starting to enter the blind panic stage...

So Louisbourg is now less than two months away.  Re-enacting season is upon us now and our time is getting booked up.  I also have another month of school to get through.
We are going to our first event next friday and this weekend I will be trying to finish a new frock coat for Pierre and start a 20 page paper.  I also have another 8ish reading responses to do for school.


aaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

I can do this.

I didn't get the job at the Dartmouth Heritage Museum, their training started Monday.  Just as well, I guess.  It would have been an entry level job and I certainly have more than enough of those under my belt.  I need to take this summer and get my portfolio worked on, readings for my thesis to do, weaving I want to do.  Re-enactments I want to get to.  I have no reason to take an entry level job this summer, I will be busy enough.

Yes, this is me justifing not 'needing' the job.  I still feel bad though, I don't know why.

Well, I need to go read some stuff now.

another workshop

All winter we've been having workshops as part of the activities of the Atlantic Living Heritage Association.  Yesterday was the last one for the winter season, sacque backed gowns.
Each workshop was meant to be a kickstarter for the month's project.  Breeches, frock coats, stays, bodice draping.  We would get a chunk of work done on a saturday and then off we'd go to finish the project on our own, sometimes bringing it back the next month for a final fitting.

They were great incentive for me too, getting things started, finished up before the next month so that I could then get started on the next project for the next workshop I was facilitating.

So yesterday I got the start on Mum's new sacque.  It is in blue linen and will be a good servicable dress.  Joy started on her caraco jacket in embroidered silk to go with the silk quilted petticoat she has been working on all spring.  Wanda worked on the jacket for her brunswick gown, toffee coloured wool suiting with teal silk reveres, ruchings and hood lining.  They are both going to be stunning.  We got as far as having the backs completed, the toughest part, if you ask me.  Elizabeth, Joan and Maria also showed up for some company, the first two ladies working on stays, Maria working on embroidery.  Pierre made tea and kept lunch offerings on the go.

This sounds like an entry in the 'What's Happening about Town' section of the newspaper.  "Pierre poured".  Hee, hee.

So now we are off for the summer re-enacting season.  Just too much happening now until the end of August, though I might try to book the return of the workshops in August, if we have a free weekend.  The next one will be accessories though, pockets, stomachers, mitts, caps.

I am still waiting on word about the summer residency...and school work.  Four more weeks of school, then summer!  Can't wait for the heat!

again, another week goes by

I have been working on things though, along with school work.

Pierre's frock coat is coming along nicely, it should be finished this weekend.  My friend Dale is going to make buttons for me in pewter.  Hopefully he can make some styles for me to sell this year at events as well.  He seemed keen when we spoke.  After the coat is finished, I need to make a waistcoat for Pierre, and then he will be ready for Louisbourg.

Yesterday I overhauled a waistcoat for a friend.  It was bought for his town cryer outfit, but was getting a little tight.  I took the fashion fabric backs off and replaced them with linen, eyeletted up the back so that he has some flexability in size.  I also replaced the pockets.  I told him that I'd like to overcast the buttonholes during one event in the near future, then I'd be happy with the progress towards a better period garment.  I kept the backs and may make him a smoking cap out of them in the future.  He's the kind of guy that should own a banyan and smoking cap.
The overhaul took three hours.

Saturday I am teaching a sacque workshop, so friday I will need to cut the linings out for Mum's new gown.  I should also dig out and press up her fashion fabric, a nice linen in dark blue.

Speaking of linen gowns, I am slightly jealous of the ladies who are making silk gowns for themselves.  I am trying to keep within my persona though, and I just can't justify a silk gown for myself.  I just don't think a farmer's wife would own one for every day.  My friend Wanda is making one up though as part of a lady of the evening ensemble, and she's going to wear the hell out of it.  I can't wait to see how the heritage developes!  In fact, I am excited to see how my linen gown holds up for the season.  I am going to take photos of it's heritage progress.

And with that, I need to go and focus on the 21st C for a while, class this afternoon, and I am presenting!

a week has gone by, honestly I have been doing things

Yesterday I got all the renovations finished on the riding habit, I've been working on them all week.  It didn't seem so long at the time, but looking at the date of my last post this morning made me realize how busy I was.
I've also started back to school for the first summer session, and so spent tuesday, wednesday and thursday reading, writing response papers and going to class.  And that is what I will be up to today too.

Tonight I will get back to Pierre's frock coat construction.

Speaking of Pierre, we made the quip the other night while watching Wartime Farm on the BBC, that I'd love to give all Pierre's period clothes to these guys to wear for a year, especially Peter...he is hard on his duds!  So then yesterday, Pierre put his breeches on.  Figuring he'd just start wearing his clothes.  He wore them all day long, with his T shirt and running shoes, since that is all I have finished of that outfit.  When Garth came for supper, at first he though it funny that Pierre was wearing shorts, as he never does.  Then Garth thought "what an odd thing, on shorts to have a diaper butt".  It took him a good hour to realize what was going on, and we all had a good laugh.

I need to shorten the legs on those breeches about an inch.

Well, should go do some school work...

fittings, wins and losses

Broke down and had a fitting with my riding habit yesterday.  I had originally made it before Christmas and wore it on New Years day, let's just say I was not happy with the fit.
So friday I took it apart as much as I could and yesterday after my shower, got dressed in my 18thC underwear.  Pierre remarked the waistline for both the waistcoat and jacket.  I will need to add a piece to the side back of the jacket, it's about 8" too small in the waist to button up fully with such a low centrefront point.  The waistcoat will be an easy fix, it just needs a waist seam and the skirts reshaped along the top edge.

While I was in my underwear, I tried on my new sacque.  Oh, My, God!  It fits like a dream, beautiful!  This was made after christmas, after a draping workshop that I ran back in January.  I talked the ladies through draping bodices on themselves, then they draped me.  What a fantastic job they did.  No alterations needed on that gown at all!  I am so happy.

We are all down with the dreaded 'man-cold', thanks to my brother bringing it home to us from Nigeria.  I don't fear weapons of mass distruction, what I fear most is the 'man-cold'.  UGH!  I need to plow through though.  I only have today and tomorrow before I start back to school for May and June and my paper writing workload rises.  I'd like to get the habit finished before I start back.  Then I can focus on getting Mum's last gown made for this summer, and a new suit for Pierre for Louisbourg.

Still no word back from the summer residency, I hope to hear soon.  I have also applied to the Dartmouth Heritage Museum for the summer.