Yes, she may forgetful be, Yet will I remember thee

Belated Event Reviews

I find myself with little to say about the events of the past 2 months. They were what they were, as far as historical events go. Much like all the previous years of attendance at these events. Coffee was made & drunk, battles were staged, powder burned, boats sailed. Fires were kept hot for days at a time, songs sung around them at night, more coffee roasted & brewed over them during the day. Tents were set up and struck in short order only to be repeated again days later & several hundred miles away.

For now I leave you with a simple, wordless view of the last several events for the C Black Coffeehouse 2009 season.

Pike River Rendezvous

Pirates of Paynetown

Heritage Days Rendezvous

Mississinewa 1812

To Make Macaroons

The Saturday night potluck at events seems to be a growing trend. While I am sure for many these meals provide not only an opportunity to demonstrate period cooking to the public, but a much needed fill up after a long day of activities and an excuse to socialize with your neighboring camps, they are more stressful than enjoyable for me. I generally find myself with no time to prepare even basic foods for myself or L, much less time to prepare something for a shared meal. Plus, I have never been very good at knowing what to bring to a potluck, add keeping things historically accurate and I find myself completely lost. For the past year The Pie and it's variations has been my Saturday potluck friend and frankly, I'm tired of pies.

Please welcome my new potluck savior, the macaroon.

To make Macaroons New England Manner- TAKE half a pound of almonds and as much double refined fugar beat and fifted lay the almonds in water all night blanch and dry them well in a cloth beat them in a mortar with a little rofe water take the whites of two eggs beat to a froth and fift the fugar into the eggs put in the almonds and drop them upon wafer duft them over with fugar.

In the interest of time, and sheer laziness, I followed a modern recipe with the following modifications suggested by the highly skilled Boulanger: lower the cooking temperature to between 325'-350', and bake for about 20 minutes. Further, the macaroons will have a more distinct puff, and not spread Willy nilly all over the baking sheet, if the batter is allowed to sit for 30 minutes prior to baking. I substituted orange extract for the original rose water, which gave the cookies a nice fragrance without overwhelming them.

