Kalamazoo: Time's Up! And Moving Forward

This past week I have been stressed, more so than I thought.  I spent two hours yesterday morning working on pleating the skirt of the robe a l'Anglais. 

I was on my third time repinning the first half of the pleats when I looked at the clock and realized that I was not going to be done in time for the event.

The pleats were going to need repinning for a fourth time because they still were not fitting correctly. I had the bodice lining to hand sew to the inside of the bodice after that. Then the sleeves had to be completed and stitched into the armsceye (old Scottish for "armhole.") 

The cuffs were cut out and pinned but not yet pleated, the back neckline facing to add, and last of all the robings (already stitched) needed to be placed on the shoulders and sewn on by hand to finish off the garment.

I could not do all that in the time I had before we left for Kalamazoo. 

I sat back in my chair at my sewing table and shed a few tears. I cried because Mama Bear here really wanted to do this for her daughter and was not able to. Even though Lisa had been reminding me for some time that she had plenty of other period clothes to wear and was fine if it wasn't finished for Kalamazoo, I still wanted so much to make this gown for her. And I hadn't.

Craig saw I was upset and got out the six pack of Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs that the Easter Bunny had hidden in the freezer. (Ah ha! Now I know the Easter Bunny's and Santa Claus's hiding place for candy!)

I ate two of those and went to take a nap, Pepper cuddled up with me.

I slept the afternoon away.

Frank had flown into town to go to Kalamazoo with us, and we were meeting them and Curt's family for a pizza dinner. I barely had time to get ready to go but we made it. Lisa was very kind and kept reminding me that she has plenty of 18th century clothes to wear and would be fine.

I realized just how focused and tired I had gotten when I slept in late this morning. The gown and its non-fitting pleats is still draped across my sewing table. I will try again next week.

In the meantime, my focus this morning has shifted to final preparations for The Kalamazoo Living History Event.

Last minute things to pack include my binder (with my business license, historical documentation for the clothing I've sewn, etc.), an inventory/price sheet, new tongs for serving maple cakes, and the beautiful handmade money box from Leslie and Rick.

I need to count out enough money to have on hand for making change if needed and record that on my spreadsheet.

The clothing went to Kalamazoo with Leslie and Rick on Wednesday,

but I am still sorting out my own caps to wear, stockings, fichus and scarves, and 

my 18th century jewelry. Each piece tells a story from the 18th century and reflects the history of the time. And some of it actually is from the 18th century.

I think it's pretty cool and may share their stories in a future blog post.

Stay 'tooned!

Western Winter Weather Woes

It looks as though BreyerWest is going to have some real challenges this weekend - Denver is expecting as much as 17 - 20  inches of snow today! Flights have been canceled and schools and roads have been closed.

Denver isn't the only western town that has weather woes. Mountain Mama Jessica has had a strange weather challenge that is connected to wind.

A tumbleweed invasion!***

She lives in Santaquin, Utah and these pictures were taken in a town north of her.

If you have ever been around tumbleweeds, you know they are covered in sharp prickles. You can't just pick them up bare-handed and move them. How do I know that?

I once boxed one up and took it home to Indiana to share with my students. We had a wild and crazy recess one windy day! (With a few slivers in our hands but the fun and learning was worth it.)

Here is one man's solution to tumbleweed clogged roads.

You can just barely see the roof of his truck in that mass of tumbleweeds!

***Photo screen shots taken from a video made by Little Wedgies and posted on social media.

I hit a MAJOR issue yesterday while working on the robe a l'Anglais. I could not figure out how to implement a step in the garment's construction. I read and reread the instructions, I pinned and unpinned, I looked at the online tutorial... Finally, after two hours, I emailed the women who created the pattern and asked for clarification.

With just two days until Kalamazoo, I was in a bit of a panic. In order not to waste time while I waited for an answer, I worked on other things that needed to be made for the gown.

I ironed the petticoat and was pleased to see that I'd been able to match the pattern of the fabric so well that the seam down the middle could not be seen. I had to run my fingers over the fabric to find it.

I cut out and stitched  the stomacher, making two changes. I added interfacing inside for strength,

and instead of doing a white cotton lining on the back, I used the dress fabric. Now the stomacher is completely reversible should Lisa want to do so.

