| June 14, 2008 | |
| Revised Effigy Bodies |
Since certain things about my new Effigy bodies bothered me, I revised them. You can read about it here.
| June 10, 2008 | |
| New Effigy Bodies and New Vernon (Sort of) Bodies |
Because I can.
In Search of the Perfect Elizabethan Corset (Payre or Pair of Bodies) - Part II
Information on the method of sizing the corset pattern using the Custom Corset Pattern Generator can be found here.
| May 28, 2008 | |
| Cool Book. |
I received Dress at the Court of King Henry VIII by Maria Hayward today. Seriously, this book is like the Henrician version of Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd. I like.
| May 3, 2008 | |
| It's About Time... |
That I posted something here again, don't you think?
First of all, the event list for 2008 the event list I posted on December 30, 2007.
We (the Baron and I) were lazy and did not attend the Scottish Ramble. We bad.
The Third Bodice Workshop, which was held on February 23, 2008, was well attended and successful for three of the four attendees. (The fourth person had sewing machine troubles and she wouldn't accept my offer of one of my machines.) The Fourth Bodice Workshop is scheduled for July 12, 2008 and was full even before it was publicly announced. The Fifth Bodice Workshop will be held in mid-October.
The website that existed for the Martin Luther College Renaissance Faire has disappeared, but Escarlata posted this at Faire News. So, ya, it is happening today and we won't be attending. We bad again. But, hey, the weather sucks.
We WILL definitely be attending the Minnesota Scottish Fair & Highland Games on May 17, 2008 at Farmington, MN.
http://www.mnscottishfair.org/And, today, the Baron made hotel reservations for Bristol. We will be attending Bristol on July 26 and 27, 2008.
http://www.renfair.com/bristol/New garb for this year is not getting sewn by itself, so I am off to do some sewing.
| January 11, 2008 | |
| Sewing Stuff. |
My new serger arrived the other day. I took it out of the box and threaded it up, and...got no further.
I have to oil this one before every use. Bah.I have decided I really like my ironing board in the foyer, while I stand in the sunken living room, to iron. Looks a bit stupid to have an ironing board always blocking the entrance to the living room but what the hey. The surface is 43 inches from the level my feet are on. Very nice for an old, blind sewing bit** who has to bend over really close to the ironing board surface to see details.
I want my cutting table the same height. So, I found some bed risers that raise beds (and cutting tables) 8 inches. I had to buy 2 sets for the six legs but it is going to be SOOOO super cool to not get a back ache and be all stiff from bending over a cutting table all day. Let the cutting begin!
| January 1, 2008 | |
| Sergio (The Serger) Scare. |
I was serging the chenille fabric for DH's Autumn doublet and slops on Sunday, when, all of a sudden, Sergio quit working. Now, I knew that the foot control seemed to be acting flaky even before I took Sergio in to be serviced and I even mentioned it on the service request, but it seemed to be acting better after I got Sergio back, so I thought it was fixed. But this sudden, not working at all, took me by total surprise and pumping the foot control (my usual solution) got absolutely no response. Did the motor seize? I was in a panic. I can't sew without a serger at my side anymore. Being without Sergio for a month last summer was torture.
I HAD to have a serger, so I ordered this one from Hancock. Notice how similar it looks to Sergio.
I had DH take a look at Sergio, to see if if he could determine if the motor had seized or if it really was just the foot pedal. He just checked it. The motor is fine. It IS the foot pedal. DH took the foot pedal apart and cleaned the contacts with tuner cleaner. For the moment, Sergio is working but the foot pedal does need replacing as the contacts are worn. I found a place where I can order a new foot pedal online for about $40.
DH is quite pleased with himself that he was able to identify the problem. He has been patting himself on the back all morning.
I will never be without a serger again.
| December 30, 2007 | |
| Event List for 2008. |
It is almost a new year. List of events for 2008.
