I made the historically "accurate" medieval dress that's now every high fantasy costume
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- Опубліковано 31 лип 2024
- It's the Lord of The Rings dress, every high fantasy dress, the costume of fairies and elves, but is it a historically accurate medieval dress? Yes! It's called a bliaut, and was worn throughout Europe in the High Middle Ages. This dress is behind so many of our fantasy aesthetics, and I've always loved it-- so I chose to recreate it as a historical costume, using modern techniques and sources from medieval history. The fitted bodice, full twirly skirt, and huge draping sleeves that characterize a bliaut have become a huge part of fantasy costumes today, and it's easy to see why! Even though this is a simple dress sewn in wool, wearing it makes me feel like a medieval princess . . . or an enchantress from a high fantasy movie.
The high middle ages have been intensely romanticized in later art and literature, leading to everything from the chivalric romance of Ivanhoe, to the Pre-Raphaelite artists' repeated depictions of fantasy bliauts, to Tolkien's mythology and the birth of the high fantasy genre. This excitement and drama is what draws so many people to costuming today, whether it's high fantasy costumes, historical costumes, cosplay, or just dressing up. The joy of frolicking through the woods in a beautiful dress you've made is universal, and it's an experience everyone deserves to have. If a bliaut, or similarly-shaped dress will make you feel like your best costumed self, I hope this video helps you make one!
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I do not take personal costume/sewing or research commissions.
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0:00 What's that dress?
1:06 Project goals.
3:09 Making the pattern
6:52 Let's cut out a dress
8:35 Sewing it together
13:04 Finishing details
15:22 Go frolic in the forest!
Attributions :
"Comedies of Terence" folio 134v, digitized by the Bodleian Libraries
Used under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution International lisence
creativecommons.org/licenses/... - Навчання та стиль
Here is a pinned comment with important info! (It's also in the description . . .)
Join my Patreon for behind-the-scenes updates, pattern diagrams, research notes, monthly video chats, and more! www.patreon.com/snappydragons...
Or, you can buy me some Ko-Fi : ko-fi.com/snappydragon
Follow me on IG for more stitchy business : @missSnappyDragon
For business inquiries, send an e-mail to : SnappyDragonStitches at Gmail dot Com
I do not take personal costume/sewing or research commissions.
Want to send me letters? Send mail to PO Box 3884, Berkeley CA, 94703! Letters or cards only please 💚
Never worry about sewing with a machine instead of hand sewing - if our foremothers had had access to working machines you can bet they would have used them! Well done!
Yes! Can you imagine explaining to your working female ancestor choosing to hand sew while have a machine that could do it for you (if you do infact have one.) They would be so confused.
But also, I have been shamed for machine sewing small pieces (like a small bag) and not hand sewing it. The thing was, she did SCA, but I didn't. I straight up told her I didn't want to because I didn't like it. I can hand sew just fine. I just hate it.
Absolutely! Knitting machines were invented pre 1600. There was no issue with using any labor saving device!
"Remember, we're all here to play dress up. Let's make sure everyone can get to the costume box." PREACH IT! It's so relieving when costubers can set aside historical accuracy, stereotypes, and whatever else because first and foremost costuming should be FUN! So many people get upset when you're not using wool or you get the decade wrong. But people like you embrace combining fun (bright pink wool crepe, for instance) with accuracy (researching both the period and your heritage). And the dress is fabulous! Keep up the good work; you're inspiring many 💕
Thank you 💚 I think it's easy to go through that phase after you get into a hobby of wanting to prove you're doing it right by getting that intense over decades or materials . . . and then I guess lots of people get stuck there.
Yes!
I love your approach, I used to work in a museum where they made all their clothing by hand and I'm afraid the person who was in charge sucked all the joy out of costuming for me for a while! I believe that there is always flexibility and there has always been individuality in clothing 🌟I made a similar dress for a wedding out of muslin dyed with modern blue dye and I'm sure lots of people would have preferred that I spent weeks fermenting woad in pee instead!! 🤣🤔☺️
@@haresbreathtarot I think that museums are not for fun costumes, but for historical accuracy - there is always a place and time for everything; there are groups who want to recreate history as close as possible and groups who want to have fun with costumes. Just don't tell people your dress is accurate if you used modern materials and techniques, then everything is fine :)
I agree!!
Not going to lie this is the first time I've seen the pythagorean theorem have a practical application.
