OR HOW TO MAKE A ROMAN COSTUME by Caroline Lawrence, author of The Roman Mysteries Girl fans often ask me 'How can I make myself a toga so I can go to World Book Day dressed as Flavia Gemina or Nubia?' First I set them straight. Only naughty women wore togas. Roman men and boys wore togas, and they heartily disliked them. The toga was essentially a large blanket that had to be draped just so. You needed a slave to help put it on, so by the very act of wearing a toga you showed you were rich. If you are a boy and want to make a toga, you can use a big sheet. Good luck putting it on. By the first century AD, when my books are set, the only women who wore togas were disreputable ones; and they had to wear them to show they had been (or still were) naughty. Respectable women wore stolas and good girls wore tunics, usually long-sleeved for modesty. (Technically the stola was a kind of apron-like garment that went on over the female tunic, with a strap over each shoulder, but I'm using the umbrella term stola here for a girl's or woman's tunic.) If you are a boy and want to make a tunic, just wear a big tee-shirt, belted. If you are a girl or woman and want to make a stola or girl's tunic, here is a simple way to do it. (below) I actually had to put this into practice once. I was on my way to an event in Newcastle and realised I'd left my costume in London. Luckily, a kind librarian donated a single sheet from her airing cupboard. I found one of those sewing kits you get free in hotels and frantically stitched it up in the back seat of the car as we drove to the event. When we arrived, my publicity manager Rowan loaned me her blue scarf and I used another scarf to tie up my hair. I added chunky ethnic jewellery and sandals and voila! I was a Roman lady... Remember: the tunic is the tee-shirt thing, the toga or palla is what you wear over it. Of course you must always carry your sponge-stick (ancient Roman toilet paper) and your copy of a Roman Mystery with you! For more information on Roman clothing, go to the article on ROMAN CLOTHING at vroma.com And check out my blog over at The History Girls to see some of my other Roman wardrobe malfunctions. lovely "extras" in The Slave-girl from Jerusalem P. S. These two extras from the TV series based on my books are wearing lovely stolas, with pallas draped over their heads. [The Roman Mysteries are perfect for children aged 9+, especially those studying Romans as a topic in Key Stage 2. Carrying on from the Roman Mysteries, the Roman Quests series set in Roman Britain launched in May 2016 with Escape from Rome.]
So our church is having "A Night in Bethlehem" family party where there will be "shops" that feature all things in the time when Christ was born. (Glampa Fabulous and I will be running a pottery shop where everyone can roll some clay and inscribe their names in Hebrew and make ornaments for their trees at home.) And of course there will be a nativity scene and a musical program about the birth of Jesus Christ. Above are some of the costumes I have made for me, Glampa and the Glamchildren. And here is a pile of costumes waiting to be sewn... I went to Home Fabrics and Rugs when they had their $1 sale this last Tuesday and bought over 120 yards of fabric!!! I was able to cut out 83 outfits consisting of a tunic, long vest and a belt. I needed 27 outfits for just my family and the rest went to friends. (I do have a few "outfits" pictured above if any of you want one ((already cut out, but you have to sew them))...first come, first served.) I researched costume patterns and put together these instructions that I thought I'd pass on to you. The first sheet contains a simple tunic and vest guidelines that you measure to the people in your family. Below are a few non-sewing ideas that I found. On Christmas Eve, we have the glamkids dress up and Glampa reads from Luke about the Savior's birth. This year I'll have these "fancy" costumes, but it is just as meaningful to just read the story without the costumes as a family. It is also fun to tell the kids to go put together outfits and props from around the house. It's cute to see a child wrapped in a sheet or towel and caring a perfume bottle as one of the three kings, or pinning a paper tail and ears on to be a donkey... Hope these instructions can be of use to you! I almost forgot, above are a few "head hole" ideas. Just remember to cut small, then cut the opening larger if you need to. (mistake made, lesson learned already.)
Junge Mädchen bekamen früher oft eine Tracht als Lohn. Und hier spielte auch das Handwerk eine große Rolle. Das Dirndl wurde mit Stolz getragen.
In the third chapter of the book of Numbers, the Levites are introduced as a tribe that replaces the special place of the firstborn. The Israelites as a whole represent believers in Jesus during th…
You thought meme Monday was just a single update.... but BOOM here is a double dose! 25 memes you will only see on DOTB! Enjoy!
The day projected twin images of a nation struggling with chaos and an Administration aiming for normalcy
This free online study Bible is an accurate, easy-to-read study edition of the Holy Bible. It includes pictures, footnotes, cross-references, and additional study tools.
Some time ago I made a medieval bathing dress in unbleached linen, and I wanted to share it with you. It is a simple project, perfect for an evening or if you want to practice hand sewing. There ar…
A common criticism leveled against attendees of the Traditional Latin Mass is that we are pharisaical in practicing the faith. Rigid in adhering to law, hypocritical because we look past the log in…
My Savior sweat blood, it was a blood that came from His heart. heart blood Drops fell like tears, shattering against stone, seeping into the cold night. I wish I had been there to catch the crimson. Blood more precious than gold. How much does a ransom for every human being that ever lived go for these days?
Chroniques de Hainaut (Jacobus de GuisiaJean Wauquelin (traducteur))
Beaucoup d’effet avec peu de dépenses !Avec ce tutoriel, vous fabriquerez rapidement et avec peu de matériel une belle
Took this picture at the Brooklyn Bethel of Jehovah's Witnesses, the well known clothing of a prisoner in the German concentration camps, bearing the purple triangle, identifying the prisoner as a Jehovah's Witness.
