1560's Venetian dress for Heli
This dress was featured in the Italian Showcase at the Realm of Venus in mid-July, 2006.
Camicia: here, just a false frontpiece of mid-weight linen gathered with elastic and edged with machine-made lace that I cut a bit nicer. Full camicia to be made later.
Dress: Cotton-poly brocade in cream and plum-burgundy (original cream&red dyed over... and un-dyed... and re-dyed...). Bodice interlined with heavy linen-mix and lined with old-rose linen, boned at front (6 bones), side seams, and back (2 bones). Loops for ladder lacing made with two rows of ribbons a la Jen Thompson. Front and armholes edged with burgundy velvet and gold-and-burgundy gimp, neckline with just gold gimp. Skirt is 4m wide, hemmed with a guard of burgundy velvet, double-knife-pleated to the bodice. There is only one seam, at the back, as the pattern was woven sideways and so it was cut that way, too. Sleeves resemble those in Dangerous Beauty: strips of burgundy velvet lined with burgundy cotton and hanging sleeves of burgundy satin, embellished with old-gold braid over silver ribbon and fastened to gold buttons at shoulder with ribbons and loops made of gold gimp and silver ribbon. Another pair of sleeves, long and fitted with slashed shoulders, to be made later. Picture by Sampo Niskanen. Here you can see how the pattern looks at the back of the bodice.

1480's Florentine dress for Salla
This dress was featured in the Italian Showcase at the Realm of Venus in August, 2006.
Camicia: very thin cotton-poly mix, basic square-necked T-shape with gussets, thread-gathered neckline, machine-made lace at wrists (prob. will have narrow lace as a gathering strip at neckline).
Underdress (gamurra/cotta): reversible. One side brownish-red linen (dyed in the washing machine), one side light green cotton-viscose mix satin with wide guards of muted green geometric jacquard at neckline and front opening. Bodice interlined with heavy uncoloured linen, some boning at centre front and side seams, natural waistline. Skirt (ab. 3m wide) (deep-)knife-pleated. Sleeves reversible - brownish-red linen and muted green jacquard two-piece sleeves attached with velvet ribbons in same colours, loops for buttons (to come), braid loops for lower sleeve tightening. Metal loops for front lacing.
Giornea: red acetate (I know - but it was so pretty and we were on a budget!) jacquard with delicate flowered-vine pattern. Open at front and sides, very simple wedge-shaped pieces (back is one width of fabric). Here worn with belt over front, but could be worn with belt all over, pinned at front or pinned at sides. Machine-finished, but I hope to do something about that in the future. Also planning on a pair of sleeves from this fabric, lined with something more comfortable. Picture by Tutta Kesti

Gothic Fitted Gown (14th cen.) for Auri
Thai silk from Singapore that I dyed in the washing-machine, because I was desperate to get an even colour (the first dye job, on somewhat heavier silk gabardine, didn't work out). The silk's texture changed a little and became slightly crepe-like, but the colour did come out even, if lighter than I had tried for (it's not quite as pink in natural light). The body is lined with lightweight linen, the skirt with lining sateen.
I fitted the linen lining by draping it on the body, keeping in mind that the dress was meant for a mundane party and therefore some concessions were made to mundane ideas of how a dress drapes (ie. it's not as tight as I would make it for re-enactment use, and it laces up the back). Auri is a perfect hourglass in shape, so it was something of a challenge, but as luck would have it, it turned out okay. I used the method with the curved front seam, though even there most of the curve happens at the side seams. There are gores at front, back, and sides. I attached the lining to the silk with a bag seam at the neckline and back opening and also stitched the seam allowances at the armholes together; the skirt part is hemmed separate from the overskirt. The lacing's through eyelets, because I didn't have time to make the holes by hand, but even the eyelets cooperated (which they don't always do!). Auri made her own hat according to instructions from Cynthia Virtue's pages.

GFD in Greenland-style Pattern for Lin
Felted wool in dark plum, not lined because of the thickness of the fabric. The edges are handsewn in wool thread (unseen seams are machine-sewn). Buttons are handmade, with a wool bead inside (next time I'll know to turn the extra fabric inside the button instead of trying to shape it into a shank!).
This was my first attempt at a Gothic Fitted Gown, and it wasn't completely successful. I patterned the gown according to instructions on how to modify the Herjolfsnes-style gowns into a tight fit, so it has side gores that go up to the armhole (and front and back gores as well). However, I made the front and back pieces too wide and therefore had to tighten it at those numerous side seams - and lost most of the benefit of added shaping from them. As you can see, there are wrinkles at the sides, and the neckline could be wider and a little less low (it makes Lin's waist look needlessly short). Still, I'm happy with the skirts and the sleeve fit, and the curve at the lower back turned out rather nicely, too. Picture by Katri Asikainen.

