Started June 11, 2026. Finished July 15, 2026.
INSPIRATIOIN IMAGES:
Details:
- Made of yellow linen and trimmed with commercial woven trim
- Pattern consists of three pieces, front right, front left and back. Sides will be cut to fit the “swoopy” outline
- Elbow length sleeves
- Hem will fall about half way down the calf
SCARY GOLD heanos TODO:
– (done) Figure out pattern.
– (done) Pull fabric from stash
– (done) Cut out heanos
– (done) Add 1/4″ Rolled hem to front v-neck opening
– (done) Use flat-felled seam to attach center front below the V (honestly I could have left this un-cut for the same effect)(next time I’ll set the front edge on a selvedge).
– (done) Use flat-felled seam to attach front right and left to back at shoulder.
– (done) Use flat-felled seams to at right and left side seams.
– (done) Attach trim at V neck on one side.
– (done) Attach trim at V neck on the other side, continue this to the hemline.
– (done) Attach trim at the shoulder from elbow to elbow.
– (done) Hem the ends of the sleeves.
– (done) Attach trim around the ends of the right and left arms.
– (done) Hem the heanos.
COSTS
90 inches scary gold linen (58″ wide). I have NO idea where I got this linen from. It appeared in my stash at some point.
Trim purchased from Facebook SCA marketplace. I think I paid
Details:
- Made of yellow linen and trimmed with commercial woven trim
- Pattern consists of three pieces, front right, front left and back. Sides will be cut to fit the “swoopy” outline
- Elbow length sleeves
- Hem will fall about half way down the calf
SCARY GOLD heanos TODO:
– (done) Figure out pattern.
– (done) Pull fabric from stash
– (done) Cut out heanos
– (done) Add 1/4″ Rolled hem to front v-neck opening
– (done) Use flat-felled seam to attach center front below the V (honestly I could have left this un-cut for the same effect)(next time I’ll set the front edge on a selvedge).
– (done) Use flat-felled seam to attach front right and left to back at shoulder.
– (done) Use flat-felled seams to at right and left side seams.
– (done) Attach trim at V neck on one side.
– (done) Attach trim at V neck on the other side, continue this to the hemline.
– (done) Attach trim at the shoulder from elbow to elbow.
– (done) Hem the ends of the sleeves.
– (done) Attach trim around the ends of the right and left arms.
– (done) Hem the heanos.
COSTS
90 inches scary gold linen (58″ wide). I have NO idea where I got this linen from. It appeared in my stash at some point.
Trim purchased from Facebook SCA marketplace. I think I paid $2/yd and got 10yards.
March 19, 2026
On the topic of Minoan heanos. This is the women’s deep v-neck garment.
– I’m totally on board with the header band across the top.. and with that being the “how you start your weaving on a warp-weighted loom”.
– I’m also on board with applied bands at the ends of the sleeve (though if the band at the shoulders is the header band of the weaving it would actually make sense for the sleeve bands and the front v-neck bands to travel OVER the header band.. but that’s not the issue I’m thinking about now so I’m going to table that thought until later).
– I’m also totally on board with more bands being applied at the v-neck opening.
The part where I’m not entirely on board is the t-tunic cut for the outer seam of the garment.
Things that make my spidey sense tingle:
– This is Minoan fashion from ~1600 BC. So this is a REALLY REALLY REALLY long time ago.
– Woven fabric is the result of A LOT of time, energy and effort.
– Everything I’ve looked at from the Danish Bronze Age and the Viking Age is SUPER careful to use the woven fabric in SUPER clever ways that minimize on fabric waste.
So I am a bit hung up on the idea that the Minoans were all “Yeah, just trace around your body shape and cut a swoopy bit out of the side and then DON’T USE THAT ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE GARMENT”. Like the idea is setting my teeth on edge.
