Dark age meet up?

[xylaria]

Cobweb in the earlier period group my other half was in they used to make a hassian bag to put over the boots. The thing is with girlie kit I thought that might look like i am wearing moon boots, so i thought i might wear brown leather trainers (not lace ups) with leather/cloth wrapping . All jorvik period footware looks like city attire, and the piccys i have manged to find of re-encters in snow are groups that wear the proper shoes in summer and what looks like ugg boots in winter, but they are norweagen.

We need a bit of help. I have plenty of oily wool to stuff bags with which should make them more weather proof than just trainers, if you go down that line cobweb.

 

[nickg]

I have just spent two weekends hand stitching a Viborg shirt only to find that its too small to go round my sylph-like figure. ********! what an idiot. seam allowances!!! spent about 30 hours so far.

Run out of white linen now so i may machine stitch a simpler one in undyed linen just for warmth and keep the other for show & tell.

Cobweb you could make a cloak pin there, and if not I will have some spares with me.

 

[Cobweb]

Xylaria, A hessian bag sounds like a great plan for disguising the boots I think I've a bit of hessian, any particular pattern to follow?

Nick, Thank, I'd love to make one anyway but I do have one somewhere and it's bugging me not being able to find it

 

[nickg]

Wayland

What are the sleeping facilities in the houses? as in, are there board beds, rope beds cots boxes etc or are we straight to earth? etc - will we need waterproof groundsheets etc

Cheers
Nick

 

[xylaria]

Cobweb I am using Anglo-Scandinavian type 1 for my bag shoes. I haven't started yet though, I was going to make proper shoes, but the weather has made me quite reticent about that.

 

[Cobweb]

I'll see if the bit of hessian I have is big enough, I hope so. I do have some coffee sacks coming along for chairs so I might purloin one of those to make the shoes. They look simple enough to make, although I might make them to be big enough to cover up my boots, especially if it's going to be cold and snowy... Pretty though.

I'm getting excited about this now, I'm just worrying about my cashflow situation... it's going out faster than it's coming in and the paper still hasn't sent my cheque for December. I think that most of the things I wanted to buy will have to wait for now.

I'll make sure I have enough money to get there and back

 

[andywinkk]

Weather not looking to bad for that weekend

http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/14days.asp?zipcode=York

andy

 

[Wayland]

Wayland

What are the sleeping facilities in the houses? as in, are there board beds, rope beds cots boxes etc or are we straight to earth? etc - will we need waterproof groundsheets etc

Cheers
Nick

Most of the houses have wooden benches that double as single beds. Some have double bed sized platforms. these are off the ground but the buildings will not have been used for a while so they may be very slightly damp but should soon dry out with a fire in them.

What you will need is some form of padding, and your own bedding. If the bedding is modern, have a think about how you will hide it during the day, blankets or in a sack for instance.

 

[Toddy]

I've been through my stash of fabrics, but we did a film for the NT just at the end of last year and all that I have left that is suitable are high status colours. I have bright reds, deep dark navy blue and a fawn camellhair coloured wool. I have beautiful quality black linen and some bright scarlet.
I have some small pieces that would do for children's cloaks or tabard style dresses, or hoods.

If any of this is of use, let me know ?

atb,
M

 

[addo]

Going to have to pull out of this meet.
Things aren't to good at home and I need to be around.
Sorry about this im gutted but ive only got half the kit ready and no spare time, hope theres another one soon if this one is a success. Have a good one.

 

[firecrest]

Ive made a basic dress and Im currently dying my wool blanket which Ive cut into a pinnafore

Which suddenly begged the question "how were the pinnys tied at the back? Ive left it mostly open like an apron unfortunately there wasnt that much material. My internet crashed for the last 2 days so I hadnt been able to look it up online.

 

[Cobweb]

That's a shame addo, it would've been nice to see you there, home is much more important. Good Luck!

 

[firecrest]

something tells me Im missing a peice of clothing. There is no way a viking would have worn what Im wearing in winter...
Also what dedorated the hemlines?

 

[Cobweb]

Have you got a underdress? I suited up in my kit, wool dress cotton pinny, went outside and came back in again, I was cold!

I'm making a pleated underdress, it makes sense that the pleats would help trap some warm air and I've got a single blanket as a cloak. I'll try it all out once I'm done, see if it's warmer

 

[firecrest]

Ive made a linnen dress and a wool pinny. I hope I didnt get that the wrong way around. I suspect Im supposed to have a wool dress as well in winter. I *could* make one at a pinch, but Im going to be cutting it fine. Would it be acceptable to wear just a shawl or a cloak with what I have? did women wear cloaks?
its not unlike this (barring colours and lenghts which Ive got different.

 

[Eric_Methven]

Ladies, there's nothing to stop you wearing a modern woolen cardigan and a pair of long johns under your kit. I made mine three sizes too big for exactly that reason. I'll probably have a couple of thermal T shirts and long johns under mine. In the summer, when it's hot and anybody comments on my kit being so baggy, I just tell them they were hand-me-downs.

If your thermal vest shows beneath your dress at the neckline, get a slim length of linen fabric and make a scarf to wrap up with. Back in that period, people would have used common sense and draped whatever they could find around them to keep warm. So long as the material itself was in period. Also, if you have any lengths of blanketing, use them as leg wraps - ankle to knee. You wear them like puttees worn by soldiers in WW1.

Let's not forget that this is NOT a living history weekend, but a bushcraft weekend with a dark age theme. If your kit's not quite right, don't worry. In most cases we can sort out any little anomalies when we all get there.

Don't get stressed out about kit.

Eric

 

[Wayland]

Also don't forget that we will be living in nice dry centrally heated houses ( The fire is in the middle. )

If you do get cold, go and stand by the fire for a bit.

 

[nickg]

On the subject of forging - I have a half metre length of railway line that makes a superb anvil long enough for several people to work on together. It weighs a ton and isnt very period but i would be happy to bring it along if it would come in useful.
(if there is any gas cutting kit nearby id be happy to cut it into manageable pieces if anybody wants a bit)

cheers
Nick

 

[Eric_Methven]

I've a question for Gary. Carrying all my kit (and Cameron's) on my back doesn't leave much option for two sleeping mats as well. However, I do have a couple of paliases. Is there anywhere on site where I could 'borrow' some straw?

Eric

 

[Wayland]

There's usually some staw around but I don't know how dry it will be.

I usually have a couple of spare kip mats in the back of my van you could use.