At Her Leisure

I finally took pictures of the Tudor knitted sleeves and early 17th century petticoat I made earlier this year. I think the sleeves would usually be worn with a kirtle that has the same fabric for bodice and skirt, but I don't know that for sure. They should also have been pinned a little closer to the end of the tab and thereby closer to the neck edge of the shoulder straps of the petticoat. I'm just taking it as a win that I got pictures.







Here's the list of things that I needed to post as of three weeks ago. I've made progress.
- Tudor knit sleeves
- 1920's navy voile dress with Egyptian-inspired embroidery
- 1910's evening dress
- 1930's Benedictine tunic
- Early 17th century dark brown flannel petticoat with upperbodies

While we were on vacation last month, we also went to the Jamestown Settlement. I had particularly wanted to go there because that was the original plan for my 1610's costume, not a Renaissance fair! It also turned out to be the thing the children liked best.

We went for a little while one afternoon after a lunch that seemed to stretch into eternity. Two of us had finished eating before the next two got their food, and those two had finished eating by the time my husband got his! It was ridiculous, and I am glad that my husband asked us to go ahead and eat or it would have been stone cold. Enough complaining. The children thought we didn't have nearly enough time at Jamestown and asked to go back. Who am I to deny them a historical place when they ask for it?

My friend Liz came along the second day, and she actually likes to take pictures so we have pictures.

I got to meet reine_de_coudre in person, which was very nice, and she even gave us a tour of the costume shop there. My son got to try on the jacket from a boy's 17th century suit reproduction that Samantha made, though it was a bit big. First he didn't want to put it on, then he didn't want to take it off.



Then we had to leave her to her work. We visited the Powhatan village, the ships, and the fort. I think everybody had a good time, and we spent most of the day there. I'm not sure everyone was quite ready to leave at the end, but the boy was obviously wearing down.

The only thing I made new for the visit was my little knit purse, which I actually like so much that I've been using it to hold change in my modern purse since then. I was pleased when my daughter wanted to wear her vaguely Native American dress to Jamestown since I was dressing up. Maybe there's hope for someone to join me in costume shenanigans yet!



( And more pictures behind the cut... )

I made quite a bit this year, including four knit pinballs.



The rest is behind the cut.

( Read more... )

Yesterday I got to go on my first costumed outing since Memorial Day. jenthompson and I met up with our respective families at the opening weekend of the Texas Renaissance Festival. I haven't been to a Renaissance Faire since I was in college so that was something of an experience in and of itself. I've also never been with children.

The weather was good. The sky was clear and blue, there was a little breeze at times, and it was usually decent in the shade. Standing in the sun was warm, though. I don't know just how warm it got, but they were forecasting highs around 93. Maybe it got there, maybe it didn't, but I'm sure it didn't cross the hot threshold.

Only one of my daughters would dress up, and she insisted on changing into shorts before we'd been there an hour. She feels that she can't run in a dress. At least I got some nice pictures of her before she changed. I thought I got one or two of her sister, but I guess I didn't.

I didn't take many pictures and only got three worth posting. In order, my little white knight preparing for a mechanical joust, one of my daughters in her sister's Merida costume, and a lovely hobbit matron who showed us the ropes (and didn't look even remotely like a sausage, though the sausage in the quiver was a particularly hobbit-y touch when the young elf was too busy playing at lunch to finish eating).







Jen took a bunch of pictures of me and I of her while the children watched the jousting, but they're all on her camera so we must wait until she's ready to share. I hope I was able to take satisfactory pictures of her and do her justice. She looked great.

And then we can decide whether I looked like I was from "Little House on the Prairie" as I was twice told. Either I didn't look at all as I thought I did, or people can't tell the difference between early seventeenth century and late nineteenth century. I'm not sure which one would be more disappointing.

I've nearly finished the body of my late 16th/early 17th century petticoat. I have to let the shoulders out a little, but that's pretty insignificant. At any rate, now I can cut the skirt panels. I made the bust a touch small, assuming that some stretching would occur with wear, so it doesn't quite lace closed right now.







My thanks to reine_de_coudre for her suggestions and advice.