Tudor MercWench Smith

Oh good tip! Wasn't sure how far it should open so erred on the side of high cause it's easier to open them then it is to reclose them. Will have to go back in and do this once i get the other stuff done

First pair of slops functionally finished!! I could have shopped around better for buttons but liked these wooden ones from JoAnns well enough so i picked them up with a coupon. Learned a new technique for gathering into the waistband and was pretty pleased with the results. Fit is good, they are delightful comfortable (could live in them) and i think the overall look is good. After I finish the eyelets in the back waistband and cleaning up some raw interior edges it will be on to shirts next. Overall though, i found the pattern way easier then i had prepared for. As previously discussed, maybe the style i picked (trousers over breeches) made it less fussy to fit. In other news....i think i am going to pull the trigger and just purchase a set of stays. I keep looking at the pattern and dreading it so that's never a good thing. I've been eyeing up the ones on offer from Samson historical....a bit out of period but not by much, still similar shape and style, and without having to lay out for a custom order. I just have to decide what style to pick next. Onwards onto the next project i guess...

Noted! Excellent reference link too thanks! The pleats were more laziness on my part. I did gathers on one section but wanted to get it done and the cotton i was using was being a pain to gather. Hopefully the linen will be less fussy. I got it all cut and main body assembled last night so it's fly and waistband tonight so we shall see how it goes.

Soooo.... macaroni prototype is done with moderately successful results. Factoring in the slightly substandard fabric used for the test run, the fact that i was playing a bit fast and loose with my handstitching, and that i forgot to put in the button fly....they look pretty decent. I mean, not particularly flattering....but fit and style looks "right". No serious fit issues, could probably get by with no gusset, seat is loose and comfy, though front might be a touch too baggy because of it. Waistband was a bit skronky but that's mostly due to me having to recut it last minute. Will probably go back in and put the fly in to practice button holes, in between cutting and assembling the main body of my good fabric pair. cutting good fabric tonight while my linen for my shirts gets it prewash treatment. behold my mountain of shirt weight white linen!

Thank you! I've always been pretty proud of them. Both pretty but also highly functional. Both purchased directly from the blacksmiths, one of whom has since passed away so I'm glad to have at least a small piece of his work. The twist handle one is particularly sentimental though because i bought it as a matched pair for me and my now-husband. I will have to get his out too soon to give it a clean and oil. I was told at the time by the smith that it was based on an historical nautical style knife, but I've yet to find any documentation on that. . .

So before the long weekend i set these to soak in the Evaporust, the railroad spike sat for about 4 hours, the curved blade antler handle about 30 minutes. Both turned out excellent, and were oiled as soon as they were rinsed and air-dried for a bit. They then sat for the better part of a week, and had none of the re-rusting that i had before. Rather surprisingly, the edge on the railroad spike has held pretty well since it was last sharpened years ago. Still will be looking into sharpening options in the near future though for it and the curved blade. Figuring out long term storage is the next process. I'm wondering if wrapping them in some linen scraps and then an airtight box might be suitable to keep the moisture from getting to them

Lol...i learned never to mention RH patterns in forums two years ago when i was working on a German Renaissance outfit. Some of the critiques were valid but not applicable to me ("the pattern assumes you have some knowledge of XYZ"....well, i do so no big deal). In the end, the only problems i had with the final finish were that i am lacking in skills and patience for tailoring/fitted garments. Yes, a more commercial pattern might dumb that part down for me more. But ultimately, that's still a ME issue, not a problem with the pattern. Good notes on the late period breeches....though as someone who was a young woman in the aughties, super low rise would probably just feel like a return to my youth lol. I am a big advocate of the mock ups, as suggested in the patterns, just cause my parsimony over my "good" fabric far outweighs my hastiness and lack of attention to details. They are all affectionately referred to as my "macaroni prototypes". I'm pretty pleased with how this one is going but will have to take a look at the Kannicks patterns to, even though i try to not buy too many patterns any more lol

I can see that. I actually cut about a size and a half bigger then my measurements called for so that might have resolved some of that issue. If i do decide on the gusset that might resolve some of that too. We shall see. I'm still just working on assembling so i haven't done too much with fit yet.

