~WastedWeeds~

An now for something a little different...some fantasy-esque silliness.

This project all started because of the stupidest (read: best, most glorious!) hat I'd ever seen.

Back in 2023, I found this felted wool hat on Esty from the Polish maker FeltYourself...

...and I absolutely had to have it.  

I mean look at it! How could I resist?

I didn't yet know what it was going to be, but I knew it had to be something.

Obviously, the hat is giving strong gnome-vibes. So I started by developing a colour palette based on some wool swatches from DorrMill, just to see what spoke to me.

I wanted the red hat to be the standout, so I mainly focused on complimentary shades of green, with a somewhat analogous burgundy as a transition shade.

From there, I drew a couple of quick sketches comprising of green dress, lighter green sleeves, and a burgundy capelet.

Unsurprisingly, the overall silhouette is still strongly rooted in the 16th century. 

I had recently finished my red and blue kirtles, and you know what they say: "To a woman with a hammer every problem looks like a kirtle."

Or something like that...

The only real difference is that I planned to significantly shorten the skirt to achieve that vague-Hobbit-y aesthetic.

As I continued to play with the idea of incorporating more accessories, I realized the design was starting to look a little familiar... 

It immediately put me in mind of 1976's "Gnomes", by Wil Huygen (illustrated by Rien Poortvliet), and the follow-up "Secrets of Gnomes" (1982), both of which I had as a child.

So I thought about leaning even more into the folk-costume element, and even picked up a vintage embroidered apron...

But then I worried that I was over-egging the pudding a bit, so instead I opted for more pared-back design, with just a satchel and tablet woven belt.

So with a rough design in place, I began to sources accessories and other supplies.

First the fabric: wool flannel from DorrMill.

I picked up and mottled red with green as well...I'm not sure what it will be yet, but it seemed to good a match to pass up.

Next: accessories:

I already had a key element of my sketch, which were a pair of knit fingerless gloves in cream and green (made for me by my college roommate, many many moons ago)

Next, shoes!

To compliment the pointy hat,  I opted for American Duchess' Hartfield Regency boots in brown (though I wish they still stocked the red versions!).

However, I worried that these boots wouldn't hold up to rougher outdoor-wear, so I also sourced a pair of vintage leather boots on Ebay.

Now, on to the satchel.

This was a bit trickier...

I definitely wanted a vintage leather bag; something with a bit of age and weathering. I also wanted it to be tooled, or have some sort of surface decoration.

I searched for vintage 70s bags on both Etsy and Ebay, and eventually came up with two good options.

Next, the belt.

I knew I wanted a tablet woven wool belt in shades of greens or reds, and found some truly lovely options (again on Etsy) by MazuBaltai.

I also picked up a similar band in shades of burgundy and rust to trim to capelet. 

(all the braids all 15mm wide)

Though part of my initial sketch, I did also find a pair of knit wool leg-warmers, which I thought added nicely to the aesthetic.

And finally, a Sweet Gum Wood walking stick from KentuckyNaturally on Etsy.

Since this project was conceived around the accessories, the actual construction was almost the last thing to be completed.

I didn't document the process at all, since it follows the same method as my red and blue kirtles, so here is a quick rundown of the finished kit.

The kirtle is front closing with spiral lacing. The skirt lies flat through the front and is pleated in the back.

The skirt is heavily shaped, with pieced panels and has a wide 4" hem.

I had originally intended to add short sleeves to the kirtle (onto which I would pin the 3/4 length oversleeves).

But instead I decided on full length sleeves that would attach with a hook and eye (using the same sleeve pattern as my Aertsen inspired outfit)

I also decided to make extra sleeves in the same forrest-green wool as the kirtle, well as a pair with a faint houndstooth pattern (over-dyed in moss green); because why not?

And finally, the rust / burgundy capelet, trimmed with wool braid. It's lined in linen and closes with a single hook and eye at the collar.

And with that the Gnome outfit is complete!

But it has been basically sitting on the shelf for the last 3 years.

Because here's the thing...it's REALLY warm. 

The hat alone retains way too much heat to wear during Southern California summers.

So for the last few seasons it's been re-styled as a classic 16th-century kirtle...

...and has actually become my go-to Faire outfit for the last 3 years.

But last year we actually had a very cold, grey and rainy Faire-weekend, and the Gnome was finally able to make its debut!

It was a ridiculously fun to wear something a bit silly, and the outfit was perfect for a cold day in the rain.

There are however, a few things that I would like to change: the sleeves are a bit long, as is the capelet. I think I could easily lose an inch and a half of of each...though that would mean tearing out a lot of trim, so realistically it will probably never happen.

I had also pressed the front lappets of the hat because they had gotten a bit crushed in the post, but I think I'd like to get their curls back in for next time.

So that's it! The Gnome is done!

I had actually planned on waiting to post this until I was able to get my usual set of photos done against the backdrop and with a proper camera...but since it's been more than a year and I still haven't found the time to get through the backlog of other projects I need to photograph, I figured I might as well post what I have.

So look for more Gnome in the future! Hopefully it won't be another 3 years before I get to wear it again...

***