If I Had My Own Blue Box:

While doing a double check walk through following the conclusion of a recent Civil War event something stood out…. Fire Pits.

Living history events are often held on park property or historic sites. As such, special care needs to be considered when building a fire pit inorder to leave the least amount of damage to the ground afterwards.

Please take a look at these photos and consider what each will look like in a week or a month while visitors walk by.

Yes, one may be more period correct. The other leaves less of a ground scar.

In honor of Georgiana Goldsmith’s “Committee for Cuffs and Collars” (a Facebook post)  here is a pdf image of cuffs, collars and undersleeves  used in a workshop Bevin and I did a few years back. To add to that, here is a 52 page PDF of collars clipped from Peterson’s and Godey’s Magazines.

And from more recent purchases….

This is image is earlier, likely in the 50s based on her dress and sleeves (there is a reason you can’t see the whole image of each of these. Apologies.) Her collar is wider than what we see in during the CW years.

This collar is more typical of the width seen during the CW years. Note how the opening is nearly horizontal. You will see variation in this opening. The edge of this collar, as well as the one in the next image, is rolled and straight.

Look at the back of the neck. This image shows the collar wrapped around the edge of the dress’s neckline. Also notice how the collar narrows in the front. It may or may not have a slight curve as it disappears behind the broach.

In contrast to the image above, these next two show an edge above the collar that could possibly be the dress. If this is the edge of the dresses we are seeing, these collars may be tacked on the exterior. (This could be looked into further. *There is a discussion of this on The Sewing Academy.)

In the next three images you see collars with scalloped edges. These would be finished by hand. I’ve enlarged this image a bit because I know you will want to get a good look at her broach. While looking at her broach, notice the angle of the collar opening along with the width of the collar.  

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.

Repost – This was originally posted in January of 2009

There are times when I look back and wish I would have followed my own current advise when I first started reenacting, especially the key points of research and planning. When I started reenacting I was in my late teens, in college, working at a museum I loved, easy with plastic money and very eager. This was a recipe for mistakes.

Now we all made mistakes when we first started. Mistakes are best avoided by good research and good advice. Here is my confession list of mistakes for you to avoid:

– The first ‘dress’ I made was a nightmare. I made a skirt from a pale blue bed sheet with badly had embroidered Xs along the bottom. That skirt weighed a ton! Wore it once and tossed it. Wasted time and about $5 for the sheet.

– The first wash dress I made was a poly/cotton. That dress helped me with heat exhaustion and a visit with the EMTs. Garbage. Wasted time and about $15 for fabric.

– Hats, bad hats and wrong hats. I was given the wrong advice to make hats from those teardrop wedding hats. These were just wrong no matter how cute they were. Waste of time and up to $100 for the bases and decorations. Ouch.

– Modern corsets – My first two corsets where modern ones. Both were synthetic materials that just didn’t breath. Synthetics = HOT & BAD. Neither of these gave the right shape or support. The first had cheap, thin metal boning that bent very easily when laced tightly. This became a big problem when a bone broke in my back in the middle of a museum play infront of about 500 people. I finished the play, dancing, with the metal sticking in my back. I still have the scar. I would have been better off with a custom made corset. Wasted about $180; gained a scar.

– Amish stockings and cute striped stockings – Yes the Amish ones are white cotton. But, they simply do not fit at all. These were like giant bags around my ankles that constantly needed to be readjusted. The striped ones fit much, much better. But, it turns out those are just for kids not adults. Wasted about $30 on Amish stockings; handed down striped stocking to little sister. Admittedly, I still haven’t found the perfect for me all cotton stockings. My favorite cotton stockings are 95% cotton, 5% spandex from a local merchant. My favorite wool stockings are from Sock dreams for $10. My dream stockings are 100% silk ones sold by a local merchant for $50. 

– Enamelware – At different points I had a set of blue speckled enamelware and white enamelware. The blue were dishes. The white was a pitcher with a small round basin and a large oval basin. Both, not acceptable. The upside is I traded a crate of the blue stuff for an original piece of grayware which Grandma collected. I resold two of the white pieces. The oval one is a great cat bed. Not sure what I wasted there. The trade and resale probably broke even.

