Garb for the Lady

The Chamise- 1)This piece I purchased at the Ren. Fest my first year. This is a great starter piece. It is amazing how such a flowing piece and make you feel so beautiful. This is a full gown. They can be pricey, but to me, worth it.

2&3) This is a black chamise like top. It does not cover the belly, and is a bit see through. To help with this I used a skin color strapless.

The Skirt- 1&2)I made this one using a pattern from Simplicity #5582 . This was not hard at all, keep in mind you may want to allow a little extra length. I ended up adding to mine to get the length long enough. Also I used elastic at the waiste, although not timley, an ease of modern life.

3) This is a brown skirt that I found at Wal-Mart of all places. It is cotton, flowing, and works great for faire and daily life too. I also had purchased a belly dancing skirt piece to go over it with coins. That I purchased at faire.

The Bodice- 1&2) I love my Bodice. This I ordered off E-bay. This is a wonderful way to get the Bodice at a resionable price. It is hard to make one, and with the right measurments, easy to order. Just make sure, if wanting to appear wenchy, to subtract a couple inches from your bust measurments.

3) This bodice like vest I made. I took an old shirt and cut out a pattern to make it look how I wanted, added seam allounce, and cut it out of newspaper. I then went and bought a tapestry material in the normal fabric part. You will not need to much, this is a small piece. In the front my dear hubby helped me punch grommets, and then I use ribbon to lace up. The grommet puncher we found at Wal-Mart and was very reasonable.

The Belt- 1,2 &3)Every Lady needs a belt to carry her many treasures. I have two, one that is black rope ( I attatch things to this one), and one with bells. The one with bells I purchased at the Faire this year. The rope one, I simply purchased some roping and tied it around me.

What Treasures? - I have a couple small pouhes, one made by a friend, another i purchased at a local craft shop. I keep little stones, mystical items, in my little bag?? What will your treasures be? You will also need something pratical, yet dated, to carry items you may need. I made a shoulder bag with material left over from the cloak. I also carry my mug, my wonderful leather mug.

The Cloak- For this I used pattern #5794 Simplicity . I will say, this is a big undertaking, and for the faint at heart, purchase one. Either way, you will invest quite a bit in the cloak. They will have frogs (clasps) the the craft store, and many at the Festival. Remember that many Festivals are chilly, a good cloak can be quite handy.

Jewlery- pick it up hear and there, the more the better!!

The Head Piece- 1)I was very blessed to have a wonderful family create mine. It is very uniqe, and easily one of my favorite pieces.
2 & 3)none

Note: I should have had something in both the other pics on my head. One thing that is very popular at faire are hair pieces that are made of yarn. They can be pricey at faire, but are easy to make. The yarn itself is not cheap. I got scraps from those I know that knit, and made about two foot lengths. I then tie them in the middle onto a hair rubber band. Wa La! And it looks great!