Second Post of the Day
Well, that first post this morning sure got us off to a maudlin start to the day, didn't it? It was completely unplanned - I was just quickly doing my monthly file swap before I got to writing and then I got to Abby's file and I lost it. I'm feeling better now.
What I really intended to share this morning was about hats, 18th century hats! There are two in my possession, the navy feathered hat that I wore to Leslie's wedding in the 1990s and the maroon feathered hat that actually belongs to Mountain Mama Jessica but she lets me borrow.
Those hats are 30+ years old and the age and wear on them is beginning to show. Since I am actually ready for the Feast, I had some time yesterday to sit down and see if I could do a little restoration work.
The grosgrain hatband was hanging free for about a quarter of the way around the inside, so I hand stitched that back in place.
The cockade is in excellent shape despite its age and was still firmly attached to the hat.
But the feathers were a problem. I'd bought some new feathers at Hobby Lobby to replace one that was broken, but I discovered that the quality of the new feathers could not match that of the originals. The originals are much longer, very curly, and far more substantial. The two different feathers looked like apples to oranges, or actually worse - carrots to coconuts, there was such a difference between them!
I do not want to replace those original feathers because they are so beautiful, but I have no idea where to find any to use so I can fix the broken one. Leslie, ever a great living history resource, gave me the name of the woman she considered the best milliner in the living history community and I am going to contact her for some help. (Or maybe ask her to make me a new hat.) She will not be at Feast, but she will be at Kalamazoo in March.
Jessica's hat was in better shape than mine but its cockade needed to be repaired. The original "jewel" in its center had popped out and gotten lost at an event.
I went to JoAnn's and found several possible replacements in their jewelry making section, popped one in (it fit!), and then glued it down, letting the glue cure overnight.
I haven't checked it yet this morning, and I am not sure that the glue will hold, but if there is still a problem, I have other ideas as to how to fix it.
Both hats are wool and therefore need a go-over with a lint brush. That will really improve their appearance.
There is one more hat and that is Lisa's. It was her grandmother's (my mom's) and she wears it to honor and feel close to her.
I haven't looked at it, but I'm going to text her and see if she wants me to check it and do any repairs if they are needed.
Finally, here's a fun video from last year taken a week before the Feast. Brooke Sauter, Leslie's replacement this year as the director of the Feast (she is also the leader of the Feast Sewing Circle) is interviewed and there are videos of the grounds as the prep is going on.
(Note: Star City News claims to be from here in Lafayette, but they actually broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia. No wonder the anchor mixes up the name from "Hunters' Moon" to "Harvest Moon." Sheesh!)
