Just wanted to give you a short update, and show you my new dress. This time of the year my work is quite intense, with workshops, markets, events and commissions coming up. Lots of sewing, planning and packing is done, so there will be less time for making good tutorials and other free stuff for the blog. But I will come back with new clothing, inspirational photos and reports from events!

Today, I am driving north here in Sweden to hold a two days workshop in pattern construction for a medieval group, stopping along the way to meet with friends. I love this time of the year, when all the summer’s events is ahead and everyone is thawing out after winter.

For this season I have made some new clothing to replace pieces I ‘ve been selling, and I just wanted to post a few pictures of my red dress- it is so comfy and also pretty in that medieval way…

The dress is a late 14th c cotehardie, which is french for “kirtle” or “dress”, indicating the over garment that is shown, worn by both men and women (the garments looked different but was made in similar ways). Mine is made with long sleeves, and buttoned from wrist to elbow with 40 small pewter buttons. The front closes with lacing, and the whole dress is handsewn with silk thread, the buttonholes and lacing with buttonhole thread (I do sell it on my Etsy shop- have you visit it?)

The dress does not have a super tight fit- you don’t have to do a super tight dress if you don’t want to for the late 14th century. This one can be worn over a linen shift, or with a middle dress/kirtle under it. The important thing is rather to get the fit and silhoette right.

The back, showing the movement of the sleeves and my new thin linen veil =) I am planning on making a tutorial for this dress, but since it is lots of hours of work it will have to wait, probably until autumn. But I do make them on commission, so if you would like one of your own and don’t want to sew one…