I'm pleased to announce that not only were these easy to make, but they traveled extremely well and even remained crispy and delicious after sitting out all night!

~~~
works cited:

Charlotte Mason, The lady's assistant for regulating and supplying her table, 1777, p. 377

The Seige of Fort Wayne

Friday last, the forces of the Great Lakes River Pirates, under the guidance of Lt.'s Garland & Lith, gathered at the confluence of the St. Joseph, St. Marys, and Maumee Rivers for a planned raid on Fort Wayne, situated there. Previous visits to this fort proved quite profitable, the location being well provisioned yet poorly manned. Thus we have come to depend on this raid to provide needed supplies for our continued summer travels.

The forces of the fort, forewarned of our presence or perhaps remembering the slaughter from our last visit, were more prepared for our advances than in the past. Two days of unsuccessful attempts left us unable to break the artillery line and gain access to the fort itself. Wounded, demoralized and low on basic sustanance, we will have to push north with urgency now, ever more anxious for the yearly gathering of our full forces in early August.

The good Lt. Lith, having taken much to drink and gambling at Black's Coffeehouse on Saturday night, attempted to alter the outcome of a dice game, instead found himself engaged in a duel the following morning. His opponent, being an upstanding military man, insisted on following proper protocol for satisfaction, although it seems he was not as forthright as one would have believed. During the loading of the dueling pistols, Lt. Lith's weapon was falsely charged, as a result when the two gentlemen turned to fire it was only his opponent's weapon which discharged, leaving Lt. Lith mortally wounded. Rather than risk further losses to our crew, we hauled anchor after said duel and left the cursed fort in swift manner, hoping for the less hostile territories to the north-west and fair winds as we journey to the Big Lake.

Photos © K. Garland 2009

Jane Austen in Miniature

I currently find myself knee deep in sewing preparations for our upcoming War of 1812 event at Historic Ft. Wayne. Not surprisingly, most of the preparations involve replacing L's drastically out grown clothing. However, since I have more lead time in preparing for this event, and am dually preparing for Mississinewa 1812 this fall, I am able to indulge my research desire a little fuller and ensure that her new clothing won't be out grown as quickly as her last set. Or at least this over worked mother can hope that it won't be.

L's 1812 wardrobe consists of the following:

A white linen, short sleeved shift. This is simply her standard shift made with shorter sleeves to fit better under the shorter regency era style sleeves. I've made so many shifts in the past few months I'm almost sewing them in my sleep now.

A high wasted linen petticoat with suspenders. I have yet to construct this piece, although it should be a quick & simple project. However, if I don't get it finished in time, wearing her usual petticoat tied higher and pinned in place is an option.

A tan checked pin-cloth inspired by the image shown here (above) by Samuel deRole Wilde, 1801, as worn by the girl on the right. I found that an apron simply does not stay in place on my active child. Instead it falls to the natural waist, creating a very odd look when combined with the high waisted regency clothing. The pin cloth however, covers well & stays in place. Not to mention they are quick to throw together & great for using scraps.

A black & white striped short gown. I constructed this piece based on sketches from Clothing for a New Era, by Cathy Johnson (Graphic/Fine Arts Press) which I found on the 1812civilian Yahoo group. The piece was draped to fit and entirely hand sewn while at 100 years on the Ohio. I really had no plans for this garment but needed something to do for the weekend and the material was handy. Plus at the time L was running around in an under sized gown, so the inspiration to update her wardrobe was pretty strong.

A pink linen gown. I drafted this gown based on measurements and the usual gown block that I use for all of L's dress needs. I then adjusted the pattern to resemble two extant examples, one from Denmark, the other from Kent State.



The first inspiration piece is a gown in the Danish Museum archive, Tidens Toj. While I don't speak Danish, and apparently the online translators I've found don't either, I can tell you that this gown was is dated for the first decade of the 19th century. The web page also includes a grid pattern for the garment itself which proved very useful in my recreation. I used this pattern & a bit of math to estimate the proportions of the gown. I then adjusted the numbers to fit L, the only significant change being that I raised the front bodice to a more modest level. I especially like how the front lays flat while the back fullness is gathered. This is very similar to the shape of the gown on the girl on the right in the painting above.

The other extant inspiration is actually a young boys gown from the Kent State University Museum’s collection. Thankfully the notes on this garment are in English!

"Young boy's brown cotton dress made of coarsely printed fabric dating from the fourth quarter of the 18th century. Gathered on drawstrings at the neckline, high waistline and twice at each sleeves. Tucked twice at the hem both for decoration and to allow for growth. Made for Ben Mowry, born in 1808."

This gown shares the gathered waist style of the Danish gown, although it gathers all the way around the waist rather than just at the back. It is also open in the back, a style that we see quite frequently in younger children's gowns during the regency era. This in not feasible for an active child such as L and I immediately disavowed the idea. I do particularly liked the detail of the drawstrings on the sleeves, a simple but effective way to add growth room to loose sleeves. I showed this detail to L but she was happy with the more plain un-gathered sleeves of the other gown. Oh well, perhaps I'll work that into a piece for myself instead.

These basic garments, along with her usual stockings & shoes, should give L a nice basic wardrobe for all of our upcoming War of 1812 events and should fit for more than a few seasons. It is simply a matter of finishing up this wardrobe before she grows again, or worse; hits puberty and starts caring about what she's wearing beyond the usual question; "can I get dirty in it?"

~~~

works cited:

Wilde, Samuel deRole. Music. 1801. Painting. Manchester Galleries, United Kingdom. http://www.manchestergalleries.org/

Johnson, Cathy. Clothing for a New Era; A Basic Guide to Women's Federal * Regency * Empire Costume. Graphics/Fine Arts Press, Excelsior Springs, MO.

Hverdagspigekjole or Child's gown. 1800-1810. Tidens Toj. http://tidenstoej.natmus.dk/

Boy's printed cotton dress. 1808-1811. Kent State University Museum. http://dept.kent.edu/museum/general/general.html

Stay the Course, Part 3

Or how to construct mid 18th century fully boned stays with a stomacher front.

Step Three: Finishing!

