The wonky wonk

wonk: a person who studies a subject thoroughly, a nerd

wonky: awry, wrong, not working, unsteady

  

That wonderful word “wonk” entered our vocabulary a couple of weeks ago, thanks to Covert Affairs (ok, a guilty pleasure!) and Google.  The boyf and I looked at each other and yep, that’s me… I’m in very good company though, I've always liked Bill Clinton!

Our newfound knowledge was perfectly timed as I have since had plenty of opportunity, this past couple of weeks, to indulge my inner wonk whilst I wait for a particularly annoying bout of the wonky-Ts to pass.  This time, for whatever reason, on top of all the usual thyroid nonsense, I have ached as though with flu, all day, every day and particularly in my arms, wrists and hands.  I haven’t been able to hold a pen to write comfortably, or type, and the farthingale with its 2.6yds of cotton drill has been way too heavy to handle.  It sits patiently on the back of a chair till I can work with it again.

But, every cloud and all that, I have not, therefore, been distracted from prepping for my first appointment with an endocrinologist (fingers and toes crossed) and have become the thyroid wonk with the wonky thyroid – catchy don’t you think? ;o)

Good news is I’m getting better again.  I still ache, but not enough to put me off doing stuff and I have decided that I will handstitch the seams of the farthingale.  Although hard on the hands, I won’t have to hold the fabric as high or as firmly as I would if sewing on the machine; and I can take my time, curled up on the sofa in front of the fire.  It will also be a chance to work a flat-felled seam again; one of my favourite seam finishes and authentic to the period.  It's nice to be back, I've missed doing.

Trust in yourself

I'm fairly certain someone, somewhere (and I'm paraphrasing badly here) said that children are our greatest teachers.  Tonight the 10yr old had a "balanced argument" assignment for her homework and, after a long discussion, she should have sat down and written happily away.  Instead, over 90 minutes later, she had a couple of paragraphs of pretty averageness and I had a headache.  There was a total disconnect between what she knew and what she was able to say.  

Though she did find time to write a poem that included a line about roses opening like tulips in a summer's breeze.  Truth be told, she probably had her priorities right!

Then, as she's getting ready for bed, she just blows me away.  In a 20 minute speech, even if it was peppered with "like" every other word at times, she told me about her friends at school who don't know yet that being cool is fake and not as cool as being themselves.  That the girl who is turning herself into a shadow of the most popular girl is making herself less likeable for it and that the younger boy who is being bullied needs to learn to have courage in himself instead of trying to emulate the bullies and thus drawing more fire.  She finds herself doing the same thing sometimes and doesn't like herself for it, but said that sometimes its just easier to conform than it is to stand up for someone or stand out from the crowd. 

Her conclusion?  That it's hard to be yourself sometimes, but you are more honest and will feel better for it, and for the people that don't yet know that?  They, and I quote, "need to learn to trust themselves".     

My 10yr old may not ace her SATS in May (though she will now be getting some extra tutoring) but she's got LIFE just sorted.  I wish I could say I'd had a hand in this, she's worked it all out for herself, but I am one proud Mama!

An Elizabethan Farthingale, part one

The boyf went this weekend, on very short notice, to Fort Collins, Colorado; leaving the dobe and I alone for a whole day and a half, until the 10yr old returned and we all went back to school/work.  It seemed the perfect time to start on the farthingale. 

I wanted to make a farthingale based on Juan Alcega's pattern (below) as I knew, as soon as I learnt that it was from 1589, that I couldn't turn down the chance to work with a pattern so old!

There is a great deal of study of the Alcega pattern available, from Janet Arnold's interpretation to more modern ones, including research of the instructions/measurements and their modern equivalent.  However, having now read the TT, and in looking closer at the pattern draft, I went with Drea Leed's instructions as they seemed to based on the most sensible interrpretation of Alcega's drafting.  Tudor tailors created and cut patterns which minimised wastage as best they could.  Alcega's pattern, whilst creating a design that uses bias to strengthen the garment, has very little wastage when made following Drea's instructions.  In my case, approximately a foot square from 2.6yds of 60" fabric. 

Photos of the cutting and construction, to date, seemed a little pointless as you would see nothing more than me wrestling with a huge amount of black cotton drill!  There is no pattern as you mark and cut the fabric directly.  What is of note is that I went with 60" wide fabric as Drea comments that the amount suggested by Alcega is more suited to a much shorter woman and, to maintain the desired shape, I would require more width in the pieces.  Once there is shape to pieces I may talk more about the detail, but for the moment I am faced with huge black panels that will not photograph well!  The great shame is that I do not have enough of the cream cotton twill left for bone casings, which sit on the outside of the farthingale and are often decorative, but I think I will either make then in drill to minimise their appearance altogether, or play, as the Tudor's loved to do, with tonal blacks and use a satin or gosgrain ribbon.

