Cheeky Actress

What IS on your mind, Mistress??? Siamese is, I believe, the term you were looking for.

Oh...work got into my mind....the other is Europe's largest engineering conglomerate and the largest electronics company in the world

10. Managed to learn to be at two places at once,

9. I remembered to eat this year (ya!),

8. I stopped at the Tyburn Pub for a ‘Refreshing Beverage’ at least once a day,

7. Had my cell phone turned on and on my person this time (boy, did I get yelled at last year for

that one!),

6. Invented the new fangled “Cleavage Clock”. Every gal at RF should have one,

5. Got to perform a ‘Rock Opera’ with my Crewe the night of the Ball – Fabulous!,

4. Entertained Mistress Diamond with the “Siemens Cat Song’ from Lady and the Tramp–

(accompanied by Annie Copafiel),

3. I became an official member of the SPEDs – (Committee Member Joke),

2. I was part of the BEST BIRTHDAY EVENT ever for Captain Sterling on Saturday night,

1. I get to do this all again in one year’s time!

Oh, I see...you just opted to make your pleats in a 'v' shape and not do so many of them. Waugh pattern shows about 2 or 3 on each side of the center seam.

Looking at the skirting of the mantua...did you pleat the robe?

Cannot wait to see what it looks like when completed.

Cheeky you are GORGEOUS. and the dress is pretty too!

Thank you my dear Lady Brower. At least YOU know the meaning of Expensive Taste when you see it…. Sadly, some of us are just ‘blind’ to fashion, eh Captain Sterling?

**Sterling would say something here now, but because he was laughing so hard, he needs to first stop and clean up all the port he spewed all over...**

Ha...ha..Ha!

No.... (insert routine disclaimer about my not knowing everything... having personally examined only about 30 or so antique 18th cen stays...and who is to say with any absolute certainty what was or was not).

I say no because I have not yet seen or heard of a stay of the period (or any period) which uses cane/reed as well as baleen. I am sure somewhere out there is an exception, there always is something. But it makes no sense for it to have been a preference or deliberate choice to combine cane/reed with baleen or to even choose use of cane/reed over baleen.

All staymakers used baleen. It was common and accessible to most. (confirmations or corrections from any out there with historical knowledge of the whaling industry are encouraged.) From my research to date all the 18th cen stays I have personally examined were boned with baleen. You find occasional additions of carved wood, shaped metal or carved bone all usually used to encourage or reinforce some exageration of silhouette (such as the ridge sometimes found on the center front or the extra roundness of later 18th cen stays' busts).

It seems to me that reed/cane would be used by someone who could not get or afford baleen in their stay. This would probably be someone living far from any main urban locations. Probably someone who has to make her own stay and had to pick the grass in the field to use as she could afford nothing more, not even a previously owned stay. But maybe ...just maybe she did purchase or inherit a used stay and needed to replace a bone or five? Perhaps there is no local town to get a bit of baleen from the staymaker for repairs. Perhaps that poor country lass might stuff some reed into the channels of her old baleen boned stay out of desperation? So I guess it is ...possible.... but not likely. (in my opinion... ;-) Lara

Thank you Muther...

Mother Rose,

Have you found any evidence on combinding cane and bone (whale) together in one corset. Any chance would/could it have been for the late 17/early 18th century?

hehe. Thank you Mistress McKinney. I hope we get to mambo before that.

Clapping her hands with joy.

Pictures please Mistress Alexandra!

Nibs' (Haunting Lily) stays were absolutely marvelous...

"What the Fah...!?!"

enclosed a larger box pleat around the center back one. FABULOUS DISCOVERY FOR MAKING THE FABRIC HOLD THE MOONSHAPED DRAPING with the front moon shaped pleats.

The mantua seems to be draping/ hanging the way woodcuts and art work depicts them hanging....

oh happy fault!! I am just soooooooooooo delighted with the result of my happy mistake!!

