Spoken Into Being

My Medieval and Viking Garb

There is a particular pleasure in putting on something that was made for a body... cut for it, fitted to it, sewn by a hand that considered where the seam would fall. It is different from pulling on a garment that was made for no one in particular, and most people who have experienced both know the difference the moment the cloth settles.

I make Viking Age hats , Medieval coifs, tunics, hoods, handbags, and am expanding into Thorsbjerg pants. The cloth I choose is honest... linen, wool, and some cotton...  materials that have clothed people through hard winters and long festivals. I sew by both hand and machine, and I take my time about it.

The embroidery is perhaps inevitable... a good piece of cloth has never once tempted me to leave it plain. I work across a range of historical traditions Viking, Celtic, Sámi, medieval, Anglo-Saxon... and also what I can only call Folkwitch; old Slavic and Scandinavian motifs pulled toward the magical and the thornwise. If you would like something particular... a Viking knot, an herb you love, a symbol you keep close, a creature that finds you in the quiet hours... tell me, and I will find a way to put it in thread, on a garment of your choosing.

Pricing is straightforward: the cost of good materials and the cost of my time, taken at the minimum wage of this region. You are paying for cloth, thread, needle, and the many hours a piece like this requires. No mystery to it.

If you would like something made for you, I am glad to hear what you are looking for.