Tudor MercWench Smith

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???)

Evening, all! So strange being back on the Pub! Back in the day, I was known as MercenaryWench around here. This profile got created a few years back during a previous attempted comeback, at which time i realized that i didn't even remember what email that original account was linked to so i couldnt reset and log in. In reality, the name is Miranda, but I'll probably also answer to "Mira", "Merc", "Tudor', "Mistress Smith", "Where the hell is the Captain's Steward???", And if you are under three feet tall and look excessively like my husband i will also probably answer to "MomMOMmomMAMAmooooom" I showed up here, originally, around '04-'05 as an a socially inept 17 year old with a pirates of the Caribbean fanfiction, no friends, and a crush on a wastrel that played a pirate at a Ren faire. I had always loved pirates prior to that (thanks for that, Erroll Flynn's "Captain Blood"), and was a massive history nerd, so finding this place was just the *perfect* outlet. Not to get too sentimental but it was actually rather formative and life saving in a way. Especially once i got involved with The Watch Dog project. I loved being a part of that crew, even if i wasn't always the most reliable or best contributor. i faded away from the Pub in general in my early twenties due to, no lie, absolutely no access to the Internet (sounds crazy now) and a crazy work schedule. As previously mentioned, a comeback was attempted a few years back but then, again, life.... marriage, mortgage, kids, the whole lot of it. So, now that i have a novel of a post written....here i am again, just a new version. I live in NE Ohio, a mile off the greatest lake, and yet have somehow never gone sailing on it. I still absolutely love maritime and piratical history along with several other periods (though my scholarship is amature if ardent). I am married to a man who is very much *not* a wastrel, and who bemusedly indulges my pirate proclivities, and have two toddlers, one of which i have recently come to realize is the human embodiment of my pirate persona (God save me!). In addition to history, and writing, hobbies include sewing, gardening, drinking more tea and coffee than is probably good for me, playing video games, reading, teaching Sunday school, and hanging out with my kids. I'm mostly back here hoping to do some more writing again, and because I've been talked into making the Massacre Island event my annual "mommy needs a vacation" break this year. (It didn't take much convincing). I think i might do a thread to chronicle building my entire kit from the ground up over the next four months to be ready for the event if any one is interested. otherwise.....cheers, all! Glad to be back. - Merc

Every minute was an hour, every hour a century. Tudor tried to rest, tried to do as she had been instructed, knowing the surest way to be released back to duty was to follow her instructions. But silence roared loudly in her ears and kept her from sleep, or peace, or any kind of rest. A strange gratitude formed for every occasional noise from the decks that echoed it's way into the room, every gust of wind that rattled at the windows. She lay in the bed, pretending to be asleep, hoping against hope that if she lay there long enough, eventually the exhaustion would take over. But no matter how dormant her body felt, her mind still raced. What little sleep she did was fitful, much like the captain had predicted and when she could not lie still any longer without joints and muscles aching, she paced, bare feet silent against the planks of the floor. She wished they would make noise. Never had she wanted to wear heavy boots that would make a ruckus more than she did just then, if only to drown out the interrogation she felt herself being put through by her own thoughts. She collapsed onto a the floor after walking miles without traveling any distance, unable to keep standing, but unable to lie back down. She leaned back against the wall of the room. With a sigh, she began to take account of events, just as a tactician evaluated his standings after a defeat. Voices of far distant and long departed mentors demanded to be heard, as clearly if they lived and stood in the same room. She could see them in her imagination, and while none of them had ever met so, she pictured them sitting around a table not dissimilar to the one close at hand in the Ward Room. They were her personal councilors of war, and every one of them had something to say. Why do you sit and let these things happen to you, where is your fight? The first chided. You are at a disadvantage here. You should have retreated months ago - the minute your judgement began to be clouded by emotion. You thought this place was safe and you were ambushed. The second growled. You let your guard down, you stupid little girl! You let them see you weak. That disturbing propensity to trust will get you killed one way or another. The third mocked. The thoughts continued but they didn’t take their turn. You don’t belong here was followed by A solider never is without a weapon which was drowned out by the third, cruel voice shouting at her You are weak, and useless. This inner conversation went on and on, Tudor took every thought, every word, and clung to it, believing them all to be true even if they were such contrary ideas of both how weak she was, and how much harder she could have fought. They tore her apart inside. The the turmoil ran deeper in her than just the fear and anger brought about by her encounter with Harry Saltash – the attack only dredged up every other fear and doubt – and she could not separate all the emotions, and wished to be rid of every single one of them. Just when she thought she could bear it no more, more noise invaded the silence. It was just a muffled voice from elsewhere on the boat - perhaps the changing of watches, or repair crews calling out to each other, she couldn't make out the words. But it acted as touchstone for reality - the world beyond her own world.This ship, this floating fortress had been battered, beaten and often times betrayed, and yet it went on. And so would she. In light of that simple though, that profound lesson, realized on the floor of the great cabin in the darkest hours of night, all other teachers from her past were silenced. She knew that there would be struggles ahead - she'd bear the scars from this day just as she bore from every other thing that ever happened to her. But someday they would heal, fade. Someday, like that very ship, she would be repaired, righted. It might not be in that very moment, but knowing that someday they would no longer run so deep into her gave her something like peace, enough to actually sleep. She crawled back into the bed and as soon as her eyes shut, she slept. It was dawn until she woke again. She rose again, not because she could no longer lie still from the pain, but because she finally felt ready to move. The light pouring into the room gave promise of a clear day - the storm had finally passed.

