Project planning

[gurdymonkey]

The rust linen cotehardie is slowly coming together - slowly because I enjoy the handsewing bit in front of the TV.

It occurred to me that if I make a kosode out of the striped linen, it's going to look something like this:

Which would be OK, but then I started thinking. What if I overdye it? Specifically, I'm thinking of overdying the top section from shoulder to sleeve bottom, and the bottom from about the knee to hem. I think it would produce a very cool effect. Must mull and research what dyes work well on linen....

Comments

[callistotoni.livejournal.com]

I think your overdying idea would be cool. :-)

BTW: I read your kosode article on your website. I was very intrigued -- could be a good outfit for Pennsic. So, it's 2 layers minimum, right? Like, say, a white linen under kosode and some sort of decorative outer one? And I take it the inner kosode's sleeve would be a bit smaller than the outside ones to fit?

Apologies for hijacking your post.

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

I don't know if you've seen what I do in hot weather - I wear a kosode with the outer one wrapped around my waist and I can fake an additional "undergarment" layer with a false collar that pins in place. That's what I was wearing at A&S last year when it hit 104. Come to think of I was in Japanese at the A&S the year before at Coyote Lake when it was equally miserable.

I make my sleeves the same size, or as close to it as doesn't matter. They nest just fine.

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

Red. I think it needs to be red, judging from the frequency with which I see reds in both extant garments and paintings of 16th century dress.

What I would like to be able to do is create a gradient effect - darkest at the shoulder and hem, then going very pale as it meets the undyed section. I was looking at some material on Procion Fiber Reactive Dyes last night and the instructions tell you exactly what proportions to mix for saturations from pale to dark.

[gcmadtown81.livejournal.com]

Ok, that totally changes what I was picturing earlier. Here I thought the stripes would run perpendicular to what the pic shows. Then the dying would have a bled effect to it. Though with this I could see stopping the dye at a hard line, which would be equally beautiful. However.... (must not make fundament joke, must not make fundament joke...) Damn...sorry. :o)

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

You're just jealous because I am going to look so good in it. ;D

Shoulder-and-hem decorative effects are very Japanese and very period. So there, nyah.