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!