The Elizabethan Bumroll, done!

"Horn of Plenty", "Oh my goodnplenty!" (my favourite all time dyac iphone fail!) and scenes from True Blood (season two) have been scattering through my brain this week as I made the Elizabethan bumroll, you'll see why....

I decided to line the cream cotton twill with the black cotton drill.  I sandwiched all four layers together, putting the ribbon ties in between the two cream layers and pinned everything together.

I used my favourite cheat and sewed around the pattern, rather than tracing it.

Once sewn, I trimmed the excess fabric away, clipped the inside and outside curves, turned it inside out and curled up on the sofa with the leftover fabric to start the stuffing.  I intended to only use the leftovers and then buy foam wadding, but the fabric stuffing went so well that I decided to continue with it.  I should have taken photos but it was a very cold night and the fire was going strong, I decided to be lazy and remain warm!  Mid-way through the stuffing and I had what looked more like Viking horns than anything you would want to wear round your waist and hips, and my bumroll has quickly become the source of much hilarity... 

The stuffing takes some patience, and muscle, but once stuffed and with the seam sewn closed, it looks good.  Miss G is now back in work mode and models it well I think!  The corset is only loosely laced on (the laces now follow a more correct pattern) and I'm not sure it's sitting correctly in the photos but it fits my hips like a glove.  I can see, now it's complete, why the original pattern was larger, it seems smaller than it looked on paper, but I still think that the smaller size will suit me better.  I also weighed the bumroll and it's well over 2 lbs, the corset is another 1lb+ - at this rate I will need to take up weight training!  

I couldn't resist a few close up pictures too, an attempt to give you an idea of the size of it in relation to my waist. 

I'm itching to get started on the farthingale now, the final step in creating the structure under the final outfit.  The final piece of the underpinnings is the chemise, but I will need a pattern specifically tailored to match the kirtle and gown sleeves; that I can't do myself from instructions online as I think that I am pretty much decided on buying the Margo Anderson pattern and then adapting it if needed.

An Elizabethan Bumroll, drafting the pattern

After a busy day and going to see War Horse (a truly brilliant piece of film-making, alternating masterfully between the horrific, the beautiful, the inspiring and great love; and yes, I cried pretty much throughout!) I needed something quiet and relaxing to do.  I decided to draw up the pattern for my bumroll. 

Once again, using the instructions on elizabethancostume.net I slipped back into my corset and took a measurement a couple of inches below my hip.  I followed an interesting tip of using a length of rolled up tin foil, which allowed me to both measure and retain a shape. To keep her from the TV, I enlisted the help of the 10yr old, she took the photos and learnt a little about pattern making for half an hour or so.

We laid the tin foil on a length of greaseproof paper, the 10yr old held it flat and I traced the internal circumference.  I then evened out our rather wonky line by hand.

The instructions suggested adding 5" to each side edge and 8" to the top edge to create the outer edge of the bumroll.  The author of the pattern is 5'11" and "busty"; now whilst I can't claim any bustiness, I am almost equal in height so I started with her suggested measurements.  It was immediately obvious that "busty" counts, after a little discussion the 10yr old and I went for a redraw by eye.

We reduced the outer circumference and then drew a centre parting; the width of the front edges is not stated, we chose to use the width of the ribbon which will be used to tie the bumroll on.

As my drawing wasn't going to be entirely exact both sides, I folded the pattern in half, picked the narrower of the two sides and cut out a now perfectly matched pattern.  The top is extended by 5" and the sides by 3.5".

It still looks rather big so I did a little googling; always a great Google search, "Bumroll", Images!  Most bumrolls look a little thin and insubstantial, not what I imagine them to be at all, certainly not when you look at the historical data.  The TT also has a relatively thin one in their patterns.  I may yet find that this needs amending, I won't know until its at least in fabric form, but I am aiming high... or is it large... with a bumroll that shouts "I'm here" rather than one that disappears under the dress.  Apart from anything else, I am looking at quite heavy fabrics for my main dress, I need a bumroll that can withstand the weight.

The bumroll will be made in the same cream cotton twill, I may line it in the black cotton drill as it is flexible.  It will be tied with black gosgrain ribbon.  I am undecided as to whether to stuff it with fabric (free as I'll raid the stash but harder to do and achieve a good shape, heavier) or polyester batting (better for the shape and firm but light).  I just wish I'd had time to sew it up tonight!