In the Blink of a Needle's Eye

Though I have been intending to start blogging more frequently, a great deal of time and Elizabethan-themed activity has passed between the San Jose faire and this post. I solemnly swear to start blogging up a storm in the future though!!! The 2014 Northern California Renaissance Faire season is in full swing, and so much excitement has ensued in the last several weeks. Here's a few highlights of the last few weeks:

I got the opportunity to teach a class during the actor's workshops leading up to faire entitled The Good Housewife based on some of my research from my thesis!! I focused on the realities vs. the stereotypes of women (particularly in the middling sort of course) and their work, including five case studies of particular tropes. I used some cool visual aids that had images showing each stereotype and reality, back to back (which I even had laminated because I'm fancy like that). They look great, and I think they really helped to convey how the Elizabethans literally saw and theoretically understood these tropes. I hope to teach the class again next year and maybe another one as well. I had a lot of fun plus got to share some of my knowledge and hard work!

During workshops Becky and I had a chance to try spinning in a class taught by one of the women from St. Cuthbert's guild. I'm TERRIBLE!! As of right now, that is Anne's deep, dark secret. I want to get better though since it's a skill that every woman learned from childhood. Hope I get a chance to pick up a spindle and some fiber from Cuthbert's before the season is over so that I can start practicing. Thank goodness I already have some skills in embroidery and sewing that I can use in the guild yard instead of needing to learn to spin!

Before I knew it, it was opening weekend!! What a blast! I'm in a couple of parades, a couple of shows, and of course time to shop, see some shows, and embroider in the guild yard, too! Unfortunately, it was definitely not historically accurate weather with a high of 105!! Luckily for me, I don't typically have a problem with the heat, but it definitely hit everyone pretty hard and sent several people home (including my partner-in-crime Becky aka Goody McMannis). Despite the weather I had a wonderful time though! 

One of the highlights was meeting the fabulous Jennifer Kluska (wastedweeds.blogspot.com) in person!! Since we have very similar taste in early-modern fashion (including making accidentally matching attire!) and we look somewhat alike, we of course had to take a "twin" picture while at faire together!! We had a great time wandering about the village together, and I hope we will get a chance to do so again in the future. 

While on our promenade, we naturally stopped to shop at Farthingale Enterprises, and unsurprisingly I made my first big purchase of the season. Some beautiful black and white raw silk and coordinating gimp trim that I plan on turning into a loose gown. Looks like this will be my next sewing project, as I already have all of the materials and can't resist starting it immediately. I'm sure I'll have a post up with more details on it sooner rather than later!!

Unfortunately, I got a lousy cold that hasn't gone away yet and had to miss out on second weekend, so I've spent a good portion of the week embroidering to try to get my coif done for third weekend. Since this post has gotten ridiculously long and thematically scattered enough already, I'll rap it up! Another post on the way about what sewing projects I've been up to at the same time. And I swear, no more epic posts, new format/style will definitely be short, frequent posts!

Of Wondrous Waistcoats and Wacky Wordsmiths

THE BLUE WAISTCOAT IS FINISHED!!!!

And just in time for this year's San Jose Renaissance Faire. Ok, ok, so last year I completely swore off this faire. No way was I driving all that way for so little reward. But then Sound & Fury announced that they would be performing at the San Jose faire, and that it would be their only California performances all year. I couldn't miss a chance to see Hamlet & Juliet!!! Plus Goody McMannis had never had a chance to see these incredible thespians. So off we went!

The guys were even more hilarious than usual. Hamlet & Juliet is always fantastic, but it really hit extra hard that performance. There were definitely some improvements at the faire since last year, a little less modern merchandise and a few more good historical merchants. The court was great as always and the encampment area was nice. There is definitely a lot of room for improvement (for one, the layout is like a maze with a dozen dead ends!), and I don't plan on going back next year, but we still had a good time.

