14th century, but isn’t too bad. I had a stroke of luck the day after I cut my belt, but before I’d finished it. I found a crappy …

Making a medieval inspired belt

Published by The Dreamstress

I first wore my ca. 1369 medieval dress to a historical banquet, so I felt it needed fancier, glitzier accessories than I will usually wear it with. Enter the silk veil, gold circlet, and embellished gold leather belt: My belt was primarily inspired by the effigy of Katherine, Countess of Warwick. Her narrow belt sits at the hips, fastens at the front with a small buckle, features raised floral motifs, and has no hanging end. The belt I ended up with isn’t historically accurate, but it’s attractive, gives the effect, and was quick, cheap, easy and fun to make! To make my costume take on Katherine’s belt, I started with a cheap belt with an embossed floral pattern: Using an Elmers Painters Metallic pen, I coloured it gold. The TRG the One Colour Dye & Preparer I recommend for my dyeing leather shoes and bags tutorial comes in gold and works even better, but I didn’t have the right shade on hand when I did this belt. I didn’t worry too much about getting my …

A loose ends lucet cord

Published by The Dreamstress

While working on my medieval gown, I struggled with a lacing cord for it. There isn’t much that is suitable in Wellington, and I didn’t really have time to order something in. I used a simple linen cord to hold it the dress together while I was working on it, but it started fraying pretty quickly, and also made the dress look a little too Friar Tuck robe-ish. I researched cord options and came across lucet cords. I read a couple of tutorials (I’m all about reading tutorials, youtube is not my thing) and realised that lucet cord is basically a two-finger yarn lei – and I know how to make yarn leis! Unfortunately along with a dearth of period-appropriate cording in Wellington, I haven’t been able to source a lucet fork in NZ. I started out really make do: with a plastic fork with the middle tines broken out, and linen thread. The resulting cord was beautiful, but the making process was rather unsatisfactory. I was only able to make rate at about 2cm …