Dapples Project Prep

 I was doing research on the Dapples project and was pulling models out to photograph. 

I needed help from Craig as I'd lost some height after my most recent spinal fusion, so I asked him to come help me get some models off the top shelves in my office. I simply cannot reach them anymore.

The first piece he pulled down was a shrinky - the dapple grey Running Mare from 1987.

I told him that she was a shrinky and explained what that meant. He was pretty surprised when I set her next to a non-shrinky Running Mare to compare - in fact, he did not think they were from the same mold, the size difference was so great.

This led to a conversation about the why/how of shrinkies, and then on to the lick test, the vinegar smell, bloaties, and oozies. 

Craig was fine (even with the lick test) until I explained about oozies - that made him look a little green. And when he learned that I was keeping a ready-to-ooze in a box in my closet, he asked why I didn't just throw it away before it leaked out of or through the box.

Before I could respond, he guessed the reason. "Sentimental reasons," he said knowingly.

Sometimes it's hard to throw away something that has given you joy over time. That model will stay in its box until I have no other choice.

Boot Camp in Retirement!

You know those idyllic commercials and ads you see of retired people laughingly running through the surf, playing golf, and relaxing by a fire with their feet up?

(Photo from Google Search.)

Craig and I see those and just laugh - our retirement looks nothing like that! Granted, we are busy by choice, but once in a while we take on too much and feel a little overloaded. I'm there right now.

Currently I have five sewing orders to complete (with a machine that is threatening to stop working - no stress there!), a university student's Master's thesis that I am proof reading (halfway done!), a recording of a talk that I was asked to transcribe for someone, and a couple of other things on the docket.

I'm not complaining - we are busy by choice and most likely it is the stress of wondering if my sewing machine will hold out that has been the tipping point into making me feel overloaded. (The customers have all been very gracious and told me that they are in no rush if I do need to take my Janome into the shop.)

One thing that I am doing is something fun and hobby related.

I was asked to help with Breyer Boot Camp again this year. Like last year, I'm stewarding and that means that every day I go to Pony Bytes and check the formatting of the entries, that models are in the correct class, and so on.

It's a lot of fun and the models are so beautiful! Even better, I like that I am helping new hobbyists (or hobbyists who are new to showing) get started in the showing aspect of the hobby.

A hobby is considered to be something done in leisure time for pleasure, and having Breyer Boot Camp on my to-do list does help me relax and let any stress drain away. (Which is rather ironic when you consider what a boot camp is.)

I would never had made it in a real boot camp, but this is a boot camp that I can handle! 

Off to go do some stewarding...

Back at the Machine

I said I was going to take a break from 18th century sewing for a couple of weeks post Kalamazoo, and that's true, I have. But, I didn't say I was taking a break from sewing completely.

Just before I left for Michigan, several haversack orders came in, two of them quite large ones. I've been working on them since I got home and am nearing completion.

This is an Extra Long Traditional in Steppe Horses for those shelf eaters Breyer has been producing lately.

Another XLT in the Steppe Horses along with two different Dala Horse fabrics, Blue Hors, Vintage Sicilian, and Purdue fabrics.

Two Saluki fabrics and Mint Unicorns.

Ten Curio sized haversacks in a variety of different fabrics.

I am almost done with these orders and I just got another large order yesterday (show season is ratcheting up!) I am a little nervous about accepting too many orders at the moment - my machine is making a squeaking noise as it stitches that is getting worse and worse.

It's a Janome which is a very good quality machine, and it's lived up to that reputation. I've had it for 25 years and not once has it needed service or repair. (Which is pretty amazing when you consider how much sewing I do.) But it looks like it may be time to have it looked at and that may mean a delay in order completion.

Wish me luck that it holds out at least until I get these orders finished!

