michaelsbagley

If you look at either of the first two pages of the "How to Cock a Hat" thread.. Page 1 - How to cock a hat Page 2 - How to Cock a hat Aminjiria (sp?) and Patrick Hand both go through what they did with their hats from hat blank to finishing, including steaming and shaping. If you look at Page 2, you will see how Patrick used a coffee tin as a makeshift hat block... If there is anything you need to know that isn't covered in that thread, bump that thread up with your questions so all the info can be kept together for the next time someone asks! It only works to all of our advantages! I can't say how many times I have already referred to that thread for myself. Edit - Another source for Hat Blanks is Lady MacSnoods There is also this place, pricier, but they claim to be "fur felt" rather than wool Center Stage Costuming Probably the best price I have seen... Scroll about 2/3s of the way down the screen... Blockade Runner I've not shopped there myself, but I've heard good feedback about them...

Uhm... I had only planned on bringing enough for a toast for the Natal Day folks (myself included)... But since you seem so excited about it, I will try to bring enough for everyone.... No NOT everyone .... Let's say enough so all Pub folks present that I know can sample... If I even have enough squirreled away for that, that is.

No need to apologize Cheeky, we've been together long enough that we might as well be shackled together in unholy matrimony. I have been planning to hunt down the Archangels, just because it will be sooo nice to put voices and actually moving faces behind the posts. But there is some running up and down the time-line that I am planning to do... About 800 years or so of running so it could be a tiring weekend for me. If I recall from my attempted attendance last year, isn't the Natal Day of a prominent member of the Archangel Crewe near to the dates RF4 is running on? I think I had planned to bring a bottle of my best private reserve to share with said person (if they are so inclined), and will make sure that I pack it this year (imagine that, I didn't drink it myself over the course of the last year)...

Wife? No, not that, not yet... And maybe never if she sees this post... But it will be nice to meet you and the other Archangels, Cheeky! As well as anyone else that will be there from the pub and some other forums I am on... I've been a recluse for too long, I am long overdo for getting out more often.

Jessica (Ilanah) and I booked our hotel room last night, we'll be arriving some time Friday mid-day to afternoon, and staying until sometime mid-day to early afternoon on Sunday. Looking forward to meeting some more faces from the Pub there!

Ya know, the brown waistcoat (mark 1 - how appropriate ) was gifted to a friend of mine last autmumn... I looked really good on him, and fit him perfectly.. As for my grey one that has shrunk, or perhaps I have outgrown, it fits my other half perfectly, so I have gotten it in my head to keep it for her in case she ever gets it in her head to play boy pirate. I agree on the name "Bo", after all it was his idea, and the chest is going to be there on his behalf because he is unable to make it himself this year.... Here's to "Bo's Chest"

Crap... Sorry Silkie, I didn't mean to steal your thunder on that. I should have gone back and reread the thread before posting that... Albeit, there is no reason that there can't be two or even more shirts in the chest... After all it is all going to a good cause.

Okay, I'm in. I am going to donate my first hand sewn shirt since I have made one I am more happy with since, and am going to be making another in a lighter fabric in the very near future. Once you get the details sorted out, PM with with an address to ship the shirt to. Great idea Bo!

Lady Alex, I don't particularily want any of these things... I was asking on behalf of my other half... Who has since logged in and started posting for herself... Knowing the people here a bity better than she does and hopefully having more of an idea of how to approach certain questions, I have still tried to add focus to this thread on behalf of my girlfriend here and there where I could... Now as to carrying these things to re-enactments. I have stated in a previous post that the intention is NOT to carry all of these things to every re-enactment. There are many different style of re-enactments, for a re-enactment display at a local function, having LOTS of trinkets and period do-dads can make for a more interesting display. For a long road trip to a longer re-enactment that involves camping, going minimal is as Sterling suggested the best idea (I know this from personal experience as well). And of course bringing any of these do-dads to a faire or festival where we would be walking around all day, would just be rediculous. And yeah, I do like having strange and odd re-enactment do-dads as home decor items. If only I can get Jessica to agree with my decor sense more... Just kidding.

They are indeed made from the RH pattern. The one change I made in the pattern instructions was I did the edge binding on the individual pieces, and then joined the edges together... I just thought it would make for a nice look on otherwise rather plain stays. I think the method I used would be more impactful if I used it on a more colourful fabric with a good contrasting colour (maybe a future project there)...

Okay, here they are... Finally completed... One set of completely hand sewn stays.... I have to still buy ribbon and lacing that macthes the stays better, but for the sake of trying them on and testing final fit, those colours worked.

