Merry meet all,
I am proud to have completed the Crystal Lake Publishing’s Author’s Journey novella writing workshop! I did write the 30k. I thought I could not do it but I learned something new about myself. I can do it and I have to trust in myself more. The story needs a severe edit, of course.
I have been working hard on my green Viking dress. I will post more about that when it is finished! It will look great. I hope the green ribbon I ordered from Etsy arrives in the mail soon. I want to use that for a belt. I also bought dark green fabric which I want to use to make a belt but braid the fabric first. I am almost done. I added a lovely Celtic jacquard trim to the sleeves and the neckline. The trim enhances the dress and matches the green linen too. The linen is from Latvia so I will not waste it.
I have to sew the dress bodice to the skirt. I want to fix the puckered sleeve cap and then sew in the zipper then I have to hem the skirt. I want to add a band of fabric to the hem. I just have to decide what I will add. I wish I could buy a dark green that matches the color of the linen. Then after finishing the dress, I want to add accessories besides the belts. I want to add a small black or brown leather bag to hold witchy items like tarot cards or an athame (!), maybe a drinking horn or brooches and beads. I have a blue Celtic apron dress. The nordic word for the apron dress is s m o k k r. I hate autocorrect. I have posted more information on it.
The Nordic word often used for the Viking apron dress is “smokkr“. While other terms like “hangerock” or “trägerrock” have also been used, “smokkr” is believed to be the closest to the original Old Norse term for this garment, according to historical research.
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Smokkr:
This Old Norse word is thought to refer to the garment worn by Viking women, held up by tortoise brooches, and often translated as “smock” or “apron dress”.
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Hangerock:
This term, sometimes spelled “hangerok” or “hängerock”, was introduced by a German archaeologist and is not a Viking-age term. It can be misleading as it is also used for dungarees or overalls in German.
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Trägerrock:
Similar to “hangerock”, this German term is also not an original Viking-age word.
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Apron dress:
This is the English term commonly used to describe the garment, and it accurately reflects the style of the dress, which often features straps or brooches at the shoulders and an apron-like front and back.
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Terminology: The So-Called ‘Viking’ Apron DressJan 19, 2012 — Ewing believes that “smokkr” does not mean “smock”, as the word has usually been translated into EnglishHere is a photo of the Viking dress so far!
Viking Dress
I used a paper pattern I downloaded from Etsy. That was my first time using a downloaded pattern. It was hell to figure out how to put the pattern pieces together and then it was another headache to figure out how to cut the pattern. Mercifully, I had help. I wish the skirt had a center back seam but it does not. The bodice has a high waist. I have to make an adjustment for that. I am glad that I own a dress form. That makes sewing much easier. I will add belt lopps on the sides of the dress to hold the belt trim and the braided belt. I can’t wait to see how this will look. I promise to post photos when it is done.
It was another real headache to adjust the pattern of the bodice to fit me. I could not afford to waste the fabric since I bought it from Etsy. I had to cut out the pattern of the bodice three times before it fit me correctly. I have saved the leftover fabric material. I tried adding a brooch to the center neckline of the bodice but when I tried the dress on, the fabric was too tight. I want to buy the brooches .
The skirt of the dress is gathered to fit the waist. I needed to figure out how much fabric would be gathered in. This pattern is a real headache but I just know it will look beautiful. I think it looks great with my blue apron dress.
I am so proud that my book was included in the BookTok indie author awards. I do not know how they found my book but I am proud of that. I hope I win. That would be great. I also entered my story in the Writers Digest annual self-published book awards. There will be tough competition, but nothing I can’t handle. I hope I win that too.
I am settling in at my Mom’s apartment. It is a challenge living with someone else after I have lived alone for years. It has its challenges. My cat Penny is happy here. She is in heaven- she loves to be on the deck.
I want my own space so badly. We shall see. I hope that happens sooner rather than later. I miss having my own independence. Ok oh wow there is a nice review of my book The Cult of the Spider People: Bone Chillers #1. That makes me so happy – that someone enjoyed it. That is why I write. I am very proud of that too.
I have joined the Paranormal Daily Review. I will write something for them. I want to start with the Halifax Explosion. It is nice to have some positives after the rough time I went through.
They have a podcast too, Deadly Departed. The paranormal is my life.
Update on the green Viking dress:
I fixed the second sleeve and sewed the sleeve to the dress.
I have purchased two gold brooches for tha blue apron dress. They look beautiful and have a dragon theme. I have finished the gold and green trim on the green dress. I had a big problem with the center back seam of the green dress. I had added more fabric to the dress because I thought that would help me fit in the dress better. I was wrong. The center back seam was off and needed to be corrected. I thought I needed more fabric vertically in the back of the dress. All the extra fabric is now removed from the dress. The bodice now meets the lower gathered skirt section evenly. It turns out I did not need extra fabric. The back of the dress is aligned correctly and the center back seam is now being sewn. The edges of the center back seam were also woefully uneven which is now corrected. I can’t wait to sew on the belt loops I made. I sewed a belt. The belt is composed of a rectangular section of fabric. On that, I braided two to three strips of fabric and adhered it to the rectangle section. Then I sewed the green trim to each end of the main belt section. I have measured the trims and they are even in length. I can’t wait to get to hem the skirt. I am so close to finished!
Blessed be, Spiderwitch
