So Many Hobbies, So Little Time: Crafty Times with Claire
A small selection of work I have done in various types, because I’m a squirrel and it’s too fun to stick to one hobby!
A small selection of work I have done in various types, because I’m a squirrel and it’s too fun to stick to one hobby!
Weaving from more Baynard’s Castle finds to create hose for spouse.
As well, exploring more from the Song Dynasty, combining weaving and embroidery.
Explorations in fabric finishing.
Pazyryk Bootie
Recreating the Cambridge Diamonds with woad dyed linen and learning to weave cloth on a floor loom
I wanted to learn some basic embroidery and narrow-ware weaving skills. I ended up falling down a rabbithole! This about my journey and lessons I learned along the way.
When you’re struggling with your own projects….Try to answer someone else’s question! A few experiments about creating blue ink with indigo to answer a question from Athenaeum 2020.
I didn’t make any medieval clothing for most of 2020 since there were no in-person events to wear it to. But that all changed in February 2021, when I spotted an orange silk taffeta with gold brocade stripes in one of my favourite online fabric stores. Herein I tell the tale of the mantle and bliaut that I made from some very colorful silk taffeta.
Working with fibre is like learning music: you can be taught the mechanics, but no-one can teach you the soul. I have gone down many rabbit holes and learning to weave cloth for Aspasia in 1490 Firenze is the focus of this presentation.
FAQ on språng: what it is; where it came from; historical inspirations; modern uses; where to find more information; and how Halima got hooked… and twisted.
A foray into the world of period banner making.
Armenian needle lace is reputed as having the oldest history of pure lace.
A selection of 12th century women’s garments including bliauts, a chemise, and other styles of dresses.
A small selection of work I have done in various types, because I’m a squirrel and it’s too fun to stick to one hobby!
Exploration of the Oseberg 12L1 woven band, the pattern, fibers, and theories about what it may have looked like in period. I have also been using modern technology to make learning more accessible to beginning tablet weavers.
An overview of the various arts and sciences I research including alchemy, indigo dyeing, shibori, and linguistics
Research and Re-creation of a Baltic States mitten based on extant fragments from Estonia.
A sample of wool cloth based on an extant textile excavated from Baynard’s Castle.
Embroidery in silk based on extant finds in the eras around the Song Dynasty.
This exhibit includes some finger loop braids, some uses that I have put them to and PDFs with instructions to make them.