Hey Pogue, If you look at Sterling's post about two thirds to three quarters of the way down the page on the first page of this thread, there is a picture of a lady in a riding habit with a fowler... I believe I have seen other images similar to that one (sorry I can't find them at the moment), but I would guess that the fact that such imags exist, would lead one to believe that ladies did in fact hunt and shoot. I've not seen anything that I would describe as a ladies hunting bag... But Sterling definately seems to have a much better collection of sources than I do (by a HUGE stretch I am guessing).. So perhaps the hunting bag is a uni-sex item (no particular mens or womens version), or perhaps, the women in the various portraits left thier hunting bags on their horses?

Sorry to hear you not feeling well... I've come down with a cold myself... Not to speak for Jessica (again ), but I think she is wanting to collect any ofand all of those little things so we can, so we can have them on hand for whatever style of event we do... Whether it is a small living history display at a local school/faire/festival showing off as many period correct do-dads as we can (whether nautical or not), or whether it is camping at PiP for a week, and just trying to have period correct grooming devices or living history project type things to work on. Like I said earlier, Jessica (who posts here as Ilanah) is curious about writing implements (anything a scribe, clerk, secretary would reasonably have) and just general grooming instraments (brushes, combs, mirrors etc.) would probably be most of what she is interested in for now. As for the commoner/lady discussion... I think that whole thing might deserve it's own thread... But I really think it boils down to a difference in re-enactment styles, and I would rather focus on the commonalities and means of combining different re-enactment styles than risk offending someone by pointing out differences. Thanks again to everyone for their feedback and continued help. Sterling, try and take it easy, I've never been a migraine person, but I lived with one, and have an idea of how much pain it can cause.

Actually, my other half loves period writing instrument, and is leaning towards being a clerk or secretary or something of that sort... Possibly a merchant's assistant running an erand on behalf of the merchant who doesn't want to deal directly with such unsavory folks as pirates, or perhaps, the a secretary acting on behalf of a smuggler too chicken to deal directly with pirates... Who knows... She'll work it out in her own time... Please do use the term however much and in whatever context you feel appropriate... I was more raising the point to draw attention to the variety of common impressions possible for a women ro portray... I wasn't trying to single you out or thumb my nose at you. With a riding habit and a fowler (I tried talking Jessica into this, but she doesn't like guns particularly long arms), she could portray a lady out on a hunting or something like that who has come across the pirates and is curious, or is trying to strike a deal or any number of scenarios (although she would likely have attendants or company of some sort, but not neccessarily). It might not work in all scenarios (specially a port scenario), but for say a careening camp, it might not be that much of a stretch...

Thank you very much Capt. Sterling... You have managed to both give me a great start with your post, and inadvertantly(?) address another issue that has been knawing at my mind... The issue of the term "wench" being applied to all women of the period who aren't upper class or fine ladies. Capt. Pogue, please note the last three images... These are common women-folk, and NOT wenches. There are plenty of respectable (and good looking) impressions for a woman to do that aren't upper class, fine lady, or wench. I am getting the *vibe* that a lot of the women are resisting doing a more commoner impression for the period because they don't want to get labelled "wench". If the use of this term persists, we are going to have pirate re-enactments with tons of pirates, and a whole bunch of "ladies" with NO common women... Personally, I would love to see a lot fewer "ladies" and more common women (to dream the impossible dream And to be honest there are admittedly more and more common women impression being done by some of the ladies here, like Silkie and Cheeky)... And I have been gently coaxing my better half for months to get her comfortable with doing a more common women's impression. It's taken a LOT of work, but I am starting to feel like I am in the home stretch, I just don't want her to get labelled wench her first time out and have her suddenly reconsider dressing as anything but a lady. Please understand I am not angry or pissed or anything, I am just concerned about the VERY "rennie" term of "wench" being dragged into the re-enactment side of things where it is both innappropriate, and potentially harmful to the cause... Thanks again for your response Sterling! Can't wait to see how your other halfs garb turns out Capt. Pogue!

My girlfriend has been asking me about what types of things a lady of the period would have, and well to be honest, I haven't the slightest clue as to the material culture items that women would possess. Does anyone have any ideas? Or images they can share the links to or post here? I think she is thinking mostly personal items such as combs, brushes, other grooming items, popular knick knacks of the time (if any), any items a woman might pack while travelling, things she might keep at home. I know this is kind of vague, but I am really not sure how to answer. Thanks in advacne for any help!!!

Although the legs are not very clear in this image... This portrait dated to 1699 shows what I believe to be gaiters. This is supposed to be a portrait of François Desportes in his hunting outfit. (I think this image has been posted here in reference to another topic at some point or another).

