Nothing beats a linen dress in the summer. Softer with age, breathable, natural, a fabric of the ages. Considering that so many fairs take place in the warmer months and I’m always complaining about being too warm to wear many layers of garb, it was time for a linen dress.… Read More »Linen Wrap Renaissance Dress
A renaissance faire two weekends in a row!? How fun. The weekend prior Jake and I attended the first ever Wyndonshire Renaissance Festival, followed by a friend excursion, this past weekend, at sister faire ‘Enchanted Orchard’. Held at the Red Apple Farm in Phillipston, MA, this is another first-annual event… Read More »Enchanted Orchard Renaissance Faire, Year One Review
This past weekend we attended the first ever Wyndonshire Renaissance Festival. Organized in collaboration with the Winchendon Recreation Department, the faire took place in a large public park. The venue was spectacular. Very large with a variety of wooded paths, open fields, paved walkways, water-views, and even an amphitheater. There… Read More »Wyndonshire Renaissance Festival, Year One Review
Years ago I was gifted some old saris to make into costume pieces and recycle the silk and satin. Here’s a men’s tunic that I finally finished after years on hold, stashed away since before we moved into the house. Patterned by me in my favorite shapes: rectangles. I used… Read More »Recycled Sari Tunic
Year number four of pandemic, year number four of our disease-free, plague-themed backyard renaissance faire. Annually since 2020 we have hosted a small group of friends for a pot-luck party, costumes mandatory! This year was pretty chill, as if we’ve gotten better at setting up for the fun over time.… Read More »Family Plague Faire 2023
Happy Halloween, everyone! Somehow after a vow-renewal and a mini-moon to Florida we still managed to have a spooky costumed Halloween-weekend. This holiday is a priority. So what did we wear? Saturday we sponsored a hole at a spooky Disc-golf tournament where we won the costume contest in our raiders-from-the-north… Read More »Halloween 2022
On the second weekend of November, Jake and I hosted the second annual Family Plague Faire in our side-yard. Inspired last year by pandemic lockdowns and the closures of all our annual renaissance faires, the event’s inaugural year was a covid-compliant tiny event with only eight guests in attendance and… Read More »Second Annual Family Plague Faire
Wow, I really love the way that this commission turned out, and I was able to photograph it pretty well considering it is a plus-sized piece on my tiny dress form. What a blast this bustle was to design, pattern, and sew. This is another piece commissioned by the Whip… Read More »Celtic Fae Bustle
Another lower-half accessory crafted for the troupe’s use in our performance at a Celtic Belly-dance Fusion show earlier this month. Part kilt, part high-slit bella skirt, this apron brings Egypt to Ireland in a way that feels very punk-rock apocalypse to me. The design is a simple two-13-inch-wide-pleated-panels secured together… Read More »Celtic Fusion Apron, Punk Rock Apocalypse.
Functional pouches are a life-saver in costuming. Purses, cell phones, car keys, and wallets do not time-travel well, and can only make the journey when well hidden inside a decorative bag or pouch. For the upcoming Winter Renaissance Faire in Vermont I am planning to wear black leather armor, but… Read More »Re-purposing Army Surplus Bag
I’ve sewn a new dress for this most magical time of year. Nine-or-so yards of buttery polyester had appeared in my fabric stash. I don’t remember where I got so much of this sage green delight, but many a historical fantasy garment call for such great lengths of fabric. Lengths… Read More »Green Elven Gown
I have too many projects in progress at once, and therefore nothing newly finished to show you. So instead, we’ll all have to settle for a quick works-in-progress post. I am making Jake a new tunic and just finished this elaborate neckline last night. It took considerable time to make… Read More »Works in Progress, Fall 2019
On Labor Day 2019, the whole family (that means the dog too), attended the Connecticut Renaissance Fair in Lebanon, CT. This is one of the only fairs in the region that allows pets any day of the fair, however opening weekend was pet-themed. Tovi put on her only costume to… Read More »Connecticut Renaissance Faire 2019: Tovi’s First Ren Fair!
Last weekend, for the first time, we checked out the Massachusetts Renaissance Fair at the Cummington Fair Grounds. With a name like The Massachusetts Fair, I expected a little more. The permanent fairgrounds (for county fairs and showing animals) were large, and under-utilized, making the Ren fair seem very small. There… Read More »Massachusetts Renaissance Fair 2019
I really didn’t think I was going to have a blog post for you today, as I haven’t finished anything in a while and I’ve been so busy enjoying the summer sun. Many projects remain in progress, but I haven’t really had the time or desire to put in the… Read More »Striped Summer Dress
Now that I’ve purchased the base for an armored ensemble in a breastplate and back-piece from Medieval Collectibles, it’s time to add my own shoulder armor to take the look to another level. This children’s body armor is perfect for me because it’s made for the very small and is… Read More »Leather Spaulders and Pauldron
My best friend Kelley is finishing her Masters in Art Education in order to continue being the wonderful and patient art teacher that she is. Her primary artistic body of work for this degree is a collection of clothing that features and embodies runic symbols to empower the wearer and… Read More »I am a Magical Sea Nymph!
