Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
This page is to document my progress in the Atlantia Persona Challenge. The purpose of the challenge is to encourage participants to expand their persona kit. <\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tshow more\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n It’s been quite a few years since I have been very active in the SCA. First the move and the strains of a new job and then changing jobs again and finally the pandemic have all gotten in the way of my participation. Every time I feel like I can dive back in, something knocks me back. When I saw this challenge come up, I knew I had to participate, and the incremental deadlines was the perfect way to keep me motivated and moving forward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When I work on A&S projects, I frequently get in my own way, letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. I love research, and I frequently get bogged down in extensively documenting the historical process and striving to use only period tools, etc. The journey is the point in those cases. But this is different kind of challenge. It is intended to expand my kit. I have all of 3 outfits in the garb of my current persona (Well, 5, but one is so poorly constructed as to be unwearable and the other is too small to get into in these post pandemic days.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tshow less\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n Giuliana di Chambery began as Juliana de Chambery from Savoy. I liked the choice of Savoy as it’s proximity to both France and Italy gave me flexibility in the styles available to me. I have always leaned towards the Italian styles though, so now Juliana du Chambery is born to a wealthy cloth merchant in Savoy but has married into a family based in Trento in Austria (modern day Italy). Born in the middle of the 14th century, she is now living in the closing decade of that century. She is not noble, but she belongs to an expanding class of wealthy merchants.<\/p>\n\n\n Challenge Item #1: Pellanda<\/p>\n\t\t\t One item missing from my kit is a heavy gown suitable for wearing to outdoor events in cooler weather. While a hood can be added to regular gowns, another option is the pellanda<\/em>, or in French, houppelande<\/em>. This loose fitting outer garment was worn by men, when it was usually knee or calf length, and by women where it was longer. The sleeves were generously proportioned and it was often fur lined. These gowns appear in the middle of the 14th century and continue in common use well into the middle of the next and beyond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For this gown I have chosen a worsted, olive green wool. It is difficult to tell from paintings whether the material for these was woolen, worsted or some kind of velvet. Paintings from France often have a highlight pattern consistent with velvet, but those from the Tacuinum Sanitatis are more consistent with a woolen fabric. I have chosen to line the sleeves and the neckline of the garment in faux fur. Gowns lined in fur may have been lined throughout, but in the North Carolina winter, this is a good compromise between warmth, weight and fluctuating winter temperatures.<\/p>\n\n\n Usually I prefer to draft my patterns myself, but with a less fitted garment like this one, I thought I would take the easy way and use Period Patterns no 26. Though whether it is actually easier, as I am preparing to widen the armscye, I am not sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I am creating the view V gown but opting for the neckline of view III. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I have chosen to hand-sew the seams, but I may break down before the end and use a machine to finish the seams and complete the hem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the first event I summited a work in progress. Here the outer piece is fully assembled, but once I added the lining to the first arm, I found the armscye to be constricting, so I had to make some alterations before continuing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since the last event, I have adjusted the armscye, added the collar and lining. I chose to make the buttons of cloth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Challenge Item #2: Shoes<\/p>\n\t\t\t The next piece is going to be trickier. I’ve always wanted period shoes. I made some early-period turn-shoes years ago, but they turned out a little tight even then, and I’m at least a size larger now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many of the ladies in this period can be seen to be sporting lovely poulaines. Most of the extant shoes are made of leather, but there is a lovely example of a pair done in cloth with leather soles. The images are under copywrite, so I will just have to link them here<\/a>. I have some nice heavy weight leather that has been sitting around for a while, suitable for sole leather, but none in a lighter weight for the uppers, so these seemed perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I started by placing paper cones upon my feet and wrapping them in tape. This I cut apart to make the pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From this I created a mockup, which fit. Don’t ask me why I had leopard print fabric sitting around, I don’t know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once I had made adjustments, I used the mockup to trace the soles onto the leather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next came the hard part. Did I mention that this leather had been sitting around for a while? Putting an awl through old leather takes strength and patience. Since the sole leather was so think, a straight turn shoe wouldn’t work well. I attempted to place the holes from flesh to edge, so that the bottom of the sole would not be punctured. I marked the holes with a punch so that they would be even and then punched with an awl.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPersona<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Inspiration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/exhaliastudios.com\/squirrel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/BNF_Fr_598_f19r-1.png?resize=1000%2C1120&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/exhaliastudios.com\/squirrel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Houppelande.png?resize=811%2C1022&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/exhaliastudios.com\/squirrel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/snowball-fight-2-january-fresco.jpg?resize=599%2C487&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/a><\/a><\/a>Materials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/exhaliastudios.com\/squirrel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/materials-small.jpg?ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nMethod<\/h2>\n\n\n
<\/a>Work in Progress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nFinished Gown<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/li><\/figure><\/li><\/figure><\/li><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/a><\/a><\/a>Inspiration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nMethod<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n