Okay, so, breastfeeding.  I posted a while ago about modifying my garb for breastfeeding.  I split one of my chemises horizontally below the bust and added hooks and eyes to nurse wearing that and a low-v-neck dress.  The slit and v-neck worked great for nursing and kept me fairly decently covered (not that I'm very shy about it), but the hooks and eyes were a royal pain.  For this modern method, just use velcro.  Or, do what I do, and leave the slit hanging open because nobody can see it anyway.  The hooks are hard to open in a hurry with a fussy baby and really quite a pain to close, even if you're not still holding the baby afterward.  

The Roman garb I made last summer is a breeze for breastfeeding, since the sides are open far enough under the arm to just pull the opening over the bust and nurse that way.  If you wear a wrap/veil you can throw that over yourself and the baby if your baby is distractable and/or if you worry you're showing too much (though what could be more Roman than feeding a baby!  They REVERED matronhood.).

I recently modified another chemise to use under another dress (see below) and this time took my inspiration from period images of nursing mothers like this one from the excellent What Nursing Mothers Wore page.  The image is Virgin and Child by Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio (1493-1499)

I haven't taken a picture of the finished nursing slit chemise yet, but I have some progress shots.  I basically put the chemise on, marked where my nipples were, then marked out about 6" long vertical slits centered over each.  I sewed down a 1" wide strip of linen over the slits (a row of stitching on each side, with a single stitch across the top and bottom)  to act as a facing, then cut between the stitches, pulled the facing through to the wrong sides, pressed, and rolled the facings under and stitched them down.  This was a good chance to give some love to a rather beat up chemise, which also got repairs to collar, cuffs, and underarms.  Here's a before pic of the chemise and one pic of the pinned facing ready to stitch (the facing is on the inside)

So, I'll update more eventually with how those work out.  I suspect I'll like them much better, but I don't know that they'll work as well with my standard bliauts.

My next project was one I'd hoped to get done before King's Road in July, a hangerok out of some red wool I have with a sort of shadow check throughout.  I only have about two yards, so a hangerok's about my only option.  I know there's a lot of debate and very little evidence about how these looked, but I found an image on Pinterest (everyone's favorite legit research site) of a hangerok with two overlapping fronts.  Bingo.  This will be perfect for breastfeeding over the white chemise..  Here's the image, from this pin from a blog with a bunch of broken image links.

as long as the fronts are fairly easy to detach from the straps this should be both modest and accessible.  I am going to do four straight panels 1/3 the measurement of my bust, with gores in the sides and back for shaping.  Now I just need time to do it. 

Well!  This event was one of those ones that I looked forward to and planned to attend as my first post-baby event, and first "date" with my husband.  My mom was going to come for a weekend visit (she lives about 3 hours away) to see the baby and watch her for a few hours so we could go enjoy.  Then, the week before, Freya (aged 2.5 months at that point) came down with the flu after a busy religious service where a lot of people held and kissed and snuggled her (stupid me for even bringing her there!).  It was so scary.  She was too little even to take baby tylenol.  Her breathing got so bad they xrayed her lungs because they suspected pneumonia.  It was awful.  Then, a few days later my husband and I (a few days after that) caught it from her, despite both having had our flu shots.  This was the week before the event.  My mom decided, prudently, not to come down and catch it from us, so we lost our babysitter. 

My husband was the bardic champion last year and needed to be there to run the competition for the new one, and I am head of the dance guild and was supposed to be there to teach dance.  Hubby felt well enough to go (though he probably should have stayed home), but Freya was still miserable and I was feverish and achy and not fit for anything.  Thank goodness, Baron Aelwynn of Loch Salann volunteered to teach the dancing (I had already arranged music, chose the dance program, and wrote up instructions of all the dances), so I thought I was off the hook.  The event ran from 1pm to midnight, and it was about 5 pm that I got a text saying my presence was "strongly encouraged" and hinting that hubby might be receiving an award. 

I was annoyed, and torn, and it was Freya's bedtime, and I felt obligated, and had no one to watch the baby, so I put some garb on myself and dragged both of us (her in the mundane outfit she already had on) to the event.  I think if anyone realized how sick we were they never would have pushed us to attend, and when I walked into the beautiful site with a screaming baby the then Queen (a nurse in her mundane life) saw us she said "You didn't have to come if you're sick."  I groaned inwardly, comforted the baby, and found a place to sit until court.  Freya got hungry (as she often does, and did, especially as a rather small baby), so I threw a blanket over my shoulder and started nursing her (Roman garb is great for that!).  It was at that moment that we *both* got called up to the thrones.  I looked down at the happily nursing and dozing sick baby, got up, and approached the thrones with her still on the breast.  The king was somewhat taken aback, the queen was entertained, and they were happy for us to stay standing, which was probably the only option given a still healing c-section and an actively breastfeeding baby.

Lord Aonghus and I were both awarded with Golden Pillars of Artemisia, the Award of Arms-level service award.  I felt like it was one more moment to check of my list of "odd times to breastfeed your baby," which now also includes leaning over her carseat so she can nurse while the car is moving and while lying on the floor doing yoga.  Anyway, the award was a big honor, and I've since heard from several other ladies who have accepted awards while breastfeeding, but I certainly hadn't ever seen it happen.  Mistress Gilliana made me a beautiful scroll, though I've yet to receive the token (they're all out, apparently).  I admit, Freya and I basically fled home to bed as soon as court was over, and it was quite a while before I got back on my feet again.  When Aonghus finally made it home he informed me I won Lady of Color for Or (favorite gold-colored garb), and he was also given a token to give to Freya as a memento of her first SCA event. Photos, courtesy of my sister Lady Thora, are below.

I actually caught another strain of flu (people tell me it's a year where many have gotten both Influenza A and B) after coming back to work, but thankfully Freya dodged that one.  I have to admit, it was a tough winter at our house. 

Next up: baby garb, photos, and planning for our next event with 100% less plague.