Please note: I did not take photographs while finishing the red stays with the stomacher front that the previous two sections of this tutorial use. In fact, I've never actually finished those stays & have been wearing them unlined for nearly a year (*blush). Instead we will use a pair of blue strapless, front & back lacing stays that I am constructing for a friend as our example throughout this stage of the tutorial. Luckily it doesn't matter what style of stays you are working with, the construction process is always pretty much the same.

Part 1: Binding

Materials:

Previously constructed stays using Parts One & Two.
Needle
Sturdy thread
Binding material. 3/4" strips of chamois leather, dutch linen tape or worsted wool tape are my preferred materials.

Lay binding right side to right side on stays edge. Binding only needs to cover around the very top and bottom of the lacing edges but you can bind around all edges if you want.

Stitch ~1/8" from binding edge using a back stitch for extra security.

Be careful stitching binding around interior curves of the tabs. This takes some fiddling to get just right. Swearing like a sailor while working on this step always works wonders for me.

Fold binding over to the interior leaving ~ 1/4" on the outside.

Whip stitch binding to the interior of the stays. This doesn't have to be perfect, pretty stitching, as it will be covered by the lining in the next step. Some coaxing might be needed around any curved edges and again in those dreaded inner curves of the tabs.

Take a break, your fingers probably hurt like crazy after sewing through all that leather! You can wear your new stays full time from this point. Lining is a nice finish though, keeps the interior more protected from sweat & body oils, provides a little more padding between you and the boning and when installed correctly, can easily be taken out for laundering or replacement without having to disassemble the entire pair of stays.

Part 2: Lining

Materials:

Previously constructed & bound stays, see above.
Previously customized stays pattern from Part 1 (optional)
Needle
Sturdy thread
Light to mid weight linen. This is a great place to use scraps.

Cut out the lining using your customized stays pattern as a guide or roughly trace the outline of the already constructed stays. Lining can be cut as 1 piece, or as several pieces corresponding to each piece of the stays. It's your choice, depending on how much extra work you want to do & how large your scraps of fabric are. The lining pieces don't even have to match, so use up those scraps!

Lay lining piece(s) on stays interior, wrong side to wrong side.

Turn in the edges so lining barely covers binding edge. If using separate lining pieces for each panel turn in all edges over lapping the seams just slightly. Don't forget to turn under the outer edge so your lacing holes remain accessible!

Pin liberally, adjust lining so it lays neatly & smoothly. Re-pin several times to get the lining just so. One can never use too many pins at this stage.

Whip stitch the lining into place along the binding edge, along the outer edge against the lacing holes & along where the lining panels join if necessary.

Use care when working around the interior of the tabs as that is the trickiest area. Trimming the lining into a "Y" shape at the top inner curve of the tabs can make tucking the lining to the inside easier but it is still going to be a fussy job.

Break out a bodkin & the champagne , your stays are finished!

A stupid man's report of what a clever man says

I was told recently that Slightly Obsessed has become a bit "dull". I believe the exact quote was something along the lines of "but don't you do anything fun?" Well yes, but winter fun & summer fun are two different things. Winter fun was the research, the in-depth articles & the endless reading. Now it's summer, event season, time for a whole new type of fun to start!

The Gathering at Macktown

This was my 2nd year camping and participating in the Gathering at Macktown but only my first year with the completed coffeehouse demo. What a change! Naturally there was the endlessly variable Midwestern April weather. Warm and sunny but with 30 mph gusts, giving way to sporadic rain and cold. I do give the public credit though, there were some truly hearty souls decked out in their rain gear & umbrellas despite the storms.

One of the best things about the Gathering is that it is so close to my home. This makes for a perfect season opener because I can just run back up the street to pick up those little odds and ends that either get forgotten after a long hiadus or simply didn't get refreshed after being used up the previous season.

The coffeehouse demo itself was a success. Friday only Contagion stopped by for a cup, but he passed the word and by Sunday I poured out nearly 4 pots. I was in full "talking head" mode most of the weekend and couldn't have been happier with the people that stopped by, asked interesting questions and complimented my impression. It means a lot to know that other reenactors appreciate the work I've put in.