This shirt was a learning experience and an adventure. I am no expert in men’s tailoring and Jake had some very specific requests for this former curtain found at a local Saver’s. He spied the curtain amidst other discounted second-hand fabrics and I told him that there was enough there… Read More »Blue Zipper-Front Peacock Men’s Shirt
Another pleather bodice for the books. This one in an incredible metallic green scale pattern sourced from my local fabric warehouse. I used the same pattern as my last brown bodice with slight modifications to the front so that it would close fully instead of leaving a gap. The two… Read More »Green Dragon Scale Bodice
Another awesome year at the Vermont Winter Renaissance Fair at the Champlain Valley Exposition Center. We love this fair because it’s in the middle of the winter when we haven’t been to a fair in months and are eager to get back into the revelry. the cooler temperatures allow for… Read More »Vermont Winter Renaissance Faire 2019
So I was perusing my local fabric warehouse (because that’s where I go for fun), not even looking for this most amazing embossed pleather, but there it was! So here we are. I was already planning on making a bodice; the original plan was a reversible fabric bodice with a… Read More »Brown Embossed-Faux Leather Bodice
Lusting after a breezy and casual fantasy look, I borrowed inspiration from the Germanic farmers of northern Europe during the middle ages to create this muslin peasant top with rustic trim. Muslin is considered a practice fabric. It’s cheap, lightweight cotton that’s easy to work with and abundant. Unbleached muslins… Read More »Middle Ages Farmer’s Tunic with Trim
Honestly, some of my best days at the renaissance fair came with a slight drizzle. I love an overcast fair day; it really sets the medieval mood. Dark, dreary, dramatic. Added bonus: the fair is never crowded on a cloudy day and interactions are only with the dedicated time travelers.… Read More »Heavy Traveling Cloak
Labor Day weekend Jake and I attended military appreciation day at the King Richard’s Faire in Carver, MA. Every year the second day of the fair is free for active and retired military, so we try to go on that day to save on Jake’s admission. King Richard’s is one… Read More »New Viking Garb for Military Day at King Richard’s Faire 2018
Jake needed another pair of viking pants in a different color. Lucky for him, our bed sheets decided to rip in the washing machine, and I wasn’t going to let all of that good cotton go to waste. So here he is in his new pair of giant pants featuring… Read More »Gray Viking Pants with Side Panel
This weekend was very Game of Thrones around my house. Jake and I are preparing for King Richard’s Faire this upcoming weekend and so our individual chores were much more medieval than usual. In addition to drinking sweet mead-like drinks, altering costumes by hand and being gifted some vintage furs… Read More »Viking Drinking Horn Holsters
No, I haven’t even seen the History Channel series. I prefer to get all of my information from books, lecture series, and historical reenactment. I cannot get enough information on Viking clothing, lifestyle, social structure, combat strategy, trade habits and armament. It’s all I’ve been sewing lately in preparation for… Read More »So I’m Really Into Vikings Right Now.
Here are some shots of a Princess Kraehe cosplay wig commission that I just finished and shipped out this week. It was my first experience with a heat-resistant wig, which were much less common back in my wig-wearing days. The material was lovely–soft, shiny, easy to work with, and very… Read More »Princess Kreahe Cosplay Wig Commision
A post two days in a row? Whoa! Today I have for your some vague progress photos of the Viking kaftan that I’m working on for Jake. What’s a kaftan? It’s a long coat. Above is a sketch of the design as it sits now, after many revisions. We originally… Read More »Men’s Viking Kaftan WIP
I have progress shots of the Viking age hood that I’m making! This hood follows the same popular pattern of the one excavated from Skold harbor (Skjoldehamn), on the Norwegian island of Andoya in 1936. The self is a waxed canvas, and the lining is a “luxury” fleece from Joann’s. This fleece… Read More »Skjoldehamn Viking Hood Work in Progress
On October 15th, 2016 we had an absolutely fantastic time at the Connecticut Renaissance Faire in North Haven, CT. The CT Ren Faire isn’t as big as the King Richard’s Faire, and it doesn’t have permanent faire structures, but the people and programming is top-notch. This mid-fall faire was also… Read More »Connecticut Renaissance Faire and New Viking Costumes
Last weekend me and my crew attended the King Richard’s Faire. What a beautiful October day to travel through time, wear flowers on my head, and shop for weaponry. We saw some big cats to whatever they wanted on stage, ate stew from a bowl made of bread, and Kelley… Read More »King Richards Faire
Granite Con was a blast once again! As always, the variety of vendors, good programming, and unrivaled access to guests of honor made this another memorable year of convention-going in Manchester. This year’s convention had an unofficial Star Wars theme, and so, on fairly short notice, my friends and I… Read More »Star Wars, Belly Dance, and Granite State Comic Con
Want to see all the sweet patterns I scored at Joann’s annual $1 Simplicity pattern sale? I know you do. What am I going to do with all these patterns? I am going to sew so many things! At $1 per pattern, when they normally retail for $15-$20, how could… Read More »Pattern Haul
I also want to let everyone know about the new masks that I have listed on Etsy. All handmade and one-of-a-kind. Click on an image to be taken to the listing. Also available in the Etsy store is the option to add ribbon or a suede cord to any of… Read More »Masks on Etsy