Same. And I got through calc 2 and physics in college 😂
There are statuary at certain churches that show seams on the bliaut. I had a friend who traveled to Europe and examined those statues up close. She said that on one of the statues the belt was shown slightly elevated from its normal location on the hip. Under the belt the sculpture clearly showed a seam line. She theorized that the skirt part was sewn on separate to the top of the garment. The body of the garment was extra long allowing the rucking when laced up the sides. The separate skirt allowed a form of pleating. Thus forming the look of both vertical and horizontal pleats.
oh. nifty.
I just wrote a comment about making similar for my kid. I did not do the skirt separate but did do the lacing up the sides of an extra long bodice, that went up under the arms a bit, to create this effect that called wrinkling but is the ruching. I had forgotten the word when I wrote my comment.
It's funny that you say that, because I'm working off of a historical costumer's basic medieval dress pattern and she has the body all one piece, not a separate bodice and skirt, but I'm over 6' and making it in a single piece requires an enormous amount of fabric. I was thinking "man, if I did this in separate pieces, I could be so much more efficient with fabric, but no, I'll do it how the pattern says," but of course, medieval fabrics probably were narrower than our modern bolts anyways and saving fabric would be a concern for them. All these costumers are so much shorter than I am 😅
@@ashmedai7429 There is evidence to support both the single length and the separate skirt patterns. To paraphrase what she says at the beginning, there was likely more than one way to skin a cat.
Many years ago, I made a dress for a fancy dress party... wide neckline, fitted bodice, princess seams, full skirt, and HUGE SLEEVES... from curtain material! :) (In the days when you could get cheap cotton damask curtain material by the kilo from remnant shops). It's still in the cupboard somewhere, although I doubt I could get in it now. Complete with centre-back zip!
So yes, I too have made a dress-up bliaut.
Also, I think "historically plausible" is a WAY better way to go than "historically accurate"; after all, if there are no extant garments, there's no way a recreation can be accurate.
I do love me some curtain material! I think I have a length of cotton damask like that sitting around and waiting for a project-- perhaps one day a fancy Renaissance thing.
I like the term "historically adequate." 😄
I really love the unvarnished honesty in this one: "I want a dress to run around in the woods", and "armscyes scare me" and all that. Excellent vibes.
"we are more than our suffering" and "I'll wear this dress, and I will wear it with joy". Don't mind me, I'll be over here in the corner, tearing up.
(Also, I love the idea of planning your fabric usage on graph paper, helps my brain so much!)
Awww, thank you 💚💚💚 the graph paper helps me a ton too! I don't think of myself as a very visual learner, so I have to create the shapes in front of me in order to move them around. My friend @SewMuchHistory does a really cool thing where she cuts out tiny paper versions of her pattern pieces and moves them around on graph paper for the layout.
@@SnappyDragon Well, that's even better! (I used to do that when moving to a new place, to make sure things fit and there were wide enough walking spaces)
@@SnappyDragon that's both genius and Why Didn't I Think of That kind of obvious. I do what my mother did. Lots of placing pieces on the actual fabric with minimal pins to find the best jigsaw fit. I have to keep moving the fabric along the table without seeing it complete.
That's a lovely piece of wool you chose for the dress. Nice contrast too.
I often use Inkscape to plan out rectangular construction garments because it's so easy to move the rectangles around, and I can plan it out Before I spend the money on fabric so I know exactly how much to buy. I've also used it with some shaped pattern pieces (sleeves mostly), but that requires slightly longer to digitize
That’s very clever fabric usage! Trying to minimize waste, I like to believe, is very historical accurate. I love how medieval clothing often combines relatively simple construction methods with interesting designs. And this one seems to frolic very well!
Thank you! I absolutely love how creative Medieval folks were with just geometric shapes (well, until the 14th century happened and we lost the geometric shapes and fashion went nuts 😂)
"Now the sleeves, which are the part I'm most proud of." Sleeves are always one of two extremes, aren't they.
So true!
The dress is gorgeous. Yasher koach! The bit about being more than our oppression made me tear up a bit. So much of what I’ve learned about Jews in the Middle Ages is about expulsion and being murdered during the crusades. There’s so much more to our history and I’m excited to see a costumers explore it via historic dress.
Yep being Jewish and half- English the whole issue of a 'historically accurate' costume from the years 1290 to 1650 becomes problematic. It is a great dress! I love Ivanhoe.
I've been wanting to get into historical costuming for years and your description of "Historically adequate" will become my mantra.
