April 3rd, 2021

inthebook

All wrapped up.



It's so exciting for me that the dust jackets for "the Very Secret Sex Lives of Medieval Women" have been such a success, especially since cancel culture is making some waves at the moment. It's a small thing, but it's important to me to have the uncensored version of the artwork available to anyone who wishes it.

I've spent a very busy morning cutting dust jackets and wrapping them around copies of my book which are destined for my favourite places. When I had them printed, it was more cost effective to have them made larger and cut them down than it was to have a special size made. Every single dust jacket I've wrapped or posted is hand cut by me while I smile to myself about putting my cover on my book the way I wanted it to be.

I'm also really excited to hear that the Abbey Museum gift shop has almost completely sold out of signed copies and are keen to get more in from me. I'm so glad that people are not only supporting their local Australian author, but their local small museum as well.

Thanks so much, everyone.

Sew close to finishing

1348 Romance of the Rose, Paris, folio 10r
1348 Romance of the Rose, Paris, folio 10r

Over the last few days I've been sewing on the pink linen undergown and it's so close to being finished! I'm hoping that today (after I finish off a few odd jobs) I'll be able to get back to it and then it will be done! 

Mother Nature at her forge making babies.
Mother Nature at her forge making babies.

It's based on the 1348 Romance of the Rose, Paris, Folio 10r. There are a number of versions of the Romance of the Rose, but I love the way her gown has room to move at her shoulders and tightens at the lover sleeves. It's a style we see a lot in early 14th century art.

As mine is an undergown, I won't be adding buttons to the sleeves, as the garments on top will have the buttoned sleeves. In both of the pictures here, the lower part of the dress/kirtle/gown is reasonably full, and I'm still undecided whether I'll add further gores for fullness on mine. These images are top or middle layers, so I'd expect they would have more fullness than layers underneath.

I really need to get back to finishing a whole heap of other projects too. 

Things that won't be needed for the tent for this year but are 7/8th finished (roses bed hangings, I'm looking at you), linen chemise repair (really a ten minute job at best), hood embroidery (been working on it sporadically for years and I need to just finish it already!) and I need to sew a sleeve for a ridge pole which may or may not fix a few issues with my tent (the one that I made myself with the slightly droopy roof which doesn't do as well as I'd like in the rain because of... you guessed it... the slight droop.)

Sometimes I get so excited with new projects, I completely don't finish old ones because they aren't needed right away. 

I seriously need to stop doing that.