Feb. 16-17 - A Scottish Ramble, St. Paul, MN
http://www.scottishramble.org/Not announced for 2008 (Last year's date was May 5) – Martin Luther College Renaissance Faire, New Ulm, MN
http://mlcrenaissancefaire.tripod.com/May 3-4 - Iowa Renaissance Festival, Middle Amana Park in Amana Colonies, IA
http://www.festint.com/
http://www.festint.com/iowarenfest/index.shtmlMay 10-11- Nebraska Renaissance Faire, Omaha, NE
http://www.festint.com/nebfaire/index.shtmlMay 17 - Minnesota Scottish Fair & Highland Games, Farmington, MN
http://www.mnscottishfair.org/May 17-18 - Janesville Renaissance Faire, Janesville, WI
http://jvlfaire.gsmbristol.org/May 24-26 - RENdezvous 2008- Tennessee Renaissance Festival
http://www.tnrenfest.com/June 7-8 - Siouxland Renaissance Festival, Sioux Falls, SD
http://www.siouxlandrenfest.com/Jun. 14-15 - Olde World Renaissance Festival, Twig, MN
http://www.owrenaissancefaire.com/Jun. 14-15 through Jul. 12-13, weekends - Wisconsin Renaissance Festival, Chippewa Falls, WI
http://www.wirenfaire.com/Not announced for 2008 (Last year's dates were Jun. 15-17) - Renaissance Faire of the Midlands, Council Bluffs, IA
http://www.faire.org/home.aspJul. 5-6 through Aug. 30-Sep. 1, weekends, plus Labor Day Monday - Bristol Renaissance Faire, Kenosha, WI
http://www.renfair.com/bristol/Aug. 16-17 through Sep. 26-28, weekends, plus Labor Day Monday and Festival Friday - Minnesota Renaissance Festival, Shakopee, MN
http://renaissancefest.com/MRF/
http://www.myspace.com/mnrenaissancefestivalAug. 23-24 - Illinois Renaissance Faire, Danville, IL (A LOOOONG way away but listed just because I would like to meet the lady who plays Queen Elizabeth in person. *waves at MM*)
http://www.illinoisrenfaire.com/Not announced for 2008 (Last year's dates were Sep. 1-3 through Sep. 15-16, weekends, plus Labor Day Monday) - Des Moines Renaissance Festival, Festival Park, Des Moines, IA
http://www.dmrenfaire.com/1st weekend in October - Stronghold Old English Faire, Oregon, IL
http://www.strongholdcenter.org/englishfaire.htmlSo that's the list. Some of the websites for some of the faires I had listed last year have disappeared or are unavailable. Bummer.
| November 23, 2007 | |
| A Webpage Update. |
I have decided to split the diary of The New Elizabethan Gentleman into separate sections for each of the outfits. The relevant parts will be repeated in the respective diaries but since I have never gotten very far in the process the repetitive stuff won't be very much.
The diaries:
| November 10, 2007 | |
| It's Saturday. Time to Do Something. |
DS and girlfriend borrowed garb for a Halloween Party. Here are some pictures a friend of theirs took of the couple because DS forgot his camera.
Earlier this year, I made of list of things I had to do - UFOs and repairs. Here is the list with the way I left it:
1. Sew the clasp on DH's cloak.Finally!!!
2. Fix the sweater I wear in the office when it is cold.
3. Put new elastic in the waist of two mundane pants.
4. Fix Cecilia's blouse.
5. Do a catch stitch on the seam allowances of the hunter green velveteen skirt.
6. Repair the hem of the hunter green velveteen skirt.
7. Sew the aiglets back on the front of the hunter green velveteen skirt.Pretty pathetic, huh? And now, I have to do number 7 again because I have washed the hunter green skirt.
I think I better get working on this list...