Your bliaut is beautiful and I'm happy that you are wearing it with pride and joy. I always felt that Rebecca -- a Lady of Chivalry -- got her happy ending. Although leaving England for Spain possibly, she found her soul mate in a someone who took joy in their shared religion, treated her as an equal and encouraged her to be herself and whatever she wanted to be. Not someone who didn't appreciate her value and character.
Loved Rebecca, the raven-haired beauty.🥰
A lot of people shipped Ivanhoe with Rebecca, including William Makepeace Thackeray who wrote fanfic about it. The "obvious" thing to do here for a 19th century audience would be have Rebecca convert to marry the hero (said fanfic does this, for instance) but I'm honestly glad that Scott didn't do that. Rebecca remained true to herself the whole way through.
I love that you show all the math that goes into a pattern.
So much math 😵 I wish any of my high school math teachers had realized this was how to get me to remember algebra and geometry!
"I just want a pretty pink dress to run through the forest in. " Sounds like the best reason to make a dress to me.
One of the dresses you showed at the start is one I am planning to make but need to work my way to it. It is the beautiful green beetle wing covered dress worn by Ellen Terry when she played Lady Macbeth. It is a dress I want to swirl around in.
"Today I want a pretty pink dress to run through the forest in." YES V I AM SO HERE FOR IT!! Yes! Yes! Yes!
And historical plausibility....I really like that framing and totally think that might be a more appropriate (or healthier) term than others.
The bliaut is stunning. Absolutely stunning.
And thank you for reminding me that these are our garments too. Because I catch myself feeling jealous that we, as Jews, have lost so much of our own culture to persecution, assimilation, and time that we don't have many garments that we can truly consider ours (talitot, kippot, and tefillin being the exceptions basically) because I see so many other costumers embrace their heritage(s) through cultural dress/historical garments and we can't in the same way. We were here and these were our clothes too.
So go forth and wear your bliaut in health and with joy. We all need more of that around here.
@@findingbeautyinthepain8965 I don't have specific links, because truthfully medieval history is not my strong suit either. I'm primarily a Biblical and Ancient Jewish historian, not a historical dress one. However I can point to a few things, and it's rather the inverse that instead of medieval Jewish garments belonging to other cultures, it's that Jews wore the clothing of the country they were living in (but with frequent color limitations or an additional garment identifying them as a Jew rather than gentile). Therefore modern Jews can make and wear these garments at events without feeling like they're not Jewish. V's (SnappyDragon) videos "Getting Dressed in the Middle Ages while Jewish" and her "What did medieval Jews wear? 13/14 cen hair and veil tutorial" are good examples of this and good starting places. If you choose to support her you can get access to her bibliographies as well. "The Jewish Wardrobe" from the collection at The Israel Museum by Daisy Raccah-Djivre is worth a look along with "A History of Jewish Costume" by Alfred Rubens and "A Cultural History of Jewish Dress" by Eric Silverman.
The history of Jewish Dress is still something I'm very novice on but those are currently on my reading list so should be worth a shot and have bibliographies to use to dive further.
If you're looking for more Jewish Historical Costuming content in addition to V, check out Shoshi at Costume Literate and Amber at DSA Threds. There's one or two more but I'm blanking on them at the moment.
Yesssssss this! I am so lucky to have such thoughtful and intelligent people in my comments section 💚💚💚
@@SnappyDragon This is the kind of community you foster V, so thank you 💖
its so pretty! I loved the whole video but also the last couple lines about everyone wanting to play dress-up but making sure that everyone can get to the costume box.
Also, as a sort-of Jewish person, seeing everyone on youtube and instagram making happy Jewish content makes me want to connect more with being Jewish.
one of us! one of us! 😃
@@SnappyDragon :D
So lovely! Drapey sleeves are a forever aesthetic -- I had my wedding dress made inspired by the fantasy depictions of this dress (I went with an unconventional blue linen so I can wear whenever I'm feeling the need for whimsical goddess energy)
It's *such* a great silhouette! I've realized all my favorite eras/styles of gowns are pretty much "big drapey sleeves, fitted bodice, big skirt".
I love the way you managed to fit the upper sleeves around the lower sleeves. Very efficient cutting and I'd bet people way back then would have had the same idea. Experimental archeology at its best. Love the finished dress!
So, food for your imagination...
I don't know about England, but there have been Jews in Provence and Languedoc since the first century (when there were very few Christians, if any), and throughout the Middle Ages they were just part of the population, if strictly endogamic, having the same professions as everyone else, if maybe more often medical doctors than farmers. It's only from the 14th century onwards that things took a nasty turn, with persecutions, and by the end of the century, expulsion from the realm of France (but not immediately from Provence).
