Viking Vigil Garb for Docente Talia de Morales

I was honored to be asked to lead the creation of vigil garb for my friend Talia de Morales' Laurel vigil at Gulf Wars (a Society of Creative Anachronism camping event) in 2024. Talia had a writ and therefore knew about her elevation, so I was able to consult with her on her desired design. Her request? Hans from Disney's Frozen, but make it Viking.

The Process:

We settled on a klappenrock coat and hood using the colors and motifs from Hans' clothing. The materials were wool lined in a wool blend (the top left materials below). 

Klappenrock patterns are easily available on the internet. They are simple rectangular construction so I worked off Talia's measurements to create and construct the basic garments. 

The next step was the fun part. I took screenshots from Disney's Frozen and worked to replicate the look of the trim in black wool for both the hood and the hem of the coat. I created paper templates and then cut the trim to shape. 

The black wool is tightly felted so it will not fray and the edges can be left raw. To finish the bottom edge of the body fabric (blue), I did sew the trim onto the "wrong side" of the fabric and flip the trim to the outside before sewing it down by hand. 

To finish the neck and the cuffs of the klappenrock, I made trim that was twice as wide as desired, folded it in half, and ironed it. I then sandwiched the raw edge and sewed the inner edge by machine to the body. I then flipped the trim to the outside and sewed it down by hand. 

It was crunch time when I hit the lining step so I didn't take any pictures, but the linings were constructed the same as the exterior pieces, turned under at the edges, and put in by hand using a felling stitch. 

Finished Garments:

The designs came out incredibly graphic and this project was so fun to work on!