Also, how were they cutting out that swoopy bit? Modern scissors can cut it out easily.. but what did Sima (a lovely plausible Minoan woman’s name) use to do that? A sharp bronze knife? Shears used for cutting wool off of sheep? It seems a bit fantastical to say “The Minoans did this in 1600 BC but then by the time we get to 2nd c AD the Greeks (and everyone else) were just using rectangles to make peplos and chitons and totally forgot to do the swoopy bit”. Quite strains my ability to believe.
[edited to add: I ranted about this on my FB page Research Dumping Grounds and Killian Della Scungilli pointed out that they were possibly using “crescent knives, same as leather, And still a preferred method of cutting for high-end wools and leathers to this very day.” ]
May 20, 2026
It’s the end of May and already it is =too darn hot= and muggy in the South for 80% of my garb. I absolutely think that in period (~1500 BCE) the garments (heanos and wrap skirt and the men’s kilt) were woven to shape(I have a whole bloggy rant related to that but I’m going to save it until I can do a sample weave and prove whether it works or not).
I absolutely need to wear something -before- I will have time to weave the fabric in what I think is the period fashion. Add to that I want to know the “right” dimensions for the garments before I try to weave non-rectangular cloth.
Therefore I will be using my modern privilege (and scissors) to cut the correct shapes out of rectangular fabric to make myself a set of garments.
Also, Pennsic is coming.
June 2-3, 2026
Having mulled over the heanos for a while I’m finally willing to make a pattern. I tried on a couple of my existing medieval tunics.. and I totally did not like the fit so I will not be using those patterns. In the past I’ve cut my tunics very generous in the body.
For this garment I want something that is a lot closer in fitting my body. So instead I used one of my modern well-fitting button down shirts and a v-necked dress from Shein as inspiration for my pattern measurements and made a “best guess” pattern based on my body size. I then cut this out of muslin, sewed it together and then adjusted the pattern based on the changes needed to the muslin.
I’m a 5’5″ tall and wear a women’s size 18/20 and a 38I. This pattern fits me and falls to about half way down the calf.
I reviewed my fabric stash and found two hands of linen that would be reasonable choices for my heanos. I’ve decided to use the scary gold linen for the first one.
I also reviewed the trim I have on hand.. and after crowd-sourcing a vote I’ve decided to use the red/black/white trim. Though I may end up making two heanos with the scary gold linen and use the teal trim for the second one.
June 13-14 2026
I cut this out and then during virtual classes at Atlantia Spring University 2026 I hand-sewed the heanos together using rolled hem at the front V and then flat-felled the construction seams. I started on Saturday morning and finished on Sunday evening. I have not yet attached any trim.
At the end of the day Sunday I was able to try on the put-together tunic and verify the fit is good. I have decided I’m going to shorten the sleeves from 7″ to 6″ for the next one. It works at 7″ but I like it better at 6″ + a rolled hem bringing the length closer to 5″.
July 1-15 2026
I finished adding the trim and hemmed it.
July 29, 2026
The weekend before Pennsic we attended an SCA picnic. I had planned to wear my Minoan outfit to the picnic, in fact I got dressed in the heanos when my husband reminded me it was a garb optional picnic AND that we were going to be stopping at a grocery store on the way to the picnic to pick up food/drink. It was the stop that convinced me that I should change into jeans and a tshirt.
Right as my husband mentioned the stop I realized that my heanos was not grocery store appropriate. It was at that moment that I decided to add a tie to the front.
I used some string from the Pennsic tent repair box and made two five-loop fingerloop braids and then attached those to the front.
So now my heanos is grocery store risque.. and I’m okay with that.
July 30-31, 2026
I wore my Minoan outfit for two days at Pennsic. I did remember to use sunblock so I do NOT end up with an awkward sunburn. The outfit is very breezy and I stayed very comfortable with only the slightest breeze.
I loved the heanos. I made a simple 5-strand fingerloop braid to close the front. My heanos is a bit looser than I have seen others wear. There is zero chance of my pattern being supportive. I also think my sleeves are still a bit too long. I liked how it looked and even had someone call it elegant. Still 9/10, will wear again.