But Since the Popes have been in Avignon, they have owned territories in Provence, where the Jews lived on, in Avignon, Carpentras, Cavaillon and L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, which would only become french after the Revolution. The authorities tried to impose restrictions on them, which don't seem to have been much applied, if their repetition again and again is any indication.
The Comtadin Jews seemed to have been in good terms with their christian neighbors (after all, they had lived there for ever and were just part of the population).
In the early 16th century, they were forced to live in "carrières" a form of small ghetto, and by the end of the century, most of them were tailors (still pretty clothes, though). A few of them were allowed to live in France in the late 17th, like Israël Bernard de Valabrègue, translator at the Royal Library. It's only in the late 18th century that they could leave the carrières, after a century of growing prosperity (another opportunity for pretty clothes). They became french citizens after the Revolution, and dispersed in the country, and the culture of comtadin Judaism, and its language, Shuadit, would vanish progressively...
So in Provence, you definitely could have worn a bliaud, and all sorts of other dresses through the ages, with sometimes a specific veil, after the 13th century.
You might want to research the Jews of the Pope (les Juifs du Pape) for more details than I'm able to give, and check images of the synagogues and carrières of the towns I mentioned (The carrières were so small that their inhabitants had to build up, sometimes as many as 7 stories).
This is fascinating! I will be adding all of this to my reading list. I was looking primarily at English history, where there seem to have been very strong Jewish communities in cities starting from the Norman Conquest for 200 years or so afterwards. One day I'm planning to visit York and Oxford in particular and study whatever I can about the 11th-13thc Jews there.
@@SnappyDragon Sorry, this rabbit hole is even further away from your english interests, but Norman Sicily seems to have been a safe place for Jews, even if Blue does not develope the subject in the video: ua-cam.com/video/N9aS8yy1n98/v-deo.html
How very, very interesting! I teach French & am not very familiar with history in southern France (I studied in Rouen). I'm definitely going to look into this, thanks!
Have read that Jewish people lived well in Moorish Spain before the Holy Roman Empire took Spain from the Muslims and then it went south pretty quickly of course.
Dress up for all. This gown is so lovely and that fabric usage was ingenious!! Wear it joyously. Also Rebecca freaking rocks and is my favorite person in Ivanhoe.
She deserved so much better than that ending though 😭😭😭 I'll just be over here reading Daniel Deronda for consoliation.
The part about not always having to choose between proudly representing who you are, and enjoying other things was very inspiring. I am struggling with this myself too, and I know many other people from various minority groups struggle with it too.
The more I think about it, the more I see how prejudice strips marginalized people of their humanity by acting like all they ever did/do is suffer. It's totally a thing re: ableism and I can absolutely see how it would apply to other forms of marginalization.
I appreciate your terminology…‘historically plausible’ and as it aligns with my way of thinking, you put it into the right words for me I hope to remember to use it when remaking my version of historical clothing. I have a similar gown in the same shade that I threw together to attend a medieval festival and I felt like a queen in my knock of version made in cheap type of cotton. Instead though I was so short on fabric that I gathered the base of the rectangle sleeves as there wasn’t enough for triangular ones. I felt so unique and was impervious to the states and comments about its inaccuracy, both fabric and cut wise, but I was happy in it. Confidence is the key when attempting historical sewing. Thank you too for sharing your cultural feelings and pride in your Jewish roots. Always so enchanted and charmed by your subject matter and joyful, intelligent and as factually accurate, (to your perspective) delivery! So impressive!
Sometimes, the goal is to feel *fabulous* and who cares about accuracy. I bet you looked amazing!
Phooey on anyone who wants to give you a hard time. As far as I'm concerned, every RenFaire is ye olde medieval fantasy faire and we all get to wear what we want. I love seeing the historical costumes, I love seeing the fantasy costumes, heck, I love seeing the Star Trek away team costumes. 😄
@@aprildriesslein5034 Thank you, you are a very kind person, it’s true though and it’s good to know others have the same view point!
@@SnappyDragon Thank you, that’s so lovely!
One of the first dresses I made entirely myself was a bliaut made from a pattern that somebody in my cousins re-enactment group had recommended to me, it still fits me 15 years after it was made thanks to the lacing... and while it do have a back zipper I've never actually had to use it to get the dress on/off.
But I've more than once considered shortening the big extensions of the sleeve simply because I keep having them catch on doorknobs and other things whenever I wear it.
