So, costuming. LARP. That thing I do.
I've been fiddling with kit for a couple of weeks, modding a dress into an over-dress kind of thing, and working up the courage to start new kit for Odyssey (which, at under 2 weeks to go, is becoming a priority).
It's an ancient worlds LARP, which is awesomely fun, and I play in Greek nation. Sadly, the weather is rarely very Mediterranean, and cloaks are a necessity. I have those sorted.
When I started playing, I was playing a combat character, and was bombing around in kit that looked like this...
only with armour. Kit that was thrown together out of some scruffy blue fabric I found on the market a day before the event. I love that chiton; it's gorgeous soft chambray and I'm stupidly proud of it. It fits weirdly, tends to show my bra straps, and I have to wear shorts under it for modesty, and it now permanently smells of camp fire smoke, but whatever. Add that shawl (which has a hood, made by the excellent Caroline at Craeftigan) and some cheapo Primark sandals and we're all set.
Anyway, after a couple of events, our group was lacking for a priest, so I switched class. A lot of the time I stay with the short chiton because it fits the character; she's no frills, gobby and not too fond of being the centre of attention. But occasionally a priestess needs to look the part, and I was convinced to buy this dress (also from Craeftigan, when they were Warrior's Wardrobe)...
It's a great dress. But it requires some really good underwiring to go with it. I am not small chested, and occasionally it can get a bit risque. There was also the fact that I ended up with one sun-burned boob last year because of the way I was wearing my shawl and cloak.
Oops.
It's also the wrong colour for my group; we should be in blues.
(dress also gets used for my local system, where it's a more Roman setting, and it works just as well)
So, all told, it's time for new kit. Ok, so there are only 3 events left to go, but I want new kit (I am also expecting character death this event).
So, several metres of linen and Simplicity 1347 (view B) and a vague plan for altering it. But, as previously mentioned, I am on the busty side of things, so first, a calico toile to check how this was going to work.
I cut a 14 which seemed to match bust and hip measurements on the finished measurements scale, and just cut the bodice parts and the first few inches of the skirts.
This is what I ended up with.
In the grand scheme of things, it's not actually a bad fit. The shoulders and neck are comfortable and look right for what I want, the problem is that the waistline is somewhere around my nipples. This is not a good look.
Annoyingly, this dress doesn't have bust darts, and because of the style I'm aiming for, I don't really want to add any. So, my plan is to add an inch to the bodice, and then move a bit of length from the skirt piece up to the bodice to lengthen it, while not adding too much to the overall length.
And 3 metres of dark lilac linen from Herts Fabric (I think) bought at a re-enactment market last year, which annoyingly has a massive hole in the last metre. They told me about it, and then didn't actually discount it or anything (extra annoying as I'd only asked for 2 metres, but the guy wasn't paying attention properly)
Both sets of linen are currently in the pre-wash, and there are pattern pieces all over my floor as I modify them.
Hopefully by the weekend I'll have something resembling a partially made dress.
Oh, and I also have to write an adventure for this weekend.
Balls. And go to work.
I've been fiddling with kit for a couple of weeks, modding a dress into an over-dress kind of thing, and working up the courage to start new kit for Odyssey (which, at under 2 weeks to go, is becoming a priority).
It's an ancient worlds LARP, which is awesomely fun, and I play in Greek nation. Sadly, the weather is rarely very Mediterranean, and cloaks are a necessity. I have those sorted.
When I started playing, I was playing a combat character, and was bombing around in kit that looked like this...
 |
| charlottemoss.co.uk |
Anyway, after a couple of events, our group was lacking for a priest, so I switched class. A lot of the time I stay with the short chiton because it fits the character; she's no frills, gobby and not too fond of being the centre of attention. But occasionally a priestess needs to look the part, and I was convinced to buy this dress (also from Craeftigan, when they were Warrior's Wardrobe)...
 |
| (ignore the dude in the sack, it's his thing) (I have no idea who took this pic) |
Oops.
It's also the wrong colour for my group; we should be in blues.
(dress also gets used for my local system, where it's a more Roman setting, and it works just as well)
So, all told, it's time for new kit. Ok, so there are only 3 events left to go, but I want new kit (I am also expecting character death this event).
So, several metres of linen and Simplicity 1347 (view B) and a vague plan for altering it. But, as previously mentioned, I am on the busty side of things, so first, a calico toile to check how this was going to work.
I cut a 14 which seemed to match bust and hip measurements on the finished measurements scale, and just cut the bodice parts and the first few inches of the skirts.
This is what I ended up with.
In the grand scheme of things, it's not actually a bad fit. The shoulders and neck are comfortable and look right for what I want, the problem is that the waistline is somewhere around my nipples. This is not a good look.
Annoyingly, this dress doesn't have bust darts, and because of the style I'm aiming for, I don't really want to add any. So, my plan is to add an inch to the bodice, and then move a bit of length from the skirt piece up to the bodice to lengthen it, while not adding too much to the overall length.
And these are my fabrics. 4 metres (I think) of Sky blue linen from Calico Laine, which is slightly brighter than I remember it being, and slightly brighter than I really wanted. I could probably find more, but at this point I'm not entirely sure I care.
And 3 metres of dark lilac linen from Herts Fabric (I think) bought at a re-enactment market last year, which annoyingly has a massive hole in the last metre. They told me about it, and then didn't actually discount it or anything (extra annoying as I'd only asked for 2 metres, but the guy wasn't paying attention properly)
Both sets of linen are currently in the pre-wash, and there are pattern pieces all over my floor as I modify them.
Hopefully by the weekend I'll have something resembling a partially made dress.
Oh, and I also have to write an adventure for this weekend.
Balls. And go to work.
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