Sunday, August 19, 2012

for the love of the boy

Last year we took the kids to a medieval market.  There were lots of vendors, food, jousting shows, and .... people in costume.

It was a great time for everyone and the kids had a blast.  However, the kids saw everyone dressed in period costume and they wanted to be dressed up too.  This is not my kind of thing.  I don't dress up in period garb.  But, the look on my boy's face as he watched nights joust and costumed people stroll by made it so I could not say no.

So, over the winter and spring, in between more pressing projects, I conducted some historical costume research and made the whole family medieval costumes.  I call them my 80% accurate costumes.  Only 80% because I used my machine embroidery machine to embroider them and I took a little bit of licence on the construction.  But for the most part, I tried to remain pretty true to the period.

The boys have an older model of the ubiquitous tunic.  According to my pattern it was popular from about 600 AD forward.  Abi and I have a more set in sleeve without a gusset, which makes it more advanced.  It was used from about 1100 on.







Isabel's is not from a pattern.  I took the basic themes of ours and the scraps of the kids' fabric and came up with something that was close to accurate and would be easy and comfortable for a toddler to wear.

And this Sunday we wore them all.  We were quite the sight.  But, because we were in costume, we received a huge discount on the entrance fee.

It was very hot, mid 90s (very hot for Germany) and so we did not stay as long as we would have liked.  But there are a few more medieval markets within traveling distance over the next 6 weeks (it is fest season here in Germany) and we will attend them all dressed up.
I have to say, my Man does look pretty good in a dress.

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