Kyrtle done...maybe

I decided to make a "practice" kyrtle to get myself ready for the real one.  I kept looking through my bins of fabric and kept coming back to my linen/wool blend I had put aside to make my first bliaut.  It just didn't want to be a dress.  So, when I started putting trim to fabric, it was the perfect choice to match the wool trim I had gotten at Calontir Trims when I was at Gulf Wars.  Thus it was decided...

I also had a very BIG BOON at Hancock's on 33rd St. here in Salt Lake.  I had gone in a couple of weeks ago to buy felt for some projects I want to do for the Kingdom Barony's.  I wander over to the embroidery thread because I can use cotton on the projects and I notice that this store has a DMC Linen Embroidery Thread display, but very few skeins left.  I file it away in the back of my mind. 

I go to start making the kyrtle and realize the one skein of linen thread I have that truly matches the fabric will probably be all used up.  So instead of going with the wool thread (no clue how that will shrink) I remember "Ohhh I think Hancock's had some of this color or at least close to this color left on that display".  So the next morning I head over.  I find they have ONE skein in the same color and quite a few in "almost" the same color so I grab 4.  I head up to the cashier and the skeins ring up for ONE PENNY each!  The girl looks at me and says "Wow, that's a hell of a deal" and I tell her to wait one second.  I run...yes RUN back to the display, scoop up ALL the rest of the thread and run back to the cash register.  I end up with 68 skeins of Linen thread for $.068 cents.  That's HALF the price of one skein! 

Of course I call various people out of my area and tell them to check their Hancock's as I drive to the other one right by my house.  Of course it doesn't have ANY (although it did have 5 rayon skeins that were priced at a penny so I got those).  I even checked online and damn no luck.  I guess Hancock's is going with a different brand of embroidery thread and they were closing out the DMC line.  Shopping Karma at its best.

Anyway, I get back and start sewing my new kyrtle, in hopes of having it ready for Crown.  I end up finishing it at 1:00am Friday nite as I sit in my hotel room in Pocatello waiting to be able to go to sleep.  I hang up my new Kyrtle and feel satisfied, but as I look at it hanging there, I realize it looks sort of plain along the bottom.  So, I do what any exhausted Squire would do, I take it back down, climb back into bed, turn on "Top Gun" and sew trim all across the bottom.  An hour & a half later (2:30am) I finally finish and fall quickly asleep before I decide there's something more to do.

I wore it to feast at Crown with my white linen under shirt and it was plenty comfy.  I do need to adjust my measurement book for my wrist size, I seem to always make them too big.  I did a blanket stitch around the collar & the cuffs and it turned out very nice.  I am so pleased I am still considering making this my ACC submission kyrtle, however, the flat felled seams in the gussets under my arms are still bothering me.  So upon the suggestion of Varia and Aelia Sophia I will leave the kyrtle til last & if I have time to make the herringbone kyrtle I will.  If not, I have a perfectly fine, hand sewn kyrtle that will do nicely.  My holdout on the herringbone is matching the patterns, because...well...I'm OCD like that! 

In other news, while I was digging through my bins for linen to make a new tunic I want to gift someone in a couple of weeks, I found a really nice piece of gray herringbone wool I had forgotten about.  Its not a large enough piece to do much with but I realized it would make a PERFECT wool wrap for when I need a light cloak.  So last night while I was watching Castle, I backed it with black linen and hand sewed the edges with some of the thicker linen thread that I found at the Needlepoint Joint.  I had originally thought I could split the threads but it didn't work out that way, so the wrap turned out to be the perfect use for the thicker weight.  Tonight I will blanket stitch the edges with some great wool yarn I have so it will lay correctly. 

Then I will knock out the tunic before I start on the braies hardcore.  I want to get the gift done because this person has really stepped up to the plate in helping with an event & I can give it to him in person later this month if its done.  Otherwise I'd end up mailing it and that's kinda boring lol.  Lets hope my guesstimating his sizes works...

I will post some photos of the "practice" kyrtle later tonight when I get home.  I did take documentation photos just in case thankfully lol...

Rogue