Hoopskirts

This past weekend I participated in a pattern drafting workshop hosted by Kay Gnagey, of Originals by Kay. I already have a basic bodice pattern that Kay drafted and fitted for me from a number of years ago. It was been one of the greatest helps in sewing period clothing. Knowing how a bodice should fit on me correctly - where the waist should fall, how snug it should be - helps you avoid all the pitfalls of sewing from a commercial pattern. Of course, there is nothing wrong with using a well documented commercial pattern as long as you know how it should fit you, which usually means shortening the waist and making the bodice tighter. The goal of this workshop was to take your basic bodice pattern and learn how to adjust it through cutting and shifting so you could make other bodice styles. We started with the basic gathered bodice, then moved onto creating a false-seamed back. Next we drafted low body linings. A low body lining is not worn as a bodice (the top fashion fabric), bu...

The days after Thanksgiving are meant for Thanksgiving leftovers, so here're mine. Now that Thanksgiving is over and I can catch my breath (one child home from college and the other flew in with his wife), it's time to post the things I should have posted earlier (leftovers!). As children we learned about the Pilgrims. Civil War reenactors focus on the fact the Abraham Lincoln created Thanksgiving as a national holiday, as opposed to a recommendation that each state could accept or not. But what about Thanksgiving inbetween? On a recent trip to Indiana University, we saw a special exhibit at the Lilly Library, IU's antiquities library. On display was President Washington's proclamation for Thanksgiving 1789. Their copy is a printed document (as opposed to the original handwritten) and was purchased from a dealer named Mott in September 1984 for $3,800.00. By the PRESIDENT Of the UNITED STATES of America A Proclamation. Whereas it is the Duty of all Nations to ac...

So, why would you want to make oiled linen? At reenactments I usually portray the president of a local Soldiers' Aid Society. I like bringing a display to engage the spectators and help them understand some of the items that were collected and sent to the armies. I also find that I learn a lot when I research and then recreate period items. The Annual Report, Issues 1-4, of the U.S. Christian Commission issues directions for packing supplies to be shipped. It mentions, "Stone jars of jellies should be corked and firmly bound with oiled linen or leather over the cork...." The Kentucky Housewife , by Lettice Byran, a cookbook published in 1839 suggests that many jars of food, especially pickles, be covered with leather. While I had already used leather as a cover for many of my jars, I wanted to add oiled linen for variety. First, I had to make oiled linen. Researching oiled linen, I learned that it was used in window panes as a substitute for glass, as an early umbrell...

This past weekend was our first reenactment event of the season. Since it was a living history and there was very little scheduled, I knew I would have time to experiment with a new recipe. Now, I must confess that I am one of those people who does try new recipes on company. I know you should try it out first, but I seldom do. Perhaps I reason I'll have less leftovers that way. In this case, I felt somewhat confident of success because the recipe was already adapted and tried by others. I also brought extra food "just in case." The apple pancake recipe I tried came via the blog "Four Pounds Flour" http://www.fourpoundsflour.com/ In a chain of adaptations,the recipe was adapted from Old Sturbridge Village's Old Sturbridge Village Cookbook, 3rd ed , which adapted the recipe from The New England Economical Housekeeper of 1845. I made a couple of small changes myself. Still following me? Here's the original recipe from 1845 Apple Pancake...