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November 2004
Two years ago I had
the idea for a costume, inspired by those magnificent Elizabethan gowns
that I never had a reason to make and the very real experience of inexplicable
fear as described above. Why the Elizabethan inspired gown? Well, what,
I ask you, is the first image, name and idea of a Queen that comes to
anyone's mind? Yes, most likely it is Queen Elizabeth I.
The backstory for
the concept of the Queen of Shadows is that I had been staying in West
Stow Anglo-Saxon reconstructed village, which is close to Sutton Hoo,
many times over the years. This village has been reconstructed on the
original site, with buildings being built in original post holes. One
April night was different. I woke up in the middle of the night. Silence.
Stillness and the absolute conviction that no matter how much I might
feel the urge, I could not and should not possibly go outside of the hut,
for something was there, waiting for those who dared to look but were
not meant to see. Terror struck that night, and not only in me, as we
found out the following morning. 'Something' had told all of us unmistakably
that while we were safe and sound in the building, we were not meant to
go outside.
Do not take a look.
Do not see... but what? We will never know.
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I wanted to
have another "Evil Queen" costume. The original costume
is depicted on the left. I made it back in Germany, in 1996 or 97.
However, the "Queen of Shadows" has considerably veered
off the original idea, growing from a costume into a concept, because
of its backstory.
The stays,
shift, and farthingale will be black, inside and out. Black shimmery
cotton sateen coutil for the stays, and cotton drill for interlining,
with black smooth cotton for lining, while the shift is a thin black
cotton.
The outer fabrics
will be black shot black taffeta for almost everything including
back fastened bodice, supportasse, stand-up collar, tight sleeves
and long hanging sleeves, long trained split overskirt and cape
fastened on the back of the neck. The underskirt will be the same
taffeta, but black shot with silver-grey, and the lining of the
hanging sleeves will be the same as well.
The decoration
on the forepart and the left sleeve will be done in dark grey pearls,
I want this dress to be very austere and cold in appearance. The
jewellery will most probably be chain-maille. The same goes for
the arm-armour, which was initially meant to be Gothic fluted plate
armour, as seen on the design, but it does not fit into the concept
and the only reason why I went for it was because I always wanted
a piece of plate armour. However, not good enough a reason to justify
the expenditure. Instead I will work it in chain-maille, which works
perfectly together with the pagan Anglo-Saxon period.
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The reason
for the armour is the staff that she is holding. It contains too
much power of destruction, thus the chain-maille and glove protect
the Queen of Shadows. The decoration on the forepart is taken from
the Sutton Hoo
Anglo-Saxon Royal Burial finds, and is on a buckle that fastens
straps on the sword scabbard, as seen on the right.
The stag, on
the top left corner, is the ceremonial whet stone sceptre crowning
from the same 7th century burial. I had a stag made in steel by
my favourite blacksmith, Tim Noyes of Heron Armoury, who has excelled
himself again.
To the left
and right is the reproduction in steel of the Sutton Hoo stag, or
perhaps I should rather say 'inspired by'. It is beautiful and powerful,
and is absolutely perfectly just like I imagined it to be.
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Fabrics
to be used
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From left to
right:
Drill Cotton
Glazed Cotton
Cotton Muslin
Cotton Sateen
Coutil
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Outer Fabrics:
Shot black
taffeta
Shot black/silver
taffeta
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