After hours I hung around a bit in the Disreputable Scots camp, partly for the booze, partly for the music and partly because they were the only ones still up in camp late at night. I'm not sure if everyone else is getting old but wow, does Macktown get quiet around 11! Despite all my protestations about loyalty to the King, the Jacobites got what they deserved, godless savages, they really are one of the most fun bunches of folks around.

All in all, I couldn't be happier with the event and look forward to it again next year. Lets put in the order for nice weather now and maybe we'll have a chance to actaully get it.

Bloody Lake Rendezvous

As far as rendezvous go, Bloody Lake isn't all that bad. Sure there are the requisite "frunt-eer" types, a lot of "what were they thinking" moments and some rather loud mouthed neighbors but it is also the first event of the season where we get to camp with our friends in Brigands Folie. It is also fully of other friends, some that I get to see frequently, some that I only see on the rare occasion, some that I've only just met. I'm always amazed at how many new people I meet at every event. Eventually that has to taper off but for now it seems my list of "I've met you before" keeps growing.

Since it's a first come, first served event, we are never sure where we will be camped. This year we ended up on the swamp side of the site, in what I would guess is one of the best spots for us. The coffeehouse was right on the main cross roads, our sign easily visable from the hill side of the site. I'm considering moving our arrival date from Thursday to earlier in the week next year and staking out this space permanantly.

I again set up the coffeehouse demo, but Bloody Lake isn't as heavy handed on the demos as other events. This was nice because it meant I got more time to wander around in camp, do some needed shopping for the demo and chat with friends. Coffee service was surprisingly slow, despite my new nick name of "coffee lady". The few people that did stop by for a dish were very complimentary thought. I was even fortunate enough to have a few visitors really engage me in conversation on the subjects. So while the event wasn't intensive in sheer crowd numbers, it was intense in the depth of material I was able to share.

Other highlights to the event included, getting to hear Dragonfly sing, fitting K into her brand new stays (pictured above), the confabulation of 3 Pints Gone, Brigands Folie and several other musicians who I couldn't identify, getting trounced at checkers by 4 kids at once and of course all the laughs around the fire at night. Here's to next years event being bigger and better.

Up next: 100 years on the Ohio, my first event in the great state of Kentucky!

Lucy Locket Lost Her Pocket

Or making a pair of embroidered pockets for a young girl.

I constructed this pair of pockets for my daughter L, who has grown enough in the past 3 years to need a larger pocket than the first I made. She also needs more room to carry her ever growing collection of 18th century trinkets.

The pockets are sized right between her original "small" pocket and the size I use for my own, measuring approximately 8" by 13". The front opening is 6 inches long, scientifically measured by having her lay her hand out on the pocket before cutting. The pockets themselves are made from 5oz linen, found in my scrap basket and dutch linen tape from Wm. Booth, Draper. The body binding was dyed using just a pinch of "baby blue" fiber reactive dye. Not a period choice, but what I had on hand and needed to use up anyway. Since my intention is for these pockets to last until L is a young woman I constructed them on 2 separate lengths of tape. This way they can tie both in the front & back, allowing the waistband to grow as she does.

The embroidery is worked on 5oz linen from my endless collection of scraps using the beautiful woad dyed wool from Renaissance Dyeing (available through Reconstructing History). I used these as a practice pieces, since embroidery is still a rather new hobby of mine. The design consists of stem stitch, back stitch, french knots, seed stitch & wrapped running stitch. I varied the colors used but kept the stitches the same in each piece. The finished work is them layered with the working portion of the pocket and bound around the edges. This protects the back of the embroidery & makes the pockets a little more durable. For my readers who have seen just how filthy L gets at events, it's pretty clear why they need the extra layers!

The embroidery design is not a historical recreation, just "historically inspired". I saw a similar design sometime last year while searching for 18th century motifs. Sadly, I can not remember where I initially found it. It was most likely one of the endless pile of library books. My one complaint is that her initials are so hard to embroider! After several tries I finally had to settle for an only slightly lopsided "W".

Up next, my (entirely) hand sewn shift!