*Update as of morning of November 11, 2007.*
Number 5 is done. Number 7 has been done once again. Plus, I did some other things to the hunter green velveteen bodice. I resewed 3 of the 5 hooks that connect the bodice to the skirt. One hook had come off in the wash and the other two looked kind of iffy. I also redid some stitching that holds a piece of boning in place and keeps it from sliding down in the channel.
| October 21, 2007 | |
| Not a Whole Lotta Sewing Goin' On... |
Not much happening here since my last post.
The weekend of October 8 and 9 was spent doing some necessary house repairs. The weekend of October 13 and 14 was spent, mostly in bed, trying to subdue a head cold which I had caught from the Baron, who had caught the plague from someone at fest. Yesterday, I hosted another bodice workshop at my place.I suppose I should do some sewing today. Oh ya, and do some wash. I have yet to wash the hunter green gown, underskirt and farthingale after fest. Ewww...
| September 30, 2007 | |
| I'm Back! |
In typical fashion, the world's slowest sewer (that's me) disappears during the duration of the MNRF. This occurs partly because I really don't have the energy to do any sewing after I get home from work during the week, Saturday I am at fest, and Sunday is spent doing necessary things to get ready for the next week. It also occurs because I am lazy.
Anyway, as of today, fest season is over for me for the year, so it is time to start thinking about next season. Time for a list! First things first. A list of some partially completed items with comments:
1. 18th century stays. This one is first on the list because it has a deadline. I am taking an online class just because I was curious how online classes work. (Where are YOU, Gem?!?!) The class ends December 31, 2007. I am using the Stays pattern from J.P. Ryan and linen canvas purchased from Burnley and Trowbridge. I am using reed purchased from Reconstructing History to bone the stays and I was considering using ¼ inch wide spring steel to bone certain strategic areas of the stays but I think ¼ inch spring steel is pretty whimpy compared to duct ties, so I may just end up using the duct ties instead. I was waiting for the reed to arrive so that I can continue working on this project and the reed arrived on Friday. Huzzah!
2. Two shirts for the Baron and a square necked chemise with full sleeves for me. Also, a partlet for me. Last year, I had a terrible time finishing the cloaks for the Baron and me. It took me months to finish the Baron's cloak even though all I had left to do was sew on the collar and clasps. Cloaks just did not inspire me. This year, I am having an issue with these shirts, the chemise and partlet. SO BORING! I guess I will just have to force myself to finish this with the reward that, after the items are done, I can sew on something that is more inspiring.
3. New sleeves for the peach cotehardie. (See Getting Medieval diary.) I still have enough fabric left. This time I will use the sleeve pattern from Simplicity 8725 like I should have done in the first place. Just like the pattern, the sleeves will have button and loop closures but the buttons will extend up past the elbow like in examples from the period. There is also a headdress that I have started to go along with this outfit and I need to finish it.
4. Pink cotton/linen Venetian. (See The Venetian Gown of 1550-1560.) One weekend's worth of work would finish this garment. But NO! I am messing around doing other things. In addition to finishing this garment, I have a gold net caul that I have started but I need to pearl and finish and a chemise of the most decadent handkerchief linen I have ever seen.
5. The Anne of Austria gown. Ya, this one hangs over me like the sword of Damocles. Since I took off the trim I attempted to sew on by machine, the whole thing has sat there in a forlorn heap in the corner for the past year. I thought I might have found an easier way to sew on the trim when Alyxx mentioned in her LJ that she was using the WWKD method of sewing the trim on her Pfalzgräfin Dorothea Sabina von Neuburg gown. What was this WWKD method of sewing on the trim? Well, the letters stand for What Would Koshka Do? and we all know that Koshka aka Katherine would sew on the trim by hand. *sigh*
6. Miscellaneous items I have cut out and not yet sewn. There are a couple pairs of sleeves and sleeve linings. (Sleeve linings are intended for different sleeves than the sleeves that are cut out.) There is a linen underskirt and forepart flatlining that needs a forepart cut out to go with them.
