Leslie's New Feast Outfit

 Second Post of the Day

My sister Leslie has been attending The Feast of the Hunters' Moon since the mid 1970s. She's worn a variety of period clothing and interpreted many different lifestyles over the years. In the 1990s, she began wearing 18th century riding habits and has done so ever since.

Until this year. This year she is switching things up and has asked me to make all her clothing for her new interpretation.

I started with a brand new chemise

that has my favorite set of sleeve buttons in the sleeves.

Next, she chose the blue linen bed gown I'd made. Blue is her favorite color.

And last but not least, she asked me to make her a new petticoat, one that was pleated instead of gathered at the waist.

I am really pleased with how it turned out. 

Pleating can take three to four hours to do, but it is worth it in the finished product.

Can you see the three pleats in this photo? The print of the fabric hides it a bit - which made the pleating more difficult to do.

With pleating, you don't have the "give" that you get with gathering, so you have to measure not only each pleat, but then the row of pleats together to ensure it fits properly. (I measured repeatedly to get it right.)

Then you add twill tape for the waistband. I have bleached and unbleached; Leslie chose bleached. (I agree with her choice.)

When I know my measurements are correct (Leslie came over and tried the petticoat on to be sure), then I stitch one long side of the twill tape to the waist, flip it to the other side and hold it in place with fabric clips.

Finally, I hand stitch that side down, and the petticoat is finished.

She's going to put the clothes on and send me a picture. I'll post it when she does.

Any guesses as to who Leslie is interpreting this year? Here a hint: cheese.

Stay 'tooned!

Creating for the Feast

This year I'm paring down the variety of things that I take to sell at the Feast. I've realized that there are four things I really love to bring: 18th century clothing, sleeve buttons, blackened beeswax ornaments, and maple cakes. 

In the past I've also carried Williamsburg pottery, toques, fans, body powder, pin pillows, dish towels, hussiefs (housewives), hats, fabric, scarves, shawls, and more.

This is my fifth year in business; it's time to focus on making and doing what I like most. And while I have some inventory of just about everything on that discontinued list, I won't be replacing anything. When it's gone, it's gone.

There is just one month left to prepare and I am in pretty good shape. 

I just finished this bed gown and I am hoping I can get more of that gorgeous fabric.

This chemise is for Leslie. I am sworn to secrecy, but now that she's no longer the director of the Feast she can go hang out and have fun at the event. That, of course, calls for new clothes and I am making her entire outfit. Stay 'tooned on that - I think she and I are going to have fun with this.

The sleeves on her new chemise are pleated

and she has a new pair of sleeve buttons

to wear in her sleeves. (She chose my favorite pair.)

That's two of the three things I need to make her that are finished. She's bringing the petticoat fabric to me later today.

Yesterday I spent four hours making blackened beeswax ornaments.

I had two "volunteers" who wanted to help or at least just hang out with me while I worked.

Molly could not have been in a more inconvenient place for me. But I didn't mind working around her - carefully. LOL

I'd made 60 ornaments by the time I was finished.

Normally I make around 40 per session but this time I was using some of my smaller molds.

I hope to make one more batch before the Feast, but if I don't get to it, I'm in good shape and should have enough for selling.

Leslie has been stitching up items for her business, Chien Noir. For years her business has been importing and selling hand block printed fabrics, but now that she is no longer in charge of the Feast, she can spend more time in her booth as well as at home sewing things from the fabric she has imported!

She just sent me pics of fourteen petticoats that she has completed; here are a few of my favorites.

The bands at the bottom are all different - that's very unusual.

Look familiar? This is the same fabric that I used for the bed gown. The colors are so vibrant.

A more subtle pattern, but I love that pop of turquoise at the hem. (Can you guess Leslie's favorite color?) 

This picture is because - Eddie! 

Leslie and I are heading to Kokomo together later this morning. I'm going to pick up my embroidery machine that I'd had serviced, and I think she is going to drop off her sewing machine as she's having trouble with the buttonholer. (Hers is a Pfaff but the store tech will work on other machines besides Janome.)

I'm also going to take another look at that professional grade Janome while I am there. 

Stay 'tooned!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

If anyone ever tells you that retirement means doing very little and slow, easy days, they're wrong. That's sort of like thinking that teachers "have summers off." (Hah! Every teacher I know, including myself, spends a good portion of the summer working!)

I made a list this morning of some of the things I might write about today, sat back and thought, "So this is retirement? I'm almost as busy as I was when I taught!"

Possible Blog Topics, 9/11/24

September 11 is today 

getting my BreyerFest models 

Second Chance Indian Pony

Beowulf

brain scan 

kids' Feast clothing 

September Give Away

So, what did I end up including in today's blog post? 

~ The events of 911 are a must - I have always felt a need to honor those whose lives were snuffed out so unexpectedly, those who responded to the crisis, and those who lost friends and family. The entire world changed that day.

