mandie_rw | skirmish, stays, and SQUIRREL! (Reply)

robinsnest joined me for the annual "skirmish" at the Indian King Tavern on Saturday. She was a good sport to do so, as they ended up sticking us inside the tavern for the whole day, on the ground floor where the windows don't open and it was hot as ballz. And stuffy. Low-80s outside and breezy, but...yeah, inside. Every year before this I'd been able to sit outside on the porch til after the skirmish, which is when most people come through for a tour.

I didn't quite get my stays to an easy-to-transport-and-sew place by skirmish time, but since we were inside in dim light, it didn't matter, as I didn't do much sewing at all! Oh well. I got to spend the day with my wifey, that's overall better than sewing anyway. ;)

I made precisely zero new things for the skirmish, so I didn't get any pictures of me! I did make a new cap and a new apron in school over the past week or so (just to have something to do, not because I need more 18thc accessories, lordy), which Robin was happy to display. She, on the other hand, made a new linen stripey dress for the occasion, and is going to post about it soon (RIGHT??). Good thing we were both in linen...and were quite polite to people who kept asking us if we were hot in that, LOL.

(Not nearly as hot as you are in that polyester joann's brocade simplicity colonial dress, you poor teenager! It's nice you dressed up for the occasion, sincerely, but lordy you must be melting.)

Shenanigans were got up to:

...and we both agreed that we really need new stays.

And we ended up being basically negative images of each other (although with the same loud plaid kerchief), not really on purpose, which we found both hugely amusing and were offended that nobody else commented on it.

And there was much CADD! In between yesterday and today I've added two outfits to my to-sew list for the summer, now how did that happen?

First off, Robin and I were talking about what costume events we had planned this summer: basically nothing, we should fix that. After some brainstorming, we thought an Edwardian Something might be fun. Especially as Robin's invited to an Edwardian-themed Something next year that will require pretty much a full wardrobe, so this will at least force her to make the underwear for it! I was all for it, provided I could do 1897-1901, which transitional style I prefer to the full-on-droopy Edwardian.

So we're having an "Edwardian" (1890-1910, to give people a little more leeway) outing at Longwood Gardens, sometime in August. I'm not starting totally from scratch, but my late 1890s outfit was made for ice skating in February a couple years ago, so... Also I never did end up making a specifically 1890s corset (I cheated and wore my 1860s), so I want to do that as well. I do have combinations and petticoat, although TBH I could probably use lighter weight ones since it'll be August...we'll see about that though.

Haven't decided on a dress design yet...that depends whether I'm good and use fabric I have on hand, or buy some lightweight linen I've had an eyeball on at work, ahem. You may remember a few years ago when I wanted to do a turn of the century shore trip (and then decided to go back to school instead, great move, that...), so I pretty well had a mini-summer-wardrobe planned out anyway. SHORE TRIP IS STILL HAPPENING SOMEDAY, BTW...

And then yesterday

miss_philomena invited us to an SCA Thing in June. Now, I am not an SCA Person, but this one's free and it's in what looks like a very pretty park that isn't too terribly far away. From what I gather it's mainly "hang out in a park and watch people beat each other with sticks", but I do like hanging out in parks in costume, and I don't have to take off work, so I figured I'd support a friend's other weird hobby, LOL.

But what to wear?? While I did start, way back in the mists of time (aka 2005), in the 16th century, my only surviving piece is my 2006/7 1560s/70s Venetian dress, and while I wore it to the Gettysburg fancy dress ball two years ago so I do know it still fits (!), it's not exactly something I want to wear outside in a park in the Delaware Valley in June unless I'm looking to get heatstroke. So, okay, considering my track record of Easily Distracted and the fact the event's in just under three weeks...what should I make.

WELL SINCE YOU ASK! I've been wanting to make a 16th century Flemish workingwoman's dress pretty much since the mid-2000s, but never got around to it before I got into the 18th century and never looked back. (And YES that website is still in existence, which is amazing. Blast from the past, eh what.) I think they're an absolutely charming style. Has there been more research done on this style in the past 15 years? Very probably. Do I care? Well, this is going to be as machine sewn as I can stand to make it and it's for the SCA and possibly renfaire(s) if we ever decide to go back to one of those... no, I don't care.

And realistically speaking, I can easily just make the kirtle and be entirely set to go. I'd like to eventually have the full outfit, but the kirtle is the only requirement to be not-naked. (And the linen partlet, because nobody wants sunburned boobs.)

Are my new green stays going to be neglected horribly very shortly? Ummmmmm maaaaaaaybe? But, being mostly hand-sewing from this point, they can easily go to school with me, so they will still get done eventually. Also getting poked by a broken escaping reed all day on Saturday is a pretty good incentive...