The cuffs for the sleeves are not necessary, but I got started on them. If I run out of time to add them, Lisa can go cuff-less to this event and still be totally period correct.

If I get the robe a l'Anglais finished in time to take it to Kalamazoo, there are a lot of separate parts that cannot be forgotten and left at home.

I began gathering them in one place so that they can be packed. 

When I went to bed last night, I still had not heard from the pattern creators as to how to do that sewing step that had stymied me. I was pretty worried and told Lisa I wasn't sure her gown would be ready. She was really nice about it and said she would just wear it to The Feast of the Hunters' Moon in that case. (Thanks, Lis.)

Heading into the sewing room now - wish me luck!

Kalamazoo Week - Packing & Stitching!

Thanks for your kind comments after I expressed my concern about the non-horsey topics I'd been writing about recently. 

Blogger Jennifer Buxton reminded me that the blog pendulum swings back and forth over time, and she's right. We will be swinging back to more horsey things soon - the March Great Lakes Congress show is later this month and I will be attending that.  So, stay 'tooned - the horses, model and real, are coming!

Packing for Kalamazoo

Leslie asked me to bring my tubs and boxes up to her farm in Brookston yesterday afternoon. She and Rick would be packing the trailer with their things and had offered to take my inventory with theirs. Because they own the event and are in charge of all aspects of it, they have to be in Kalamazoo Wednesday to begin set up.

I was glad for their offer and even more glad that I had taken inventory last week and that my tubs were packed and ready. But, getting those things downstairs was going to be difficult. Craig and I both have back issues, and currently his are worse than mine. I would have to tote them all downstairs and then out into the garage and load my car by myself.

I got the first tote and two wooden trenchers downstairs and into the laundry room and had to stop. My back was already in pain and I had to sit down and stretch it out. There were still four more totes and three boxes of inventory upstairs to carry down and out to the car. There had to be a better way to do this.

I decided to move things in short segments and take a break between each one to rest my back. First, everything was carried out of the horse room and stacked at the top of the stairs. Then, I carried each tub and box downstairs one by one and stacked them in the foyer by the front door.

Light bulb moment - why carry them back through the house and into the laundry room when I could take a shortcut out the front door and into the garage, using my wagon to carry the load?

Bingo! (And probably saved my back.) I got the car loaded and headed out of town to Leslie's.

We loaded my things into the trailer and then I went into their shop and helped gather a few more things that needed to be loaded. 

The Peeps tub was left in the shop for now - it will be put in the trailer just before they go. Why Peeps at a living history event?

I am not sure how the tradition got started, but ever year several volunteers put up a Peeps display of some sort. Usually they are humorous - last year they created a "Peeps-henge" from them.

But sometimes they are a bit more sobering - two years ago the Peeps display honored Ukraine which had just been invaded by Russia.

The Peeps tradition is a wildly popular part of the event despite the fact that it is totally unrelated to living history. Leslie has no idea what the volunteers will create this year, but I am looking forward to finding out.

Robe a l'Anglais Update

I made good progress on Lisa's gown yesterday and I am starting to think I just may complete it in time for her to wear it at Kalamazoo. (The navy color is off in some of the photos because I have three bright lights directly on the fabric while I work.)

The back pleats are finished and stitched down. (I will remove the chalk marks later.)

Some 18th century living history re-enactors sew their garments entirely by hand, and actually all the directions for this gown are for hand stitching. I don't have the time for that, so I am using my machine. There are some areas (circled above) where I don't have a choice and must hand stitch.

The pleats completed, then the bodice must be cut out and attached.

The bodice back lining which was pinned over the pleats before I stitched them down is used as a pattern to cut the gown fabric. 

Another scary part in the making of this gown - if I cut wrong, I'd have to start over from the beginning. I read those directions multiple times before I grabbed my scissors. Sigh of relief, I got it right.

Finally, I cut and stitched four more skirt pieces. These will be attached to the pleated back and then be pleated themselves. 

Still lots to do, but I am making headway. We volunteer twice a month in Indianapolis, and today is one of our days to go, but I can still get several hours of sewing in before we leave.