Late-medieval-ish dress for Anni
Cotton-poly mix jacquard in cream and geometric brocade in burgundy-and-yellow, all scrap finds. Fitted at the side and back seams (and it does fit her when she isn't doing that unusual slouch), back lacing through metal grommets. Fitted upper sleeve. Lower sleeve not lined, because the wrong side of the fabric is nice, too, but I should have covered the seam better. There are four narrow gores of the sleeve fabric in the skirt (which is a little wider than appears here). The contrasting strips of different brocade at neckline and upper arm are waiting for pearling. Also, the bodice definitely needs a lining for comfort. Picture by Nino Hynninen

14th-15th-century coat for Aarne
Raspberry velvet and raspberry-and-yellow brocade in contrasting strips, edged with dark-brown fake fur. At shoulder, brocade strips are sewn under, and I had hoped that this effect would work for the whole gown, but that would have required more velvet than I had to work with. Sleeves are simple widening tubes, velvet lined with brocade. Picture by Mika-Matti Karikko. Here's another picture, from the front this time, also by Mikis.

Generic medieval overtunic, bought and worn by Jukka
Loose T-shape that widens slightly towards hem. Silk noil ("raw" silk) that was originally fuchsia pink, dyed burgundy in the washing machine (gentle wash, worked out okay). Edged with pale gold brocade with a small pattern of diamonds and with black-and-gold patterned trim (the pattern is something between Celtic knots and Grecian scrollwork). Picture by Tutta Kesti

Viking/medieval wool tunic and half-cloak for Atte
Tunic: mustard-coloured thin, coarse wool dyed forest green in the washing-machine (which also softened it). Cut with separate sleeves, keyhole neckline, body widens towards hem. Store-brought trim that resembled simple tablet-woven band. Meant to be worn with a detachable brooch at neckline.
Cloak: 2,2m of quilt wool found second-hand, dyed in the washing machine (twice, if memory serves) a rich purplish grey and cut into a half-circle, edged with wide button stitches in red wool. Viking cloak-brooch of twisted iron from Foteviken's Viking market. Picture by Mika-Matti Karikko

"Pirate" surcoat and linen shirt for Ari
Rather loose (should tighten the fit), wide-hemmed knee-length sleeveless coat for use in generic renaissance-style fantasy larps. Double-sided: blue cotton satin and heavy red cotton broadcloth, edged with leaf-green velvet and trimmed with silver gimp (on blue side) and 1cm wide black-red-yellow patterned trim (on red side). Attached with silver-coloured decorative hooks-and-eyes on the blue side (should add cord ties for red side).
Shirt: dark cream herringbone linen mix, strings at neck and wrists (except he's wearing the sleeves un-stringed). Later widened at sleeves (though not wrists) and body. Pictures by Mika-Matti Karikko, Sampo Niskanen. Here's a closer look where you can see the trim better.

Late-medieval doublet and surcoat for Topsu, worn by Jukka
The surcoat was made years ago, when I still didn't know much. It is pale-blue cotton velvet edged with white fake fur and machine-hemmed with silver thread. All the shaping is done by the sewn-down pleats; it should be much more voluminous and requires a belt.
The doublet is pale blue and cream polyester brocade edged with silver braid and tied with silver ribbons. The body is lined with white cotton. The big leg-of-mutton sleeves (which unfortunately don't show here) are knife-pleated from the top down, and the pleats have a thin but hard padding strip inside. All visible seams are handstitched. (Unfortunately, I have to take it apart at the side and shoulder seams and add some width, as well as three inches of length to the sleeves; haven't decided how to best accomplish the latter yet.) Picture by Nino.

A Quick pseudo-Roman tunic for Tommi
I made this knee-length tunic with elbow-length sleeves and a square neckline out of two meters of lovely, high-quality silk noil for my cousin in an hour and a half. He phoned me on the day of the game and asked if I had anything he could borrow for his character, who was the god-king of the Roman-flavoured fantasy country featured in the game. I said no, but I could make something, and that time it really was so quick! The black-and-gold trim has the "running dog" pattern well suited for the period feel. All accessories are his own. Picture by the GMs of the game.

Three Fareastern jackets for "T'ien Ming"