Dollinger Farm

Tags

18th century, reenacting

Dollinger Farm is a family farm in Chanahon, IL. It’s your stereotypical family fall-time-collect-your-pumpkin-while-your-child-screams farm. The grounds and site are very nice. There is a cute little petting zoo, a nice pumpkin patch, and treat van that makes elephant ears. So why not throw in a Revolutionary War camp/battle? That’s “fall timey” I think. The camps were spread out among beautiful tall oak trees at the base of a hill and the ground gently sloped down to the family farm house. For as many people were milling around the goat pen and elephant ear van, I’m surprised more people didn’t wander up to the camps. I’m sure we didn’t smell as bad as the goats.

I tried out a new impression that I’ve been mulling over since September. I found documentation for a British woman who worked as a spy for the Brits and part of what is actually documented about her was that she snuck into French camps to collect information on the number of men, the number of weapons/artillery, etc. This woman snuck in under the premise of a vegetable seller too. I think it’s awesome. So much to play with! So I tried out a scenario with a few girls. I prefer to be in first person and to draw people into our world (without freaking them out too much). I was walking down the road with a basket of squash and sweet potatoes and saw three girls. I just walked right up to them and asked if they were busy. They said no, so I inquire if they wanted to help me with a special mission. I laid our plan. There were three girls and I gave each of them a job. We would casually stroll into the British camp (the one camp where I knew people who would play along), and I would bid the soldiers good day. One girl would ask what the one was knitting, the other girl would ask if they wanted some vegetables, and the third girl would count all the British soldiers she could see. Genius. What could go wrong? Oh only that my friends didn’t want to buy vegetables so they got a little surly. Hahahaha. We actually had a good time and later on my friend was all “what was that?!!!” He was impressed (I think) with my gall of bringing in people to their camp as spies. Heh. I’ll call it a mild success. I will keep playing around with ideas. Mainly I need questions to ask the kids to get them talking and get them involved.

My only other qualm with the event is that it was not clearly communicated (not to me at least) where the battle was taking place. Everyone wants to see the battle. I get that. However, Sat morning started out cold so I had on lots of layers, including my new triple lined wool jacket. Well as the time drew near for the battle, the public was wandering down the road and seeing a person in “old timey” clothes they stopped to ask me. Well everyone remembered the Civil War battle being on top of the hill. Great let’s climb the hill. Alright. Good idea in 4 petticoats and semi-high-heeled shoes that don’t offer the greatest support. I love trekking up and down gravel roads said no one ever. Turns out the battle was not up there. Nope. It was off in this tiny little field. No idea why. But we made it just in time.

Here are a smattering of photos from the event:

The last few pics are of the 4th Conn who slept outside on straw. The temperature got down in to the low 40s at night I think. They are a campaign unit and love sleeping under the stars.

Overall, I would love to be at the site again, just hopefully with warmer weather and more communication about the location of scheduled activities.

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Warm Clothing for Cold Weather: it works!

Tags

18th century, living history, Ox Bow Tavern, reenacting

The annual encampment at Cantigny near Chicago took place Sept 12 – 13. While it was not as cold as last year, it was still good weather for wool (at least in the morning and at night!). I’m so glad I’m adding more wool items to my wardrobe.

I will be posting photos of me in the clothing once the photographer edits and posts them. A huge thank you in advance to Divine Memories by Alexis.

For now, here are my photos from the event.

Sliced citrus fruits are floating in tea punch….waiting for consumption.

 

Citrus fruits are ready to be put to use in syllabubs

 

 

Grating nutmeg

 

Of all the photos I took this weekend, this one is by far my favorite. N grated nutmeg for use in a variety of dishes that weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bigos! Best stew ever: sausage, cabbage, onions, mushrooms, garlic….nom nom.

 

Napping…..long weekend

 

 

 

The lovely Christina from On Living History

 

 

 

My obligatory selfie for the event. Here I am wearing my new wool jacket.

Year in Review in which I ruminate about past and future sewing projects

Tags

18th century clothing, 19th century clothing, future sewing projects, historic clothing, Regency, sewing projects

 

The past week and a half of 2014 has resulted in cloudy skies and zero sun. The Monday after Christmas in the UP, there was a ton of sun for our drive home. I had to capture that sun through the snow-covered branches before we left town in case I didn’t see sun again the rest of the winter.

Despite the sun, the kitty was not a huge fan of the icy temps and only spent a few seconds outside.

 

I did not meet any of the challenges for the 2014 Historical Sew Fortnightly, except the first one. Woops. But I finally got to wear my creation a year later at an event! Hurray! I’m a little disappointed in myself, but by now I should realize that Christmas break is deceptive in that I think I have all this time to sew and then forensics season starts and I coach every day from 3 – 6 p.m. and when I get home, I barely have enough time to make dinner. By 8 p.m. every night, I’m washing my face, brushing my teeth, and then crawling in bed to read. Sewing until midnight – totally not feasible. I’m still determined to finish my projects though that would have fit into the challenges from last year. Though I won’t post them on the HSF fb page, I’ll still post them here eventually (aka once they’re finished).

