[Sca-cooks] Twill weaves and garb, was Re: Substitute for Potatoes?

[Judith Epstein]

On Aug 25, 2009, at 8:45 AM, S CLEMENGER wrote:

> Everyone can afford garb.  My first attempts at SCA clothing came  
> from some
> (really decent) white brocade curtains I salvaged from the back of the
> Salvation Army.  (I made ItalianRen).  Unless you're doing some  
> extensive
> event like Pennsic, you actually only need a few outfits, depending  
> on local
> weather.  Medievals (unless they were royals) hardly had a closet  
> full of
> stuff....Good clothing (in any time period) is an investment, but  
> there are
> ways to be canny and clever about getting good quality....
> I'm as dedicated to researching, developing, and recreating textiles  
> and
> their uses during various historical periods as most of the people  
> on this
> list are about food and medieval recipes.  So I can talk at great  
> length
> about what is and is not appropriate/possible/workable.  Blue jeans  
> are
> right. out. even. if. you're. broke.
> --Maire

Oh, agreed. Jeans or sweatpants don't belong, unless it's your first  
event, you can't sew, and you get there after Gold Key is closed, and  
even then, someone ought to take pity and loan you proper trousers.

I can't sew, so I'm going to be buying my garb until I can learn how  
to make my own. I hope it's correct, but if it's not, them's the  
breaks -- again, until I can afford better and/or make my own. I did  
buy a sewing machine, and I thread it over and over to make sure I  
know how, but I've yet to try to sew anything on it. I did cut out a  
pattern for a long tunic, but I had these old scissors that have been  
cutting paper for about five years, so of course the  pattern was all  
distorted and wrong. I gave it to a friend who can actually sew, and I  
hope she makes something out of it. (Got the fabric for $2 at  
Salvation Army.) I think I'm going to need someone to come over and  
SHOW me what I'm doing wrong, and how to do something right, before  
I'll feel confident to try again.