Give Away

The give away for the maple cakes is now closed. I will spin for the winner tomorrow or possibly Thursday, depending on time.

Stay 'tooned!

Pepper Passes, Pleats, & Plenty More

Pepper may no longer be guiding her former partner, Sarah, but she still does service in another way.

She goes into schools so that kids can read to her. Depending on the school and the teacher we are visiting, she may be hearing a child's first written piece ever (dog poetry, in one case), or helping a child practice reading aloud with a non threatening "listener" who won't know if they've read the words correctly or not and will simply enjoy the companionship of the child.

Teacher Daughter Lisa lets her students earn "Pepper Passes" as they meet their reading goals, and once or twice a semester, Pepper and I join her for a morning of celebrating those who achieved their goals. This past week we spent a morning with her.

Theoretically, her students are supposed to bring a book to read to Pepper,

but mostly they pet her, play ball with her, and learn about guide dogs and the work they do. This visit we even learned about alliterations during our time together:

"Pepper is nicknamed Princess Pepper and loves to be Petted. She may take treats from your hand like a Piranha so Please hold your hand flat like you would feed a Pony because she sometimes eats like a Pig. Her sister is named Paige and Pepper was the fifth Puppy born in her litter. Perhaps she would like to Play with all the People she will see today." And so on.

(The alliteration fun actually came about as we talked about litters of guide dog puppies all having names that begin with the same first letter.)

After spending time with the kids who earned Pepper Passes, Pepper and I go back into Lisa's classroom where she lets every student meet and say hello to Pepper. That can be a real incentive to those who haven't yet earned a Pepper Pass.

I was back at the sewing machine as soon as we returned home. Naturally Pepper slept on the bed behind me while I worked. Tammo joined us, too.

Pepper "just happened" to grab his favorite toy and laid on it so he could not get it back. (He patiently waited her out and grabbed it when she moved to a different spot.)

Not only am I working on Lisa's robe a l'Anglais, but I was asked to make some red and blue Stablemate sized haversacks for an upcoming live show. 

Finding a horsey print to fit the scale of a haversack that small was challenging. I found several possibilities and the show holder selected this one. 

They asked for five in each color

but I made six so they'd have an extra if needed. 

I'm also working on something else for this show but it's to be a surprise so I can't talk about it or post pictures yet. I will when I can.

It is scary to begin a major sewing project. (Especially when it is for someone else.) One wrong cut could be a disaster. But I was at the point where all the preliminaries were done - the muslin had been made and fitted, the pattern pieces had been redrawn to reflect the changes needed for a good fit, and the petticoat was finished.

Now it was time to cut the fabric, trusting that my math was correct when I made the alterations and that each pattern piece that needed to be changed had been altered correctly. Seriously, my heart beats faster when it is finally time to start cutting the pattern pieces out.

This is the piece that will fall from the neckline down past the waist and to Lisa's ankles. It is 55 inches long, a significant amount of the fabric on hand for the gown. If I make this wrong, I will not have enough to complete the gown. Gulp!

The instructions call for me to measure and mark a 15 1/4 inch seam that cants at an angle, growing wider from 1/2 inch at the neckline to 1 1/2 inches wide where it ends at the waist. 

You'd better believe that I triple checked those measurements before I finally drew the chalk line that I would sew.

The result is a box pleat, the one that will be centered at the back of the neck. On either side will be two knife pleats, making a total of five pleats down the back of the gown. Making those four knife pleats are today's project, and they are complicated by the fact that they, too, are angled and they curve just a bit.

Wish me luck. 

----

Don't forget the give away! Some maple cakes will be sent to the lucky winner. It's your chance to try a yummy (and very sweet) 18th century treat.

Enter by commenting on any blog entry that was posted Friday, March 6 through Monday, March 11 at 11:59 Eastern Time. I'll spin the wheel for a winner on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Stay 'tooned!

Tick! Tick! Tick! And the March Give Away

Time is flying. The Kalamazoo Living History Show is  only a week away. And I am still in the middle of making Lisa's 18th century robe a l'Anglais. (English gown.)

English gowns are not for the faint of heart, either to make (me) or to wear (Lisa.)

