In Which the Tent Goes Up

 Second Post of the Day

This is the last picture of my mother that I will be sharing this week. Call me sentimental, but it felt right to include her - not only is she my mother, but her contributions to The Feast of the Hunters' Moon from its very beginnings and then over its first three decades were significant and are still felt. 

Sharing photos of her makes it feel like she's still with us for yet another year on the Wabash at Fort Ouiatenon. (My parents' home was on the Wabash; that's "her river," too, just like it's mine.)

Mom, Martha Jones (a long time family friend), and Barbara Claffin sharing a laugh at the 1988 Feast.

Yesterday's set up was the smoothest I think it has ever been. It started when Vanessa called me around 9 AM and offered to come help me load my car. She was running errands near us and had a little extra time. That gal loaded all 19 garment bags of 18th century clothing into my trunk by herself! 

Did I mention that she had just gotten home from Rome and was jet lagged? And yet she still offered to help me out? What a sweetheart! (Thanks, Vanessa! xo)

Vanessa was also planning to load my car, but I told her I'd get that done.

I'd already brought everything downstairs and into the garage, so I was able to handle the lifting. So, we went back into the house and asked her to tell us about her trip.

I was able to get everything except the chairs and my clothing rack into my car. Lisa dropped by and picked those up, and then she, Craig, and I caravanned out to Fort Ouiatenon together. (Yes, I do bring a roll of TP with me. Sometimes the portapotties  run out!)

I was in the same site I've always been - booth 353.

Leslie and Rick met us there as they store my tent in their barn for me and we began unloading my things. (Thank you, Les and Rick! xo)

Curt, Ian, and Lukas also came out to help Lisa, Craig, and me put the tent up.

Laying out the lodge and ridge poles are the very first step as they support the roof and thus the entire tent.

As those go up, the corner poles are also inserted.

It's helpful to have someone stationed at each corner pole to keep them upright as they begin to bear the weight of the tent top.

The  other tent poles are then inserted and the ropes and stakes are all hammered into the ground.

We walk around the tent many times, checking and adjusting rope tautness, and making sure no poles are leaning and are still perpendicular to the ground.

We have a sutler's tent! The tables are carried in and then the tubs and boxes. I thank everyone for their help and tell them I've got it from there. (Thank you so much, family! xo)

Lisa hung out a little longer with me to make sure I really didn't need more help. She also made sure I had water (er, well, I have coke) and had eaten lunch. (I had.) She handed me two bottles of water and told me to drink them, too! Sweet girl! (Thanks, Lis! xo)

And then I got to work setting up my merchandise.

I created a new display for the pin pillows this year, and I love how it looks! That's a trencher at the base - a dish used in the 18th century to hold your dinner when eating. Holds pin pillows nicely, doesn't it? LOL

The blackened beeswax ornaments display. I think these are my most favorite thing to make and sell, even more than the clothing. (And I love to sew, so that's saying something.) As soon as I had those out and arranged, that beeswax and cinnamon aroma began wafting through my tent.

I've left the clothing in bags to keep it clean until Saturday. My Dad made that tabletop rack. It's also stored in Leslie and Rick's barn. Now I feel like he is represented at the Feast just as my mom is. (::sniff::)

There is some open space in that corner big enough for my sewing mannequin. I'm thinking I will bring it out and dress it to demonstrate my clothing. Still on the fence about that, though.  There's also the towel display and the fans that I sell. The apple crate is from our orchard; more of my father with me at the Feast.

The money box, an assortment of paper bags, my pewter drinking cup, and the change basket. I had to cover the beeswax ornaments up - some bees buzzed into my tent and were interested in them!

The other clothing rack (made by Van), and the new chair he made me this spring. He is making me another clothing rack for Kalamazoo, and he also surprised Leslie with a lumbar chair just like mine yesterday. He is such a nice man. (Thank you, Van!)

Those tubs still have some things in them to unpack, but essentially I am ready. I need to get out the mini chalk boards and put prices on them, then set them around, and then slide the tubs under the tables.  

I finished up around 5:00, closed up the tent, and came home feeling comfortable that I had made good progress and was in good shape for the weekend. 

I'll be out again today. I am bringing out a smaller table to use for School Days on Friday and need to get that set up and ready to go. And, I may bring the mannequin out and dress it.

