I can't really remember where this idea came from, but I had it just before Halloween last year.
Halloween 2022 was a bit disappointing for me regarding my costumes. As proud as I am of Lamia it isn't spooky enough for Halloween, and my actual intended costume of an ancient Greek oracle was also lacking in October creepy vibes. This gave me the realisation that my Halloween costumes have to be scary/creepy/spooky for me to be happy.
This is possibly my most HA Halloween costume. It's made of natural fibres (100% wool) and from patterns based on surviving examples from Norse/Viking burials. No idea why I steered into it. Perhaps because it was a new era? Maybe because a part of me always feels weird making fantasy style costumes because it feels like they'll never really get worn as much as my historical ones? It certainly would've been cheaper to make it more fantasy (wool is expensive).
I also decided on the coat pattern rather than the typical "apron dress" option. Not throwing shade on the apron dress, but I'm rather bored of seeing it whenever someone makes something Norse/Viking. Although I am a bit disappointed I never got to buy a pair of reproduction turtle brooches.
Speaking of which, I did get to buy a reproduction brooch that I used to close the kirtle (it's not called that but I'm not really sure what the accepted term is for it?) from Asgard, which is a Scotland based Norse/Viking reproduction jewellery company, so I felt particularly patriotic (and I'm still eying those turtle brooches, apron dress be damned).
I had a massively irritating time with the coat clasp. It was probably last year when I was really into planning for this costume that I came across a cool looking cloak clasp from a UK reenactment trader that does everything from camping equipment to period shoes. I got it in bronze/gold. I managed to keep it safe when I moved house, but when I moved back 6 months later, it got lost. A few weeks before the shoot I had to frantically re-order, only this time they only had silver/pewter. This worked out well because all of my other accessories are pewter/silver, I think the gold would've looked a bit strange. But what do you know, a few days before the shoot, I find the box where it's been hiding. I'm sure I'll find another use for it, but it was mighty frustrating sewing on the silver one knowing I'd probably find the gold one at the last minute.
I bought the tablet woven belt and the earrings (which are gorgeous, it's a shame I didn't get better pictures) from UK sellers on Etsy.
The face paint turned out to be a small nightmare. It got on everything. It's on the white side of my wig, the necline of my kirtle, and serk/shift neckline. Thankfully it's water-based, so it washes right off, but my God, you should've seen my hands.
The making of...
I used patterns for this project, because apparently I only pattern 18th & 19th century when it's more difficult.
I purposely made the sleeves shorter on the coat (they are patterned to be wrist length) because I just prefer that look.
I had a bit of a nightmare when it came to the coat fabric. I had this eye-wateringly expensive maroon wool doeskin, which I'd purposely bought for this project. But when I received it I thought it was too thin for a coat (this turned out to be the peak of irony because the green herringbone wool I eventually went with is even thinner). I also kind of wanted another kirtle in this style that I could use for later medieval costumes (Norman/Angevin, or 11th-13th century).
I used the maroon wool for another kirtle, and ordered many samples of wool from one of my favourite Yorkshire based fabric shops. I went with the gorgeous Kingfisher/grey Herringbone wool and I really wasn't that big of a fan, I went though days of loathing myself for using the maroon wool because I thought it made the better pairing. But when I made up the coat (somewhat begrudgingly) I actually came around, and after the photo shoot and seeing it altogether, I think it fit better being cool colours and Norse Hel being freezing.
I also ended up making a shift/serk(?) out of linen from the pattern in the Medieval Tailor's Assistant book, but altered the neckling to be an earlier style. I don't think I made it wide enough but it's not like anyone's going to see it.