His words smarted as they hit her - he knew her too well. He knew how little she wanted everyone to see how damaged her face was, and, in kindness, he used that against her. "I will go mad if I sit still too much longer. More mad, at any rate." She smiled a bit at this, clearly aware of how insane she must seem at that exact moment. "You think this is just reaction to . . . today." She couldn't bring herself to refer to anything more specific. "This is an everyday fight for me. Today just has me too broken to hide it." She felt she was being too dramatic, too cryptic and she forcibly shook her head, as if the action would clear it. "Please, if Saltash is in irons, I have no reason to sit in here, wallowing while others labor, cowering in fear while there is work to be done. As much as I hate the idea of questions, I hate more being seen as weak, and injured and . . . damaged." She could tell her babbling was not convincing the Captain. He looked at her, kindly, but in an unyielding sort of way. She sighed, defeated once again. It was becoming the theme for the day. "I won't have an able bodied crew mate wasting his time being my nanny at the door. I'd rather have all hands working to right the ship, as long as I can have a pistol and a knife with me in here." It was a request, stated as a preference. "But, just . . .what will I do to occupy myself all night?" Her tone implied sleep was the furthest thing from her possible agenda.

Her eyes narrowed a moment, as if she had to think, but really the truth was she was deciding how much of an answer she wanted to give. "No. Not for want of trying on his part, only . . . ." Suddenly she had to choke back a bitter laugh. She knew the Captain was only doing as he needed, both as the commander of the ship, and as a caring friend, but she didn't want to say the answer, and no one aboard ship had ever seen the scars she knew she would have to show - a simple no, without evidence, would leave everyone holding their breath for weeks. Without another word, but a resigned shake of her head, she lifted the hem of her shirt, exposing only the lower part of her abdomen. From the navel down, she was riddled with the ridges of a series of old wounds, perhaps only two years into healing. "Even if I wanted children, I've been told it would take heavenly intervention for it to happen. So, no. You will still have your Steward in nine months time." She dropped the shirt again, looking away and closing her eyes, thinking of it all - Saltash, the damage to the ship, the storm, the scars - all of it burdened her, ground her further down into her chair, until with a gasp for air, she stood up abruptly again, but instead of pacing she was practically lunging for the door. "Captain, I need to go back to work. I need to not sit still right now . . . I can't . . .I can't . . . I just can't . . ." She didn't know what she was trying to say, and she was literally choking on the words, they stuck in her throat and she fought the urge to cry, but she didn't know what she was weeping about.

Tudor sat, still clutching some hair, still looking every which direction, as if someone might jump out of a trunk our walk through the very walls. She didn't speak any more. As quickly as they tumbled out of her while cutting her hair, they were gone again. She was the discarded rag doll again and sat with no comfort, just weariness. After a heavy sigh, she finally made eye contact with William, as if bidding him to say whatever he had to say, ask what questions he had to ask.

"Which ever is sharpest." She growled, a vicious enough sound that for a moment he reconsidered his original supposition that she intended violence. The fire in her tone told him that if he did not give her something sharp to do what she planned in the next few minutes, she would set about finding it herself. Still she paced like a caged animal, eyes darting to the door every few minutes and hand still wrapped around her neck. With a resigned sigh, William stood and retrieved the fine pair of which he spoke and carried them across to the corner where she now stood, but he hesitated in placing them into her open palm. There was a silent understanding that he was offering to help with the clipping, knowing it's not so easy to reach the back of one's own head, but the Steward, angry facade once again melting into broken and weary faced smiled and shook her head at him. "I'm sorry, if there is going to be sharp metal anywhere near my neck right now, it's only going to be in my hand." Taking the blades up quickly she tugged at a giant hank of hair and chewed through it with the scissors with little regard to the evenness. "It was foolish of me to let it get so long. I always used to keep it fairly close cropped." She said, the first fistful of hair entirely separated from her head, leaving only an inch or two to cover her scalp. She set to work on the next section, capturing the spring like curls in a white knuckled grip, "Y'know, don't give anyone anything to grab onto in a fight." And with a clipping sound, the second handful was freed, the back of her head having less length now then the side. "But, a while back, I was bed-bound for about six months and it started to grow out. I guess I thought it looked pretty so I've not cut it for the better part of 2 years." She set about the final strands, and spoke with a strained cheerfulness that seemed to teeter on manic. "Vanity getting the best of good sense I guess." And with that, the halo of spiral ringlets that always fluttered about her face was gone, in it's place, odd ends and disparate lengths, all evidence that her hair was even curly was now spread between the floor and her two fists.