In other news ....three days worth of progress on the proto type for my "slops" I'm actually going with the "early period trousers" cut on the RH706 Breeches and Slops pattern. More in period then the slops, and better look for me then the breeches. I'm not necessarily going full Read/Bonney woodcuts for my overall aesthetic but definitely drawing inspo from them, and they are both in more a trouser style then the later period slops or the fitted at the knee breeches, so that informed my choice slightly Both the warning in the pattern itself and the few scant reviews i found of it had me fearing they would be harder to go together and fit but so far they have gone together pretty intuitively and well, but it's still mid process on the prototype so still plenty of time for it to get scuppered. So far only deviation or alterations I'm considering is maybe a gusset but that is an easy-ish addition Currently hand stitching. I was planning on machine doing the prototype at least, but that requires me to be in a different room working and I'd rather sit on the couch and hand stitch while i watch TV with the fam. It also gives my typically sloppy hand stitch some practice. Who knows if the final versions will be hand finished or not. Prototype cut out of an old cotton duvet cover. If the go together well enough they might even be a good functional back up pair. Pics of the current state of the project (phone ate days 1 and 2 photos):

I plan to do similar with stretching, eventually. However It's going to be an 11th hour project, cause if i don't get to it, it's still functional in that as long as I'm careful about how i put back my hair it will still fit on my head and keep the sun off my face, whereas other projects are more necessities. Mine is pretty soft so I'm not sure it would keep it's shape even with shellac, and i have to say i don't mind the soft, floppy-ish aesthetic. Just don't know if it's particularly period. That would probably work much more functionally then my kids' soccer ball. This is all provided my oldest mutineer doesn't steel it from me

Well all projects have been on hiatus far longer then expected due to the miniature crew mates getting sick, then getting me sick. Getting back to it in very slow increments. I've got the pieces to the RH Slops pattern all cut out and a pile of linen, obtained in a clever trade, all pre-washes and pressed for after I've made a few prototype pairs. But for now, here's my latest thrift find.... It's supposedly "boho" but screamed "100% wool hat blank"ish for $10 plus shipping. It's a bit snug, so i will need to steam and stretch it. It's already got a grosgrain band that will probably need to get pulled out to accomplish that, but then the plan is to cock the one side et voilà.... Keep the sun off my face and look decently accurate. Pretty pleased with the find

So first and second attempts were made with the oil and steel wool... It was looking pretty nice and i thought would be successful but 24 hours later sitting in the open air and it's already covered again. Here it is during and immediately after Still had some discoloration but was delightfully smooth and i felt it was good progress. Here it is one to two days later and just about the same rust is back. Don't know if it just re-rusted that quickly (in which case, hellooo humidity) or if i didn't really get it all off and the oil just kind of glossed over it til it dried. So, long story short, the saga continues and i am now skipping ahead to @Mary Diamond's suggestion and will have to make a journey out to AutoZone for some Evaporust.

Great suggestions, all, thank you! I am starting with some 0000 steel wool and mineral oil cause that's what was readily available on my regular errands route but that Evaporust looks mighty interesting. I will post results once i take a crack at them. Also good to know that my instincts about the sheath weren't completely off base. I am thinking long term storage will be a lose wrap of scrap linen and a box of some kind. Also might have to have the husband craft me a new sheath out of better quality, perhaps even a lined, leather, just to be safe. Though he has a matching blade and sheath to the twist handle one, so if we still want to match he'd have to do two lol. Thinking ahead though, once they are cleaned, what should I be looking at for sharpening? Somehow I imagine my kitchen knife sharpener might not be suitable?

So, i have two hand forged knives that were part of my "kit" years ago. In trying to put whole knew set of gear together they have surfaced out of the storage bin the have been in for over a decade and they are in need of some love. They are both hand forged. One is a small hook shaped knife, (i believe stainless) with antler handle. This one has minimal tarnish. The other is twist handle single piece knife, forged out of an old railroad spike. This one is....worse for the neglect. Covered in what appears to be rust, but primarily only on the blade that had been in a sheath, which seems counter intuitive to me and leads me to question if maybe it's some kind of residue from the leather that was used (it's honestly almost the exact same color) So, i need advice on best methods to clean these up. I had once been advised wd40 and steel wool. Not sure that is best and i know that precludes using it with food (which isn't a deal breaker, as these are primarily utility knives), so looking for suggestions and any experienced advice on how to get these beauties to shine again and how to keep them looking nice.

That's actually a great point. I tend to only hit up the goodwill cause it's what is right around the corner from my office, but the selections are typically poor quality and overpriced. There's a Christ child society shop I've been meaning to check out not far from me, and then just an independent thrift place across the county that i always forget about. Maybe load up the tiny crew mates and go on an adventure this weekend. Otherwise, projects are trudging along. My upcycled slops would have been done if not for a "duh" on my part that required some unpicking of seams. Probably going to pull the trigger on at least enough linen for two shirts, as a mother's day present to myself, just to get cracking on the to do list, and hopefully thrift some more later. Need to pick up the pace here. 134 days to go....