Unfinished projects:

I think many of these did not get finished because I ran into roadblocks. Sometimes I don’t know what stopped me from just pushing through and figuring it out on my own. Maybe fear of getting it wrong and not having enough fabric? I don’t know. It’s frustrating to say the least.

Yellow Regency Half Robe – which would have fit into “bodice,” “yellow,” and “political” challenges

– Roadblock: I was worried that if I didn’t have a proper Regency corset, that if I sewed the bustline in place, it would be wrong and I’d have to take it out and redo it. That’s not a huge deal at all because it’s a simple, straight seam.

– Why it’s still not finished: Sleeves are sewn together, just not attached because I’m lazy. And I wasn’t sure how to properly line up the seam for the sleeve, but I figured it out with the brown gown and now I’m just lazy.

Wool Jacket – which would have fit into “black and white” and “bodice” challenges

– Roadblock: I ran out of time. I decided to flatline the outer pieces of wool with an inner wool lining and that took an exorbitant amount of time to cut out the pattern for each piece a third time. I still have to cut out the sleeves, but I’m waiting on that because I still never figured out the exact size for the sleeve pattern from when I jumped into the blue striped jacket.

– Why it’s still not finished: The event I needed it for came and went back in mid November so now I don’t have a real reason to finish it except maybe for an event in April when that winter chill is still in the air. I’ll shoot for finishing it over spring break? Ok so I lost motivation and was lazy again.

Pink Bedgown – which would have fit into the “pink” challenge

– Roadblock: I thought I lost the last bit of pink fabric I needed for gussets and insert for collar. I found it.

– Why it’s still not finished: Other projects took over my life/living room. This was one of those, it’ll be nice to have when it’s finished garments, so I tend to work on it slowly at an event because it’s a nice conversation piece. (Except when I’m tavern staff, there is zero time for sewing).

Miss F’s Dress

– Roadblock: Time. Midweek since summer, I would casually daydream about working on this dress and then all this other stuff got in the way: mainly back to back weekend events for about a month.

– Why it’s still not finished: See above. Considering this will be the 4th time working with this pattern, I don’t have an excuse at all. We need it for June. June. Deadline is in 5 months. I *think* I have time.

Blue striped Jacket

– Roadblock: I gained weight (but not a lot) since I first fit this pattern and stopped lacing my stays as tight as I used to. I didn’t remake/remeasure my mock up – woops – and so I had major fit issues (which almost brought me to tears) until friends came to my rescue at an event and helped me magically fit a piece into the sides. Oh yeah and then the first sleeve pattern I used for my rose gown DID NOT fit me at all (huge muscles right here), and attempting to fit the mock up sleeve on me was akin to stuffing gobs of sausage into a too small casing. Ha.

– Why it’s still not finished: Sleeves have yet to be refit. Other projects took over. I got lazy – again – gee….is there a pattern here?

 

Finished Projects Review:

Brown striped regency gown – this gown is delightful to wear once I recut the sides and hemmed it in front and added loops to the back to hold up the ties. I want three more like this. But I really should branch out. First wore it to Years of Napoleon in June. This one will go to Waterloo with me.

Grey wool petticoat – I needed another wool petticoat simply for warmth. Normally I always wear just one because I’ve found that the slightest breeze or drop in temps at events makes me cold. (I’m such a baby, I know). Because I love making petticoats, they now take me about 5 – 6 hrs (depending on life), when I was getting ready for the event in mid-November it was either struggle with trying to line the wool jacket and cut out sleeves and line them and sew them and attempt to not cry OR sew two rectangles together. Rectangles it was! I’m all about binding the hem with tape and I chose a dark navy from WM Booth Draper…..well somehow we mis-measured and I was short by 10 inches. So Mr. Booth kindly gave me the missing tape and sewed it on himself!! Wow such service from the draper. I first wore the grey petticoat to The Gathering where, upon dressing and skipping about in my new garment by the fire when I went to fill the coffee pot, Mr. B the elder, accidentally splattered bacon grease on me; my apron caught most of it, but there are a few spots on the petticoat – not super visible except to me. Christening by fire?

Regency cotton petticoat with shoulder straps – I couldn’t wear my flannel petticoat to an event in June, so I needed this one. It’s heavy duty so it actually puffs out my brown Regency gown a tad. This is not a super flowy-graceful-go-to-the-ball petticoat. I still need one of those. But it’s not see through either so at the end of the event after it closed to the public, off came the gown and I sat around in my petticoat and drank wine with my friend. It was very lady-like.

1920 Robe de Style Prom (chaperone) dress – I really wanted a period appropriate dress to wear when I chaperoned prom. I’ve always really wanted a purple prom dress. While I had major shapewear on underneath the dress, the style was oh so comfy!!! It’s just a basic shift on top with a super poufy skirt that could be embellished multiple ways, so many in fact that I just couldn’t settle on one type of trim! I would love to make another dress like this.