The back has beautiful pleating that cascades down from the neckline past the waist and to the ground. This woman is wearing a bum roll underneath her gown. (Photo from Couture Mayah/Google Images)

The sleeves are shaped to curve down and inward. That can be uncomfortable to wear - you do not have the same range of motion with your arms that you do in 21st century clothes. (Photo from Tea in a Teacup/Google Images)

There is a petticoat worn underneath (the cream skirt on this gown) plus a stomacher (the triangular piece over the bust and waist) that is pinned in place under the bodice along with robings (two draped pieces that fall from the shoulders, over the bust, and down a little past the waist.) (Photo from Metropolitan Museum of Art/Google Images)

Underneath the bodice are stays (the forerunner of the corset) and a chemise or shift (a white, sleeved undergarment.) The gown is literally pinned onto the wearer - there are no buttons, ties, or any other fasteners.

It's a complicated item to make, but very beautiful when completed.

Wisely the directions have you begin by making a "muslin," a practice bodice that gives you experience in using a difficult pattern and that also allows you to check the fit of the pattern in case adjustments need to be made.

The muslin I made for Lisa's gown. Since it is for fitting and practice, I write notes on it as I work. (There are more than can't be seen.) It does not close down the front because the stomacher will fit into that open space.

Since Lisa was unable to come over for the necessary fittings when I began stitching the robe a l'Anglais, I skipped ahead in the process and made the petticoat so that I did not lose time while I waited for her. Petticoats are standard 18th century garments and are actually skirts, not the undergarment the word "petticoat" brings to 21st century minds.

Pleating is moderately difficult because you are making the waistline smaller to fit the wearer.

I made and remade the pleats several times before I finally had the waist the right measurement.

Before stitching the twill waistband on, I needed to be sure the pleating on the front and the back of the petticoat were pinned flat and not bunching.

But all that effort is worth it in the end.

18th century protocol requires panniers (pocket hoops, one on each hip) or a bum roll. Lis is trying the petticoat with her panniers on here.

She and I both preferred the look of the panniers over the bum roll. (We are being a little silly here - the bum roll has been placed too high and is REALLY exaggerating her, well, um, her bum. LOL)

Petticoat completed, I got her measurements and cut out the muslin. Practicing was a good idea - putting in those curved sleeves was difficult and I had to unpick all my stitchings on the first try and do it again. Lisa dropped by after school yesterday for a fitting.

Sometimes, even though you are striving for authenticity and historical accuracy, you have to make some changes. Wearing a chemise under her stays is period correct, but just was not practical as the fabric of the muslin would not lie smoothly over it. We could not get a correct fitting that way.

So, we decided to ditch the chemise - no one would know as they do not show under your period clothing.

And since it took quite a while to lace Lisa into her stays (I literally had my feet braced against her legs as I leaned back in a chair pulling those lacings closed), we figured we'd just loosen them and slip the chemise off over her head.

Good idea, in theory.

Lis got stuck at this point and we both started giggling and soon were full blown laughing while she continued to struggle. I had to step in and pull the chemise up and out of the stays and then over her head to get it off.

Today's plan is to lengthen the pattern in the bodice and then get started on the real deal. If this were summer and Lisa was not teaching all day, she could hang out here with me and there would be no waiting and lost time for fittings. Honestly (and I told her this) I don't think I will be able to finish the gown for her by the time we leave for Kalamazoo - she just can't come over every time I am ready to check fit. 

She was very understanding and pointed out that she could always wear the petticoat that I've already made with a short gown or bed gown for Kalamazoo. (Those are 18th century jackets and I have several of those that she could wear.)

Wish me luck - I am going to be working hard to finish it.

And now, it's time to announce the March give away!

Maple cakes!

They probably won't be ones like this that I make. (Er, this batch has been eaten.) Most likely they will be some from the batch that I will be selling at Kalamazoo. Those are bigger and disk shaped.

Like these.

Regardless, they will be yummy, especially if you like maple. Be aware that they are very sweet. Some folks can eat them all at once, others need to nibble on them throughout the day. 

The March give away begins now with this blog post and will end Monday, March 11 at 11:59 PM eastern time. To enter, simply comment on any blog posted starting with this one and through Monday. If need be, you can enter via email. (horsiemama8@gmail.com)

Good luck to everyone!