Items that are not even cut out but must be sewn:
1. The first item on this list is the Henry VIII outfit for the Baron which I want to complete by Twig next year. What I need to even seriously start on this is an embroidery machine. I think you can see from the portrait why an embroidery machine is needed. Kass from Reconstructing History says that much beading must be done as well, but I am not even going to think about that.
2. As usual, the Baron has been complaining about wearing the same old thing to fest week after week. So, this winter I will attempt to sew up some of items I have planned for him. I have fabric for about 5 different doublets and coordinating Venetians or trunkhose. Oh, and sleeves too. I am thinking about spitting the diary The New Elizabethan Gentleman into sections for each doublet. I think my cunning plans call for each doublet to be made from a different commercial pattern, so this whole project will be an interesting comparison of the various patterns and the constructions methods suggested by each pattern.
| July 28, 2007 | |
| Bristol Pictures. |
Since I SO love the costuming, I put many of the Bristol costume pictures that have been sent to me and the pictures that the Baron took on a webpage. I am still working on the ones that the Baron took in the noble glade of the members of the Guild of St. George.
So, if you click on this you will see images of some of the following members of the LJ community:
Edmund Clotworthy
My Lady's Wardrobe
Peggy Elizabeth
Lady_Rose04
Lindseyerin37And the following members of Renspace:
Abigail Fairbottom
Flidais
LavenderThe hunter green velveteen gown was worn with the new sleeves and forepart. A little blurb on the never ending saga is here and the pictures are here.
I was planning on going down to Iowa tomorrow to pick up my Singer treadle but we are having a bit of car trouble. The brakes on the E350 have failed as in like having NO BRAKES, so the van is in the shop for repairs. The Winny (1995 Windstar) is incapable of making the trip and I don't want to haul the treadle home in the open back of the Ranger, which belongs to DS. So, we shall see what Pro-Tech says about the van and whether it can be repaired by the end of today or not.
I am cutting up my latest batch of 3.5 oz linen to make two shirts for the Baron and another high-neck smock for me. And I have two pairs of sleeves cut out to go with the Baron's garb. I hope to have this all sewn by the start of MNRF on August 18, 2007. Ya, right. OK, maybe by Labor Day weekend.
| July 7, 2007 | |
| I Have a Treadle Sewing Machine! |
My SIL took lots of pictures for me, so I did a webpage for the pictures. You can see them here.
13 days till we leave for Bristol.
| July 3, 2007 | |
| Where Did I Put the Rotary Cutter This Time? |
Last weekend, I serged a lot of cut edges of yardage in preparation for washing. Then I washed a lot of fabric. Then I cut a lot of fabric. 15 and 1/2 yards, to be exact. And I am not done. Its all for new stuff to wear with my old faithful hunter green velveteen gown.
17 days till we leave for Bristol.
| June 22, 2007 | |
| WIRF Weekend! |
We are camping this weekend at River Ridge Campgrounds which is right next to the Wisconsin Renaissance Faire. I am sooo psyched! I will be wearing my new Medieval garb for the first time.
| June 5, 2007 | |
| You Don't Know How Much You Miss It... |
Until it is gone.
But he's BACK!!!!! Sergio, my beloved serger, that is!
Clean as a whistle and purrs like Ren Ren.*happy dance* *more happy dance* *even more happy dance*
| May 31, 2007 | |
| Sewing with Ren Ren. |
AHEM! This is what I have to deal with when I sew. Try ironing with THIS flopping all over the ironing board.
This is Ren Ren being bad. More Ren Ren being bad. This is Ren Ren being good. (Sleeping in the chair in the usual position - belly up.)
| May 29, 2007 | |
| A Little Update. |
The progress report on the Medieval stuff is here.
| May 26, 2007 | |
| No Internet for Me. |
Since this is a nice, long weekend, I have decided I MUST utilize this weekend to get most of my sewing done for opening weekend of WIRF. Therefore, no internet for me until I make some progress.