Repost – Originally posted in January 2009

         I’ve benefited from a few bargain purchases over the years. One of my favorites was a braided wool rug, approx 12’x12’ oval for $15. This rug fit perfectly in my off sized Giant A tent. Since this rug was thick wool it kept out moisture in my tent wonderfully. The only down side was that this rug was extremely heavy to move. Sadly, I lost that rug to a broken washing machine accident. It was actually a more correct rug than my current wool pile rug. Another great find was the Paisley family shawl picked up at a yardsale for $3.00. That shawl spurred the research into shawls. Since my Father was an avid Ebayer and antiquer, I often did the yardsale, auction and goodwill shop rounds with him. These places often have great deals. I’ve picked up some nice fabrics, flatware, dishes, chairs, trunks, parasols, and many other things.

Bargain shopping is really a matter of being in the right place at the right time with a keen eye and a base knowledge of what you are looking for. There are a few tools that can help you find some bargains. First, as always is research. You need to know what you are looking for. This includes styles, designs, materials, constructions, etc. When it comes to looking for fabric, it is helpful to have a lighter on hand or in the car to test some fabrics. Most places prefer you not cut the fabric, but sometimes you can find some loose threads to take back to the car. There have been many times I wished I had a particular resource book or binder in the car to double check some details. In the past I have called home to have Dad or my brother look a particular item up for me. Though we haven’t yet used our camera phones, they could be very useful in getting a second opinion before buying or bidding. When looking for furniture, lengths of material, or similar items, a measuring tape is handy. Some hardware stores sell keychain measuring tapes that are about an inch square.

Where to look?

Yardsales, Church sales & Rummage Sales – About half the year round yardsales, church sales and rummage sales can be sources. Estate sales extend the season some what. Some sales you just stumble upon. Many of my friends and family enjoy yardsale days where we plan to attend sales for a full day. If you are particularly looking for items for reenacting purposes and don’t want to bother with other items, here are a few tips. Check your local pennysaver or newspaper for detailed listings. Look for items or keywords that may indicate a sale may have what you are looking for. Consider the neighborhood. This may be a bit stereotypical but generally new housing developments have younger families with household goods, children’s items, and technology. All a waste of time if you are looking for other items. Homes of retirees or middle age families tend to have items of interest since some retirees have long term collection or general household acquisitions and some middle age families sell items passed down to them. I am often shocked by the items people sell such as a particular $1 piece the seller confessed was a wedding present which was made by a museum craftsperson I know. These are just general observations that can easily have exceptions. Church and rummage sales seem to be a collect all for fabrics and craft materials. I make a point to dig through the poly knit filled bins to see what might be hidden inside. Since these items are usually dirt cheap, I often buy pieces I know I will fiber test at home. For example, last year I bought three pieces I wanted to test for $2. I ended up redonating two that didn’t pass and kept a 8ish yard length of semi-sheer cotton that was very nice after a good soaking in oxyclean.

Goodwill and Salvation Army – It is amazing how much these places vary within a small geographic are. Some have nothing of interest while others regularly do. I suggest looking closely at the household linen area for, the household knick-nack area, the art area, and the books. I’ve found a WWI stretcher, bolts of fabric, lengths of wool, 1850s books, prints and a mirror. If I remember right, Dad found a coverlet once. You can also find passable dishes, flatwar and serving pieces.

Auctions – I have my favorite local auctioneers. I base this on their methods, business practices and types of sales. I will attend some auctions I know I won’t be able to purchase at just to get a closer look at certain catalog items. I often find items I am interested in, in box lots. Sometimes another attendee will approach you after a sale about a different item in the box. This is an easy way to recover some of the cost of the lot. For example, one box lot I purchased had a pair of children’s bonnets and some Edwardian gentlemen’s hats. A polite gentleman was interested in the hats while I was standing in the settling line. I was more than happy to deal. Another option is to resell the remainder of the contents on ebay later. Then you can use the money you recovered to buy more things. Preview negotiations with other bidders looking at the same box lot are not something I’ve yet done myself, though now I will need to learn.

Roadside Rescues – Another source you may stumble across is the roadside. While I can’t bring myself to “dumpster dive” because I am way to icked out, Dad and I have rescued a few items. Dad found a lovely hide trunk with the original interior and tray intact. I’m pretty sure this was one of the trunks that sparked his interest in restoring trunks. After that, I found a few that had to be rescued. One didn’t fit in the car or in the trunk. So, I balanced it on the edge of the trunk with bungee cords and drove home about 5-10 mph. The most recent rescue was a trio of mystery parlor chairs with berlin work seats and tiger maple inlays.