Yeah, having five seemed like the safe option to ensure clean/dry shirts each day. Maybe three is a better compromise number, then two so that way there's one to wear, one to spare and one to wash and dry. Though to that point, a blend would probably dry even less well. So jealous! My thrift shops around here never have anything so good. Looks like a good heavier weight too.

😂 personally though, i classify shirts as undergarments and they seem kind of non negotiable to me....lol

You and Mistress Diamond sure are talking me out of what i thought might be a cunning plan! I know i will be happier with linen. I know it's benefits and my love for it runs deep. Knowing that it's a sure bet versus a gamble on the blend is a compelling point too. If i save the money but hate the shirt what have i actually saved. but that $12 across five shirts (my original goal number of shirts) is fairly substantive when totalled which has been the main reason I've even considered it. maybe i need to reevaluate my goals .. instead of one shirt for each day (cause smell and dirt are a level of "accuracy" i do not need to reach lol), and instead sub in a plan to focus on 2 solid high quality linen shirts and figure out the way and means to hand wash them out during the time. .... Definitely worth pondering now, excuse me while i swan drive into research on period laundry techniques lol

The hard wearing is one of the pros in the column that i can't balance. Yes I can get the blend cheaper but if I'm going to have to replace it in half the time it's not really that much cheaper in the long run. The intention really is only to use it for the shirts .....the outer layers are going to be primarily to my 100% options.

So, as I'm working on my first upcycle project (will post about it when it's done) I'm also comparison shopping for fabric for shirts. I typically buy my linens from fabric-store.com, and I've always been pleased with their products but i feel like their prices have gone up significantly in the past two years (though i guess that's everywhere and everything these days) and i need to cut budget where I can. I recently got tipped off to dharma trading. They only carry white linen but their costs are significantly lower on linen and they presented me an option i hadn't heretofore considered...linen blends. They have a cotton blend, and a rayon blend - if it was poly at all it would be immediately eliminated as a possibility on its face. But i find rayon as one of the most comfortable fabrics on my modern clothes so i was willing to consider I ordered in some samples of their 100% linen, their 55% linen/45% rayon, and then some of their hemp offerings as well. The 55% linen/45% rayon is indistinguishable from a standard handkerchief linen as far as visual texture/weave goes, and only a SLIGHTLY silkier feeling hand and SLIGHTLY drapey-er hang. So now I have the unenviable task of deciding if the hit to accuracy is worth getting a still visually appropriate, still comfortably breathable and wicking fabric that is seriously UNDER $5 a yard. I do still have hopes of either finding linen that can be upcycled at thrift stores but it's an uncommon fabric around here and/or find some second hand products on reenactment buy sell trade groups. But i also know i need to get cracking on sewing some if these as they are a key item that i need several of. So....any experience, advice, opinion, input or critiques of using this type of blend, how it sews up or wears, of the company if anyone has experience with it, or suggestions of other linen sources to consider, i will take it all.... Cheers! -Merc

Thanks for all the input but especially this! I have an advantage in that i have spent significant time wearing historic stays and corsets so i know how they are supposed to look and feel. My down fall is I'm terrible at fitted garments. I had moderate success with an RH pattern for 16th century German Renaissance but had the problem that when it came to tailoring the bodice i just couldn't seem to make it right even with a canvas version for patterning size and a muslin prototype. I have already started cutting a canvas to get sizing right for the stays but was hard to get it closed. Great idea about the ribbon, i will try that. I'll be sure to post updates once i am in the throes of it. We clearly think similarly! Shoes were the first thing I started looking for a few weeks back actually. Footwear is the one place I am willing to be most flexible because a) it’s one of the last things people see or notice b) it’s got to accommodate my old lady orthotic arch supports and c) as always, budget. most anything specifically historical repro was out of the running on any combo of b and c. So i went thrifting i went...found some low ankle boots (a bit higher then shoes but certainly not BOOTS) that would be period passable at a glance. I ended up with two pairs for what I would have spent on a single pair of generic leather renn-ish style mary janes. Both are actual leather (admittedly not fine quality leather, but leather), neither have zippers at all. The construction of the black pair, the top fits/sits very similarly to how a standard latchet shoe would, and their sole looks really nice and the brown pair were already scuffed up enough that I wouldn’t feel bad beating them up at an outdoor camping event Absolute score if I do say so myself