I think I've seen illuminations of people with bliaut sleeves twice this long, literally tying them in a knot to keep them out of the way 😂
Now I am wondering if interior castle doors had knobs in those by gone days...
doorknobs are evil - if its not sleeves it pockets!
Sadly I couldn't find any picture to direct towards from Google, but similar issue arises with Furisode kimono sleeves nowadays, so they've come up with a wide belt with big pockets on both sides you can tuck your sleeves into while eating 😂
Then...
Try tying your sleeves together, behind your back. I used a simple square knot. I found it Very practical when doing feast for a few hundred souls.
Early french clothing looks so comfortable and breezy. France and Italy has always been my favorite medieval cultures, and I love your hair texture btw it’s pretty !!
Great video, and great comments - you have a lovely community. I agree with so many of the comments about historical adequacy, culture and context. Also wanted to shout out the inclusion of "I don't have that skill yet". It's fab to hear that normalized.
Incredibly effective pattern cutting layout on grid paper, and 1/4” seams… you make my quilt patterning heart happy.
And congratulations, Azi the cat seems to have found this particular video engaging. 😺 Nifty!
Yeah it's so weird when people are like "for clothing from woven fabric you need AT LEAST one inch seam allowance" especially in German sewing communities that is a thing and it is SO weird.
@@TeylaDex 1" yikes!
I can understand larger seam allowances if the intention is to ensure that the garment can be resized later if necessary, but that would apply to some seams more than others...
The other factor, that had to be pointed out to me, (to a round of me feeling really dense) is that with quilting, all your seams are encased - then reinforced with quilting either along the seams or across them at least every 10", usually much closer than that. So small seam widths are protected from wear, during wear, or laundering.
Where I get super confused is when people do French seams. Just sew your first pass at a scant 1/4" (2/8") and your second at 3/8", and assuming your fabric isn't squidgy, you've got a french seam in your 5/8" standard commercial seam allowance, no trimming of the first seam necessary!
I don't think I've ever used a one-inch seam allowance unless I expected something to need to be let out! I use 1/4" for this kind of finishing and 1/2" for hand-felling.
@@SnappyDragon exactly
It's a miracle to me how those huge skirts could be of any use except to the eye. This is the best channel I've found for sewing; your designs and construction are astounding. Wait - do the layout so there's always a straight and a bias edge for seams? Doing! I would never have imagined that. This channel is literature.
Those huge skirts would have been incredibly useful for keeping you warm if you lived in a cold drafty castle! This dress was very much the mark of the upper class lady. The peasant folk wore a different and more practical style of gown.
The final dress is fantastic, and your fabric layout was nothing short of genius.
As an aside, my mother and I talk about Rebecca often. We think she has a genuinely happy ending. Forget about the whole Jewish Nun idea, and remember: she leaves England, remains a respected person, and is a successful doctor.
C’mon, Wilfred of Ivanhoe is awful and Brian de Bois Guilbert wouldn’t have converted. Single blessedness is better than either of those twits. Perhaps she’d have found a great person in Iberia.
Wilfred and Rowena deserve each other.
Ooooo that method of cutting out gores is so clever! I bet I’ll be coming back to this video the next time I need to put some in!
You make some of my favorite videos on the internet, not just on costube! It’s obvious how much care you put into your projects and into creating a nonjudgmental and inclusive presence in a niche that can get pretty same-y. Have a wonderful weekend!!
Thank you so much! There's another method that gets even more swoosh, but I would have needed a longer rectangle for the gores than I had. I'll probably use it in the future because I want like 10 bliauts in different colors now . . .
This is so pretty!!! Great work!!!
I think Historically Plausible is the best all of us can do because our materials aren’t the same.
Nothing can be completely accurate.
I know of folks that use handwoven reproduction fabric, measure their stitch length, et c . . . and it's still not a 100% perfect reproduction because sheep are different today 🤣 It all depends on what you're going for.
I love the bit about "sheep are different now" to remind me that there's no way to ever be 100% historically accurate. Take that, perfectionism, and be gone!
I love the concept of making those fantasy dresses you always wanted to wear... but with research! Also historically plausible is the best term and I think more people could think about that than accuracy. Because history is so much more diverse than the extants we have and the ways that are plausible to make things and just makes most sense in the context (like fabric layouts) would probably been done even if we don't have surviving evidence for every plausible way to do things. And it gives the maker some creative freedom, which I like.
Also that last sentence! Such a good expression! Inclusivity is so important.