 2015 Insanity Sewing

My goals for this year are simple: at least by the event for which I want to wear them, have the unfinished items finished. If I get any more specific than that, it may lead to more laziness. I also realized that most items don’t get finished unless I NEED to wear them to an event. Isn’t that how it is with most of us?

After a very successful first person immersion experience, a group of us here in SE WI/N IL are stepping into the 1830s. We are outfitting ourselves as well as assisting volunteers at the Macktown Living History Center in IL in full 1830s period clothing. Our goal is to sew a bunch of wardrobes for a handful of us who will put on a Christmas first person immersion experience open to the public. (I think that’s our goal the last I chatted with everyone, but plans morph as the year goes, and we are open to all possibilities).

A bit of background about me to get up to my new found love: the 1830s. When I first truly started historical clothing research, I was 19. I was obsessed with the 1890s. I love the graceful feminine lines and the sleek way the skirts fit at the waist and then flared out down around the ankles. I stared at countless images of antique dresses online. Then I had a 1920s dress made for me. I picked the fabric – a pretty blue check – and while it wasn’t the 1890s dream dress I wanted, it was a fun style. A few years pass, college finishes and my teaching career launches. I drag my then boyfriend to a Rev War reenactment north of Milwaukee and I fell in love with the style of the late 1700s. The lines were so simple. The women walked so gracefully. I had to have it!!!! I joined a unit and I taught myself to sew. At the beginning of this time, I did not particularly care for the Regency era. Something about the empire waists weirded me out. Then I was invited to several Regency events. Well I sat down and learned how to use my Viking Turissa. I loved the dress I produced. The Regency style was soooooo comfortable. It was a new kind of graceful. Not having heavy petticoats tied around my waist WAS freeing. Wow!! New time period adored.

As I jumped on pinterest and started looking at images, I was disgusted by the 1820s through 1840s. The odd poofy sleeves. The bell shaped skirts. Ick. I couldn’t stand it. I don’t like droopy shoulder lines at all in dresses. I have a small upper body and while I don’t want 1980s pointy/pouffy sleeves or 1890s leg-o-mutton sleeve insanity, I prefer some structure. But then my group said, hey we should really stop interpreting the 1780s at this site because that’s not historically accurate and we really need to be true progressives and get our stuff together for a full blown 1830s impression. Excuse me? Ummm….search pinterest, interesting – some tasteful styles are not too over the top. I like the colors and patterns of most fabric. Hey! I think I adore the 1830s!!!!!! When do we start sewing? 🙂

This brings us back to the present: my 1830s wardrobe. I have stunning pink cotton fabric that I really want to make into a fancy day dress or more simple Christmas party dress. I also acquired American Duchess Gettysburg boots for this time period (courtesy of my mother-in-law’s Christmas present). (I’m breaking them in slowly; the other day when I was tidying, I slipped them on and they are divine!!!!). This wardrobe will literally be built from the bottom up….or is it the inside out? Like all of us who have been doing this for a while know, you can’t really make that gorgeous Christmas dress until you’ve completed your foundation pieces. Patience is key!!!!

1830s Wardrobe Checklist

Have:

– 1 white cotton petticoat

– multiple cotton stockings and one silk pair

– chemise (technically it’s for an earlier time period, but I think it will work)

– one white linen apron (that is very dirty from incessant almost daily use for the past two years)

– boots

Need:

– corset!!! (The ladies in our group are torn on making our own or just biting the bullet and ordering from a company who will custom make them. The big question: does the $400.00 trump the time / frustration of sewing your own?)

– another 2 – 3 petticoats, at least one of which must be wool if we are first wearing these items at a Christmas event (WI could be deathly cold as early as Oct so one never knows!). I also think one of these must be corded.

– knitted bosom friend

– new cap

– new bonnet (I’m not sure if my Regency era bonnet will work for this time period. I kind of want a different style just because you know….why not?)

– two dresses – one for house work and the other for the party!!! woot! I think the day dress will be wool – again because our first event will be in winter and I will not freeze in cotton, but the pink cotton fabric I have already will most likely turn into a Christmas dress!

– dress patterns

– fun Christmas dress up shoes (I have the shoes; I intend to trim them with pink embellishments to match my dress – hurray!)

And lastly, my “general sewing dream project list for the way off sometime future provided I have an event to wear it to” list

– Downton Abbey 1912 – 1918 style dress

– Chemise a la reine with a royal purple silk sash (to be worn at my oh so fabulous Regency style birthday tea party that I am still planning)

– late 1700s linen working class gown

– quilted petticoat

– Regency era white ball gown

– some type of 1790s style gown

 

Fingers crossed for a mostly successful 2015. I’m not going to be overly optimistic so that come September, I say, “oh gee, I was going to do that…but yeah woops.” I want to be pleasantly satisfied with my achievements.

