I forgot the most important thing about the sailcloth in yesterday's post... it has been cat-approved, as you can see in the picture!


The cat, of course, had to lie down on it when I placed it on the floor to measure out how much it has shrunk during fulling. Obviously it is acceptable as a catplace. (I'd cuddle into that cloth at any moment, too - it really feels wonderful, thick and warm though sturdy.)

Measurements, by the way, changed from 251 cm in length to 235 after washing to 230 after fulling; width shrunk from 52.5 straight off the loom to 48.5 after washing to 43 after fulling. It was relatively gentle fulling, I could have done more - but my sources say "lightly fulled" only.

Yesterday was, again, a beautiful day, so I went for a walk. For about an hour. In the bathroom.

You probably guessed it - my walk took place in warm water with a little soap and with the piece of sailcloth under my feet. Here are the results - first, the cloth straight off the loom:


and after having been washed once, gently,


which did not make too much of a difference, and finally after fulling by foot:


The comparison pictures are taken from the exact same spot (I stitched a marking angle with red thread into the cloth, you can just discern it in the upper right corner next to the frame thing). It's fascinating how the cloth changes by fulling, and it is not only the optics; it now feels somehow fuller and stronger yet with a soft, fluffy finish at the same time. It has shrunk a little, though not very much, and from my first rough counting it fits exactly in the approximate 5 to 4 threads per cm that it should.

So... whew. Second of three pieces of cloth done and finished, and just as it should be. Now it only needs to be cut into the pieces required by the museum and hemmed - nice work to do while sitting in the sunshine!

Today, a lovely green box came in the post - and inside was the sailcloth textile, fresh off the loom.

Here is a sneak peek at the cloth, in its raw state:


As it's a 2/1 twill, the two sides look differently thanks to the different colours of warp and weft.

The cloth is currently drying after a first wash, and then it will get its picture taken again, and after that... I will put my foot down. And again. And again... until it is slightly fulled.

Though I'll finish the rest of the spinning first, I think!

First of all, here's how the red-and-yellow tulips look today:


They are lovely, and they seem to be really robust - several years ago, a friend brought us ten red-yellow bulbs, ten black ones and ten white ones. There's one small white tulip left from that planting, the black ones have all disappeared by now, but the red-and-yellow ones are going so strong that I even had enough bulbs for a second cluster somewhere else in the garden last year. (I'm a little sad about the white and black ones. I really liked them!)

In other news, I've been busy working on one project which I cannot disclose yet, plus preparing for both the IRM (drawing closer and closer) and the Internationaler Museumstag, taking place on the third Sunday in May (so this year it's May 22). I'll be in Darmstadt on that day, demonstrating really early textile techniques - think neolithic times. This is a bit earlier than my normal focus time, so I'm extra excited and happy to do something different this time around, and have been doing some preparation work for it. (That will include taking a few photographs for the programme and PR, which is on my to-do-list for tomorrow.) Some more prep work is also planned - I'll have to harvest a few samples of plants that were used for these proto-textiles, but this is a task better done nearer to the actual event. Speaking of which - the programme for the day in the Landesmuseum Darmstadt is not online yet, but I've had a sneak peek, and I can tell you that it is chock full of interesting things!

Here are, finally, the long-promised pictures from the last big project - clothing for the newly opened museum at Burg Grünwald, Munich area.

I have not been there yet and have not been able to find photos, but as the museum only re-opened at Easter after extensive work on the castle and a redesign of the exhibition, that is not quite unexpected.

So you are getting the piccies I took before sending off the garments... with kind permission of my (very patient, and very lovely) models.
Let's start close to earth...


Obviously a lady has to wear more than just stockings - here is the red dress with its yellow silk neckband, and the barbe-and-fillet in the Manesse style.


Another closeup of the buttons on the dress. I just like closeups of these guys.
 

And a closeup of the seam fixing the yellow silk of the neck opening decoration. This cost me a lot more nerves than I had anticipated - but it turned out nice in the end!


Here are both models, completely dressed with the exception of the man's overgarment, which was not finished at that time.

And finally, a few more closeups of the man's purple tunic:



... and one of his hood:



There. It did happen. Picture proven.