Tudor MercWench Smith

I can bring my bottle to 1721! I barely even dipped into it for my hat so I've plenty to go around and no opportunities for the foreseeable future to use it before it goes bad

We will have to call the sizing "Mens XL?". I did my best to match it to general standrd size proportions while still working with the width of the fabric and leaving no scrap lol. Guess I'm finally one of those people who doesn't use patterns but cuts to measurements and just sews it.....at least when it comes to rectangles. Anything tailored give me a pattern or I'll cry.... Side note....need to work with checked patterns moee often...my cuta and stitches have never been so straight lol

In lieu of rubber bands, string or blocks I used.....cardboard, straight pins and one of my kids' keepy-uppy balloons....but the initial spritz and shape seemed to go great.... (Decorative red cord added after drying to get a visual on where it would sit and to determine if I needed to adjust the shape at all) I feel like the crown looks slightly wide and bulbous when it's sitting there but when it's on it looks pretty snazzy. Spray worked great, went on nicely, dried startlingly fast. Made it just slightly stiff without feeling hard or crusty. Ultimately went at it with three rounds of light mist. Might do a bit more when I get home tonight. We shall see. Still no updates on the Mantua plans. Still trying to pivot from my fabric stash failure. At what...three weeks out I'm trying to decide if that would be too ambitious

In fairness, I do blather a lot of nonsense in my posts lol....Easy to miss. I'm secondary fairness, the shirt is also actually more Stynky's contribution....I traded him my labor making it for some other fabric. I wasn't even going to toot my own horn about it, honestly, but I need people to ooh and ahh over my gathers and gussets appropriately or I lose all wind in my sails. In other news, shellac has been soaking in isopropyl alcohol since Sunday night, and I've got to say I think it's about ready....no floaters or sticky bits! I went with the isopropyl instead of methylated alcohol as it was cheaper, available in smaller volumes and because I guess there are some nasty health risks from methylated that I didn't necessarily want to wear on my head....I know the stuff is jus a carrier and will evaporate but why risk it when according to all I read 91-99% isopropyl does the trick. Might start spraying the hat down tomorrow..will see. Don't really have anything to shape it on.

It's better then mashing a crews worth of taters with a wooden spoon and the bottom of a water cup!!!

*eyes up that potato masher with intent*

The shirt is for the auction! In other news, Mantua project is on hold. Went to get some of the grey fabric I made my Mr Smee slops out of off the roll and only had like 3 yards when the pattern calls for 6. An alternative roll I had in the stash has enough yardage but even washed is far to stiff (it's basically a canvas, but will make ab excellent coat for my SCA garb once time allows). So now I have to decide if I want to do it out of either the same blue i did the jacket-waistcoat out of or the striped fabric that would make an excellent gown in general but might look too fancy for what I'm trying to do with this garment. Oh well, c'est la vie.... More shirt work today and putting together a canvas lining for the trunk

Thanks for the tip on the Mantua....it might have been the lateness of the hour but as I was looking at the pattern and reading the instructions it might as well have been a foreign language.... not sure how well it will go.... That will have to wait till I've more time to dedicate to it. Last night's insomnia project was taking the cut pieces of the auction shirt I had cut and turning them into less pieces and more shirt. The main seams on the body and sleeves were machined, with the body getting a French seam treatment and the sleeves getting a hand finished flat felling...I would have flat felled the body seams too but time and ability to keep my stitches consistent over long stretches made me go with the French. It still looks an lays nicely and will be a strong seam, and then any visible stitches will be hand done..... Forgot how much I did miss hand stitching. I shillyshallied so long on hemming my skirt previously cause I somehow forgot how much I enjoyed the hand stich work. Then again, that would be an aggressively long line of stitch, so my concern was probably valid. Oh well... Progress from last night and tonight.... I intended to do a narrow cuff but I now worry it might be too narrow. But otherwise I'm pretty chuffed with the results so far...

