LadyBarbossa

Indeed, that is a massively long list of projects. My goodness! Hope ye won't be overwhelmed by February, Silas. Oh, I nearly forgot about that, Michael! Geez! I'm a part of that. I think I have at least a new caraco jacket to be made for that. Other items and projects I hope to accomplish this winter season: first off, finish my crimson silk robe a la francais (all it needs is the decorating frills) in time for Reenactor Fest. Rework my polonaise to be a little longer, rearrange the front to be more adjustable and add the gathered pleating down the back a la Anglaise. May be a new frock or two, rework some of my waistcoats and crimson velvet frock otherwise sell it so I can make another one. Not sure what all else, but hoping I have plenty of commissions during the winter months, too. I guess ask me in a month and we'll see what projects I need to work on. :) ~Lady B

Hmmm... tempting. Very tempting. I love the fork and knife that goes with it. Alas, it's not the type of sword I be needing. Blasted. ~Lady B

Any doeskin? Is there enough to make at least a pair of breeches? ~Lady B

My goodness! How in th' devil did BOTH of them snap? Glad no injuries or lost souls. Nor any other damage. They got lucky they did. ~Lady B

I go to Google to do some research and low and behold they have a brilliant banner in homage to many of our favorite Authors, Robert Louis Stevenson! Apparently it be the anniversary of his 160th Birthday! So, Happy Birthday RLS and thank ye for giving us one of our favorite pirate stories ever! ~Lady B

Run with it. It'll work. I've done that to a few shoes. One shoe I have utilizes a tie or ribbon plus a buckle, like one of the antique ones for ladies shoes. It's tedious, but works. :) ~Lady B

Rock on! Been eagerly awaiting this! Toss me into the barrel for this year. ~Lady B

Welcome to th' Pub, Laura. And ye joined up with a fine Crew in yo'r waters. Enjoy future piracy. And ye've come to grand establishment filled with so many pirates... ye'll never want t' leave. ~Lady B

I've never made each shepherd's pie the same. Mostly used ground beef but I am eager to try it with ground lamb! I adore watching the Food Channel and have picked up on various different versions of shephed's pie, but always meat in a gravy of sorts with some sort of potatoes or some root veggie on top. Some have peas or some sort of bean in it, lentils, or carrots and onions or sauteed onions and mushrooms... something or nothing in it. Served with a good bread on the side or crumbles on top... with or without cheese on top... something. It's never always the same. I have yet to make a good shepherd's pie in a dutch oven at an event though. ~Lady B

::: thumbs up!::: :) ~Lady B

Beowoulf... Do not fret too much about screwing up on your outfit. You really can't. However, you CAN change it and shake up your outfit and persona whenever you want. So... spend what you want or able to spend on what you need at least. And that's breeches, a shirt, a pair of shoes (cheap ones so you don't freak out over a ruined pair of $100+ shoes), and a hat (cheap one like wool felt or straw), plus a haversack. Toss in a waistcoat if ye fancy or borrow from someone a waistcoat and ye be set for starting off your pirate impersonation. :) You can ALWAYS change your appearance. Your outfit is NEVER set in stone. NEVER! But you cannot go wrong with the breeches or slops, shirt, shoes, hat and haversack. Do not hesitate to ask about for help on where to shop from either. There are some on here who are masters of the needle and thread, too. ~Lady B

Hehehe... as Cascabel said. And Hook. First off lass.... BREATHE!!! Aye, it's a bit overwhelming. And ye do NOT have t' have THE PERFECT Pirate outfit right away within a week or two. Nay,... progress towards it. Get yo'r bearings on what yo'r persona will be and what ye'll be portrayin'. What's thy Fiancee portrayin'? Do ye want t' match him in attire? Or be a Lady/Gentlewoman of good standing? Historical pirate, fun fantasy pirate, etc? Twill is one area to look for historical info. But if ye want clothes, check out the Sewing Room under Pyrate Craft. This is a GREAT place t' start for clothing ideas really. There are PLENTY of pirates on here who are masters with the needle and thread, too. Anyone can point ye in th' right direction of stores out there with piratey enough attire as well. But as I said... pick out if you will be a pirate or a Lady. Historical or fantasy. Then... move on from there. And do NOT hesitate to change around your outfit. By all means, feel free to do so! The more you shake up the outfit, the better. Have more than one outfit in due time. And feel free to ask questions. Happy hunting! ~Lady B

