Yesterday, I was one of 10 contestants that won in the History Channel's "Valhalloween" costume contest!
There were so many great entries, and while I didn't vote for myself, I still voted for a few of the other people that entered their amazing viking inspired costumes. A huge THANK YOU to those of you that voted for me and my fellow winners xoxox
When I began this journey of leather work, chainmaille and lack of sleep, I was posting about it all over at my main historical journal. Now that I've had to compartmentalize all the various hobbies between different blogs, here are the links that will take you through the process of how I built Lagertha's battledress. I could re-post all the posts here, but that's more work than it needs to be ;)
Newest to oldest (wow that's a lot of entries):
Dragon Con: http://austrianwoman.blogspot.com/2014/09/dragoncon-lagertha-part-i.html
Finishing touches before Dragon Con: http://austrianwoman.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-final-update.html
The chainmaille & leather armor: http://austrianwoman.blogspot.com/2014/08/lagerthas-battledress-making-progress.html
The leather work: http://austrianwoman.blogspot.com/2014/08/still-kicking.html
More Leather work: http://austrianwoman.blogspot.com/2014/08/lagerthas-battledress-leatherwork-and.html
Leather Dress etc: http://austrianwoman.blogspot.com/2014/08/lagerthas-battledress-blue-leather-dress.html
First patterning for the leather pieces: http://austrianwoman.blogspot.com/2014/08/lagerthas-battledress-early-update-on.html
The boots: http://austrianwoman.blogspot.com/2014/07/omg-shoes-lesson-on-viking-footwear.html
The Chainmaille shirt I used to supply the larger sections of Lagertha's armor:
http://austrianwoman.blogspot.com/2014/07/a-shieldmaidens-search-chainmaille-found.html
Issues with buying bits of armor online: http://austrianwoman.blogspot.com/2014/06/lagerthas-battledress-insert-expletive.html
Gathering the bits and pieces: http://austrianwoman.blogspot.com/2014/06/lagerthas-battledress-bits-and-pieces.html
Even more gathering of bits: http://austrianwoman.blogspot.com/2014/06/lagerthas-battledress-gathering-of.html
Skål
xoxox
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
(Warrior) Girls On Film...
Another shot of my Lagertha battle dress, with a friend, as more photos roll in from Halloween ;)
Photo credit; Jenny Storm
Photo credit; Jenny Storm
Monday, November 3, 2014
Samhain
I was lucky enough to have the chance to dress up for Halloween again this year, right before coming down with a fever just two days later. At least I temporarily dodged the bullet, and was able to have a good time with friends.
Anders and I brought out our Viking wardrobe that we had made for Dragon Con, inspired by the TV show 'Vikings'. His Floki impression is spot on, and he even gets into character (it probably helps that he is also playing Bill Sykes this year in a production of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist).
I of course, brought out my Lagertha armor, and both of us were a big hit.
I'm still amazed, as are others who inquire, at how comfortable this whole ensemble is. It weighs a lot, but the design disperses the weight in the the right anchor spots, so it's not all just hanging from my shoulders.
This photo was right after a rather fancy Halloween dinner at The Village Cafe restaurant in San Jose's Santana Row. I huge thanks to the amazing cooks and our waitress, for putting up with us nut bags.
I'll add more photos as I get them.
Anders and I brought out our Viking wardrobe that we had made for Dragon Con, inspired by the TV show 'Vikings'. His Floki impression is spot on, and he even gets into character (it probably helps that he is also playing Bill Sykes this year in a production of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist).
I of course, brought out my Lagertha armor, and both of us were a big hit.
I'm still amazed, as are others who inquire, at how comfortable this whole ensemble is. It weighs a lot, but the design disperses the weight in the the right anchor spots, so it's not all just hanging from my shoulders.
This photo was right after a rather fancy Halloween dinner at The Village Cafe restaurant in San Jose's Santana Row. I huge thanks to the amazing cooks and our waitress, for putting up with us nut bags.
I'll add more photos as I get them.
Friday, September 12, 2014
Old Blog, New Theme
With all the work I accomplished recently on an outfit (much of it steel chainmaille and hand-tooled leather armor) inspired by the TV series 'Vikings', I've decided to continue my Norse/Viking sewing and crafting.
This will include everything from replicas of wardrobe items from the above mentioned show, to my own historical recreations of what Viking women wore. Perhaps even a few items of fantasy with historical Norse details?
On 'Vikings', the real historical character, Lagertha (portrayed by actress, Katheryn Winnick) has an amazing wardrobe throughout the two seasons we have seen so far. It ranges from rustic to noble, and thanks to the wardrobe fitting and on-set sneak peeks Katheryn has given us via Twitter and Instagram, the costuming for season #3 is already proving to be equally detailed and stunning.