Yes! Historically plausible, historically adequate, historically inspired . . . all of these are equally excellent goals to have. Humans are not great at nuance and when it comes to looking at extants, we tend to hear "we don't have evidence for The Thing" and take it to mean "it definitely doesn't exist". For all we know, it could have existed and we just don't have one to point at.
That came out so beautiful! I have some green wool remnants in odd pieces that are enough for a bliaut in my size, and I've been meaning to get going on that project for a while. I feel inspired!
Ooooh yes green bliaut! I'm considering whether to do one with the leftover wool from my green walking suit 💚
How lucky we are that there are people like you who not only come up with these amazing, creative ideas, but do the research, film everything beautifully, present AND narrate over the top explaining what you're doing. You're truly amazing! 💕
Yes! I love it! It's exciting to have stumbled on your videos, because I was just thinking the other week how if I ever did a reenactment event I'd want to represent my Jewishness in whatever historical persona I created, but it seemed like it would be a depressing task...and then also depressing to think of people NOT doing it because it was depressing or because they felt there wasn't a place in that scene for Jews to be Jewish. And I love that dress, I'm working on a basic medieval-style dress right now and having the same challenge with the gores in the cuts.
I also really like what you said about there not being a single pattern for these garments. I know that, if your goal is to be as historically accurate as possible, it's important to keep in mind historical technical limitations when designing patterns, but it always rubbed me kind of wrong how the really strict SCA types would often act like there was ONE way people put clothes together and if you didn't make it with that seam in this place you were doing it wrong. So much of our evidence for historical clothing is from art that doesn't show construction and from very meagre archaeological evidence (I'm looking at Viking "apron dresses" and it turns out they don't even know for sure what they looked like!) that it always seemed overly-pedantic when people said that kind of stuff. It's very good point about information not travelling the same as it does today. Subscribed!
I love the historical & fictional footnotes and add ons that explain why this is a project of magnitude for you.
Yay for spinny sleeves and skirts! Everybody should get to spin around in pretty dresses! Its a human right!
And for those who do not like skirts and dresses, they should get to spin around in other pretty clothes! Twirling for all.
@@SnappyDragon Yes!! Twirling for all in whatever preferred twirling outfit!
In between progroms and expulsions, Jews found plenty of time for joy and even frolics. Your lovely pink bliaut would be perfect to dance at a wedding, or wear as a Shabbos dress - or celebrate at Simchat Torah. I love that you're claiming your heritage.
This is beautiful and I plan on joining your Patreon for the good research notes as soon as I have money! I'm planning a masculine 13th century Jewish persona for the SCA!
Ooh, see you on Patreon when you get there! I'm told the SCA is in want of good Jewish representation, so good on you 😃 Tag me if you post anything about it on IG, because I want to see.
@@SnappyDragon will do, I guess! Not really an IG user, but I can put up a photoshoot in a year or so when that's actually a thing!
I love how personal and close to your heart you made the story (or journey) of the making of this dress be. It turned out great! I wasn't sure how it would turn out with the pink, but the the dark red accent made so much more interesting. Great job! You are amazing, I love that you are proud of where you come from.that is a great lesson for all of us. ❤
This looks absolutely fantastic! Well done and thank you for sharing this video!
Yes yes yes!!!!! I have been waiting for someone to do an in depth video on making a bliaut forEVER!!! Thank you!!! This will be SO helpful when I attempt to make my own.
I made a bliaut like this a couple years ago, and did a photoshoot in snowy forest. But I cheated with sleeves and made short all-in-one sleeve, then attacked gorgeous flared one from sheer chiffon. I was not aiming for historical accuracy, it was a dress for Melian. When I put it on Instagram I'll make sure to tag you🙃
This sounds so unbelievably gorgeous! You must be tougher than I am to stand out in the snow in chiffon sleeves.
Well, a cloak from boiled wool and a thermos of hot tea did help a lot😉
I love my Victorian skirts. Thank you for being brave enough to embrace your Heritage and show the world your beauty. Keep up the beautiful clothes you make. You inspire me.
Phenomenal! Just excellent quality research and communication, and so much talent! Thanks for this!
OMG I love your work in the making of this dress! The hand-stitching is my favorite. It turned out absolutely beautiful. Keep up the wonderful costuming! Yours., Vicki Cook
7:26 In my house, the orange-handled scissors are for paper. It took me a good half second to remember that not everyone uses their orange-handled scissors for paper!
I love the idea of a pretty pink wool crepe for this kind of dress. (And given how much herb lore we've lost over the centuries, who's to say they didn't have pink wool for real in medieval times?)