I made a video of the grounds as I left. It is very clearly a homemade video (oh, my!) and you will get to see the dash of my car more than once, but it will give you an idea of how the grounds are shaping up.

Enjoy, and stay 'tooned!

It's Feast Week! Jolis Chevaux's History 2024 & 2025

First Post of the Day

 2024 was the year I came into my own as a sutler. I was confident that I had a good knowledge of patterns and fabrics appropriate to the time period and that I could construct garments well enough to be marketable. I knew what I was doing and was no beginner.

The sun rising over Fort Ouiatenon in 2024 as I arrive for the day.

I had my new sign, which really made me feel like an official 18th century sutler.

And frankly, I was stunned and felt quite honored when the new Feast director, Claire, wore one of my bedgowns to her very first opening ceremonies parade and ceremony! 

I now had my own friends, new people I'd met or gotten reacquainted with from my earlier days of Chien Noir. (Of course, Leslie's friends who had welcomed me back warmly in 2021 were still friends as well.). 

Jessie and Brandon of Eagle Talon Traders. Brandon is an old friend from the 1990s, and when our paths cross, he gives me a big smackeroo on the cheek and a bear hug.

I have a loyal bunch of customers who drop by each year and I look forward to seeing them. This is Mack and April, two of my very first customers. (I made both those shirts.)

Here is another very long term friend from the 1990s. Mike was the guy holding Makwa's leash in Tuesday's post. He's an artist who specializes in historical cartography. (And he collects vintage Batman items and Hartland horse and rider sets!)

Years ago when I was a teacher attending School Days with my own students, one of my students asked Mike if he knew how old I was. 

Mike's response? "I sure do. Your teacher is as old as dirt!"

The kid got a puzzled look and I let Mike know that I would get even. Haha!

If 2024 was the year I hit my stride, 2025 was the year when I began venturing into new things, things I was researching and learning on my own. That year, I took the plunge and signed up to present at Friday's School Days.

I retrieved my English saddle from the tack room at Tim's and shined it up, and then borrowed Leslie's 18th century side saddle.

I borrowed a bunch of things from Tim

and spent Friday morning talking to students about horses in the 18th century. It was so much fun that I'm doing it again this year.

I'd mostly sold clothing, maple cakes, and blackened beeswax ornaments up to that point, but there was a dearth of sleeve buttons and very recent research about them had exploded onto the scene. Everyone was wanting to add a pair to their 18th century outfits but very few sold them and they were difficult to find.

Much as I'd done with blackened beeswax ornaments, I did some research of my own, figured out how they had been made, tracked down period correct buttons, and got busy.

Over 100 pairs later, I had a product that folks were glad to find and buy. I had a corner that year on the sleeve button market, both at the Feast and Kalamazoo. In addition to selling them separately, I use them in my chemise sleeves and the cuffs of many of my trade shirts.

Leslie did something new in 2025, too. She'd learned how to make cheeses in her retirement and was asked to teach a seminar both days about cheesemaking. 

I was excited when she asked me to make her a bedgown and petticoat to wear while presenting. She did well and was asked to return and present about cheesemaking again this year. Yay, Les! I KNOW her! (Catch that Elf reference? LOL)

Our sister, Jenny, comes to the Feast every year as a visitor.

Almost always she drops by my tent to say hello. (This gal excels in the axe throwing competition. Don't mess with her. Hah!) Jenny's been coming to the Feast since she was a child with our mother who would be out there on the grounds working.

That's Jenny on the left with one of her closest school friends, Dierdre, and Dierdre's sisters. Jenny and Dierdre are still close friends. (I used to babysit these girls.)

As always, Curt, Vanessa, Ian, Mila, and Lukie came. 

Three years since I made it for him, Lukie is still wearing that shirt even though I made him a new, larger one. He wears it to school, to church, and out to play. It's been washed so many times that it is faded and soft. I'm glad he likes it so much.

That wraps up the history of me in the living history community. School Day is tomorrow and I am ready to get started. Wish me luck. I am thrilled that the Feast is finally here!

Stay 'tooned!

Still Sewing!

Second Post of the Day

Yesterday Leslie sent me a picture of our mother that I had never seen before. A photo of her with one of her books at the Feast!

