A message from Evil Kirsten.

[kellan_the_tabby]

So I just got off of the phone with Evil Kirsten of Fabric Dragon, who finally got in the linen thread I've been waiting for. She's asked me to spread the word about three things:

1) The lady who runns Henna Dancer will be at Kirsten's store all day Memorial Day, doing henna on people and drums;

2) If you want linen thread from her, let her know soon, since she's already running out again; and

3) If you have ordered from her or called her or anything and think she has your phone number, she probably doesn't; her old phone died. Her number is still the same, but the memory on the old one is shot and that's where she had all the phone numbers stored.

Comments

[chargirlgenius.livejournal.com]

That reminds me, I need to create a backup list of phone numbers...

[kellan_the_tabby]

*grins* True wisdom is learning from others' mistakes...

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

The thread I most likely need is wool, but what I need first is advice on how best to keep the unhemmed wool bottom edge of my pelicloak from fraying (any further), whether that involves using thread or not.

[kellan_the_tabby]

I'd say hem it, personally, but that's me. I know some people swear by either fraycheck or just plain glue.

Either linen or wool thread would work fine, if hemming's what you pick.

And I can show you how to handsew. :)

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

Potential problem with hemming is keeping the wool outer layer longer than the silk lining, preferably without RE-hemming the silk. But I don't know know how much of a problem that is (cloak is at home, I'm not).

If I try for a non-hem solution, there's GOT to be a more elegant way than fraycheck or glue. Trying to full/felt the edge comes to mind, but that might be way more complicated than my first guess makes it out to be.

[chargirlgenius.livejournal.com]

You could put a fur edging around it?

I'm not sure how you'd felt it after the fact, without running into trouble. Felting/fulling shrinks the fabric, and you don't really want to shrink your hem, and not the rest of the garment.

Linen, wool, or silk thread would work fine. How much shorter is the silk lining? You don't need a very wide hem.

(sounds pretty!)

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

Oops, I think I've hijacked this post by accident...

You could put a fur edging around it?

Not fur please. Cleaning this durn thing is complicated enough that I don't want anything near the ground that collects dust/mud like fur would. Especially if we get another Pennsic like last year (all deities forfend!!!). A plain wool edging might work if hemming won't.

Felting/fulling shrinks the fabric, and you don't really want to shrink your hem, and not the rest of the garment.

See, I thought it would be more complicated!

Linen, wool, or silk thread would work fine.

As Evil Kirsten points out, on wool you want to use wool thread if you can, or otherwise silk, or some other protein-based material. Linen is cellulose based and is less good on wool. (I have been known to geek out at the White Wolf and Phoenix booth, discussing the materials science of fabrics with customers *Megan's eyes glaze over*...)

How much shorter is the silk lining?

Cloak is at home, I'm not.

(sounds pretty!)

If you were at Ponte Alto Investiture in 2004, or Pennsic or Atlantian 12th Night in the past year, you may have seen it. Glaring red wool, with this bright white pelican screaming "TARGET! SHOOT HERE!" on the back. (But it really is nice work; Roswitha did a wondrous job.) I have pictures from the day I got my Pelican (and the cloak), and some day I'll get off my tush and post them to a website.

[kellan_the_tabby]

Adding a wool edging would look really cool, actually. But a hem, if that's doable, would be a lot easier.

But wow, is the thought of fur tempting...we could always get you another cloak for muddy weather...

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

I've got this fabric, probably linen/wool in some ratio, which I grabbed specifically because it was the color of Pennsic dust.

Thing is, Herveus charged me with wearing the Pelicloak at Pennsic. And cold/wet/muddy weather is precisely when I would *want* to wear it. Will try to remember to measure the length differential between lining and outside when I get home.

[chargirlgenius.livejournal.com]

What you need are pattens, to keep your hem up *out* of the dust and mud. (Ok, they would have had to be 2 feet tall at this Pennsic, and at Coronation...) :-)

Yay! Accessories!

[chargirlgenius.livejournal.com]

Yeah, even hemming both layers would likely be easier than adding a wool edging.

Just had another thougt... Depending on how bad it's fraying, maybe you could do a blanket edge stitch?

This article:
http://www.virtue.to/guest_authors/archaeological_sewing.html
describes some finds with blanket stitch used to finish the raw edges.

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

The thought of blanket-edge-stitch had crossed my mind. Not that I know how to DO one...

the fraying is mostly just starting. The longest fray-thread I see is about 2 inches long, and that's in a spot where the edge of the clock is cut on a 45-degree angle to the weave. Most of the fray threads are under 1/2 inch, maybe even under 1/4 inch.

For the benefit of everyone who's still actually following this conversation, I just measured the Pelicloak. The wool out-hangs the silk lining (which is already hemmed) by roughly 3 inches on average, so hemming is feasible.

[wanderingpixie.livejournal.com]

Edging sounds like it could have some really nifty potential ^_^ (And if it's not too much of a pain in the butt, you could probably just replace it every few years after it's been through too much mud!)

[chargirlgenius.livejournal.com]

As Evil Kirsten points out, on wool you want to use wool thread if you can, or otherwise silk, or some other protein-based material. Linen is cellulose based and is less good on wool. (I have been known to geek out at the White Wolf and Phoenix booth, discussing the materials science of fabrics with customers *Megan's eyes glaze over*...)

I'll have to check MOL, off the top of my head I think linen may have been used in period sometimes. I generally use silk, and I remember reading that wool thread on wool was generally earlier (than late 14th...) or lower class by that time.

I was at 12th Night, but I'm afraid I don't remember. So many new people and things... We were the ones in the fur-trimmed 15th century clothes.

Glaring red wool, with this bright white pelican screaming "TARGET! SHOOT HERE!" on the back.

Hee... isn't that what being a Pelican means??? ;-)

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure linen thread *was* used on wool in period; but from a material-science standpoint it's better to use protein based fiber thread on fabric of similar nature.

> wool thread on wool was generally earlier (than late 14th...)

My persona is from around 1300 (late 13th/early 14th century) FWIW.

>>Glaring red wool, with this bright white pelican screaming "TARGET! SHOOT HERE!" on the back.
>Hee... isn't that what being a Pelican means??? ;-)

(I *so* should not go there...)

The preferred instrument is usually a dagger, not an arrow or bullet.

(So I went there. Sue me. There is a bit of lingering soreness, it's fading over time, but slowly.)

[prelley.livejournal.com]

Hey She was actually in my Wiccan's class bibliography. I knew I knew the name Kristen H* =)