I was up pretty late the night before getting the waistcoat to a wearable state, but I took the last 15 minutes before I went to bed to wetset my bangs for the frissed/fryssed/frizzed 1590s hairstyle. It was really easy and looked awesome! I will definitely be doing it quite a bit during the NorCal run. Ok, here's step-by-step instructions in case someone wants to try it out for herself:

1. Part bangs down the center.

2. Dampen bangs with diluted Lottabody setting lotion.

3. Roll one half of the bangs, then the other, with as many small sponge rollers as possible. Maintain the center divide by rolling the hair closest to the center away from the part. I made a point of rolling the rest of the bangs in as many different directions and orientations as I could so that the curls would be as individual and crazy as possible. 

4. Go to sleep! Zzzzzzz....

5. Style the rest of your hair, then take out the curlers, and don't panic!

6. Comb out the curls using your fingers, separating and fluffing the curls. Sculpt them into two approximately equal piles by teasing and smoothing the shape with your fingers. Check out portraits to get an idea of the variations on the shape and size. Don't be afraid to be bold!! It will look much better if you go all in.

7. Once you're happy with them, HAIRSPRAY!!! I'm a big fan of Aqua Net, it's strong enough to really hold the shape against the elements, plus it's so cheap that you can use as much as you need without feeling guilty. Now put on your coif (if you're wearing one); the point of the coif should fit neatly between the two frissed mounds.

Before:

After:

I had so much fun with this look, I'm so glad that my guild mistress has approved me to wear it this way at Northern!!! Becky and I also tried hair taping for the first time. I used two yards of 1/2" linen tape apiece, and it was more than plenty. I used a yarn needle to "sew" with the linen tape (traditionally they used a bodkin, but I've only found them in bone and horn, which I'm not comfortable with as a vegetarian). Not only was this more historically accurate than a regular bun, it was sooooo comfortable!!!!!! Definitely worth the extra time because it will feel great all day long. The linen tape was really "grippy," which meant it held really well all day without slipping but took some carefully maneuvering to get back out. I did mine first and, while it doesn't look super pretty, worked just fine:

I did Becky's for her, and unsurprisingly it turned out much prettier!!

It was so comfortable and looked so cute that we left our hair up when we went to a production of Othello that night at Solano Community College. What an excellent production that was, too!!! It was a fantastic end to our day! 

Oh, and yes, I do have some full body shots of the day's style!! I felt fantastic in my new waistcoat, and I am so glad that I get to move on and start some other projects guilt free. I am really happy with how my waistcoat turned out, I really feel like my sewing has improved by leaps and bounds--and hopefully it will continue to!! Lots more projects on the horizion as we head closer and closer to the 2014 Northern California Renaissance Faire!

 

Ruff-ling my Plumage

Ok, last post to get things up to speed!

No doubt about it...I'm one fancy gal. Ostentatious may as well be my middle name. Nowhere is that more apparent than in my faire projects. Evidence below, naturally.

Goody McMannis and I stepped out in style at the Sonora Celtic Festival to start the faire season out right! My giant ruff made its debut, paired with my first attempt at rolled hair. It's basically symmetrical victory rolls, which is no problem for a vintage gal. I originally intended to wetset it the night before to try the popular 1590s fryssed hair, but I didn't end up having the time. Hopefully I'll get a chance to test that style out at some point this year, and of course I'll be sure to document it here when I do. I really dug this whole look!!! In front of ye olde 19th century Blacksmith, of course.

However, I must confess that I am getting rather sick of the tan waistcoat + gray petticoat combo. I suppose it's because it is currently my only option. More incentive to get the blue waistcoat done and get a move on to my green kirtle. I definitely don't want to be stuck wearing this same outfit the entire run of Northern!!

I hadn't been to this faire since it was in its previous incarnation in Calaveras! The drive was great in my new Impala (Baby was made for road trips--town to town, two lane roads). The faire itself was really nice and we enjoyed ourselves. Definitely bring cash though if you go, even the ticket booth was cash only! Even though it's technically a Celtic festival, at least 2/3rds of the faire was historically-minded. Next year Becky and I hope to return--but this time as vendors!