Ordinary Courage – 1st Person Immersion – Part 4: Pictures

Tags

18th century, 1st Person Immersion

Here are all the other photos that did not quite fit in with the other post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ordinary Courage — A First Person Immersion Event — Part 3: Reflection and Evaluation

Tags

18th century, 1st Person Immersion, The simple life

First, if any living historian/reenactor (or whatever you call yourself) wants to take this hobby to the next level, this is definitely it. But I think it works best when you are really comfortable with the people you experience this with and have worked together at previous events. Because I knew everyone and felt comfortable, it wasn’t that odd to jump into this new role.

The group’s goal was simple: recreate a time period and specific event to the best of our ability using only what the people in the 18th century would have had.

If you want to skip ahead to what I learned about women in the 18th century, scroll to the bold heading near the end.

To return to my list of what I prepared for and expected….

The temps: I’m not sure if this counts as cheating or not, but the building technically had heat. We kept the thermostat low so the heat was not blasting. The inside temp was cooler than I prefer in a building, but it was dry and warmer than outside, so I really couldn’t complain. The socks I borrowed from my friend kept me warm. Early in the morning, I was even warm enough to just throw on a light cotton bedgown while I prepped food and cleaned, so that was nice.

Because I was cold the first night I got there, I slept in my shift and stays and one wool petticoat. I was warm, but I don’t like how rigid my body is when I sleep in stays. I can’t imagine it’s good for me. And when it’s cold, I like to curl in to a little ball and I don’t really have that option when I wear stays. The second night, I definitely had to take them off, but I was really cold in just a cotton shift and a wool petticoat, so I borrowed a big wool hunting frock thing and buttoned it up around my chin – finally warm!! We did have about 5 or 6 wool blankets on the bed, which was awesome.

Sanitation: My friends brought their wash stand and we had soap! Hurray! I could wash my face. I think my face actually looked better after using cold water to wash my face with. So every night now I use cool water even if I’m cold and want to warm up. Using an outhouse with vents that let in cold air is just plain cold. I was reading something about sanitation in 18th cent London and all I can say is that I’m glad I don’t have to poo in a hole I dig myself and bury it. That would be terrible. And I don’t want to use moss to wipe my bum either. Gross.

On to the good expectations. All of those were met. It’s exactly what I expected. Oh and I ate the most delicious smoked ham hock I have ever tasted. Holy crap. I like ham. But wow. We just sliced this meat right off the hock and popped it in our mouths.

For sewing….I did not finish the wool shortgown – yet again. I started to attach the lining to the fashion fabric and the wool and worsted wool are so spongy that they would not fold nicely and the lighting was bad so I made about five horrific looking stitches and decided I just did not have the patience. It was not worth it to me. I did, however, finish my large-ish linen carrying bag. I’m not sure that there’s a technical 18th cent term for it. But I put all my larger clothing items and extra fabric for sewing projects in it. Hurray! I would still like some wooden boxes though because I just feel like that will contain my items better than 5 different bags. But I did get to wear one item that I had not worn yet: my fancy embroidered mitts!!!! I thought when we visited our friends on the hill that it would be an appropriate and not overly flashy way to dress up my outfit.

Now on to the important part: what I learned about myself, life and women in the 18th century from just 48 hours.

I did not go in with any preconceived notions because I did not want to try and predict anything. I did have several epiphanies throughout the weekend, which I feel are rather significant.

The first epiphany occurred when I noticed the weather. The freezing rain Fri night resulted in an unpleasant situation Saturday morning: wet firewood. How is one supposed to cook?! I have no idea. If you did not have leftovers from the night before or something that could be eaten cold (like raw fruit or veggies already in storage, you were screwed and went hungry I suppose). Well the firewood situation resulted in one of the women leaving the house and attempting to get to her car to drive somewhere to search for wood. She slipped on the ice and fell. I realized several things as a result. 1) Had these injuries been more severe, without proper medical care in the 18th cent, loss of life from something simple could be detrimental to the stability of the family. 2) Even a small weather event like icy roads and paths makes day to day activities dangerous and the shoes they wore then are not as sturdy/grippy/warm as ours. Furthermore, if you were not wealthy enough to own a good pair of shoes, then what? 3) If the weather prevented you from venturing outside, you had to stay inside just to keep warm and not die. Don’t get me wrong, I’m perfectly content with a snow day here and there or staying home to relax after a busy day. But if the domestic sphere was your entire life already, no wonder women got bored with sewing, embroidering, and caring for children. Additionally, we did not see the sun for these two days. You have wet firewood, minimal food supplies, icy roads, no sun and you’re forced to be indoors for three months. Good God. Thankfully, the building we were in is sturdy and warm. What kind of an existence would you lead if you were not that lucky? It makes sense why someone like Charlotte in Pride and Prejudice didn’t care if she loved the man; marrying someone who could provide for her was a big deal.

