A little side project

Just something I whipped up last week while waiting for patterns to arrive.





This is actually a reprint of select directions from "Games & Gamesters" By Charles Cotton, (printed in 1674). I picked out the directions that were similar to modern games and that actually made sense. There are several card & dice games. I choose to skip instructions on bowels and tables variations.

The cover is just art paper from the new Martha Stewart crafts line at Michael's. It's nice stuff. Stitched with linen thread. I owe the layout to J. I did several versions with a different binding, but this one, where the pages fold around each other is the period correct version (as far as I can tell).

I am already putting together several more period "booklets", in part for the broadseller impression and in part because they are fun and an easy add to the little details of a kit.

and no, I'm not sharing the secret to how I got the text to include the medial S ;) I deserve to keep some things a secret don't I?

By the Seat of My Pants

OK, not "my" pants, J's pants. And technically they're early period breeches.







Made from the Reconstructing History pattern. 100% wool, left over from L's mantua. The buttons are cheap silver colored ones I picked up at the fabric store. I still haven't found the right metal buttons that also don't cost an arm and a leg. I ended up finishing the fly opening without the flap, same on the legs. I also did the early style binding on the leg hems in place of a traditional hem. They look pretty good, although J could gain about 20 lbs and they would probably fit better. Still I wasn't willing to make a 32!

It Ain't Easy

It ain't easy to ease

It took a lot of fiddling, lots and lots and lots. To the point that I almost walked from the step for a while, but finally, the sleeves are in the Hunting Coat.



Seen here with blue or tan cuffs. I'm going with the blue, which matches the lining and the future buttons. The buttons in the photos are the left over stuffed buttons from the Girls Kit. J is doing me the favor and cutting wood circles for me to cover for the buttons. Eventually I might want to have metal buttons, but with a time crunch on this outfit, the fabric covered buttons will have to do. Plus I like that they add more color. When everything is just tan, it's rather dull.

Perfect Fit

Making rapid progress on the Hunting "Frock" Coat. Just have the lining, adding the sleeves and dealing with the cuffs & neckline to go. Oh & the button holes, endless button holes.

Above is the documentation for the nearly 3" bodice length change I had to make for the coat to fit nicely and for the side & back vents to hit at my hips (oh you should see the swish!).

Because of the curve of the skirts and the way the vents are constructed, the only choice I had for the alteration was to lift through the shoulders. Thankfully according to reports the armscyes on the pattern are entirely too big for the sleeves. After taking up the 3" I still have plenty of space, the under arm actually matches the underarm on my stays perfectly. I also mocked up the sleeves and checked before cutting the shoulders and this alteration makes the sleeves fit the space perfectly.

The biggest hold back so far as been the lack of good thread. I have a spool of blue in 80/3, lovely stuff to sew with, however, I didn't like the look of the blue top stitching on the tan coat.

Instead I've used some of the beige colored thread from Jas. Townsend. Crap! Total utter crap. It's not plied so it breaks. Actually it doesn't break, it shreds and pulls apart into this fuzzy mess. Terrible. I struggled through using it on the pock flaps just to get them done & I'm tossing the rest. Instead I ordered a bunch more of the similar good quality thread from Threadneedle Street in a selection of colors for all the up coming projects.








Despite the hastle with the thread, I actually enjoyed my first try at prick stitching. Now ask me that again when I've pricked the entire coat front, side & back vents to the lining & I might have a different story. I've also added buckram along the front to keep it smooth & some to the cuffs to keep them nice & bold.

Now, I'm back to the dungeon. I'm going to whip up the matching tan wool petticoat to go with this coat. Nothing fancy, just knife pleats & my standard linen tape waistband.

The shirt off my back

almost literally.

I finished a linen shirt for the common man's kit this weekend. There were only a few things I did differently from the instructions. You weren't seriously expecting me to follow them to the letter were you?

I left off the interior neck triangle. I didn't really see the point in it and since the shirt won't be worn frequently, I could chance it.

I pleated rather than gathered at both the collar and the cuffs. I am just not a gathers person. I want things to be even and lay nicely. Gathers just don't do that the same way pleats do. With some experiment I ended up leaving the neck gusset triangle unpleated. The shirt ends up nice and smooth right at the shoulders, with plenty of room across the back & chest.

I added 2" to the sleeves. I am so thankful that I measured & checked against J. He has long arms and the extra 2" made the sleeves fit perfectly. I would have been rather pissed to go through all that work only to find the sleeves just that much too short.

I am still deciding where, or if, to put a small cloth stuffed button at the collar. I put one on either cuff. I'm wondering, should the button go on the collar itself, or just below it? Should I just leave it off since J will probably leave the shirt open at the next anyway?

Either way, I'm very happy with the shirt. It only took a night to construct, even hand sewing the cuffs & collar, neck opening & bottom hem and shirt tails. It's very nice. In fact, I can see "borrowing" it to wear myself.