Ouch. My condolences. ~Lady B

I agree with Cross. Looks nice. :) Don't be feelin' worried about bein' over or under dressed. Makin' an outfit is a progression. Adding and taking away from your appearance. :) Ahh, the petticoat. It's one of the most simple pieces of period attire to make. :) The silk is very lovely. Doing good! ::: thumbs up ::: ~Lady B

Ahoy and welcome to th' Pub, Big John! Glad t' have ye here with th' likes of us, carousing with rum in one hand and a pistol in th' other. Plenty of events around, near and far. Gertie knows more of where th' Canadian invasions be, so be keepin' a weather eye out for whatever she calls t' arms for. Yes, there is the big Pirate event in Key West, one coming up in a couple weeks there in Maryland, some events around the Great Lakes region as well, both historical pirate and fantasy pirate. Take a look under the Craft or something like that. Even the Thieves Market... there are some pirates here who are right good (if not freakin' awesome) with the needle in making attire for ye, be they historical or fantasy. Oh, I could go on and on and on and on and on and on and on... well, you get the idea... of recommended places. But first before I can recommend, what is the look you want to go with? A more historicall accurate pirate look? Or more of these fantasy pirates with the non-historical, costume pirate look? Hope t' cross paths someday. More than enough crews around to join if ye want to. Or ye can sail solo. Either way. Again, welcome to th' Pub! ~Lady B

I knew it! Thank ye, Jen. :) Oh, I bet they make for great cookin'. :) Hmmm... ye know... with all these recipes and how many great cooks we have at events... frankly, I think it would be great to have a TV show on the Food Network or Cooking Channel or even History on 17th and 18th c food for the living historian. :) So many recipes that would be great to showcase and even pass along. Just a silly thought. ~Lady B

I think, any souls able and willin' to attend events. Many can state they sign up, but really boils down to who shows up at events. Could be 2, or could be 200. A Captain-less group, Dogge? My goodness. Well, perhaps Fate be sayin' ye don't need a Captain. Perhaps ye be just a Society of Scoundrels. Former Pirate crew without a vessel to work and a Captain to command thee. Tis lonely th' been sailin' th' seas without a crew, but at least ye be a pirate of your proper rite and tis somethin' t' be proud of! ~Lady B

ROTDLMAO!!!! Sounds like what a Lawyer would say! LMAO!!! ~Lady B

I've pondered etsy for a while. But still not sold on it. It didn't seem all to clear to me the charges (Yes, you can tell I once delt with eBay, so I'm beyond very leary). Can someone clarify charges, etc to me about etsy? I'm pondering if it's even worth it or not. Otherwise, I will go with another place to go through and build a free website. ~Lady B

Most images I've seen with a lady wearing a hat, looks like it's just sitting there magically atop a fine, fancy hair style. I decorate my hats around the crown with floral and ribbons. One even has lace layered on the brim coming from the crown. I no longer attatch a ribbon to the top of the crown to drape over the brim to tie under the chin or the back of the head. I attatch the ribbon to the underside of the brim either at edge but now I'm doing it at the base of the crown and tie behind the neck at the base of the head. I do use the inverted "V" that was meantioned, I also long diagonal cut them like a long "\" or "/". It makes for a nice presentation when you bow tie. Sometimes I do tie under my chin as well. But not often. Again, the brim I steam molded down on the sides and with a slight wide curl up in front and back. When it's windy, I use a hat pin only when I'm going out of camp shopping, a stroll or something else. Otherwise, I won't wear my hat in camp. No reason. Plus the flies, ropes, just makes the hat get in the way. If you do use ribbon to trim the brim of your hat, I like silk thread since it's strong and very fine, to barely be seen. I don't know if there is a particular way to trim. Folding and tucking or darting works. Depends upon what sewing styles you know. ~Lady B