This leads to the other fascinating realization. With our scenario, I was married, but had returned to live with my parents because my husband had been gone for so long that they wanted me close by. Not seeing your husband and not knowing if he’s alive or well because of lack of communication in the postal service and military must have been horrible. Everyone kept asking me, “where is your husband madam” all weekend and I kept saying, “I don’t know. He hasn’t written me.” And the fourth or fifth time I said it, it kind of sunk in. What if he’s dead? What will I do? Will my parents let me continue living with them? I really better pull my weight so they don’t throw me out. (Hello: the 21st century called – your husband is alive and well and you have a lovely house). Emotionally though, I had been very caught up in the situation that was playing out before me. Furthermore, this lead me to display my emotions on my face more easily than I had realized. It wasn’t that I wasn’t having a good time. I was. It was utterly amazing. However, I was in and out of the soldiers’ room for various reasons and every time I curtsied to the corporal and explained my reason for being there, I had a frown on my face. Finally, he called me out on it. Initially, I put on a stoney face to make sure I didn’t bust out laughing, but as the day went on and I became absorbed in my character’s station in life, I was mad that these random strange men had entered our house and my parents let them live with us and I was mad that these men were alive and well in the war, yet I had not heard from my husband. Life wasn’t fair. Hence the frown.

From there, another interesting scenario played out that we were not quite expecting. The eldest Miss Irwin took a fancy to the soldier Joseph Plumb Martin. In the text we used as the basis for this experiment, she was gossipy and flirtatious. So she took it the extra step and thought, hey given these aspects of the woman I’m portraying, would it not seem plausible that she might try to hook up with this soldier to improve her station in life. Well, the man playing my father got caught up in this scenario and purposely left his mitts at the Irwin’s house so the soldier, Joseph, had a reason to go back and talk to the young lady. This was such an interesting turn of events that it really sent a bustle through our little house. We all wanted to call on the neighbors to see how the two potential love birds were getting along. Then when I was at their house visiting, after the soldiers left, Miss I. and I continued to plot about ways we could get her together with this dashing young man. It was really, truly the highlight of our day. Again to reference Jane Austen, no wonder she wrote an entire book about hooking people up with a mate. This was exciting business!!! Today, I see kids holding hands all the time in the halls. There is no social protocol for dating except, don’t make out in the halls because that’s gross. But in the 18th century there were so many rules about not being alone and not touching and how to be a lady/gentleman, it made the wait worth it. There were several times when Miss I and I would fall into fits of giggles over the prospect of her marrying this young man. I guess, nothing really changes from century to century. However, these soldiers who just happened to show up on our doorstep provided us with a huge diversion from our daily humdrum life. This little scenario was definitely the best part of the weekend.

Lastly, I didn’t realize this until I wrote my other post. I was in charge of taking pictures on our end of the property. Whenever I had a free moment, I quickly snapped pics of the soldiers or my “family” and then just slipped the camera back into my pocket. I tried to get a lot of action shots to capture the essence of people’s every day lives. Anyway, when I was putting together my previous post written in first person, I added pictures to go along with it. I took well over 100 pictures and the ones that made it in to the previous post were mainly domestic life pictures. I have so many great shots of the soldiers doing stuff, but technically, I wasn’t hanging out with the soldiers that weekend because I “didn’t know them.” I realized how small the domestic sphere really was. I might have interacted with the soldiers to bring them food or help them with something, but other than that, I was to stick to my part of the house and them theirs. I really wanted to post more pictures of what the soldiers were doing, but they didn’t fit into my narrative at all. So weird!

Overall, this was a fabulous experience. I’m ready to do it again, but in warmer weather. I wholly support 1st person immersion events and everyone should try it at least once, just to see what it’s like. I get that it’s not for everyone, but the more you can throw yourself into an authentic experience, the more appreciation you have for the little things – like Charmin Ultra soft super strong toilet paper and instant running hot water.

An 18th century selfie…

Ordinary Courage – A First Person Immersion Event – Par 2: Daily Life for Ella Rose Smith

Tags

18th century, 1st Person Immersion, living history

Mother met the strangers at the door with the Fowler. She is a gutsy woman who does not appreciate her quiet evening meals disturbed. There was a tense moment while father waited for the man in charge – a corporal – to explain that they were just soldiers in the Continental Army, looking for a house to stay in, not just on this night because of the rain, but for the rest of the winter. Much to my dismay, my parents allowed them inside. Although I support the fight for independence because my parents have told me many stories about the persecution they faced, I was not happy about giving up the largest room of our quaint stone house. Now our dining table is explicitly for use by the soldiers and we are forced to eat at the work table in the kitchen and our other parlor furniture is moved into the kitchen. Our beautiful sitting/dining room has been converted to a bedroom and living quarters for six dirty, tired men for the 8^th Connecticut and New York regiment.

 

 

 

Mother spoke with Corporal Runions and made it abundantly clear that while her family will share their food and living quarters, she and her daughters would not be maids and housekeepers for six men. The corporal assured her his men knew how to use a broom. Yet, the next morning I found myself broom in hand, sweeping up clumps of dried mud. Mother was busy making bread pudding and I needed a good reason to look at all the men’s gear and to make sure none of our household goods found their way into a bedroll or knapsack.

~~~

A note about our Quaker family: father is Milltown’s black smith.

Mother had ten children, not all of them survived to adulthood.

 

I am a middle child, and though married, returned to live with my parents after my husband went to fight on the colonists’ side.

 

Rebecca, the youngest, still lives at home and she will surely find a husband once this war is over.

 

 