All cutlasses have been confiscated least the mutineers get a hold of them (again) and they have yet to figure out to reach the rum bottles but it's just a growth spurt or two away til they do at which time the bottles are bound to break. Alas, twas done with some period appropriate(ish) scissors between breaking up brawls amongst the crew. In other news, what does one do when one can't sleep at 12:30 at night from anxiety? Cut out the pattern for a Mantua and trim up some scrap linen into a neck scarf of course! I guess this is one way to make up some time on my projects list....

Thanks for the video link! Seeing that you can "reactivate" the shellac with steam makes me more comfortable with the idea of trying this. My chief concern was doing it but shaping it wrong and then having it stuck in a shape I don't like. If youve got a baggie to spare I will take you up on the offer

Ok so we are a month out from 1721 and I'm hitting the panic sewing phase .....except unlike last time I have not been meticulously sewing every spare second I get. Lol So some executive decisions were made tonight... mainly I finally made the call to yoink the sleeves off the blue jacket I made during last round to turn it into a waistcoat. A waistcoat was the #1 thing I needed to add to my kit, and I have no good fabric in the stash, and budget for kit upgrades went out the door with the plumber last week so any hope of new fabric and patterns went off the table. All in all I think it was a good choice. Just gotta whip up the arm holes and if I get nothing else done, I will be good to go. Other panic progress made today included finishing up the flat felling of the seams of the Mr. Smee plants that I've been dawdling with, and braiding some embroidery floss into a twine type thing to tie up the back If I can get some undisturbed sewing machine time, I'm hoping to get the shirt finished this weekend. Going to wash up some fabric to be ready for a pass at a Mantua this week. Maybe hit up @madPete for that shellac spray recipe again to finally de-flop my hat next weekend. Neck scarf will fill in any hand stitching time I get not filled with the finishing bits on the other items. Why oh why did I procrastinate all over this lol?!?

From this original list: In the "mend" category, shirt & petticoat are done, slops almost (gusset it in, patching the tear, but am taking the time to flat fell the seams as these were made in haste and were not done with French seams and the fraying is contributing to eventually structural weakness). Next on the list will be the hat. Still not sure if I want to go full shellac yet. Wondering is just laundry starch would help maintain some shape but with slightly less *flop*. In meantime have to start thinking about best reinforcement techniques for the stays. I've given up hope of altering the shoes I have. It would require massive amounts of fussing for probably less then ideal results. From the make category....I've made a bag. I love said bag. But that's it. Am now seriously leaning towards the "hack the sleeves off the sailors jacket and take in the arm holes" instead of starting the waistcoat from scratch, mostly just cause I am waffling about fabrics. That would free up time for Mantua...which is significantly less necessary but harder to find a short cut. Added to this list is a shirt I owe Stynky. Got the fabric prepped and cut over the weekend. Probably will get the major pieces constructed tonight or tomorrow, hand finishes to be piece mealed over the next few weeks. To buy - shoes have been added to the list. I have my eye on several options but they all fall a little short on one of the three categories (accuracy, fit considerations, price). Otherwise the only other thing I've purchased is some bamboo toothbrushes. Not accurate or necessary but look a bit better should anyone catch me while scrubbing. Gear wise, chest is now functional with the handles. Still considering a hasp since the lock is busted and maybe some strapping. Have found a couple of good looking Dutch ovens on the local Facebook marketplace that would probably do better then my fancy enameled iron ones from home. In process of negotiation on prices. We shall see

Great! Maybe this can be used as lunch bread so that way it's not interfering with the existing breakfast and dinner plans lol..also I guess this all depends on of I am flying or driving, which is now in the air (pun fully intended), on if I will even be able to bring my dutch ovens lol

This might be over extending my abilities and time, but I've been wanting to try my hand at Dutch oven campfire bread baking. So, should situations and needs allow, I'm happy to assist in making this delicious plan come to life!

Compared to how much I had done at this point out from the event back in the summer, I truly feel the same way.....I have so much less to do but feel less prepared to really dive in on any of it. Though tonight I finally cut and whipped up the bag I've been plotting...no real in progress photos cause its really just a large rectangle, folded and french seamed up the sides, long strap tacked into the seams. Top inside edge is machine stitched down but the outer flap I'm going to hand hem since that will be more readily available. Should suit for quick grab kit, and daily carry items. Very loosely based off this image, just with more of a flap at top