Thanks very much! Good to be back. It is lots of fun being back and seeing all the old "faces". It's only been a literal lifetime lol

Ahoy the ship (of craftiness!) I am starting the process of putting together a fully functional kit to be ready for an event this fall, and I am starting almost entirely from scratch. What I have from back in my “heyday” is either too ‘disney’, too small, or long gone. I thought it might be of interest to some to chronicle this as I go – both to share ideas, and also to get advice and input. This is going to be a combination of sewing projects, upcycling, and thrifting. I will probably be exploring fabric options and sourcing, trying to find a balance between authenticity and convenience/expedience, and doing this all in a relatively short amount of time. This is what I am starting with: - Five Reconstructing History patterns. I probably do not have the skill set needed for several of these, but they are the only patterns I can find that I trust the accuracy on for this period. Plus, I’ve had them stock piled for give or take 15 years, so why buy something else when I could just . . . get better at sewing. I have the Slops and Breeches, Sailor’s Jacket, Stays, Mantua, and Bodiced Gown patterns. Obviously, heavy focus will be on the Slops, the Jacket and the stays. Fortunately I have access to a large format printer that I can make copies of the pieces I am using, so that if I skronk it up in cutting or size altering the patterns, I still have the originals, uncut. Should be invaluable for the more fitted garments that require a fair bit of tweaking. (Looking at you stays!!) - A moderately sized fabric hoard, of varied content and usability. I have several 2 yard pieces of linen left overs from other periods I play in, that I am not sure if I will be able to use for anything (everything I am currently doing seems to be a 3 yard minimum) The larger sections I have are all either modern or incorrect types of fabric. Some “look” ok, but besides the accuracy I don’t want to be sweating bullets in a poly blend in the deep south heat and humidity. - A black wool frock coat Made almost 20 years ago now, with the Pirates of the Caribbean knock off Simplicty pattern, so of suspect accuracy, but made with good fabric and buttons, so looks good from a distance. Still needs button holes but it’s one thing that I still have, that still mostly fits, and looks the part - two knives, both handmade (not by me), one a specific seafaring style. Both in dire need of a good cleaning and sharpening. Will have to figure that out - some sashes and socks My “to-do” list (subject to much change) – what I think I will need to get by for five days on a beach on the Gulf. If you are following along, your mileage will vary in how much you would need to get started. This is also the #goals list. It might get pared down as I go, and I get feedback from more experienced hands on what and how much I actually need for this length of event. Must haves; - Slops (x3 - Shirts (x5) - Petticoats (x3) - Stays (x1) - Light jacket (x1) - Frock coat (x1) - Belt/baldrick - Bag/haversack/satchel - Boots/shoes (x2) - Socks/stockings (x5) (I have 3ish passable pairs so far) - Sashes/scarves/coifs for covering the head. Ideally would also have - Additional slops, shirts, petticoats & socks - A second set of stays - A second jacket - A Mantua or two Accessories, camp gear, set dressing, bed roll, storage chests and flags not included in this list, but also on the agenda somewhere, maybe Specific trouble points I know or that I am expecting to encounter are mostly in sourcing as inexpensively as possible. I have some great leads on linen, just got some samples in on some linen blends I am considering, but finding tropic weight cotton that won't affect my credit score to purchase is proving tricky. If I could find somewhere to buy period correct stays that don't cost more then my first car I would probably do that rather then attempt to make them I will post projects and finds separately as I get them, and provide what insight i can on how to put a passably PC kit together in minimum time and budget. I'm also thrilled to get any input, suggestions or opinions anyone cares to offer along the way. cheers for now! -Merc

Likewise. Let me know what i can do to help make it happen

Thanks for the welcome! I'm very excited. I made a very poor choice years back to *not* go to PiP one year when i had the opportunity so Massacre Island is really going to to be an amazing chance to right that wrong lol!! So good to be back! Thanks for resurrecting it Will do, thanks very much! I'm starting from the ground up as what gear i had back in the day was all Ren faire pirate and didn't survive the years. Like i said, i will probably start a thread tracking my progress, and I'm sure asking for opinions lol *Snappy salute* here, sir! Three is a good start. How do we gang press more lol??! We need enough to justify flying the 'Dog's flag. (Do we have one? Do i need to add it to the list of what i need to make lol???)