~~~~

After midday meal of cold smoked ham, bread and butter, and cheese, Becky and I baked the pudding. Mother is so clever to combine flour, milk, and eggs to left over porridge and apples. While we were tending the coals and waiting for the pudding to finish, our neighbor from up the hill, Miss Christina Irwin, paid us a visit to help mother with her mending. Mother frequently employs Miss Martin’s help because she is very knowledgeable about garment construction. Miss Irwin kindly invited the ladies of our home to tea at her home because they celebrate Christmas this day.

 

Currently, while their parents are away tending to their other daughter’s pregnancy, the two Irwin daughters, Christina and Miriam, have their aunt and uncle Martin staying with them. The Irwin home is very well tended. While our home is made of stone, theirs is wood and their floors have been stained a nice dark color. The wood work is a mix between natural wood and a beautiful yellow that adds a nice color and warmth to the rooms.

 

When my sister and I arrived at the Irwin’s we were surprised to discover the soldiers (who were quartered at our house) gathered around their dining room table sharing a bottle of shrub with the Irwin’s and their aunt and uncle. It was a very festive scene to be sure. Apparently, my father had visited the Irwins and Martins earlier that day and had “accidentally” left his mitts there when he discovered that Christina had her eye on the soldier, Joseph Plumb Martin; hence that afternoon, he sent Joseph P. Martin to fetch his mitts. Father is also quite clever to give the young Mr. Martin a reason to see the young Miss Irwin as she is in want of a husband. But back to when my sister and I visited the Irwins and Martins. The soldiers were all seated on one side of the table and they all stood upon Becky and me entering the room. It’s been such a long time since we’ve been in the presence of such gentlemen. Each one offered their chair to my sister and I. Because I wasn’t sure how Becky felt about being in the company of such men, I took the seat nearest a soldier with spectacles and a red mustache. (I had heard his jolly laugh earlier that morning in my home and thought it wouldn’t hurt to learn more about him). Mr. Martin (the soldier), gave his chair to Becky. That left him without a place at the table. But Miss Irwin is clever indeed, and immediately made her sister move over one seat so that the soldier Mr. Martin was left with only one choice: the spot right next to herself.

For half an hour, the soldiers regaled us with stories of battles they’d been through. The carnage is most distressing. It makes me worry even more for my own husband. Though when the women grew weary of such tales, Miss Irwin suggested they sing songs. Each man has a strong singing voice and all of them sounded quite nice together. I especially liked the song called “Spanish Ladies.” The soldiers were even kind enough to ask if we would allow them to sing Christmas carols – as we are Quaker and do not celebrate – and we allowed them this small celebration. I thoroughly enjoyed Christmas songs and wish I knew the words because I would have joined in.

Miss Irwin was kind enough to take me on a tour of her home; I had not visited in a few months (even though we live relatively close to each other) and she had made some updates to her wardrobe and linen supply that she had been wanting to share with me for some time.

The soldiers departed and soon, we journeyed back to our little stone house after a lovely visit. Mother’s second pudding – a bread pudding – was just coming out of the baking kettle when we arrived. This time we didn’t have to save it for a special occasion, but were able to enjoy it later that evening after dinner when the Martins and Irwins joined us for merriment at our home. Miss C. Irwin wore her new Italian gown. It is a beautiful white fabric with small red flowers all over it. She looked most becoming and we both hoped Mr. Martin, the soldier, would agree with us. She and her sister sat either side of him at one end of the table with Mr. Martin, their uncle, nearby to chaperone.

 

The other soldiers found their cups and much Christmas merriment. Mother did not allow Becky and I to partake in such rabblerousing (I wanted to learn more songs), and instead we served desert to our guests (then ate our own fair share) and visited with Mrs. Martin, Miss Irwin’s aunt. She had much advice about finding a suitable mate, making pudding, and sewing gowns. We have decided on a few new sewing projects for the winter – both Becky and I need new stays.

 

 

 

 

The previous night I slept in my stays because it was so cold outside and though we are not poor and in need of fire wood, mother and father keep small fires going and pile more wool blankets on the bed. However, after a long day of working and visiting, off came the stays so my body could fully relax. We do not bathe as frequently in the winter because it is just too much of an inconvenience to haul water and heat it, but mother insists on having fresh, clean water in the wash bowl so we can scrub our faces in the evening and morning.

I slept peacefully and soundly that night knowing I am surrounded by such wonderful family and friends. Even though these strangers are now sleeping right in the next room, they are of good character it seems and would go out of their way to protect us against the British. I pray that my husband returns safely and that my sister Becky and my friends, the Irwin sisters find a loving companion of their own.

