chriscat53

Drat! Having visited the Sewing Page and the minimum standards page I am already thoroughly intimidated! I may wear my garb one last time and start over! It was meant as a Faire spoof--now I see that people really do living history pirates and their families on shore. My pattern is correct in form but I was not prepared to do a gazillion buttonholes and gold brocaded trim etc etc (the RH riding/traveling ensemble). I think maybe RenFaire pirate mama to entertain the kiddies may be my limit right now. I didn't do well with the mantua pattern (proposed as basic to a female impression) and gave up but may need to give it another spin should I really decide to participate in this level of pyracy. I think I may have cut on a wrong line because something was missing--I did something wrong and gave up--even after buying the books and doing enough reearch to create a persona. Stays don't bother me, but I do have to be careful--health issues. How does pirate living history work? Are there events that reflect a certain year and a certain place or event just like more land centered living history events? Since it is a broad topic, do you make different garb for each event reflecting a different pirate experience? My garb looks great if you don't know the difference but I even knew the difference when I was doing it. It needs buttonholes, braids instead of lace, wool or damask or brocade instead of faux silk (I was actually looking also at extant men's frock coats), a better steinkirk, a long sleeved waistcoat and a better habit shirt --things like that. A bit fancy but that's part of my persona in somewhat defiance of social distinction. Probably works better at a RenFaire. I need to try the mantua again before I show up at any good events. I will take the sewing pages very seriously and be a piratical student for a while.

I am new to the list and hope pirates had mamas because I'm probably twice the age of some of the mates and missies on the list. I've only done pirate at RenFairs where I portray Caterina Passero, the Italian mama of Giovanni Passero who ran away to sea to search for his alleged father at the age of 12 and I've been looking for him ever since. (Passero means Sparrow.). Rumors have it that papa was washed overboard during a particularly severe and violent drinking binge and never seen again. Although having used the RC Hunting Traveling Riding Ensemble pattern, my garb is mainly a farce, based upon the idea of booty arriving periodically from my absent son and collecting items here and there. (which is simply a way to avoid a gazillion buttonholes)-- Some silk, some lace, some buttons and purely parodizing (is that a word?) my betters. I interact with all the JS's at Faire, "Thatza my son!" I try to do my grandmother's accent (not knowing how to do an Italian doing 17th century English) but often end up ....doing Borat. I would like to make another set of garb that is more historically accurate and have the wool but have all sorts of other era projects in the way right now. I'm also trained as a historian (Ph.D. U.S. UT/Austin, 1989--all of 19th, Military to 1900 and the Italian Risorgimento) but was disabled by kidney failure from teaching in 1994 (am on dialysis and the transplant list), so I like to inject a little history into my impression and also give away repro doubloons or pieces of eight to the kiddies and even try to explain them sometimes. Have done reenactments since 1966--mainly Rev and Civil War and an occasional F and I. Home field is 19th. Where can I go to ask a gangplank question (need it for Saturday) about the dimensions of a Steinkirk ca. 1700?