BTW, I am currently working on Medieval stuff with the goal being 2 cotehardies and 2 sideless surcoats. I will be handicapped a bit because Sergio, my serger, is STILL at the shop getting fixed. But I intend lots and lots of French seams.
Signing off for the duration...
| May 22, 2007 | |
| So Many Ideas - So Little Time. |
I have added yet another planned costume to the list. This one will be a portrait interpretation and I have started a page for it: The Tudor Noble Gentleman (Henry VIII, Portrait Interpretation.)
Sergio is apparently not ready to come home yet.
| May 21, 2007 | |
| Whaaaa! I miss Sergio! |
Sergio is the name of my serger. And he is in the shop for maintenance and repairs. Of course, because he is not here, NOW I want to serge something. Isn't that just the way of it?
The lady I talked to at the shop says machines go in for repair on Tuesdays and Fridays. Repairs usually take 7-10 days. I brought Sergio in last Monday, so maybe I will get him back tomorrow or Friday. Oh, I hope it is tomorrow!
Otis is staring at me again. He wants a walk
| May 20, 2007 | |
| No Sewing This Weekend - MN Scottish Fair. |
There was no sewing this weekend, but I did have a good time at the Minnesota Scottish Fair and Highland Games on Saturday. I talked the Baron into wearing the ancient kilt again - just barely. I need to do some tweaking on it to make him truly happy to wear it. He still talks like he wants a traditional tailored kilt.
After the Fair, the Baron and I had a little party at our place - good company, good eats, and a fire in the firepit in the backyard. I learned how to play Pope Joan.
It was a good weekend.
| May 12, 2007 | |
| Getting Medieval. |
I added ANOTHER diary to the webpage called: Getting Medieval. This one I am actually working on as opposed to most of the other things on the In Progress page.
| May 11, 2007 | |
| My Mother's Day Present From DS. |
DS, the software engineer, has promised his mummy the code to do the navigation bar of her dreams for her website. Ain't he sweet!
Ya, Peggy, I am still a geek and getting geekier all the time..
| May 5, 2007 | |
| Just Playing... |
DS has suggested a change in my website. Because I am still unable to face using Dreamweaver 8, the current appearance of this page is a compromise. But I really, really want to learn how to do the navigation bars as in this website. http://www.digg.com/
| March 11, 2007 |
| The Bodice Workshop Update. |
The case no. pages are nearly finished in the section of the website called The Bodice Workshop.
| February 24, 2007 |
| While the Snow Flies... |
There is a new page on the website called The Bodice Workshop. The page can also be accessed from Techniques. Sorry, but the case no. pages are all under construction at present.
Another picture of my pretty kitty - Ren Ren.
| February 10, 2007 |
| Shopping at S R Harris. |
LD and I went fabric shopping at S R Harris last weekend. Here is one of the fabrics that LD bought.
| February 4, 2007 |
| Website Updates, Children's Portraits in the Netherlands, and The Bodice Workshop. |
Geez, its been a while since I updated this page. But I have been doing things to the website. Notice the navigation bar at the top of this page. This was a suggestion of my software engineer DS. I have been working on changing all the pages, but I haven't got it done yet.
I still have not taken any pictures of the cloaks but I have a space reserved on the Gallery page.
There are quite a few people that know about this addition to my webpage already, because I mentioned it on my LJ, but here is a direct link to: Children's Portraits in the Netherlands 1520-1620. The page can also be accessed from the Image Galleries section of the Links page.
Yesterday, I was hostess to The Bodice Workshop. Here is the announcement I originally posted on the R/F Forum. MG and LD attended the workshop and they now have custom fitted bodice patterns. As usual, I totally spaced off taking step-by-step pictures and I now regret that. I may try and reconstruct the process and then do a page on the website for it.
We talked about having a future Doublet Workshop for both ladies and gentlemen and a Bloomer Workshop for ladies.