Hello All!  I know when last I had written I was just taking on the project for the play Charlie Brown.  Well, as with the times, the money was not there to pay for costumes and they had to make do with what the theater had.  I don't know if many of you seamstresses out there are experiencing what I have but I have had other costume work contracts fall through because of the lack of funds.  That doesn't mean that I have given up sewing it just means I haven't had anything to make.  I am hoping to start work on some stuff for people attending the Maryland Renaissance Festival but we shall see...I know I should get working on some things for myself but I am trying to loose weight and don't want to invest in anything for myself.  However, the holidays are coming and there are plenty of things I have thought to make for presents...off I go to plan!

The community theater, Greenbelt Arts Center, will be putting on You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown in July.  They are striving to make the costumes actually look like the cartoon without being cartoonish.  My good friend is the costumer and she has employed me to make the dresses for Lucy and Sally.  I am so excited.  I love a challenge and this one will challenge me.  I need to make the dresses look like little girl dresses but look like the cartoon.  I am also hemming pants into shorts for the men and making the blanket, not to mention any other little things that might be needed but the dresses are what I am excited about.

I went and took measurements last night for the dress and dealt with the hemming.  Next week I will be shopping, you may call it hunting, with my friend for fabric.  I have a month to complete the dresses.  No problem...I hope.

My husband went to try on his 18th century clothes to find that none of his breeches or waistcoats fit.  Law school has not been good for his waistline.  He says he drives to work then drives to class only to drive home to go to bed, his more active lifestyle has been replaced.  Unlike myself, once he puts his head to getting in shape he does it but I think that will need to wait until Summer break or next summer when school will be over for him.
This all leads to a new waistcoat.  I used only extant waistcoats to guide me in making this item.  The waistcoat front is a silk blend.  The lining and back is of a lightweight maroon cotton.  The waistcoat was constructed on a sewing machine, although, If I chose to complete this by hand would have been done easily.  Once sewn together the edges were sew down by hand giving a finished look and will allow it to hold up better.  The button holes are done by hand with gold silk twill thread.  The buttons are brass antiques that I picked up at an antique store, although not 18th century I believe they give the right look.  What do you think?

I wore my new colonial short gown this past weekend at the Market Fair at Fort Frederick in Big Pool, Maryland.  The gown is based on extant short gowns that are unique to the Mid-Atlantic region during colonial times.  I used a medium-light green wool with no lining.  I chose no lining on the fact that I did not want to give it more weight for I wanted to use it in the spring.  I am thinking of making a similar one with a lining for winter but after wearing it this past weekend, I am thinking it is warm enough...more on that later.  Anyway, I also wanted to challenge myself and sew it totally by hand.  Since this is not a heavy wool, I found that it could not hold up to a simple seam, so, I chose to use a french seam on all exposed areas giving me extra sewing.  Even with the French seams this project was so easy that I got it done in two days from the cutting to completion.  The three box pleats in the back had to be sewn flat since I was not using any lining.  I think it came out quite nice and I was looking forward to wearing it.
So, here I was anticipating the Market Fair and wearing my new short gown up in the mountains of Maryland.  I have been to this Market Fair many times and on the whole it tends to be a little chilly even if it is the last weekend in April.  Friday morning I got up, put on my outfit, and off we went to Fort Frederick.  I thought I was so prepare because the day even started off with a shower of rain.  With my new outfit I was ready to face whatever should come.  I should have known it was going to be a hard day for it started off with my beautiful basket, a present from my husband, losing one of the wheels.  We could have easily mended the problem but the bolt was lost, so, back to the car it went.  We began again, walking down the road that opens up just at the tree line to a large tent mall, past that the Fort itself, then the tent village were some of my friends were camping.  No, I did not camp, I don't own a period tent.  We camp at a near by hotel.  We headed down the main road, stopped at the food area, got a water and went shopping some more.  I should add that to all this I also had a new pair of colonial shoes on.  As we are shopping, the weather is getting warmer and I am starting to envy all of the ladies in linen.  After shopping for a while we get a bite to eat, met up with some friends, then did some more shopping.  After 3 hours I had had enough...I was way too hot for the day, so we headed out.   Anyway, we were coming back the next day but I had no plans to wear the wool.  (I am glad I chose not to, because the next day was even hotter)  For your valued consideration, here I am at the end of the day.The apron is not purple, it is a brown/tan check, don't ask me why the digital camera read it as purple.  The skirt is also wool.  I pinned the garment closed with a brass straight pin and the apron.
Conclusion:  I love how it came out and I think it is warm enough for the winter but maybe a heavier wool or a lined short gown in the same weight will be even better for the winter.  I will definitely be making one in linen for those warmer days. 

