Islamic-style book with gold silk cover

A few years ago, at Gulf War I took a class in Islamic-style book binding. It was taught by Margavati Bai (who is now a Laurel), from Meridies. A few aspects of the style are particularly appealing: the completed books are lovely, with a wrap-around flap that holds the book shut. The pages were often made of cotton paper (much more economical for the reenactor on a budget). And the covers were often made leather or cloth over pasteboard, rather than leather over wood as was found in European bindings.
When I got home I excitedly mixed up a batch of wheat paste and used it to glue together multiple sheets of cotton resume paper, then dried the sheets between blotter paper and weights to keep them flat.
That was an adventure in itself, and I'll make a separate post about it in the future.

Then I set the dried sheets aside and got sucked into other projects, and forgot all about them.

Until a winter gift exchange paired me with Behiye Bint Kismet, and I realized that a book would be just the thing to give her.

Intro to Tailoring

Intro to Tailoring

taught by Lady Simona della Luna (Star.Maddox@gmail.com) at King’s College 2014

Andrew's New Doublet

At the very end of 2015, I realized that my 12-year-old son had outgrown all his nice garb. 9 February was the date for our annual Candlemas event, which serves as an excellent excuse for everyone to wear nice clothes. I had some sewing to do. Because he's in the throes of puberty, I knew I'll need to make him a new one soon. He may only get one wearing out of this before he outgrows it completely (a fitted doublet doesn't leave much in the way of "room to grow"). So I took every cheat I possibly could with this project. All the materials are stash except the buttons, which he picked out. The fabric was also his choice, for his first doublet a few years ago. It's 100% dead dinosaur upholstery fabric, but it's pretty and the price was right. Even with all the machine cheats, it took about 40 hours to make this garment (not counting the time to make the pattern).

Chronological Anarchy Warning

I have a bad habit of forgetting to make posts. I'm usually good about taking pictures while I'm working, but then the photos sit on my hard drive. I'm pulling together the info on several recent projects, but it's going to appear here in the order that I get around to them - so completely jumbled, as far as order of completion. Sorry about that. But I figured it was better to just get it up, rather than worrying about going in chronological order.

Fabric Bias and Binding

Fabric Bias and Binding

presented by Honorable Lady Simona della Luna

at King’s College 2016 in the Barony of Namron, Kingdom of Ansteorra

m.k.a. Star Maddox Star.Maddox@gmail.com  

loom illustration by Pearson Scott Foresman, from Wiki Commons

original woven fabric illustration by PKM at English Wikipedia, modified by Star Maddox

A glossary and a list of additional resources may be found at the end of this handout. The most up to date version of this handout may be found at http://lavorodellaluna.blogspot.com.

What is bias

When woven fabric is made, the loom is set up with long warp threads. Then the weft thread is passed from left to right and back agin, forming the cloth. Sometimes the warp and weft threads are the same fiber, strength, and spacing, and sometimes they are different. The far left and right edges of the cloth are woven in a slightly different style, forming the non-fraying selvage edges. If a strip of cloth or pattern piece is on the straight of grain, it is in line with the warp threads. If it is on the cross grain, it is lined up with the weft threads. If it is on the bias, it is oriented at a 45 degree angle to the warp and weft threads. The grain line marked on pattern pieces is intended to be matched to the straight of grain, though for some fabrics the cross grain will work as well, as long as the warp and weft threads are the same.

The Misleading Navigatrix - a story, and a Norse style wooden box

The Misleading Navigatrix

A Norse-style trapezoidal decorated box, and a story

Presented at Quest For Valhalla, October 2015

woodworking by Lady Madylyne Grey

story, box decoration and navigational research by Lady Simona della Luna

The completed box. Photo by Lady Madylyn Grey.

The story

There once was a great warrior, a leader of men and women, and he was called John the Beardless. For though he was a fearsome fighter and a cunning commander, he left his chin as hairless as a lad. Despite his lack of luxurious locks, his sign was known far and wide, and his foes knew to fear the sight of it. It was his custom to collect his fighters, and to travel with them to far-flung fights. He steered his ship with skill and speed, and never foundered upon rocks nor despaired in the face of a gale. However, even so talented a traveler may not know all things, and so this John relied upon the services of a slave navigatrix, who was simply know as the “beautiful woman who leads to victory.”

The Rest of the Gold Silk Outfit

This is what happens when I neglect my blog for months on end - I come back and find that an article had been left in draft form, never published. Oops.

This is another appendix from the documentation for my gold silk doublet, which competed at Kingdom A&S February 2015. I removed the picture that wasn't mine. The link to where I got it is in the text.