Lady Constance,

Could you post a photo of this? I am curious about the way the back looks. So, please correct me if I am wrong. You only have one main pleat (this double-box pleat?) on your Mantua's back?

ayyyee cheeky... thee dost so make the dress look stunning!

can we be seeing the back of the mantua? { groveling at your feet for such said pictures}

Thank you Lady Constance. Yes, I posted a few shots in this thread earlier. Here's the link.

Post #70 - In this thread - shots of back of Mantua

The back starts with a box-pleat, slightly on an angle, then the other pleats work off of the back center seam and should work themselves outward towards your right and left side - thus, you should have x number amount of pleats folded towards your left shoulder and X number of pleats folded towards your right shoulder.

One of the most important things I've learned about this garment. There is a proper order of assembly. If you don't do the right order...there will be confusion down the road!

Many Happy Returns of the Day, Lady Brower. I do hope you have a splendid day.

(Sigh)..."Everyone ignore the old crone please.

Here is the Mantua in which Mother Rose is commenting on...

Gee, I think the "RFV Committee Tag" really makes the outfit, don't you?

A damn fyne job, indeed! She looked stunning in them and her pretty blue Mantua, too! I do have pictures of her sitting quite poised at Tyburn Tavern looking like she was plucked from an oil painting.

Mister O’Keefe…ye are a lucky man to have such a pretty and talented woman!

Oh and side note, Lilly…next year we’ll mambo at the dance….you lead.

**chuckling** and when it comes to a fight, my money is ALL on Rose...

Thanks... I'll remember that when she's beating you about the ears!

**shudders** Rose and Lilly? Together? At Pip? ack!!! **shudders again**

Honestly Animal, this year will be a problem as, after all my protesting, Reenactor Fest VI (East) this year in Cherryhill, New Jersey... is scheduled for the same weekend as PiP.

I will have Mistress McKinney in hand... **clearing throat** and ...ahem...elsewhere.. but we may miss out on the delightful company of my Sister as her motto is business first... which, in this case, would mean attending RFVI.

It's probably a good thing, Animal...it could get extremely warm in both the climate and in tempers!

Nothing like being an idiot all in the name of fun. Here's meself and Matty Bottles doing a bit of Bull Fighting…just like the ones our good Captain said he saw in Barcelona!

Here's Kate...proudly showing us her monkey.........Lob.

Wow! Great shots there Kate. Looks like you captured some great moments. Sharing these really makes me feel bad for not being able to hang with you guys 110 percent of the time. Just one of the down sides on working at this event. But as long as you guys had fun...and the pictures show it...I am happy.

I am trying to do Photobucket meself. (Shakes fists into air showing frustration)...I feel your pain. I could only down load 23 thus far...but I am working on it! When I get the whole thing up and running, I will let you know.

Dear Mickey.

I am so happy that you and Kate could make it out to Chicago this year. I do hope that you two had fun and we always enjoy seeing you two.

Yes, there will be MORE photos to post...that's for sure. I have over 400 of them and I am trying to sort through them and clean them up a bit before I post them on my Photobucket account.

With that being said...I need to soak my feet (dang...another "MY FEET" event) and relax and spend some time with my husband tonight.

I hope you all have a great time of it...will post the photos or the link in a few days!

Where can we get (let alone afford) German "plastic whalebone"?

Mother Rose,

I have a question about the assembly of the stays; as in the method you found regarding inserting cane and such.

thank you.

Like my father would ever chose or consent to me marrying you? Tess was a saint compared to you....

As if a marriage with her sort were even a possibility. I invested in and trained my "daughters" for one purpose only. Marriage ain't it.

With an inequitable look, Lilly made her opionon known...."Hey, I'm standing right here!"

Lilly approaches Mickey and smiles gleefully.

"Dear Michael…we here upon the Pub cannot let the day go by without giving you something...well, something that speaks volumes about you, your wonderful abilities and what we've come to expect from you at each pirate event.

She then gives the command…

“WOOOF!!!”

Lilly coughs and waves to clear the air..."Happy Birthday, Mickey...!!!!