Kalamazoo Wrap Up

Saturday morning the merchants have until 9:00 to finish preparing for the crowds that will come though when the doors open. Some of us come dressed and ready to go, 

others change there as soon as they are ready. (Rick still hard at work.) Women's period clothing often needs an assistant to put it on (think stays, a forerunner of the corset) so Lisa and I come dressed.

I don't get away from my booth much but that's okay - my favorite friend on the living history circuit was in the booth next to me!

Carol plays an indentured servant, Maggie, and helps Leslie and Rick out by selling their block print fabrics while they manage the show. (She does have all her teeth; that's just part of her character.)

In real life she has Haflingers that she drives plus she, too, is a retired teacher. With all we have in common, Carol and I never run out of things to talk about.

Something very thoughtful happened at the show, too. A tinsmith who had seen this video of Lukie last fall at The Feast of the Hunters' Moon putting in tent stakes for me had made him a little gift for having worked so hard to help.

He brought that gift with him to Kalamazoo in the hopes that I would be there and he could give it to me to take home for Lukie.

A tin star to recognize him for helping out! (And Lukie did just that - he got his stakes into the ground so well we had to us stake pullers to remove them!) I'm going to put a leather lace through that hole so Lukie has a necklace to wear.

Leslie also was mindful of the children at the event. (Photo by Brooke Sauter.)

Every afternoon there was a drawing for a really nice gift, and she had a child pull the winning ticket and read the numbers. (Photo by Brooke Sauter.)

Ever had a maple cake? They are my favorite 18th century treat. They also sold big time -  people love them. I'd brought two boxes (84 pieces per box) and I ended up buying two more boxes. I was so glad they were there! That's a lot of maple cakes to sell! (Maple cakes are a form of maple sugar candy only much smoother and creamier.)

By the end of the event, I'd sold 3/4 of the clothes I'd made, and so many other items, I came home with four empty tubs! This is a photo of Saturday morning before the doors opened; it looked very different at the close of the event. (I was so tired, I forgot to snap a picture.)

It was a great time with family and friends and I felt especially close to my mother - the one who brought the living history hobby into our family. I look forward to next year's Kalamazoo, but I am taking a break from sewing 18th century items for a week or two.

And a special thanks to Lisa for her help - I could not have done this without you!

Kalamazoo Friends & Doin's

The friendships that you make at events, be it living history, model horse, or other, are one of the best things about any hobby. 

Lisa has tons of friends in living history and we had a steady stream of folks dropping by our booth by to visit. 

Hawk and his wife Jill.

Hawk is a bead expert - this bead was handmade in the 18th century. It was huge; I can't imagine wearing it. (Hawk was. You can see it in the photo above.

A lot of friends are made "in booth." You stop by to look at their merchandise, a conversation begins, and the next thing you know, you're on a first name basis and go looking for each other at the next event!

Hand blocked fabrics are Leslie and Rick's specialty. (Photo by Kzoo event photographer, Brooke Sauter.)

My beeswax ornaments also made the official photographs. (Photo by Brooke Sauter.)

As did my fans. (I try to have on hand things that children could afford to buy and fans are one of those items.) (Photo by Brooke Sauter.)

Leslie makes sure there are things for children to do, too. The gymnasium in the expo center is set up with games, activities, and places to sit and rest for a while. (Photo by Brooke Sauter.)

Future model horse hobbyists in the making! (Photo by Brooke Sauter.)

Despite the snow and ice that had threatened to derail the event, I had a steady stream of customers throughout the event.

Tomorrow I'll share about a few of the "made me smile" moments and tell you what "sold like hotcakes" hour after hour after hour.

Stay 'tooned!. 

Kalamazoo Opens

The Kalamazoo Living History Event got off to a bit of a rough start. A snowstorm closed I-94 Saturday morning for a couple of hours making it difficult for merchants as well as attendees to get to the expo hall. But the snow melted quickly and soon the interstate was open and the hall was crowded and very busy.

Lisa and me at opening time, one of the very few times of the day we could catch our breath.