After building a successful reproduction of Lagertha's battledress, I want to keep going; creating more replicas and my own original garments. This blog will now be my chosen venue to showcase those projects.
I already have The Austrian Woman sewing blog, Yet I've wanted to keep it dedicated to 18th century, Victorian and other sewing from the last four to five centuries since that is its overall represented theme.
Between that, the Sci-Fi, Disney's 'Frozen' cosplay, and now the Viking sewing & armor building, I have a lot of mixed themes on one blog.
Despite some opinions about having multiple blogs, it's often difficult to keep readers interested when the subject matter keeps making huge leaps between genres. This is especially so when a reader might have decided to follow my blog in the first place because they have an interest in Victorian fashion, yet could care less about Sci-Fi costuming or Vikings, and vice versa.
Elsa's Coronation gown From Frozen might stay on the AW blog. Not only does that costume have a definite late Victorian style to it (?), I'd like to do an historically accurate version using the color pallet from the film gown. In this case, that "cosplay" could work on the AW blog due to it's historical-redesign theme.
I know cosplay is a term most often used for any costume worn to resemble or reenact a character from books, TV, film, comics, anime etc.
For me personally, the term tends to spark the image of a bunch of 15 year olds dressed as their favorite anime characters. To be honest though, when I dress as Elsa I consider that cosplay. The recreation and wearing of a gown Marie Antoinette wore is something I'd personally call a reproduction or better yet; a "tribute".
Still, the act of dressing to completely resemble a character or person other than ourselves, historical or otherwise, technically places all of the above in the realm of cosplay. It's some interesting food for thought either way ;-
Additionally, since the Sci-Fi costuming will be rather intense for Dragon Con next year and take up a lot of my costuming time, I may even start a separate blog for that genre, too. This will also encompass what many see as typical cosplay, in the realm of Disney, modern fantasy etc.
On that note I leave you with this; many Blogger users have multiple blogs dedicated to various subjects, so I see nothing wrong with being able to compartmentalize them a little. I currently have just three, compared to some users that have a long list of multiple blogs. I'm keeping mine short (probably no more than 4 when all is said and done). The links to each will show on my Blogger profile, so they'll be easy to find.
And now, onward to the North...
This will include everything from replicas of wardrobe items from the above mentioned show, to my own historical recreations of what Viking women wore. Perhaps even a few items of fantasy with historical Norse details?
On 'Vikings', the real historical character, Lagertha (portrayed by actress, Katheryn Winnick) has an amazing wardrobe throughout the two seasons we have seen so far. It ranges from rustic to noble, and thanks to the wardrobe fitting and on-set sneak peeks Katheryn has given us via Twitter and Instagram, the costuming for season #3 is already proving to be equally detailed and stunning.
After building a successful reproduction of Lagertha's battledress, I want to keep going; creating more replicas and my own original garments. This blog will now be my chosen venue to showcase those projects.
I already have The Austrian Woman sewing blog, Yet I've wanted to keep it dedicated to 18th century, Victorian and other sewing from the last four to five centuries since that is its overall represented theme.
Between that, the Sci-Fi, Disney's 'Frozen' cosplay, and now the Viking sewing & armor building, I have a lot of mixed themes on one blog.
Despite some opinions about having multiple blogs, it's often difficult to keep readers interested when the subject matter keeps making huge leaps between genres. This is especially so when a reader might have decided to follow my blog in the first place because they have an interest in Victorian fashion, yet could care less about Sci-Fi costuming or Vikings, and vice versa.
Elsa's Coronation gown From Frozen might stay on the AW blog. Not only does that costume have a definite late Victorian style to it (?), I'd like to do an historically accurate version using the color pallet from the film gown. In this case, that "cosplay" could work on the AW blog due to it's historical-redesign theme.
I know cosplay is a term most often used for any costume worn to resemble or reenact a character from books, TV, film, comics, anime etc.
For me personally, the term tends to spark the image of a bunch of 15 year olds dressed as their favorite anime characters. To be honest though, when I dress as Elsa I consider that cosplay. The recreation and wearing of a gown Marie Antoinette wore is something I'd personally call a reproduction or better yet; a "tribute".
Still, the act of dressing to completely resemble a character or person other than ourselves, historical or otherwise, technically places all of the above in the realm of cosplay. It's some interesting food for thought either way ;-
Additionally, since the Sci-Fi costuming will be rather intense for Dragon Con next year and take up a lot of my costuming time, I may even start a separate blog for that genre, too. This will also encompass what many see as typical cosplay, in the realm of Disney, modern fantasy etc.
