New Viking outfit is ready!

Finally I’m done with the new smokkr (Viking apron dress) and houndstooth underdress. I’ve done all the trim and embroidery that I’m going to do on these. LOL. 🙂

Here’s what the two pieces look like together:

The fabric for both garments is cotton flannel, masquerading as much more expensive wool. Wool would have been period-appropriate because cotton didn’t appear in Western or Northern Europe until 1600. My Icelandic Viking character, on the other hand, is from the 900’s.

Both of these garments are toiles, or test mockups of patterns in an inexpensive fabric, so that changes can be made before using the pattern in a more expensive fashion material. In my case, I’ve been trying out these smokkr and underdress designs for my Coronation garb in linen, which must be ready at the beginning of May.

I have decided to use both of these designs with modifications for my Coronation clothes, instead of previous designs I’ve used. I’m so glad that I made the clothes up with these inexpensive fabrics first before cutting into my good linen. Here is the linen I’ll be using for Coronation. The marigold yellow is for the smokkr and the firecracker red for the underdress.

 

I have already embroidered a red silk panel for the marigold smokkr:

I also recently received from Sibilla Daine some handwoven wool Norse trim with which I will decorate the neckline and sleeves of the Coronation underdress:

I didn’t use muslin for the toiles, although it is usual for that, because I wanted something that I could actually wear to SCA events, if the pieces came out at all wearable, which these did. Plus, given the deep discounts I got on each of these cotton flannel fabrics, they were actually cheaper than if I had used muslin. 😛

I’m hoping to wear this outfit on the 24th at an SCA event not too far from home called “Keep Calm and Ceilidh On!” if my health permits, that is. Lately I’ve been missing all the events that I had wanted to go to. But so far, right now, I’m in good health. Yay! 🙂