I've worn the petticoat after I put on the stays. To me, just NOT comfortable to put on the petticoat and tie it in the front and back then put on the stays. Just means those tied knots are under the stays that are pulled close or tight to your body and over time.. it WILL HURT!!! Very uncomfortable. I've seen a couple people on YouTube to a tutorial on how to wear or dress in 18th c attire where they tie the pockets on before the stays go on. Again, it's one of those things... if you don't mind the tied knot jabbing into, do it. Otherwise, it's NOT recommended. Really, honestly, whatever Colonial Williamsburg says, is the most practical and proper way really. Silkie's right there. Some items really is up to the individual. Really. If you don't want two or more petticoats, then don't. Use common sense when it comes to the seasons. Two petticoats are not exactly necessary in the summer as compared to the winter. Where a fichu is used for reasons of if you don't want to tan or a sun burn. Or you just don't want a fichu at all. It was practical as well as fashionable. Fichus varied in design and fabric. Finer fabrics like a Belgian Cotton is fantastic since it's so fine and thin. But it's also expensive. Ditto with sick. Apron... I only use an apron when I'm cooking or cleaning. That's it. No other reason. Main reason... I don't want my attire soiled. A good cotton Kona muslin is great since it's a tighter weave. Sometimes, two aprons are needed when cooking, etc. Again, generally, the apron is the same way we use aprons today ... it's so your clothes won't get dirty. You do NOT have to wear items ALL the freakin' time like some people say. After all... it's you, your attire, your look, etc. YOU pick how you want to dress with what peices you are given a choice from. Mix and match, used for a short time in a day or all day. You pick. Same with hats, you do NOT have to wear the hat all day long. And with stays, you can wear a banyon or a bedjacket in the morning before you dress. It really shows the reality of how daily life was. It's not get up at 5am every day, dress in only a particular dress, and then go about in the finery or the poorest rags... naw... mix and match. :) One day you can go without a fichu, another day you may want to wear it. Wear an apron in camp and take it off when you go shopping. Or whatever else. I never wear my stays to be seen. I always cover it up. But then again, that's my persona. She's a Gentlewoman. Raised to be a proper woman of Society and stays are underwear not to be seen. It really is up to you on your persona, how they are raised, what they believe, if you are comfortable showing the stays or not, etc. You pick, you decide. Stay flexible and open. Awesome, Cross! Now I don't feel so off wearing a men's coat. ~Lady B

Saffron is pricy. It's used rather sparingly in dishes I've noticed. Usually no more than a pinch. And honestly, that's all you need. Hell, it's a LOT of flavor and coloring for something so fine and stringy. But keep your eyes open, sometimes, you can find it cheaper. I found a few pinches worth of Saffron at Wal-Mart for about $6. I grabbed it without thinking. Darn good price! And, not every place carries it. Took me searching a couple stores locally before finding Saffron. The best way to distribute Saffron over a chicken or anything else BEFORE a sauce is made... grind it up into a fine powder. Saw that today on Barefoot Contessa where ground Saffron was used as part of a dry mixture for a basic tagine. Were they whole hens or the small game hens that you used, Lady Brower? Keep the dutch oven recipes coming, mates! I'm LOVING it! ~Lady B

Oh, that pork pie sounds delish! Pippins being another name for apples- wait, aren't pippins another type of apple? Like the Macintosh and Golden Delicious? The fish planking sounds great, too. Almost not so different than what they did on "Dinner:Impossible", where the cedar planks were rum soaked then placed the salmon ontop the planks and roasted the salmon in an oven while still on the rum-soaked planks. How awesome! Keep the recipes coming. ~Lady B