Also, March features my favorite holiday--MY BIRTHDAY!! I managed to pick up a couple of Elizabethan books as gifts, Sleepless Souls: Suicide in Early Modern England by Michael MacDonald and Terence R. Murphy and Janet Arnold's posthumous Patterns of Fashion 4. As can be expected, PoF 4 is incredible, and the multitude of colored images take the cake. AND THEN ANOTHER MANIA STRUCK!!! Smock! An embroidered one, with a high neck and carnation-pink silk embroidery! Who could say no to that?? Since my name may as well be J. Thaddeus Toad, I am following my latest mania and have started researching, accumulating, and preparing to make my very own smock, while simultaneously continuing to work on my waistcoat. I ordered (and laundered) some beautiful linen from Wm. Booth Draper (WLG 105 ~4oz White Linen). I also ordered some really lovely silk thread for the embroidery, Soie Gobelins #2914. Of course I had to fall in love with a color that is inactive, and I've only tracked down two spools so far. Crossing my fingers that it will be enough!! The design is also pretty much finished, but it's still awaiting approval from my Guild Mistress, so no sense listing it yet. The base of it is the "Eglantine" pattern from Practical Blackwork (http://liadain.fatcow.com/id3.html). Although I have a lot on my costuming plate this year, someday my smock will come! (And hopefully before the end of Northern!)

Smock, 1630, Victoria & Albert Museum, T.2-1956

Smock, 1600-1618, Museum of London, A21968 

If you thought I was snooty before, I assure you that my snobbery will soon be taken to whole new heights. You have been warned. I am signing up for the Cabinet of Curiosities course (http://www.thistle-threads.com/teaching/projects/onlineclasses/casket/casket_registration.html) as a present to myself for finishing graduate school. Be prepared for jealousy-inducing knowledge and embroidery goodies. Speaking of grad school, I successfully defended and submitted my thesis. Hardcore awesome!!! Umm, I mean, insooth, 'tis a glorious daye!! Yeah, that.

While I will not be surprised if others want to follow me down the path of historical snootiness, be wary that it comes with a price, and I don't mean just the price of silk and wool!

Folsom, Interrupted

I visited the Folsom Renaissance Faire with my little cousin Brooklynn the weekend after Northern ended. So, I've had a draft of a post for the Folsom Ren Faire done for a couple of months now waiting to post. However, then I started thinking about internet safety and identity control and decided not to post her pictures after all (this was really hard because they are SOOOOO CUTE). So here is an abridged version of the post to record what I wore and to encourage others to visit this lovely little faire.

The Folsom Renaissance Faire is a great small faire, lots of fun with nice booths and good atmosphere, and close to home to boot. It is also situated right next to the fantastic Folsom Zoo. It's definitely amusing to pop over to the zoo and wander around in your Elizabethan finery. Don't miss this bonus activity--make sure to take a break and see the animals!

I took my plain waistcoat up a few notches with my red tall hat and snazzy jewelry for a change. I think it's a pretty good look, though in truth the hat should be worn with finer clothing than I have. Oh well, it was more about having a good time and being together, rather than worrying about the highest level of accuracy. Can't beat myself up too badly for not having my wardrobe up to par--just need to keep sewing!!

A Winter's Tale

While Folsom marked the end of the 2013 faire season, I of course didn't stop scheming and sewing through the winter months. Christmas brought me a haul of Elizabethan goods--topped off with my very own ruff from the Renaissance Tailor!

 

Progress was painfully slow on the blue & orange waistcoat. However, it definitely helped to get organized by making a project work box. In this plastic shoebox, I only keep the current part I'm working on and the relevant tools to complete it--in this case the pieces of the sleeve & cuff, thread, pins, notions, and trim. That way, I can take it anywhere and pick it up anytime: just grab and go! As long as I maintain the system by keeping it neat and up to date, I have no excuses and nothing standing in the way of my sewing.

Unfortunately, I managed to get viral myelitis, a virus in your spinal cord that I DO NOT RECOMMEND, which kept me from sewing for several weeks due to the pain in my neck, back, and arms. That was, of course, followed by a round of the various winter colds that I thought I had escaped. I managed to make a little progress on days I felt better but it was few-and-far-between for a while.