Ordinary Courage – A 1st person immersion event – Part 1: Expectations and Preparations

Tags

18th century, living history, reenacting, The simple life

I have not been involved in reenacting/living history or historical sewing for as long as some people, but I’ve thrown myself pretty well in to the progressive side of it. For example, I feel I may have indicated in a past entry or two that I can’t not hand sew now if I’m making a garment for the 18th and early 19th century. And now any item that I consider buying must follow period correct specifications. It’s become some what of a mission w/ a little bit of obsession thrown in for good measure.

Anyway, this weekend, I’m attending a first person 48 hr immersion event. It is a small group of people who have decided we will act out/recreate a chapter from the memoirs of Joseph Plumb Martin. Although we are in Illinois, the historic site is Milltown, Pennsylvania. The soldiers are off foraging and doing “man things” all weekend while the ladies will be, well, doing “woman things.”

Over the past week, I’ve been mulling over everything that needs to get done and then I realized that my thoughts fell into three separate categories:

I. Expectations – bad/good and II. Preparations

I. Expectations – bad/troublesome

I’m starting with the not so great first. It’s odd, but I tend to stress over new events. I’m mostly gung-ho excited, but then there is this brief, “what if?” that washes over me and makes me anxious to the point of making my stomach do flips and/or my skin breaking out (not cool).

Freezing Temperatures

Because this particular event is near the end of November and I live in the Midwest, I’m mostly worried about freezing. I’ve been to two other cold weather events. I survived and actually I think they acclimated my body to dealing with colder weather. However, I had the option of wearing long underwear. But this weekend is the most progressive/hard core authentic it can get i.e. zero modern anything. I’m pushing myself to the extreme and going to see how it goes. If my upper thighs freeze, it is what it is. Sucks to suck.

And I keep telling myself, if they can do it, so can I. It’s not the end of the world. We are in a stone building. I have no reason to really go outside unless I’m cooking or using the outhouse. Therefore, I think it will give me a good feeling for what it really was like to be a woman and be stuck inside all day. If this is what I am to learn, I only wish I could be doing this for a week or more because that could give me a better gauge of whether or not I could hack it.

Lack of sanitation/running water

Well you’re going to learn way more about me than you probably cared to know. In the past few years, I’ve become a tad OCD about sanitation. I have to wash my hands a lot especially during food prep. Not having this luxury makes me a tad queasy. Though we will have a wash stand, but no running water. Aaaaaahhh!!! Outhouses don’t bother me though. I just want warm water to wash my hands.

II. Expectations – good/excited for

Tasty food 

We always have the most delicious food at events. I love it. I crave it when I’m at home in the winter. I have never been disappointed in anything I’ve tried – even oysters – and I don’t eat a lot of seafood (except fresh Lake Superior Whitefish).

Seeing all my dear friends

I think many of us will agree that awesome friends keep us in the hobby. My living history friends have become some of my nearest and dearest friends since I’ve become involved in the hobby. I love having a hobby that brings together like-minded people.

First Person 

For the majority of events that I’m at, we are in first person. Occasionally we’ll slip into 3rd person depending on the conversation, but 99% of the time, we are awesomely in character. This weekend gives me another opportunity to expand my repertoire and really become someone from that time period.

I will portray the daughter of one of the other ladies who is attending. We’ve been going back and forth over the weekend about what my name should be. Right now it’s between Ella Rose and Abigail. I, however, don’t particularly like Abigail currently because I just finished watching The Crucible and the character of Abigail annoys me (I have some friends named Abby and I don’t hate them, so no offense if anyone who reads this has that name). I also wanted to choose a name that was in my family, but we are Polish and the people we are portraying this weekend are German Pennsylvanians I believe…so, that’s not really working out.

Time away from technology 

It’s rather ironic that as I type this on my laptop to post on the internet while I watch Mr. H play video games, I’m excited about getting away from all of it for two days. I am constantly bombarded with emails all day long – upwards of 50 per day. It’s too much. Why can’t you just call me? OR walk down the hall and tell me to my face? I will admit that I love connecting with historical sewers and living historians on facebook and reading their blogs because it is a wealth of information. Truly having so much research/advice at our fingertips does wonders for improving your knowledge. However, the day to day realities of living in a digital world is so exhausting that at the end of the day, I just want to be outside or in a cozy room talking face to face with people who matter to me. My phone will be shut off Fri night around 8 p.m. once I text Mr. H that I have safely arrived at the site. I won’t turn it back on until I sit in my car to head home and I call Mr. H to tell him I’m leaving.

Historic buildings

My dad is an architect. The majority of my family’s library are books about architecture, interior decorating, and home repair. My preferred lazy reading was pulling the book, A Field Guide to American Houses off the shelf and memorizing the various architectural subtleties between an Italianate and a Second Empire so when we drove around through old neighborhoods I could point out the differences. Therefore, the fact that I get to stay overnight and live in a building from the 1830s is beyond a dream. (I currently live in an old home). But this historic building is somehow different. We get to stay there and come together as a family and it’s just amazing. And besides, a solid stone house is way better than a tent in wind/rain/snow.

