(A compendium of information from discussions on the 12th Century Garb Yahoo Group list)
” I don’t have my own special theory on construction [of the bloat]. I have noticed, however, that when you wrap the ubiquitous girdle around twice the dress does tend to ruck up in the abdomen area (at least mine, sans lacings, does) That’s about the extent of my personal epiphany.”
~ Galiana de Baiona/Amanda Bowen
Message #36, May 21, 2002
“My ones with back lacings do a bit too if you tie the double girdle tightly. I want to try side lacings next and see what they do.”
~ Teffania
Message #39, May 30, 2002
“What method are you using for lacing? [rings, bound eyelets, loops, etc.] I was concerned with the lacing area bunching awkwardly if I chose the wrong method. This is definitely not a project for heavy fabric!”
~ Gennevote
Message #40, May 30, 2002
“‘I’m using eyelets, and covering them with thread when I find the time (ie, I’ve only done about a third). The material used is a fairly thin basic cotton weave (what the shops here [in Australia] call homespun). …[It] does bunch up at the back badly, but not the front. This doesn’t necesarily detract from the look of the dress though.”
~ Teffania
Message # 41, May 30, 2002
Broomstick Pleats
“Friends of mine had a medieval wedding, and I made the garb for the bride and groom. The groom had always wanted a bliaut, so that’s what he got. He wanted the look of the Chartres Cathedral statues, so I did pleats. The skirt was two elongated half circle panels.
I attempted to iron in the pleats, but the skirt wound up looking like something my grandmother would have worn. In a last ditch effort, I tried the broomstick skirt method.
“First I did a narrow machine hem on the skirt. Then I got the whole thing sopping wet. The skirt was in two pieces. I pleated the skirt by hand along the hem, which resulted in radial pleats on the sides and up and down pleats in the center.
“I twisted the piece as tightly as I could, until it doubled over on itself and looked like a big knot. Then I fastened it fastened with a couple of diaper pins, and dried it at a very low temperature overnight in the oven. I also pleated the body and the sleeves.
“The result was amazing. The pleats were not exactly vertical, since the twisting caused them to start and stop at various times, but I did get a nice crisp pleated edge at the hem.
“There is a statue at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC that is wearing a bliaut where the pleats in the skirt look just like the ones in the bliaut I made. Next time I go there, I will get more information on the statue and share it with the group. (It will be a while).
“The fabric was silk, and sewing on the broomsticked silk was like sewing on a slinky, but the garment was a success.
“On my list of things to do is upload pictures of this bliaut to share with the group,
and to write an article about my experience.”
~ Lydia FitzWaulter / Linda M. Finne
Message #145, August 21, 2002
“Would you mind sharing what temperature setting you used? I have a broomstick dress I need to launder and I would like to replicate the pleating on it. Thank you!
~ Madelena Hidalgo de Valencia / mka Mayra Hidalgo-Figueras
Kingdom of Caid, Shire of Heatherwyne (Ontario, California)
Message #150, August 22, 2002
Pelice/Peliçon
Q: “Has anyone created a pelice/pelicon?
Any tips for patterns, etc? It looks a bit like a sideless surcoate, but I have to wonder if it fastens somewhere, or slips on over the head.”
A: “I have one of the broad-sleeved style she mentions in the article, and I admit to having cheated a bit – I didn’t line it with fur, but only put a thick fake fur (good stuff) trim (folded over the edges and going about 3 inches up inside) along the ends of the sleeves and the skirt. It must look OK, because I’ve had a number of people ask me if it’s really lined in fur! The rest of the garment is a heavy, fairly coarse but beautiful gold linen, and it’s lined at the sleeves and a neck facing with a much lighter grey linen.
“I based it off of the normal cote that I wear, and it has no fastenings, being big enough to slip on and off easily. It’s also about knee length rather than full length, and I got the sleeves a little longer than I wanted — I really wanted elbow length, but ended up with three-quarter. I actually based it off of Norris…but I did look for other stuff first!”
~ Brangwayna Morgan
Message #193, August 31, 2002
Fabric/Silk
“Before I get started, I wanted to share for the record – I have been doing bliauts for 21 years now, and went to my first event in a side laced bliaut made from an old homespun looking russet curtain, with faux fur trim. Happily it has moved to the nieces play clothes box, need I say more? I am worried that the list will start to think of me as a bliaut fascist (I don’t use the other “N” word). Please allow me to categorically state that I have made some of the most fantastical bliauts that bear little semblance to what our ancestors would have worn and I still think they are utterly cool. I am hoping that no one will think I am being unkind when I mention that silk charmeuse was listed as a 20th century weave in the textile dictionary. Frankly, I think silk charmeuse would make a most beautiful bliaut, sexy, luxurious to the touch (and I thought enough about doing one to buy the fabric.) And I would be the first person telling you how beautiful it was. I am not going to say right or wrong, because it depends entirely on where you want to go with your individual creation, and that’s the beauty of being a CREATIVE ANACHRONIST. I admire beauty, be it the beauty of a mind’s creation or the beauty of accurate recreation.
“But I have to face it, I’m now smack at middle age, married, and now really evaluating what I want to do with the knowledge I have been collecting. 22 years, and I still don’t know precisely what kind of silk to use on my favorite type of garb even though I have some good clues. It’s time for me to learn and I hope that you don’t mind that I would like to use this forum to help me to get (and hopefully others interested) to some sort of answer. Bottom line is that I’m really not a fuss-pot. Really.”
~ Katrine / Katherine Barich
Message #305, October 15, 2002
Thin Romanesque Look & Brais
“I started making 13th c braies for men and realized through the process that the reason for the fit of them was to emphasize the figure in a certain way- namely to make it look long and thin in the torso. And I realized that creating the fitted wrinlky gown does the same thing. I was amazed when I tried it on as to how thin it made my torso *Look*!
“I encourage any of you who dress 12c (and 13) men to get them in braies- it changes everything! I will try to get my hubby to get the class notes and doc pics on my web page soon- I’ll let you know when this happens…(no time…)
~ Aénor d’Anjou/ Katherine Barich
Message #305, October 15, 2002