            Some items you can only buy in large quantity or are best bought in larger quantities. This can include straw plait, caning, buckram, tape, spools of ribbon, etc. The average person does not need 100 yards of plait (enough for 5 bonnets) or a full coil of reed (many, many bonnets) or a 50 yard spool of one ribbon. Chances are though, other people who live near you  or attend the same events may need the same items. You can get together to purchase the larger quantity and end up paying less by dividing the cost. Or, you can buy the larger quantity then trade for other items you may need. For example, Bevin and I have traded reed for buckram in order to each make caned bonnets. To find out who may want to split a purchase or trade resources, consider in-person networking, putting a note in a group’s newsletter, posting on a networking site or on a forum you are part of.

Repost – This post was originally posted in January of 2009

            Big price tag items can be very intimidating to those of us on a tight budget. We are often tempted to find low cost options for items with a cost higher than we are comfortable with. While this may work for some items, there are just some areas where cutting on the cost on the short term will result in a long term higher cost. The reality is, if you investment  in a well made item of quality materials the item will last longer than a similar item of lesser cost and lesser quality. A tent is a good example of an item you will want to last long time and not want to replace every few years. Therefore, your initial investment and choices are important. You want a quality material and construction. You also want a size and type that will work for you long term. Now that I think about it, my first tent which I sold to a friend before I went back to school, is now 12 or 13 years old and still looks good. That was a Panther Primitives slightly wide giant A tent. I miss that tent even though I am happy with my current PP tent. I would suggest either tent for use. Comparatively, I’ve felt tents with a significantly different quality canvas and seam construction. I can’t imagine these tents lasting many years.

Another investment is footwear. As far as my boots go, it took me a very long time to settle my self on boots because I have issues with wearing leather. I lucked out to find Robert Land made a pair of wool upper boots. (I still feel bad each time I put them on.) Prior to these boots, I had several pairs that just didn’t wear well or comfortably. The sore feet, several sets of insoles and replacement pairs probably cost about what I spent on my RL wool boots.

            One of my personal pet peeves on quality I have to mention is in corset boning. This isn’t a high-cost item, but it is one that fits under the category of quality equals longevity. Spring steel comes in different thicknesses as well as widths. I think I’ve discovered three different thicknesses to the ¼” wide boning. One is way to thin and breaks. One is good for most people. One is thicker then the middle one. I prefer the thickest version offered by Farthingales.

            When you are facing a purchase you know you will have to save up for or a purchase that you will want to last for a longer period of time, please take the time to evaluate all the cost and quality options. Find out who has purchased different items and how satisfied they are with their purchase. A little bit of planning at the beginning can save allot of money and frustration in the long run.

This is for a Sewing Academy Thread. It looks like I didn’t do the post I thought I did. Just for some quick looks, here is a PDF of close-up images for now.

Close-ups of ribbons at neck

Let’s expand this a bit…..

Neck ribbons are a fun, easy and affordable accessory to add to your wardrobe. I opted to say neck ribbons rather than neck bows because not all are tied in a bow while they are almost all ribbons or fabric cut into ribbons. (You might want to open the pdf file above in a separate window as I’ll be referring to images there in the text below.)

Where are neck ribbons worn? Neck ribbons are worn where the collar meets at the base of the neck. They are seen worn alone or with a pin/broach attached to the knot area.  Most often the ribbons are arranged and attached at the top of the dress, where the collar is without ribbon going around the neck. There are several images however where the ribbon is tied around the neck. Take a look at page four of the pdf file above as well as the third picture on the third page.

How are neck ribbons worn? When I say arranged, usually that means tied into a bow but not always. Some ribbons are worn simply crossed and pinned where the collar comes together at the closure of the dress. Some ribbons are tied in decorative knots. One example can be seen on the fourth page of the pdf file. As for the bows themselves, these do vary. Some are rather compact with short loops and short tails. These compact bows likely have loops and tails each only a couple inches long. Among these compact bows, you will find bows that are completely horizontal with the loops and tails laying in a fairly flat row, sitting across the dress/collar closure. A couple of examples of these are the two in the first row of the first page of the pdf file. The first one appears to be a double bow with two pairs of loops on top of the tails. Another compact bow has short loops and short tails with the tails angling below the loops. These can be seen on the first page as well.  A very common bow continues to have the small loops with longer tails. The bows continue to be two or so inches wide, each, while the tails are longer then a couple inchs. This is a good example of this bow: 

More examples of a bow with small loops and longer tails can be seen on pages two and three of the pdf file. A larger bow with longer loops and tails is also seen in images. With wider ribbon, these bows can simply appear larger.  A sort-of example can be seen on page two in the first image on the second row. With narrower ribbons, the bow can appear to be looser and drapey. This is a good example of such a bow. 

