Gentles, one and all!
Do you need a simple project to teach you how to sew garb? Do you want to learn the basic elements of early Rus clothing, its construction, and its cultural significance? Do you want a new set of simple, but elegant foundational garb?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, we’re excited to inform you of an upcoming series of garb workshops in the Bailiwick of Ivyeinrust taught by Katerina Groznaya. Over the course of four sessions, you will learn to create a full base set of Rus garb for either gender expression.
The full course will be as follows:
1/12 — Rubakha (undershirt) for male or female persona
1/19 — Navershnik (calf-length overdress) for female persona
1/26 – Porty (pants) for male persona
2/2 — Finishing up: Trim, Discussion of head- and footwear, and Questions.
Please find attached to this e-mail a registration form and a full description of the cloth you’ll need to bring. We’ll only have spots for 8 people, so RSVP promptly. We will also be maintaining a waitlist in case of drops. Depending upon enrollment, we will either be meeting at Martyn de Halliwell’s shop or in the West Philadelphia area.
If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me or Katya
We look forward to hearing from you!
Ælfric FitzHugh
— registration form and cloth buying guide —
Registration Form:
Name:________ Mundane Name:_______
E-mail: ______________
What you’ll need:
General fabric notes:
In addition to the omnipresent and much-used linen, the Rus had access to a wide variety of fabrics including cotton from Persia; wool via Byzantium, including wool plaids, which were quite a luxury; silk was primarily the domain of the wealthy, and would only have been of the crepe or raw weave rather than a smoother satin finish; finally brocades from China via Persia were known, but were rare and therefore high status.
What you’ll need for individual projects:
1/12 — Rubakha (undershirt) for male or female persona
Measure from shoulder to hips (for male) or to ankles (for female).
Double measurement and add 1 yard for sleeves.
Cloth choice: Light, solid color of lightweight linen or cotton.
1/19 — Navershnik (calf-length overdress) for female persona
Pick a width of fabric that will account for short sleeves and body (instructor uses 45-48” wide fabric)
Measure from shoulder to under the knee or mid-calf and double.
Cloth choice: Solid colors of heavier weight linen or cotton. Wool is also an option, specifically felted wool rather than woven.
1/26 –Porty (pants) for male persona
Measure from waist to just below the ankle and double.
Cloth choice: Heavy linen or woven wool. Because there is little chance to trim this garment, it could in period be made with stripes or plaids in addition to bold solids.
2/2 — Finishing up: Trim, Discussion of head- and footwear, and Questions.
Necklines, hems, side-seams of garments were trimmed so as to add additional visual interest. Bring a respectable amount of trim for this purpose. Trimming was omni-present and prolific, so don’t worry about bringing too much!
Trim choice: tablet woven and embroidered trim was common, trim that can emulate this aesthetic would be ideal, figurative and black- or red-work trim were also known.
AVOID: Trim with metallic thread.
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