Well, I got my arm twisted into going to the barony event this weekend... trouble is, it's still pretty cool weatehr overall, and all my warm woolies have disappeared into the mists of interstate moving. So I'm takign some inspiration from the lovely ladies of MedCos and making an Elizabethan surcoat - call it ropa or loose gown, it's a loose, warm garment so's I don't freeze! It's also an addition to the Elizabethan outfit I'm slowly working on... a little out of order for skin out, but hey, I need it.
The lovely lady to the left shows the sort of garment I'm making, although my sleeves will be shorter, more in the English or German mode. I will, however, be using fur!! A group of friends got me a whole passle of bunny furs a few years ago, and I'm going to break into them to line at least a portion of this gown. I'm planning to line the collar and I hope a portion of the opening at this point, hoping to further line later. I'd also like to have a little fur showing at the edges of my sleeves, but I think I'll have to forgo that at this point due to time constraints.
I hope to post some pics soon of how the construction goes, as I use cartridge pleats for the first time, as well as the period technique of joining finished rather than raw edges at the seams - well, some of them.
Meanwhile, my fingers hurt, my back hurts, and my brain hurts from sewing all day!