These are the kids that were in my classroom that horrific day. Some are still in contact with me after 23 years (always a privilege.) Sometimes I wonder what they remember about that day but I don't ask. It was a very, very disturbing day. I did record what I remember, and I always read my personal account on September 11. It's not pleasant to do so, but again, I believe it is important that I remember.

~ Then, getting my BreyerFest models. Barn Buddy Kelsey and I have tried to get together so I could pick them up, but you know, schedules! 

I am going to drive over to where she works this afternoon and meet her in the parking lot for the model exchange. I'm so excited to see which variations I got and more! But I sure wish we had time to sit and chat like we'd originally planned. 

~ Yesterday I had the first of the three MRIs that I need to have. It was the one I dread most - the brain scan to check the brain tumors. It wasn't originally scheduled for yesterday, but I got a call asking me to come in early, so Craig and I dropped everything and went. (Sweet guy that he is, he sits outside the MRI machine and holds my hand because he knows that makes me feel better during the test.) One down, two more MRIs to go!

~ The Feast of the Hunters' Moon is only three and a half weeks away! Although I keep reminding myself that I am in good shape, I am feeling the pressure to get things done. I have one more men's shirt to make, and the rest is clothing for family to wear.

Ian's new shirt is done and he says he really likes it.

He is growing so tall, my guess is that the next shirt I make him will be a men's small!

Lukie tried on his shirt despite the fact that I'd not yet put the sleeves in. He just pretended that he had no arms. Alrighty, then!

It's all finished now so he can quit pretending he's armless. (That kid!!)

Mila's petticoat is done but I want her to try it on before I check it off my to-sew list. I think it looks a little long and may need to be shortened. But that's an easy peasy fix.

I've been wearing my caraco jacket for three years and I love it, but I decided that, if I had time, I'd make myself some new clothes this year.

Like this 18th century bed gown. (Back view, back pleat still pinned closed with yellowhead pins.)

I am so happy with how it turned out! Front view (side pleats still pinned closed with yellowhead pins.)

I made one once that I was thinking I'd keep but I hung it out on display as an advertisement as to what clothes I could make and it sold before the event even opened! (It was the maroon version of this block print; my new one is the teal.)

I've also cut out another bed gown for myself and will start that today. This is my all time favorite block print fabric. I can't wait to see how it looks as a bed gown.

Finally, Lisa has asked me to finish her robe a' l'Anglais. (English gown.)

I just need to put the sleeves on, finish the neckline, and then add the robing (two strips of decorative fabric. We had a fitting issue that derailed progress on it, and I set it aside and just haven't gotten back to it.

The robing as depicted on the front of the gown (left).

And on a finished gown. Panniers (also known as pocket hoops) are under the petticoat. In the photo above of me in my caraco and with the student, both she and I are wearing panniers.  (Photo from Google Images.)

So, how'd I do on my list of things to write about this morning?

Possible Blog Topics, September 11, 2024

September 11 is today ✔

getting my BreyerFest models ✔

Second Chance Indian Pony

Beowulf

brain scan ✔

kids' Feast clothing ✔

September Give Away

I made some progress, but there's plenty more to write about. 

Stay 'tooned!

The August Give Away & More from the Sewing Room

It's August, and The Feast is very much on my mind. Seems only right that this month's give away is associated with it.

Vintage beadwork done by my sister, Leslie.

She beaded these in the late 1980s/early 1990s.

Model to show scale and not part of the give away.

I know very little about beadwork but I believe the patterns on these two sets are from western tribes. The back is the same as the front so you can flip them and use either side as you wish. 

There will be two winners. The first winner gets their choice of the sets, and the second winner will get the other one. I do have more beaded pieces so if you don't win this month, there will be at least one more opportunity coming up.

Rules to enter: Comment on any blog post beginning with this one and ending Tuesday, August 20 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. So, if I post 5 blog entries during that time, you could comment once on every single one of them. Winners will be drawn Wednesday or Thursday. Good luck!

Speaking of the Feast, things continue to be happening in the sewing room. 

I ran up to Leslie's farm this past week and went through her fabric inventory to choose new block prints. I badly needed to do that - I've sewn so much for Feast, I only had one block print left.

Look at the elephants marching on this piece! Can you see the indicators of hand blocking? (Check the middle elephant.) Elephants and camels were common motifs during the 18th century which makes sense since the cotton fabric and hand blocked printing came almost exclusively from India during that time period.

I think I gasped out loud when I saw this green fabric. Block prints come in two sizes and this one only comes in the smaller size. I already have a piece of the green, but here is not enough fabric to make a shirt or a bed gown from it.

I have used my green piece as advertising, but I've been wanting to make myself a bedgown from the green for years.  Now that I have a second piece of the fabric, I can! 

Another men's shirt that I completed this week. This one has bone buttons rather than ones made from horn. You can see it on the sleeve on the right.

Don't forget - if you'd like a chance to win one of the beaded sets, make a comment below.