I even managed to break a needle handsewing--I didn't even know that was possible!!

Finally I managed to finish one sleeve though, and it looks soooo awesome!! The wool-tape trim I ordered from Burnley & Trowbridge looks so incredible! This is the first time I've really used any trim on a project and I'm so happy I went for it. It really adds to the richness and authentic feel of the garment. From now on it is definitely my policy to add trim to EVERYTHING.

Waistcoat progress was interrupted, however, when I was overtaken by a fever, and the only prescription was a sewing work-bag for faire based on the one in the Lady's Guide to Plain Sewing II (pgs 6-7) from 1789. The style & shape is older, fortunately, and a bag of this type is completely conceivable for the late sixteenth century. Here's one from 1669...embroidered by a 10 year old! How embarrassing, I feel so inadequate now!

I made mine out of mulberry-colored "stuff" aka worsted wool, that I ordered from Wm Booth Draper along with some linen tape for a drawstring. This wool is the softest, finest wool I could ever imagine. If it wasn't for the fuzzy selvedge I would think they duped me! I will certainly be making some garments out of this wondrous "stuff" in the future! I added an embroidered name tag that includes my faire name, Mistress Anne Harris, and my guild so that hopefully it won't get lost or mistaken! It was so much fun to make a personal item for Anne, and it definitely helped me to start getting a feel for and starts fleshing out her and her world. Look for more "Anne projects" to come!

With that mania quenched, I have gone back to the waistcoat and just finished the second sleeve. On to the body! Hopefully I'll have a wearable garment sooner rather than later. Only four months until Northern! I'm shooting for Valhalla at the end of May/beginning of June, but sooner would be even better so that I can move on to my other big projects for the year!

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

The final weekend of Northern 2013, I managed to fulfill a lifelong dream. I worked Northern faire! Top that!! It was an incredible opportunity and couldn't have gone any better--and I can't wait to do it full force with St. Luke's this year for the 2014 season!

My weekend pass! Backstage here I come!

Of course, I couldn't just be satisfied with what I already had to wear and had to try to sneak in some sewing during the week before returning to Northern. The first little project was fixing those pesky, uncooperative gores on my new waistcoat. It was very simple to just pick out the machine stitches and hand stitch them on the right way. Look at the difference!

The second project, however, was astronomically more difficult. I wanted to attempt a new pair of bodies--in less than a week! I'm not sure what demon possessed me, but it was a crafty (pun intended) one.  I found a beautiful marigold linen at Farthingale Enterprises at faire and couldn't control myself.

I decided to pair the yellow linen with bright red binding & eyelets
and bone-colored ribbons & thread

I wanted something light and comfortable under my waistcoat, rather than my bulletproof steel-boned corset. So it's just two linen layers, machine-sewn channels, and a couple of pieces of hemp cord. I decided to skip making tabs, since I'm not asking a lot from these bodies, just looking to smooth out my lines a little to fit nicely under my waistcoat. It's really more the top half of a petticoat-bodies rather than a full-blown corset. Surprisingly, the hardest and most time-consuming construction step was machine sewing the channels.

Each piece was finished separately, whipped together, and then all of the edges were bound at once by sewing the bias tape on one side with the machine, then hand-stitched down on the reverse with herringbone stitch.

First time using herringbone stitch--looks cool and was quick!

Unfortunately, I didn't get enough eyelets done to wear my new bodies on Saturday, but it gave me something to do while sitting in the guild yard. I was amazed at how many people stopped to ask what I was doing or to take pictures while I finished the remaining eyelets.

Here's a shot of my full outfit from day one. As you can see, I'm all buttoned up--it was definitely chilly that morning, and when the sun went down that evening it was downright cold! My partlet comes in handy once again!! The cold had me running for the hills that night (ok, my mom's hotel room) rather than camping with the crew, but I was back bright and early for Sunday. Unfortunately, I didn't catch a shot of day two's outfit (there's a couple on Facebook that others took)  but I paired my tan waistcoat with my red petticoat and square-necked smock, with my new pair of bodies underneath. I even folded back the corners of my waistcoat when it got hot in the middle of the day to show off my new handiwork, and the red binding looked swell with my red petticoat.