Red fades - so they definitely HAD pink garments. Real question is if those "pink" garments would have been perceived as fashion or "faded red" and therefore a signifier of poverty.
I'm so happy I found this video! I'm joining a medieval stories group and would love to highlight the positive roles (and not just the stereotypes people think of) our ancestors were able to have in Norman society and seeing the costuming I can tap into is really helping me come up with ideas!
OBSESSED with this OMG - I want one for everyday wear. It's also great to see some of your interpretation of this style; I have been wanting to make one to represent a "historical" Maid Marian for a while!
There are two bliauts displayed on the bayeux tapestry, so these were being worn in the 11th Century England.
Who doesn't want a pretty outfit to run through the forest in?! XD
No one. Pretty clothes and forest frolics for all!
This is so awesome! I also love the dark green palette, but this light pink looks lovely on you!
"It takes some fussing." Profoundly beautiful. Thanks. I need that.
Love this, it’s so nice to see something that’s not bothered about just being what it is, a pretty pink dress in a history inspired design. So pretty and relaxing ☺️
After watching you do this, and your pictoral 'education', I think I may have my own version. I'm excited, I've always wanted this dress, THANK YOU!!!!
Fantastic V. You have such a wonderful point of view. Creating from your particular heritage. Not many creators do that. Thank you for the video. Stay healthy.
Truly enjoy your content, both cultural and artistic. Love 💕 love 💕 love 💕 how the dress turned out. I also absolutely loved your graph paper diagram. It really helps me see how the dress is made. On your recent video with the trousers, I couldn’t wrap my head around how they were going together … guess I need to watch it a few more times.
Thank you! Yeah, the sarwal are kind of a confusing one. I scan all my pattern diagrams and put them on my Patreon along with the rest of my research notes, if you want the pattern!
I love the dress and I'm half-tempted to make my own in a color palette I'd prefer since you were so clear about your process.
But I also want to add that the green in your hair is so gorgeous when it's braided, {It's pretty the rest of the time too but I particularly admire it in braids}.
And this is why when I saw your video come up I said " oooo snappy. I like snappy!
It's beautiful as are you. What a wonderful thing you learned about your own heritage. I think that's amazing, and I think you are awesome for sharing that information. I am sure many people are rethinking about what was available and possible for their own ancestors. 💖💖💖
Your video/dress brings me so much joy, pink is great for frolicking in. 💖
💚💚💚 I might have a bit of a pink things problem . . . I was shamed out of liking it as a kid and now I embrace it with a vengeance.
Beautifully done. I admire skill where ever I see it.
Your layout is genius! And the dress is beautiful!
Thank you! It took like 3 drafts 😅
I love your pink dress! Didn't know I needed one but I definitely do!
One can tell that you are really happy with this dress. Love the footage of you running in the woods
can i tell you a secret? _>
that footage was an accident 😅 i left the camera in slow-mo and then took off at a run without warning Anna first.
@@SnappyDragon that makes it even better! Frolic in that pretty pink dress, V!
Wow, gorgeous! (Both the dress and the video.)
❤️
It looks amazing on you :) And I needed to hear your sentiment at the end. By letting go of the "accuracy", I might finally make a medieval dress for wearing to the fairs I like going to... I'm reluctant to buy wool fabric because it's hard to get the right colour and it seems so expensive for trying something if you're inexperienced.
That gown came out beautiful! :)
Thank you! 😊
Fun!!! Accessibility!!! Frooolickiiiinnnggggggg!!!!!
Also - * amazing layout *
I made one for my child. The version of bliaut I did, was the one with a longer bodice length, as the style was wrinkles. The dress was laced from waist to a bit further than arm pit area. This was according to a dress found in a peatbog. I made it from a green duck or heavy denim like fabric with the sleeve's lining and trim from a discarded sari's fabric.
I had never done gores before. I impressed myself on those gores. I really don't think I could make them as well, again.
Kid has outgrown it by about 10 years, now, but I just can't bring myself to pass it on.
Like yours, accurate but not accurate.
I aspire to the amount of planning and math that you did, it was so cool to see the whole dress laid out in one little rectangle (but even cooler to see you frolicking in it!)
Aww, thanks! Graph paper is THE BEST, and I just found a digital graph paper app that's even better 😃
You wear and enjoy that dress till it wears out! Love the red undergarment! Looks fantabulous!
Thank you! More about the red kirtle in the next video 😃
Fantastic work and commentary!