Post event laundry

Just a quick shot of our linens on the line after a quick wash with lye soap.

Little Things

Just the little things for my kit that I picked up at the Macktown Gathering this weekend.

First two very nice, turned bowls. Each is about 6" across and 2" deep. They came unfinished. The lady suggested rubbing them with mineral oil, but I had a better idea, food grade flax oil. They had several other sizes available, including a beautiful huge bowl for only $80. Unfortunately I didn't take a business card so I don't know who I got these from or if I could get more on-line. Bummer.

Before & After

Also picked up a very nice spoon. I'd like to replace all the cooking spoons in my house with these. Not only is it nice in the hand (great for swinging at people who attempt to taste test) but it's just plain pretty to look at, which might make me want to cook more.

Stay away from my stew you lot!

And last, a couple of things for L. A Jacobs ladder toy. She's been begging for one every time she sees them at Cost Plus. Well this one is raw wood and simple ribbons, not like the painted up ugly versions. I'm much happier with this one. Next I'm getting her a wooden hoop. With her marbles and deck of cards she'll have no reason to be "bored" at an event so long as she can find someone to play with her.


I also got a very nice wooden comb for L's hair. I don't know if a wooden comb is strictly period correct, but I have to be able to do something with her hair at events. This works nicely, is a dream to hold and is pretty. A lot better than whipping out the big paddle brush while sitting in my period correct tarp shelter!

The Common Man Plan

This is the first time that J has asked, asked me to make him clothes. For the past 11 years it's been, yeah ok I'll wear what you tell me. No enthusiasm. But he's finally asked & I'm super excited. Lets see how I feel after having to sew all the button holes on his coat.

The Plan

Breeches: left over blue wool from L's mantua. It was going to be my wool petticoat but I'd rather she & I not have all the same colors in our clothes since we will be at the most events together. Patter for the breeches is Reconstructing History's 706 breeches and slops. I'm looking forward to that too becuase J & I still wear the same pants size. So making him a pair, means I'll have a pair if I ever need to dress as a man.

Shirt: The last of the Joann's heavy linen with guidance from various sources. I ws going to use the lighter linen that I got for my extra shift, but then remembered how tough on clothes J is. Plus, I don't want to give up my extra shift for him to have a shirt and I've got that JoAnn's linen that I don't really like for myself, so why not for J.

Coat: We're looking for either inexpensive coat weight wool, or a big old army blanket. I'm going to have my mom look at her Hancock's for the wool that they used to carry during the winter. So far I haven't had luck finding an old wool blanket, although that might not turn out to be cheaper than yardage either, depending. Pattern of course is Reconstructing History's 705, sailors & common man's coat. I gave j the option of having a justacourps but he likes the shorter, simpler style. No complaints from me, I like the less button holes option!

Workman's Cap: J saw these and decided that he likes them. So while at The Gathering this weekend he looked at a few and they were all too small for his head. Rats! So instead I'll be digging through my scrap linen and making him one. I was hoping he'd find something at the event so that there would be some variety in the materials used, rather than just the same scrap that both L & I are also wearing. Oh well. at least he'll have a cap.

Stockings: He'll be wearing one of my two pairs. I'm considering giving him the Lindsey-woolsey pair and having Leslie Carroll knit me a couple of pairs like L's. I need a wool pair and maybe a linen pair. The wool got very hot in 80* weather, so many linen stockings would be cooler if not perfectly PC.

Shoes: Here's where we get stuck. Shoes are expensive and J won't be wearing them all the time anyway. I'm thinking that we really need to try the cut down desert boots for him. They don't have to be pretty, he's a street seller for Pete's sake. So far that's the plan for shoes at least.

The Complete Children's Kit

This was caught just before we left for the weekend, hence the reasons she's still wearing her cap. That lasted about 20 minutes before she yanked it off. Maybe she is right about it having the chin ties. We also had some trouble with the shoulder on her mantua. It's sewn to her in this photo. Normally it would be pinned, but L is scared of being poked. I am still brainstorming ideas for getting it to stay where it belongs without having to sew her into it every day. By Sunday, probibly because J was with us and she knew she could get away with more with him, she wasn't even wearing her mantua.

For shoes I ended up grabbing a pair of black loafers from ShopKo the morning before. They have the box stitching around the toe, but tied with ribbons & mostly hidden under her skirts no one was the wiser. Anyway, the were a slight bit better than the adults wearing black stockings & tennis shoes. I know that is the preferred method for adults that don't have period shoes, but come on. Some of these people were in really nice other clothes. If it's a money issue, why don't they try the cut down a pair method (which is on my list for J's kit this month)

Anyway, L looked great. We didn't managed to get any good photos. J took some but despite what he says, he doesn't get good pictures of me. Either that or I look like crap! I know I need to find the right brimmed hat for me. The one I had has way too much crown and makes my head look misshapen. I also need a new cap. I want a lappet cap with the sides folded up like I saw on someone's website.

Next up is J's garb, common man's clothes!