What a great weekend! I met a ton of wonderful people (especially Lauren, who took me under her wing all weekend), got to interact with patrons in front of the Guild Hall and in the lanes with the St. Luke's signature "Ask Me" poles, and even joined in on the final parade! On top of all that, St. Luke's asked me to become one of them, and I received my very own guild pin!

My head has been spinning with new ideas for costume and character plans for this year, which will of course be captured on here. I am going to seize this incredible opportunity and soak up every bit of Northern I can! But, of course, sewing and planning hasn't been the only faire things I've been up to after Northern ended. Still more to catch up on! Next: a trip the very next weekend to the wonderful Folsom Renaissance Faire with a very special guest!

Everything's Coming Up (Tudor) Roses

I can't believe how long it's been since I last blogged--especially because so much faire excitement has happened since then! So I will try to bust out all of the missing entries to get this Elizabethan train back on track. We left off getting ready for a trip to the grandest show of them all, the Northern California Renaissance Faire!

Ye crew! My sister looks enthusiastic as always, ha ha.

Mom, Veronica, Goody McMannis, and I headed to the Oktoberfest weekend of Northern, and we had hotel reservations so we could stay the whole weekend. Fortuitously, an historical costume contest was added to the schedule on the Saturday. Of course, I couldn't pass that up! But what to wear?!! There was no possible way that I could get my blue and orange waistcoat done in time, especially by hand and with all of that trim (it's now April and I'm still working on it). And nothing else I had was contest worthy. So I had the genius/crazy idea of sewing a new waistcoat by half machine/half hand in a week! Plus, JoAnn's had a perfect tan wool that was very similar to the commoner's waistcoat that the lovely Tudor Tailor ladies brought to their Vallejo workshop over the summer. So off I went!

With Frida Kahlo's help, naturally!

As per usual, I made no mock-up, did no fitting, and just went for it! I am ever the sewing daredevil. It was a smashing success, I must say! I even had enough time to hand sew all of the hems (so that I wouldn't hate it later). The only issue I had was that I sewed the gores in by machine, and it just pulled all wrong (the photo with the number down below shows the problem), but that was easily remedied the following week. I managed to hand sew a plain apron to finish off the look, and made a new hat for my Ottoman Turkish look that I wore on the Sunday. Not bad for a week!!

The apron definitely looks cuter with 16th century clothes!

This was such a fun hat to make. What a showstopper!

I actually remembered to take a few candid shots to spice this post up, including the requisite selfie (or Holbee, as the Elizabethan Costume Facebook group calls them). On the other hand, I managed to forget entirely to get a shot of us in our Turkish looks on day two. I know, I know, bad blogger!

Blue steel!

I'm really starting to love my Elizabethan look.

And now, that moment you've all been waiting for...the main event...the costume contest!! I was so eager to compete that I was the first contestant to sign up, so I got to rock the #1 sign!

That makes me the number one contender, right?!

I rocked the stage early-modern style and earned third place! Outfit looks pretty damn good, if I do say so myself, especially given how quickly it was put together. Even better, Her Grace Queen Elizabeth whispered to me as she gave me my prize that I was HER favorite--so in my book, I earned the win!!!

That, however, was not the best part of the costume contest. My look caught the eye of the Assistant Guild Mistress of St Luke's, the middle-class guild at Northern, and I heard through the lovely proprietress of Farthingale Enterprises (the sewing notions booth that I blow all of my money in at faire) that they were interested in meeting me! Luckily we were staying the whole weekend, and the next day I found myself in an impromptu interview with the Guild Mistress--with an invitation to do a test run with St. Luke's the next weekend!! If there was ever an occasion to shout huzzah, this was it. HUZZAH!!

As you can guess, my next entry will be about Northern again, but this time from the other side of the curtain! Everything's coming up (Tudor) roses!!