Want to get a scope of just how large the grounds of The Feast of the Hunters' Moon are and how big the event will be? Check out this video that was taken yesterday. And then imagine all that open space filled in with tents and tens of thousands of people. (Usually 40,000 to 60,000 over the two days of the event.)
Today is the first day that event participants can start setting up their tents and camps. I'm heading out mid morning with Mr. Friday Night Lights and Local Son Curt to put my tent up. Leslie and Rick will be setting theirs up as well.
Because I'm using a walker much of the time, I am going to unpack my tubs in stages with lots of breaks in between. (I have until the Feast begins Saturday morning.) Lisa has offered to come out after school and help, and I'm sure Leslie will drop by.
Despite calling it done (and it was), I did just a little more work on the robe a l'Anglaise yesterday. I decided the pleats needed to be pressed again.
It took me almost two hours, about 175 fabric clips, and four or five steam burns before I was finished, but they look much neater and flatter.
I've said it before but I will say it again - this is the most difficult thing I have ever sewn, and I've been sewing since I started making doll dresses when I was 8!
When I finished ironing those pleats and put the gown back on the dress form, the clips jingled like the jingle cones the Miami, Wea, and Potawatomi people at the Feast sometimes wear when they dance - made me smile.
Jingle cones on a pair of my trade silver earrings. (Rick made these.)
Although the Feast hasn't begun yet, I've already sold one bed gown and possibly a second. And, a woman contacted Leslie and asked if she knew anyone who sold panniers (pocket hoops.)
Leslie knew I'd made two sets and asked me to send her pictures to pass on to the woman.
The woman, Audrey Johnson, is an opera singer from the East Coast who tells 18th century history in song and she will be performing at Feast this weekend. I got a chance to hear her perform last year and it was engaging for kids as well as adults. (And can she ever sing!!) I hope to sneak away from my tent this year and at least hear a song or two.
You can see the pocket opening - some female re-enactors stash Hershey Bars in their pocket hoops. Not naming any names, but all three of them are mentioned frequently here on the blog...
Panniers can take a lot of room in your closet - they have plastic or reed strips in them to give them their shape. (Originally it was whalebone.)
Luckily they "deflate" and collapse down into a fairly flat bundle
that can then be flipped one side onto the other and stored on a shelf, taking up much less space.
Time is getting away from me and I need to get some things loaded into the car, the dogs walked, and run to the grocery before I head out to Fort Ouiatenon.
I did get some horses in the mail yesterday - Horatio, Outlaw, and Felix all arrived! I'll share those tomorrow if I can.
Wish me luck today - the Feast becomes very real whenever I do set up, and I can't wait!
The rosettes for the show are all ironed and ready to pack. They are hanging from the armoire in our bedroom right next to the tubs and boxes that I'm taking to FAMulous - I don't want to forget them, so I hung them where I could not miss them. (Fingers crossed... LOL)
Ironing rosettes and flats is easy. Set your iron to no steam and a silk or perma-press heat (or a smidge higher.) Place the ribbon face down so the lettering is against the ironing board and the blank side is up. Cover with a press cloth. (I used a remnant of white cotton.) Run the iron back and forth over the wrinkled area several times and then lift the press cloth and check progress. Repeat until the ribbon is smooth again.
Hodges Badge Company packs really well, but the box was damaged during shipping and some of the rosettes ended up being scrunched as a result. Luckily, I was able to get the streamers smooth again.
Yesterday I assembled the judges' gift bags. It's a surprise so I can't say what's in them, but Allison and I think the judges will be happy when they open them.
I also went through my things and pulled out a couple of items to give as prizes to the racing FASs.
Allison has some other prizes but I don't have photos of them yet. I'll do my best to get some on Saturday and then post them here after the show.
Yesterday morning Teacher Daughter Lisa invited me to go to Hobby Lobby with her - they were having a 75% off sale. I planned to just wander around with her and enjoy her company, but I spied this and snagged it for the raffle.
I also found some trenchers and other wooden items that will be perfect for my vendor's tent at The Feast of the Hunter's Moon. Those items were 75% off, too!
I haven't said much about that event yet but I am also preparing for that and yesterday I was working on the blackened beeswax ornaments I will be selling.
There is a learning curve in making them, but I am finally getting the hang of it and am really happy with how these are starting to turn out.
I may pop one or two of these into the FAMulous show tub as a donation.
Today will be spent sewing - I got two custom orders to deliver to FAMulous, and I need to run out and do a candy cane run to my girl. But for the most part, I am ready on my end for FAMulous and can relax a bit.