The bows seen in images are single bows as well as double or possibly triple bows. On page three, the first image shows a bow made with multiple loops. The first image in each row on the first page also show multiple loops. Bows are both tied and sewn. (more on that in making them.)

What kinds of ribbons are used? While it is nearly impossible to say what color neck ribbons were based on photographic images, we can find some clues about the types of ribbons. We can find solid ribbons as the most common. We also see ombre, stripes, velvets and edged ribbons. The image above appears to have a narrow edge as well as the worked chevron pattern on the tails. On page one, there are a couple of examples of velvet ribbons as well as a ribbon with narrow stripes on the edge. The second image in page two shows an asymmetrical ribbon with a stripe and a scallop edge. In the second row, you see a ribbon with a lace edge added. It appears the lace on the knot could have been added after the bow was assembled. On page three, we see a clouded or ombre ribbon. Widths also varied, possibly with time and fashion. On page three you will see a narrow ribbon which may be as narrow as a half-inch. The asymmetrical ribbon on page two may be as wide as three inches. Most ribbons appear to be around and inch, possibly and inch and a quarter wide. The tails appear to most often be cut either straight or a single diagonal. Much rarer are fish tail or chevron cuts seen above. Some images are seen fraying. This example of an untied ribbon was posted by a SA member, Paula. Notice the end is fraying.

How do I make my own neck ribbon? To make your own ribbon/bow, first you need a ribbon or fabric to cut into a ribbon. For ribbon look for a silk ribbon with some body. A droopy ribbon will look sloppy. A stiff ribbon will irritate your neck. Depending on the size or length of your loops and tails, you will need between 9 and 24 inches. Unless you want a particularly wide or narrow ribbon, look for one a three-quarters of an inch to an inch and a quarter wide. For a ribbon made from fabric, choose a tight weave fabric and cut on the grain, especially if it is a stripe or plaid. If you want an edge on your bow, you can add it before or after making the bow. You can either tie your bow traditionally like you would your shoe or bonnet, or you can make the loops and tails securing them with a ribbon/fabric loop. To make the bow with the latter technique, cut a small 2 to 3 inch piece of the ribbon from one end. Find the center of the ribbon. Form a loop (or two or three) on each side, securing them with a thread. Angle your loops and remaining tails as desired. Secure with thread. Bring the thread to the back. Wrap the short piece of ribbon around the center, overlapping the ends in the back. You may prefer to turn the outer raw edge under. Sew the ends together.

How do I wear my ribbon? You can attach the bow to your collar, where it comes together with a pair of straight pins (or safety-pin). The straight pins can go through your collar then through your ribbon from opposite directions. It is also possible to pin vertically, but this can be a greater risk of poking yourself. To add a pin/broach, simply pin it through the bow.

Additional images:

This image is later 60s.

I just recieved this link from Barb who recieved it from Victoria.

For those like me who are wowed and overwhelmed by the vastness of lace, it is very helpful:

Handmade Laces

I should be sleeping. Instead I am looking at shawls.

Take a look at this early 19th century border plaid shawl from the Textile Museum of Cananda. They call several of their shawls buggy shawls. This small plaid shawl is interesting in that it is said to be hand spun. It is late 19th century. I would love a closer look at this shawl. It has an unusual design to the twill weave. It also has a pair of borders on set of sides but a single on the other. I would like to see if the opposite, unbordered side has signs of being cut. It also looks rather heavy. That may just be the photograph though. The soft, natural texture to the color of this late century shawl is lovely. Take a look at the fringing, which is uneven and looks hand fringed. This is another must see in person shawl. Just take a look. You will see it in an instant. They have it noted as hand spun and woven. I wonder if it is possible it was done on a smaller loom at home To me it looks like it may have been a larger shawl with the center removed or something else causing the center merge. Based on mid-19th century shawls, I would think this should be a square, but it is not as are many of the shawls found here. Pondering… The vertical red border plaid’s stripe are stunning here.  They have a half dozen other ‘buggy shawls’.

This is an unusual shawl from the paisley family. It is from the second quarter of the 19th century. The movement of the motifs is rather nice. This double square is more common for the paisley family, these are as well  one two  three and others. This one shows that not all centers are red, white or black. You can find them in yellows, bright blues, greens. This is an example of a double field, one in red, one in white. Here is a second, which I think (but not sure) may be using the technique used for reversible shawls. I just love how this kashmire paisley plays with color.

They left a wide range of dating for this lace shawl. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could get these reproduced?  

Oh, no. My contacts are drying out with 30 pages left to look at…. more when I can.