For the wrap skirt I salvaged my belt from the slavic outfit I wore in January and used it to belt on two rectangular swim wraps. The rectangle shape is wrong but I think the setup for belting is right. 9/10 will wear again.
I wore my carnelian and quartz necklace. It works but I want to rejigger it to add a clasp and a pel-laurel medallion. 10/10.. but I’ll still rejigger it.
I adore the earrings I got from Temu. 10/10 I’ll definitely continue to wear them.
My sandals worked (since I wasn’t willing to go barefoot). Though the faux leather rubbed a blister on top of my toe. 8/10 will look for real leather sandals for future.
I found a scrap of a woven band in my stash and used it to tie up my hair. I did not have a big mirror in camp so my hair was put up pretty blind. Looking at the pictures from early in the day I don’t care for how it looked. Later in the day I fiddled with the band and let the back of my hair loose and I like how that looks better. 8/10, will fiddle with this more with a mirror.
I want to add bracelets and anklets.
Also, the nights at Pennsic were chilly and this outfit is not warm. I’ll need to add pieces to make it a bit more cold tolerant for night time and winter.
All in all I liked the outfit and will continue to add more pieces to the impression.
/yd and got 10yards.
March 19, 2026
On the topic of Minoan heanos. This is the women’s deep v-neck garment.
– I’m totally on board with the header band across the top.. and with that being the “how you start your weaving on a warp-weighted loom”.
– I’m also on board with applied bands at the ends of the sleeve (though if the band at the shoulders is the header band of the weaving it would actually make sense for the sleeve bands and the front v-neck bands to travel OVER the header band.. but that’s not the issue I’m thinking about now so I’m going to table that thought until later).
– I’m also totally on board with more bands being applied at the v-neck opening.
The part where I’m not entirely on board is the t-tunic cut for the outer seam of the garment.
Things that make my spidey sense tingle:
– This is Minoan fashion from ~1600 BC. So this is a REALLY REALLY REALLY long time ago.
– Woven fabric is the result of A LOT of time, energy and effort.
– Everything I’ve looked at from the Danish Bronze Age and the Viking Age is SUPER careful to use the woven fabric in SUPER clever ways that minimize on fabric waste.
So I am a bit hung up on the idea that the Minoans were all “Yeah, just trace around your body shape and cut a swoopy bit out of the side and then DON’T USE THAT ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE GARMENT”. Like the idea is setting my teeth on edge.
Also, how were they cutting out that swoopy bit? Modern scissors can cut it out easily.. but what did Sima (a lovely plausible Minoan woman’s name) use to do that? A sharp bronze knife? Shears used for cutting wool off of sheep? It seems a bit fantastical to say “The Minoans did this in 1600 BC but then by the time we get to 2nd c AD the Greeks (and everyone else) were just using rectangles to make peplos and chitons and totally forgot to do the swoopy bit”. Quite strains my ability to believe.
[edited to add: I ranted about this on my FB page Research Dumping Grounds and Killian Della Scungilli pointed out that they were possibly using “crescent knives, same as leather, And still a preferred method of cutting for high-end wools and leathers to this very day.” ]
May 20, 2026
It’s the end of May and already it is =too darn hot= and muggy in the South for 80% of my garb. I absolutely think that in period (~1500 BCE) the garments (heanos and wrap skirt and the men’s kilt) were woven to shape(I have a whole bloggy rant related to that but I’m going to save it until I can do a sample weave and prove whether it works or not).
I absolutely need to wear something -before- I will have time to weave the fabric in what I think is the period fashion. Add to that I want to know the “right” dimensions for the garments before I try to weave non-rectangular cloth.
Therefore I will be using my modern privilege (and scissors) to cut the correct shapes out of rectangular fabric to make myself a set of garments.
Also, Pennsic is coming.
