If I Had My Own Blue Box:

Repost – This was originally posted in January 2009

As anyone who has been in this hobby for a few years knows, historical reenacting can become quite pricey. Hobby costs, money and our personal budgets can be a very sensitive subject for most people. But, if I can be willing to talk on the Sewing Academy and at workshops about the challenges of extra body padding, I should be able to be share about the challenges of a purse without padding. Right? To start, I am a teaching assistant, which means my rewards definitely come from working with my students, not in dollar signs and the cost of my education exceeds my compensation. With that in mind, I’ve been very creative in stretching my reenacting budget over the years. One thing I want to emphasize before continuing, stretching the budget and saving money does NOT mean sacrificing authenticity. In the long run, sacrificing authenticity is far more costly because that means you’ve spent money on something you have to replace down the road.

The first two steps to keeping within a tight budget are very intertwined – Research and Planning.

Keeping up on current research and doing your research is key to focusing on what you need and what is accurate. The most inexpensive ways to keep up on research is to join some of the online discussion groups. There are several forums including the Sewing Academy, the Authentic Campaigner, the West Coast Campaigner, and the CW Reenactor Discussion Forum. There may also be smaller forums for your geographic area or your particular area of interest. There are also many list-servs discussing a variety of topics from general reenacting to specific event preparations and general fashions to particular skill areas. You can find this through places like Yahoo Groups or Google’s services. There are some discussion groups on social networking sites as well. There are several very useful websites on the internet. But, please be cautious. Some websites do not have the most up-to-date or documentation supported information. A website could look wonderfully put together, but be greatly lacking in good information. Never rely on one source for any piece of information. Always look for supporting documentation. Reading is an essential part of research. It can also be a costly part of research when you start filling your personal library. This is where your local libraries can be helpful in previewing books prior to purchasing them. (I’ll be doing a separate blog entry on libraries in the research section.) There are several periodicals directed towards the CW and/or mid-century enthusiast. The Citizen’s Companion is published with the CW civilian reenactor in mind.  This publication now includes The Watch Dog. The Civil War Historian has sections specifically for civilians. The Camp Chase Gazette and the Civil War Curiour are more military centered. You may also be interested in history journals. These can sometimes be read through library databases.  Some Museums and Historical institutions publish newsletters or journals with very informative articles.

Planning includes planning your budget, planning your events, planning your wardrobe, and planning your material culture needs. Start with determining just how much you are willing and able to spend on your hobby. You can approach this in a few different ways. This could be a yearly amount, a monthly amount, or an amount coming from one source such as a second job. Also, explore what skills you may have to barter with. (more on bartering later.) When planning your wardrobe and material needs, the goal is to purchase or make once for the long term. Items that have to be replaced due to inaccuracies or poor quality or discovering it just doesn’t meet your needs is a waste of money and time. Waste is best to be avoided.

If you are just starting your wardrobe or want to redo a solid base, please check out Elizabeth Stewart Clark’s article “The True Cost of Authenticity” which shows you how you can develop a basic wardrobe on $10 a month. Her method does require some significant patience and self-control during the first year. The result is a solid base wardrobe. When planning your wardrobe, it is important to determine what your main type of impression will be. This will depend on what types of events you will be attending. Since I now have a wardrobe in place, my year to year planning is based on what the year will include, what has worn out in the previous year, what no longer fits, and what I just Have to have. When garments wear out or don’t fit due to body changes, on a tight budget, I find it necessary to reuse what I have as best as I can. It is helpful to make a running list through the year or in the fall of what has worn out, been damaged or permanently stained. I’ll admit, I have to do this in the fall because I forget during the busy year. Since my tight budget years has coincided with my body changing years of my 20s, I actually have several dresses in different base sizes to rework and play with.  I find it very helpful to know what years, what areas and what circumstances each event I will be attending in the upcoming year. This helps me focus on whether I will need pre-war, early-war, mid-war, late-war, blockade influenced, working class, middle class, or just plain working clothes. This also helps me determine which accessories I will need during the year. (Since I have the largest portion of my wardrobe packed in long-term storage totes, in the late winter, I unpack what I think I will need for the upcoming year. The scary part is trying things on and noting what will need to be adjusted. Everything I won’t need gets packed back into the totes. The garments I will need go into the trunks and boxes in the apartment or a hung in the closet.) I’ve discovered it is best for me to sew in the winter months because garment I tend to sew in the fall are often forgotten about. But that is one of my quirks.

Okay enough theory, lets move on to some specific examples and tips.