Sewing Tips submitted by Brother Henrik
Brother Henrik of Eoforwic (Toronto) has graciously submitted so many tips, they can't fit on the main "Something Homemade to Wear" page! Here they are:
- Cheat. Cut the elastic off T-shirts (including long-sleeved ones), sew wool around the edges and you have a tunic. Buy your shirt long and wear it over expensive (maybe corded) track pants (that you can afford since they have a use outside the SCA) and you have an outfit. Add a simple cloak, sash, rope belt and wear sandals with wool/no socks to finish it off.
- Aim small. Until you have your AoA, be a peasant, or merchant, or clergy, or anyone else of mid to low rank. You won't have to dress rich and it buys you time to build up your inventory. [Katherine's note: You can continue to be a peasant or merchant AFTER you get your AoA too! Don't think that just because you have a shiny scroll you need to change your persona.]
- Shop at consignment stores (Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc.) and use your imagination. A woman's purse, minus many of the modern accessories like zippers and toggles will pass as a man's satchel. Plain (unembellished) work boots partially covered by pant legs, skirts or albs/tunics, are less noticeable than anything resembling a running shoe.
- Get camp gear at military surplus stores. The green and/or brown colour makes it less garish and easier to hide behind someone else's lavish pavilion.
- When you have money, buy accessories. Spend money well on small items, such as hats, necklaces, satchels and shoes. They cost less than larger items and, if they look good, most people won't bother picking on the material you chose for your tunic.
- Learn to hand sew and tie twine. It's easy to stitch together a T-tunic or cloak, and even easier to sew a patch of material over a brand name. When making armour, use twine instead of shoelaces so that it doesn't look as bad if it should be seen. Use rope as a belt, a strap for bags, etc. instead of modern buckled items.
- The much-maligned carpet armour is excellent (until it smells) and can be assembled with little more than $50 of carpet, a knife, an awl, and a ball of twine! I started with hockey equipment and upgraded it with carpet to suit the dynamics of fighting in the SCA. The carpet was removable when I went back on the ice. Later, I just inserted plastic between the sheets of carpet and got rid of some of the hockey gear altogether. When I was able to, I bought or made better gear. My leg armour, however, was made of carpet for ten years before I got good enough to abandon it altogether in favour of mobility.
- Study what others do and be sure to document it. One of our highest ranked fighters (Ed the Red, who I believe has been prince before) wears running shoes to fight. He's glued thin patches of leather to the sides, similar to what the Reverend mentioned in one section on your site, to disguise the swishes and stitches of modern footwear. Not everyone will accept this option at first, but you win the argument if you can provide proof that they can't challenge.
- Volunteer before you ask for favours. The SCA is a close-knit community, so if you volunteer to help at a local event, it's very likely that at least one merchant knows or is related to the autocrat. If you've done a good job at the event, they are more likely to hear about you and then offer you a discount on merchandise. (Besides, some event organizers will reward volunteers with acoutrements anyways -- bobbles and such that you can use to add authenticity to your muddled outfit.)
- Guys, invest in a good cloak. It can warm a lady on a cool day or after sundown around the campfire and it can be a picnic blanket to allow you to sit close together and share a meal. A kiss on the hand and some gentle words are nice, but a good cloak is magical.
Thanks again to Brother Henrik for all these great tips!
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