On that note I leave you with this; many Blogger users have multiple blogs dedicated to various subjects, so I see nothing wrong with being able to compartmentalize them a little. I currently have just three, compared to some users that have a long list of multiple blogs. I'm keeping mine short (probably no more than 4 when all is said and done). The links to each will show on my Blogger profile, so they'll be easy to find.
And now, onward to the North...
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Friday, May 3, 2013
The Cost Of Doing It Yourself
Here is the occasional sewing-related post/rant, I normally use my sewing blog for such things but, here we go...
The ability to do something well does not always mean that a good eye and good taste is included.
That takes the willingness to accept constructive criticism and to *pay attention* when you crack open those historical fashion books or antique garments themselves. But we must also be willing to search out and debunk myths associated with historical fashion, since many of those books can offer differing opinions.
Oh, holy gods, the detail on this gown...I could do it. With enough time and patience. Pleats or tucks?
I think they are tucks that have been pressed down to resemble pleats. pleats would fall out over the curve and weight of her skirt...unless they are on top of a backing..hmmm.
I know that it takes time, patience and practice to achieve even the smallest bit of historical accuracy when we recreate clothing worn in a time before we were born. Especially these days when so many people have the attention span of a gnat. We can thank the modern technologies we keep with us that pull us in all directions for it; cell phones, television programs with scenes edited down to split seconds, email, the 'need to have it now' mentality that goes hand in hand with the cheaply made and mass produced things we surround ourselves with and waste hard-earned money on. You name it, everything from the 10 spatulas in your kitchen drawer, to the insane amount of things produced for holidays such as Valentine's day, Christmas or Halloween. Do people even really make their own decorations anymore?
We no longer create what we desire. We simply buy it, and although we say we do, we don't really care where it comes from or how long it will last.
And there is So. Much. Garbage.
Things we don't NEED, yet buy anyway.
Many might say that sewing or any form of DIY is a waste of time and money. A stupid or boring hobby for old ladies, with no place in the modern world when there are so many other things we should spend our hard-earned money on...
as if it's justifiable to spend hundreds, even thousands, of dollars each year on useless plastic junk that will end up in a landfill less than 5 years from now.
There was once a time, not long ago, when most people had to sew 90% of their own wardrobe.
But I digress.
So many of the historical garments I have seen recreated so often resemble these cheap and plastic items that fill our world. But it's not always the fault of the seamstress, since it has become difficult to find materials that are not themselves 'plastic'. Walk into any fabric store and you will find that at least 90% of the materials are all polyester or a blend of some kind, usually with Lycra. The rest is quilting cotton, fake floral arrangements, overpriced decorator junk and scrap-booking supplies. You're lucky if there is a knitting section...with natural fibers.
Natural fibers like silk, of the correct weight such as taffeta, faille and duchess has become not only scarce in shops, but horribly expensive. One can search out fairly priced taffeta, but it seems the only places are online which can make finding specific colors difficult. Even wools and cottons of the right content, weight and texture are proving hard to find and expensive when we do.
Lace; that is probably the most expensive item on the menu if you want something better than the plastic nylon crap they sell in most shops now. Buying vintage and antique lace is often surprisingly cheaper than their high-end modern reproductions.
Then there is the 'more is less' conundrum with cost I see so often in the sewing/costuming forums.
I knew a lady on one of these forums that complained constantly about how she wanted so badly to use silk taffeta and duchess satins for her creations, but that they were just too expensive for her. Yet this same woman would make at least 1 to 2 gowns for herself each month, spending upwards of a few hundred dollars on "more affordable" synthetic materials and supplies for each one. I was always baffled that she did not see the obvious solution; Fewer gowns mean more money for better fabrics.
I am by no means a stitch-Nazi. I don't count threads per inch on a reproduction cotton print, and I gladly use a sewing machine for 99.9% of my seams that will show a top stitch...if I'm being that obsessive about historical detail. And, I have made my fair share of synthetic historically inspired ensembles to wear out to the occasional theme night, goth night, etc.
It comes down to this; If you want it badly enough, you can indeed get it without causing your budget strife.
It's a discipline, not just a hobby, for those of us creating art while living on a budget.
If you dedicate yourself and save a few dollars in that cookie jar each week, your dream materials are available and within reach.
Just make sure you make a mock up with that cheap fabric first!
The ability to do something well does not always mean that a good eye and good taste is included.
That takes the willingness to accept constructive criticism and to *pay attention* when you crack open those historical fashion books or antique garments themselves. But we must also be willing to search out and debunk myths associated with historical fashion, since many of those books can offer differing opinions.