I can speak to making period accurate stays, as I am just finishing up a set of hand-sewn ones for my girlfriend (she really is spoiled by me).... Anyways, I have been poking away at them a few hours here and there for a couple of months now. I think there was a whole month where I didn't even pick them up. If I had to guess, I would say that I have put about 20 hours into them total (using the Reconstructing History pattern Found HERE) or Reconstructing History sell completed stays as well (view those here) and RH sells unbound stays that require some finishing but are mostly finished (view those here).... I have also made a set of machine sewn stays using the above mentioned patter... That took me about three evenings working just a few hours each evening (about 6 to 9 hours work?). In my experience, the edge binding is actually easier to sew by hand. The boning channels are MUCH easier to sew by machine, so doing a bit of a mix of machine and hand sewing in my opinion is the easiest way to go. As for complexity, I didn't find the back lacing stays difficult at all... Although I have been looking at the instructions for the front lacing stays, which I am also considering making for the lady, and those instructions confused me at first, but an email to Kass at Reconstructing History helped clear that up easy enough. Hope this has helped.... Edit - I should mention, that the 20 hours I mentioned above has the stays mostly done, NOT all done, I would say that I still have about another 5 to 8 hours work to put into them (give or take).

I almost feel guilty about bringing this thread up again, especially the particular part of the thread that I am going to try to add to.... I stumbled across the below quote a few months ago, and promptly forgot about it until I had a conversation recently were iron bound casks/barrels (I use the terms interchangeably incorrect or not)... Anyway, the quote is from "The London and Country Brewer" (2nd edition: dated to 1736). I know this is a bit after the GAoP, but the fact that it is a 2nd edition (how much earlier was the 1st edition?) and the tone of the quote leads one to believe the practice is not new, but standard at that time, could place the practice of using iron bound casks as fairly common in the late GAoP at least for brewing and storing wine, if not other things as well... (below bolded emphasis mine) There are other quotes within this writing that relate to casks and them having iron hoops, feel free to browse for yourselves... Scan of Page 103 Scan of Page 104 Full text transcription of the book Also, related to this thread... I hope this isn't a faux pas, but if you look at THIS THREAD FROM ANOTHER FORUM, there is an image of a huge canvas amorphous tent in a painting dated to 1713 (right smack dab in our period). If posting links to threads in other forums is a "no-no", please let me know so I can edit this out and not make the mistake again. Hope this info comes as use or at least amusing to some....

Or we could sick Misson on him to remove the offending appendage... More to back on topic though, if Sterling is kind enough to post about the clocked stocking in Williamsburg, I would be very interested in knowing the fibre content... (Wool or cotton? something else?)

Yeah, I was looking at the pic on my laptop... It makes everything darker, it looked correct on my proper computer. Don't hate me, but I picked up 4 yards of that particular wool for $20 on a roll end clearance. I had just enough of it left to bang out a pair of breeches as well. I appreciate the advice, I was thinking of trying to go for a more mis-matched look, but I agree, the grey really does look pretty much perfect with this outfit. I think I still have enough of the grey wool, maybe I will re-make the waistcoat in it... It is still new garb Callenish, this was the first time I wore it out. Give it some time and me a chance to wear it out a few times, I guarantee it will get nice and grungie looking quickly enough! But thank you both for the comments and feedback!

So here is a new picture of me in my garb... I still have to add buttons and sew the buttonholes in the jackets.... but other than that and shoes, think this outift is pretty much as done as it is going to get... Well the wasitcoat shrunk a bit and doesn't fit as well anymore (NO I did NOT gain weight ), so I am going to replace it, and maybe in a tan or light brown rather than the grey... The jacket is a dark navy blue and not black as it kind of looks in the picture.

I don't know how accurate these directions are (so this post might be better suited to Plunder than here in Twill ), but since it is on topic, I thought i would share this link for those DIY types out there. The instructions are for the later period half length gaiters/spatterdashes, but i imagine it wouldn't be hard to scale the instructions up to the full length type. Making Spatterdashes instructions in PDF (Adobe Acrobat) format Edit - On further searching on the above web site I found directions for full gaiters Instructions for making full gaiters - instructions in PDF (Adobe Acrobat) format

I was doing some surfing this evening and I stumbled across the below link that was posted on one of the 18th century message boards that I am on... Period treatment for canvas I thought of this thread and figured it might make a nice addition....

Since my other half has suddenly gotten this coming Monday off of work, we are thinking of going on Monday rather than Sunday in case that works better for anyone... We're still on the fence about which day. In other news I was talking to someone today who has some inside knowledge, and the word is, the next stop for the exhibit is Philadelphia, so anyone interested from Eastern PA and the nearby surrounding areas around Philly will get their turn to see the exhibit in the upcoming months!