I was able to identify the Feast year by the button she is wearing, one that she drew and is my all-time favorite of 59 years of Feast buttons.

It's 1992, the 25th anniversary of the event. She is speaking to Don Stoike, who was also an early Feast planner and worker. They are looking at the Feast cookbook that my mother illustrated, Ouabache Potpourri.

There were several editions of the book over the years but it was first released in 1980. Here is the history of it with photos of Mom's drawings.

The image she drew of the moon behind the blockhouse has been used many other times for Feast and Fort Ouiatenon things.

Anyway!

It's set up day! Lisa, Curt, and the kids are coming over at noon to bring the clothing downstairs and pack it into the cars along with the tubs, boxes, chairs, and other things that are going out to Fort Ouiatenon.

I'm excited, I'm nervous, I'm champing at the bit - let's do this!

I'd said I was absolutely positively DONE with Feast sewing, but yet again yesterday, I was back at the sewing machine. I wanted to make two more pin pillows as gifts for friends.

The first is for Brooke, the Feast Director. She let me hold The Happy Trails Dan Patch Show last year in her building in Oxford and at the time, had just gotten the bathroom completed days before the model horse show.

It's an IYKYK kind of gift and I know she will laugh when she sees a decidedly NON 18th century dinosaur pin pillow!

Her new bathroom was lovely and had a touch of whimsy (which is so Brooke.) Like most bathrooms, it had some extra rolls of toilet paper set out. 

But rather than go for a staid, traditional type holder for them, Brooke had a brachiosaurus statue with a very long extended neck. The rolls were slipped over the Dino's head and resided like collars around the dino's neck, waiting for someone to need to change rolls. (I so wish I had taken a photo!)

The heart pin pillow is for my customer Lucia who is getting married next month. It was challenging and took some planning and practice before I called it done.

The lace on the front side is an overlay over the charmeuse and charmeuse is very slippery to work with. After a failed first try, I basted the lace to the charmeuse which helped to stabilize it and then I was able to stitch and stuff the rest of the pin pillow together.

The lace flowers are several layers of thread themselves and very thick. So thick that turning the heart right side out was difficult and it is a little misshapen in its finished form.

But I don't think Lucia will mind. 

I'll put some pins into both of them and then wrap them up and take them out later today when we go set up.

In the meantime, back to writing blog posts. I have six different drafts that I want to finish and have ready to use as needed over the next few busy days. I really don't like to post a "Gone Riding" picture and leave ya'll hanging, so wish me luck in getting those done and ready for posting.

Let the set-up begin!

Stay 'tooned! 

It's Feast Week! Jolis Chevaux's History 2022 & 2023

 First Post of the Day

I learned a lot in 2022, that first year that I had my own sutler tent. Lisa helped me so much, as did Craig, Curt, and Lukie who set my tent up.

I was as prepared as I could be but there was a learning curve.

It was still very much a family event for us as it has been since the 1970s. I made clothes for the local grands Ian, Mila, and Lukie, and they came out to their very first Feast, not really knowing what to expect. (My grandchildren are the fourth generation of our family to be a part of the Feast.)

They figured it out quickly, and especially enjoyed sneaking into my tent through the back when I was busy with customers and they wanted to come in quietly and take a break. This is one of my absolute favorite Feast photos of all time.

And another favorite. 

Lukie discovering the joys of your very own turkey leg that's been cooked outdoors over an open fire!

Cole brought his family up from Tennessee in 2023. It was Leslie's last Feast as director, and they wanted to come and celebrate with her. It was a very big celebration lasting two days.

Cole, me, Kate, Susie, and Julie.

Julie with her new parasol and fan, Susie holding her folded fan, Emily,

and Kate with her treasures.

Leslie gets lots of Hershey Bars from friends at events, and Feast 2023 when she retired was no exception. Rick had slid that package out of her arms and tucked it away to hide it from people. After all, there were no Hershey Bars in the 18th century!

Leslie received a surprise honor - the voyageur camp lined up and gave her a paddle salute. Look at her face! It was really touching.

Tomorrow I'll wrap up my personal Feast history with years 2024 and 2025.

Stay 'tooned! (And keep listening to Hell on the Wabash!)