I had not realized just how much more merchandise I had to sell than last year and I was very, very grateful for her assistance in getting set up.

Our friend, Phyllis Dotson,

offered to help Lisa put her hair up

and finished just before things got really busy.

I sent Lisa off to take some pictures for me. I'd started selling clothing as soon as the event opened and I was excited to see this one among her photos.

I'd make this bed gown and had ALMOST kept it for myself, I liked it so much. It was the first thing I'd sold and the lady was already wearing it!

The bedgown hanging in my sewing room at home.

Later that day a man came striding down the aisle and came to an abrupt stop at one of my clothes racks. "I want that!" he cried.

And he pulled this shirt off the rack.

"Why don't you slip it on over your head to check the fit?" I suggested.

"Nope! It'll fit and I really want it." And he handed me payment, thanked me, and strode off.

About an hour later, Lisa was back with me and restocking. Suddenly she cried, "That's our shirt!" 

The gentleman had changed into the shirt I'd made and come back to show us. He was standing by our booth grinning from ear to ear. "I love it, and I am even going to wear it to work!"

A half hour later, a woman came by and introduced herself as his wife. "He loves that shirt so much, I just had to come by and tell you!" she said and then she thanked me for making it.

As you might imagine, the sale of that shirt was pretty much the cherry on top of my day!

Sales were brisk and I was pleased at how well my things had sold. (By the end of the event, I'd sold 3/4 of everything that I had sewn!)

More pictures tomorrow, so stay 'tooned!

Kalamazoo - Preparation

I've been preparing for The Kalamazoo Living History Show since I got home from The Feast of the Hunters' Moon last October. Since I do all the sewing, if I want clothing to sell, I have to make it myself.                

The Kalamazoo Expo Center. (Photo from Expo Center's web site.)

And I don't just sell clothing, I sell other necessities and acountrements from the 18th century, too.

Such as dish towels.

Which all need to be counted and inventoried before being packed into my sales tubs.

The clothing needs to be tagged for size, price, and whether the buttons are made from horn or bone, and then I record how many I've made of each size.

(I love the elephants on this block print from India - believe it or not, that is a current pattern from the 18th century.)

The bed gowns (which were actually a form of day wear for both men and women)

and the women's short gowns go through the same process and then are packed in tubs. (They were pinned shut which is why you see a pin at the neck.)

A last minute addition to my sales stock was toques. (Pronounced with an oo as in "tooth.")

Made by my friend Frannie (I taught both her kids when we lived in Illinois),

Frannie is a professor at Marquette University and knits for fun. Her work is beautiful.

I counted and recorded the body powders that I sell (people did not bathe much back then and covered their body odor with perfumes and powders - if they could afford them.

The hussifs (pronounced "housewife") which were sewing kits

and were checked to be sure they had their pins, needles, sewing beeswax, and thread and then folded up with their ribbons tied neatly.

And the fans counted

and checked for damage. (Fan photos from Etsy.)

But inventory and packing weren't the only things I needed to do - I had to check and repair my period clothing for missing buttons, tears, and loose threads.

This bodice was a mess and I had to reattach all those tiny buttons before it could be worn.

As you might imagine, all this took me several days, and then I had to carry the tubs downstairs and pack them in the car. I drove up most of them to Leslie's farm - she and Rick were taking their things and all the office and show supplies to Kalamazoo in a trailer and offered to take a couple of my tubs in some extra room that they had after packing their own supplies.

Teacher Daughter Lisa and I left late Friday afternoon, excited and anticipating meeting up with dear friends in just a few hours. Set up was Friday evening until 10:00 PM and Saturday morning until 9:00.

And then the show would begin!

Just for fun - Craig and I lived in Michigan the first two years we were married. A fan of Big Band music, he used to sing this song to me a lot . Lyrics begin a minute into the song. Enjoy!

Tomorrow the event begins - stay 'tooned!