I think they are tucks that have been pressed down to resemble pleats. pleats would fall out over the curve and weight of her skirt...unless they are on top of a backing..hmmm.
I know that it takes time, patience and practice to achieve even the smallest bit of historical accuracy when we recreate clothing worn in a time before we were born. Especially these days when so many people have the attention span of a gnat. We can thank the modern technologies we keep with us that pull us in all directions for it; cell phones, television programs with scenes edited down to split seconds, email, the 'need to have it now' mentality that goes hand in hand with the cheaply made and mass produced things we surround ourselves with and waste hard-earned money on. You name it, everything from the 10 spatulas in your kitchen drawer, to the insane amount of things produced for holidays such as Valentine's day, Christmas or Halloween. Do people even really make their own decorations anymore?
We no longer create what we desire. We simply buy it, and although we say we do, we don't really care where it comes from or how long it will last.
And there is So. Much. Garbage.
Things we don't NEED, yet buy anyway.
Many might say that sewing or any form of DIY is a waste of time and money. A stupid or boring hobby for old ladies, with no place in the modern world when there are so many other things we should spend our hard-earned money on...
as if it's justifiable to spend hundreds, even thousands, of dollars each year on useless plastic junk that will end up in a landfill less than 5 years from now.
There was once a time, not long ago, when most people had to sew 90% of their own wardrobe.
1930s sewing pattern
But I digress.
So many of the historical garments I have seen recreated so often resemble these cheap and plastic items that fill our world. But it's not always the fault of the seamstress, since it has become difficult to find materials that are not themselves 'plastic'. Walk into any fabric store and you will find that at least 90% of the materials are all polyester or a blend of some kind, usually with Lycra. The rest is quilting cotton, fake floral arrangements, overpriced decorator junk and scrap-booking supplies. You're lucky if there is a knitting section...with natural fibers.
Natural fibers like silk, of the correct weight such as taffeta, faille and duchess has become not only scarce in shops, but horribly expensive. One can search out fairly priced taffeta, but it seems the only places are online which can make finding specific colors difficult. Even wools and cottons of the right content, weight and texture are proving hard to find and expensive when we do.
Lace; that is probably the most expensive item on the menu if you want something better than the plastic nylon crap they sell in most shops now. Buying vintage and antique lace is often surprisingly cheaper than their high-end modern reproductions.
Then there is the 'more is less' conundrum with cost I see so often in the sewing/costuming forums.
I knew a lady on one of these forums that complained constantly about how she wanted so badly to use silk taffeta and duchess satins for her creations, but that they were just too expensive for her. Yet this same woman would make at least 1 to 2 gowns for herself each month, spending upwards of a few hundred dollars on "more affordable" synthetic materials and supplies for each one. I was always baffled that she did not see the obvious solution; Fewer gowns mean more money for better fabrics.
I am by no means a stitch-Nazi. I don't count threads per inch on a reproduction cotton print, and I gladly use a sewing machine for 99.9% of my seams that will show a top stitch...if I'm being that obsessive about historical detail. And, I have made my fair share of synthetic historically inspired ensembles to wear out to the occasional theme night, goth night, etc.
It comes down to this; If you want it badly enough, you can indeed get it without causing your budget strife.
It's a discipline, not just a hobby, for those of us creating art while living on a budget.
If you dedicate yourself and save a few dollars in that cookie jar each week, your dream materials are available and within reach.
Just make sure you make a mock up with that cheap fabric first!
Friday, December 14, 2012
Solace From The Storm...
I'll be hanging out here for a while.
The horrible tragedies that happened worldwide today have incited verbal wars on the likes of facebook, and no matter how I try to put down my thoughts and condolences, or my views and feelings on the "why" of it all, it seems to just make people even more angry. A few in particular chose to spit vitrol and profanities at me, and instead of talking to me about it and giving me a reason why they feel the way they do, they flounce off like Scarlett O'Hara and unfriend me. Ok good.
I'm sick of it; trying to reason with nut-jobs and cowards.
And now for something serene...
The horrible tragedies that happened worldwide today have incited verbal wars on the likes of facebook, and no matter how I try to put down my thoughts and condolences, or my views and feelings on the "why" of it all, it seems to just make people even more angry. A few in particular chose to spit vitrol and profanities at me, and instead of talking to me about it and giving me a reason why they feel the way they do, they flounce off like Scarlett O'Hara and unfriend me. Ok good.
I'm sick of it; trying to reason with nut-jobs and cowards.
And now for something serene...
Ann Harding in the 1930s production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
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