My pirate outfit that I wear at Festivals is basic Black.  I find black flatters me and I can put anything with it.  However, I didn't have a proper coat.  Not that my pirate attire is accurate but it is somewhat piratey.  Anyway, I wanted a coat specifically for an event that I have had the honor of being ticket chair.  The event is the Team Wench Privateer Feast.  The feast is to raise money for the fight against breast cancer.  Now many of you know that the ribbon for breast cancer is pink and if you have seen the commercial for the Avon walk you will notice that the walkers are all wearing pink. (By the way the money collected is for members of Team Wench to walk in that and other walks for breast cancer)  I wanted a coat to wear that would be in the same vein, pink.  I am not one for wearing pink, so, I found a fabric that had burgundy and pink. 

I looked for a pattern that was accurate.  Now why would I do that if the fabric is not historically accurate?  Simple, I wanted to know I could make it so when I invest in the accurate fabric, say for my husband, I will know what to do.  I found simplicity's 4923 was similar to the patterns I have found in extant costume books.  With a little tweaking I was able to get the coat  that simulates an early 18th century Frock Coat.  I haven't put buttons on any part of the coat and the only pockets are deep front.  I haven't placed any hidden pockets.  I wanted it just for play but now I know how to deal with all that extra folds without having a lot of bulk. 
I have since worn the coat and you may notice wrinkles in the back bottom area, I still haven't got the hang of knowing how to sit in a gentleman's coat.  I will share the waistcoat that I made for my husband for a 1740's event we were a part of.

I had promised myself to use this winter to complete some projects and make sure that I posted the results here.  Well, I am not good at keeping promises to myself but I am working on that.  I did however do some sewing and other creative things this winter and I am now making a point to at least journal here on Tuesdays.  Now that the weather is cooperating I can take the dress dummy outside and put pieces on it to photograph, because my house is so small I have not a room large enough to take a good picture of a clothing piece.  So, here I am promising again to journal every Tuesday on the items I make or are working on or even those things I am drooling to make.  I am not just promising myself but you my faithful friends who are willing to listen.

Oh, something that I had mentioned to a few people is that my nephews wedding was to be in the "Whats Up Annapolis Wedding Magazine", well, it is coming out soon.  Here is the spread if you want to check it out:
http://www.dbryantphoto.com/uploaded_images/huntsman1and2-741328.jpg 

Till next week...

I had no difficulty adapting the pattern but I did not like the fact the the top was not lined so I added a lining.  I felt a lining gave it strength and would be more in line with historical gowns.  Now on to finish my not so historical but lovely Pirate coat.

The last day of Festival was an up and down day. Up because it was a crisp cold Festival Day.  Down because one of Hengrave Hall's members has sailed on to the next life.  Ron, who played Captain Mandosa, was a friendly but cheeky man.  I never remember a time when he did not have me laughing.  He pretended not to like what he did but the extend to which he presented sailing proved he loved it all.  Given that he did sail from us on Saturday evening, it was thought that the tradition of dancing the Dance Macabre on Sunday would be dedicated to him. 

I have never danced this event but I was already dressed in black and wanted to be a part of something that remembered Ron, our dear captain.  Now, I know what your thinking, that this dance was in bad taste since all that are a part of it looked like skeletons or death.  But in reality it is about surviving the Plague, and knowing what a jokester Ron was I, felt no qualm whatsoever.

Now how does all this have to do with clothing since that is what this blog is all about, well, it is this:  I was dressed head to toe all in black and all the clothing was made by me.  But what I wanted to specifically show is my cape.  I love this cape.  It is so warm and by-the-way did I mention it was cold on Sunday?  The style of this cloak/cape is Kinsale, which works for most of the time periods I reenact.  The hood is so roomy that when I have my hair piled quite high for the 18th century I can still where it.  The only problem I have is keeping it on my head, for the hood is heavy from all the material which is wool.  However, it stayed on my head for the entire dance.
I had so much fun carrying the banner.  And the make-up well it is clown white and the black, ground charcoal from my cooking.  Not bad for the spir of the moment, when I decided the mask would drive me crazy.  The dance was fun and I know that Ron is laughing somewhere.

On Saturday morning, I recieved a phone call from my dearest friend who plays "Mistress Beatrice Hampton, the simplest and midwife on the Hengrave estate of Lady Kytson wife of the late Sir Thomas".  This phone call was to tell me that she would be doing the Tudor Make-Over show in the gown I did make for her daughter who in a season previous did play the Kytson's daughter.   Was I in for a treat when I did arrive on Saturday at the Living History/Hengrave Hall/Revelers Bower area to see her not only in the gown but in full "Tudor" make-up.  See for yourselves:

So, the wedding has come and gone and the gowns looked fabulous on the Bridesmaids.  The Bride pick a color I would have not known how everyone would look in this color, but boy, every single Bridesmaid looked good in Chocolate. And it looked glorious with the flowers chosen.