The dress is so pretty on you and the color is perfect! Sending well wishes xo
Love this dress! And your brilliant fabric layout. Also I've been mad at Sir Walter Scott since I was 12 and first read Ivanhoe - after seeing the Wishbone version - because yes Rebecca did deserve better.
Love your content, thank you!
The dress came out beautifully, I love the colour combo as well!
Thank you! Anyone who says red and pink never go together just hasn't tried it.
I love seeing your work on Jewish historical clothing! It makes me wanna make my own versions
Yessss make the things!
same! too bad i don't know how...
beautiful gown and you look fantastic in it!
I'm just... wow!! No store bought pattern. That's amazing to me. I'm so glad you're enjoying the dress.
Oh the internet is such a help in research! I made a bliaut in the early 80s and only had some books with bad shots of cathedral statues and decided they were smocked. So I made a red one with black smocking..... it had a great "ooh. Aaah" factor as someone said but it didn't look at all like a bliaut! It came out as some sort of eastern European medieval costume fantasy. Hungarian meets pre Raphaelite.
Your pink bliaut looks fabulous and there were certainly times when things were good. Give the finger to all the oppression and the racists is a way to win also.
This is reminding me a lot of some examples of late-19thC Artistic/Aesthetic dress! Smocking, billowy fabric, Pre-Raphaelite inspiration. It sounds so pretty!
@@SnappyDragon yes. That is exactly where I got some of the inspiration from. My ignorance of historical costuming really shone through lol. It is very pretty and comfortable. It has been my "comfortable at home with no bra dress" for many years.
This turned out great, I love it!
You're incredible! What a joy!!
You rock!! Can't wait to make this dress! Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou
so gorgeous!!
So pleased you can be a happy prancing girlie in a pink frock AND honour your heritage. Let's hope you can do more 💖
I have no plans whatsoever to stop :D
I'd love to make a bleaut some day. Medieval gowns are so comfy and I love the super long skirts.
Inspiring. Love the research into it.
Such a beautiful dress. Now I want to frolic in the forest in a pretty pink dress. Or a red one, or a green one. Heck, just to frolic in the forest in a pretty dress that is all swirly and swishy sounds wonderful. I wonder how that style of dress would look on a fat lady? I guess the best way to find out is to make one, then wear it to frolic in the forest.
You will look *amazing*. I now require you to make/get yourself a dress and do a frolic to prove anyone who says otherwise wrong.
Actually, it is a universally flattering cut for a dress. Do it!
I have never sewn a garment and now need to make this dress, too. Since it's delightfully long, I will wear shorts underneath it to prevent my thick thighs from rubbing and chafing and no one will know. I hope I remember to report back in a year or so when I've finished it 😂
I absolutely love that last line about we are all here to play dress up💜💜💜
You look absolutely beautiful in your bliaut, V. You also made it the same way I was instructed to make my bliaut.
The dress is beautiful, and you look beautiful in it! It looks as though you feel very much at home in it. “I will wear it with joy!” Yes, the joy was evident.
Omg it came out so pretty
You done a wonderful job ❤️❤️❤️
You do know the bit of your machine with the bobbin sticker on slides off to create a sleeve arm? It helps so much when doing cuffs 🥰
Love learning from ya ❤
This is super fun! I love how you described your process. I do have a little suggestion! Mostly for your safety, but please remove ALL pins when sewing! A mistimed needle can either snap the pin and shove a bit into the machine, which can ruin the machine, or you could even snap the needle and get a bit shot at your eye! I thought my pins were small enough/bendy enough/I was going slow enough that I could get away with it for ages... Until I snapped a needle and was saved by the fact the thread hadn't snapped. If you're worried about slippy fabric or weird shapes, I highly suggest doing some quick stitches in a contrasting thread and snipping them after sewing, or even switching to clips if that's too labor intensive! (Or hurts your hand to do. I use clips now bc of that)
Great video!
Love your work in this.
Specially your attitude towards using a sewing machine.
To many people making historical costumes are to obcessed with hand stitching.
And yeah I get the idea of exploring historical methods and that fashion probably would be different if they actually had sewing machines, how ever I'm still convinsed that IF they had machines back in the ye ol' days, they would use them.
With that out of the system, Love the fact that you embrace your cultural herritage in your work. ❤️.
Don't get me wrong, I love hand-sewing . . . but guess what people did as soon as they had sewing machines? Used them. For *everything*. I read a fashion article from the 1850s once saying something like "now that we have sewing machines everywhere, people are using them to make dresses with such complicated stitching it takes the same amount of time as hand-sewing a dress used to!"
I love that you tied you heritage to your costuming.