June 2-3, 2026
Having mulled over the heanos for a while I’m finally willing to make a pattern. I tried on a couple of my existing medieval tunics.. and I totally did not like the fit so I will not be using those patterns. In the past I’ve cut my tunics very generous in the body.
For this garment I want something that is a lot closer in fitting my body. So instead I used one of my modern well-fitting button down shirts and a v-necked dress from Shein as inspiration for my pattern measurements and made a “best guess” pattern based on my body size. I then cut this out of muslin, sewed it together and then adjusted the pattern based on the changes needed to the muslin.
I’m a 5’5″ tall and wear a women’s size 18/20 and a 38I. This pattern fits me and falls to about half way down the calf.
I reviewed my fabric stash and found two hands of linen that would be reasonable choices for my heanos. I’ve decided to use the scary gold linen for the first one.
I also reviewed the trim I have on hand.. and after crowd-sourcing a vote I’ve decided to use the red/black/white trim. Though I may end up making two heanos with the scary gold linen and use the teal trim for the second one.
June 13-14 2026
I cut this out and then during virtual classes at Atlantia Spring University 2026 I hand-sewed the heanos together using rolled hem at the front V and then flat-felled the construction seams. I started on Saturday morning and finished on Sunday evening. I have not yet attached any trim.
At the end of the day Sunday I was able to try on the put-together tunic and verify the fit is good. I have decided I’m going to shorten the sleeves from 7″ to 6″ for the next one. It works at 7″ but I like it better at 6″ + a rolled hem bringing the length closer to 5″.
July 1-15 2026
I finished adding the trim and hemmed it.
July 29, 2026
The weekend before Pennsic we attended an SCA picnic. I had planned to wear my Minoan outfit to the picnic, in fact I got dressed in the heanos when my husband reminded me it was a garb optional picnic AND that we were going to be stopping at a grocery store on the way to the picnic to pick up food/drink. It was the stop that convinced me that I should change into jeans and a tshirt.
Right as my husband mentioned the stop I realized that my heanos was not grocery store appropriate. It was at that moment that I decided to add a tie to the front.
I used some string from the Pennsic tent repair box and made two five-loop fingerloop braids and then attached those to the front.
So now my heanos is grocery store risque.. and I’m okay with that.
July 30-31, 2026
I wore my Minoan outfit for two days at Pennsic. I did remember to use sunblock so I do NOT end up with an awkward sunburn. The outfit is very breezy and I stayed very comfortable with only the slightest breeze.
I loved the heanos. I made a simple 5-strand fingerloop braid to close the front. My heanos is a bit looser than I have seen others wear. There is zero chance of my pattern being supportive. I also think my sleeves are still a bit too long. I liked how it looked and even had someone call it elegant. Still 9/10, will wear again.
For the wrap skirt I salvaged my belt from the slavic outfit I wore in January and used it to belt on two rectangular swim wraps. The rectangle shape is wrong but I think the setup for belting is right. 9/10 will wear again.
I wore my carnelian and quartz necklace. It works but I want to rejigger it to add a clasp and a pel-laurel medallion. 10/10.. but I’ll still rejigger it.
I adore the earrings I got from Temu. 10/10 I’ll definitely continue to wear them.
My sandals worked (since I wasn’t willing to go barefoot). Though the faux leather rubbed a blister on top of my toe. 8/10 will look for real leather sandals for future.
I found a scrap of a woven band in my stash and used it to tie up my hair. I did not have a big mirror in camp so my hair was put up pretty blind. Looking at the pictures from early in the day I don’t care for how it looked. Later in the day I fiddled with the band and let the back of my hair loose and I like how that looks better. 8/10, will fiddle with this more with a mirror.
I want to add bracelets and anklets.
Also, the nights at Pennsic were chilly and this outfit is not warm. I’ll need to add pieces to make it a bit more cold tolerant for night time and winter.
All in all I liked the outfit and will continue to add more pieces to the impression.