III. Preparations

Sewing

Two weeks ago I found out about this event. I didn’t think much of it. Suddenly over the weekend I have to make/acquire all of these items. I had put off finishing my new wool jacket/short gown because I figured I was done for the season and why rush? Well, now I am rushing. Though I won’t stress myself out over it because if I don’t have to go outside, I won’t. The lining is mostly sewed together, but it does not help that I’m taking 45 min to write this entry when I should be sewing.

I also decided over the weekend that I should finally get around to making myself some linen bags to carry my stuff in. I’m saving my money to buy a portmanteau and have a friend make some wooden boxes for me. But hey, why not sew a giant rectangle by hand in a few days because you don’t have a million other things to do – right?

Paring down the fluff

You tend to acquire a lot of stuff with this hobby. And for some events, even though it is only two days, you think, yep I need ALL of my stuff. All 10 petticoats, both jackets, a cloak (even though the forecast is 70+), and five different colored stockings (because one pair might get wet or a friend may need to borrow some). For this event, I literally only need what I can carry – literally in one to two loads – and only my warmest clothes. That’s it. And this brings me to my next point.

Realizing what you don’t have

When you acquire a lot of stuff, and then you go to the extreme (weather or immersion), you realize quickly what you don’t have. For me? Zero period correct wool blankets or coverlets, mittens, hat, scarf, wool stockings. How do I not have this stuff?! Luckily, my other friends have extras and are helping me out. Sweet.

Reading

An immersion event taken from a particular chapter of a memoir or diary requires that you read said chapter and become fairly knowledgeable about the people, places, and time period. Reading takes a bit of time to digest (take notes, memorize, reread) and I can’t very well read and sew at the same time. Grrrr. But learning new stuff is fun!

The lady in charge also gave us some things to consider:

“To get yourself in the period, research happenings in Pennsylvania in November 1777. What battles have already happened. How is the war going? Who is winning? Think about your own situation such as how long you have lived in Milltown? There is a back and forth concerning the name of the town. Some call it Milltown and others want to call it Downingsville. Think about what you would be doing during the day and be engaged in the activity. Cleaning chores, sewing in the morning, knitting in the afternoon. Visiting neighbors if you think it safe. What is your family history? How long have you lived in the colonies? Where is your family from? How many children do you have, those of us who are married? What might your future plans be? Moving west into Ohio country or Kentucky country? What about Indians? What if the British come back? Where are your foods hidden?”

Leaving for the weekend before a major holiday

I have company arriving on Wed afternoon. I will be gone all weekend. Mr. H will be tidying by his lonesome. I’ve already cleaned a fair amount last weekend (dusting, vacuuming, etc) and when I return I will just need to tidy and put away all my period clothing/stuff before everyone arrives. Being out of town can be stressful before people arrive, but I’m determined to make it work!

 

Only a few more days to go! I can’t wait to see what this new experience will bring. The next post will be a first person (from the viewpoint of my character) account of the weekend, with a follow-up reflection of did the event meet/exceed my expectations.

 

 

 

Frenchmen’s Frolic – The Ox Bow Tavern will serve you now…

Tags

18th century, living history, Ox Bow Tavern, reenacting, The simple life

There’s nothing like staying in a historic building for a weekend and making it your home. It’s the best. While I don’t mind tent camping (and I am extremely grateful to every man who has set up a tent for me at events), I much prefer sturdy walls that keep out large raccoons and the cold air. Macktown, in Rockton, IL is a glorious little site along the Rock River. The weekend before the event, we cleaned the entire building so that we could live in it. Part of the fun of using this building again is figuring out how to set up the furniture in a way that is comfortable and easy for our guests to use and allows for the workers to move quickly from one room to the other when working/serving.

I think my layout of having the tables kind of form a T-pattern worked. It was snug, that’s for sure, but there was much more room to walk about. There is a rather large cabinet in the kitchen area that is in a very dysfunctional spot and I wish it could be moved. Our other change was at night when everyone joined us Sat evening, we put up two tables in the bedroom – one against the wall and the other in the doorway that leads to the main dining room and had a “bar” window. Mr. B the younger manned the bar and that kept the drinks safe from greedy little hands.

Returning the following weekend, was like going home. It was so odd, yet comforting. Swept floors, clean windows, space upstairs for sleeping. I was ready.

 

I arrived Friday evening and set to work finishing my petticoat that I was to wear the next day. Sewing by candlelight – ah what could be better?!

For two and a half days, the building is transformed into The Ox Bow Tavern. The women slept downstairs and some men upstairs and a few in the tavern area.

Women’s area

We slept two in the bed, and four on the floor. It was cozy.

Saturday morning was bright and cold. I try to get dressed quickly, but it never happens. I’m usually out of bed by 5:45/6 a.m. and then I need help with stays, have to make sure all my petticoats are on in the right order and that they are tied snugly, and then that my fichu and cap are arranged properly/attractively. All the while, men are bustling about getting the fire going, the other cook’s helpers (who somehow get dressed more quickly than me) are prepping food, and “father” is chastising me for being in various states of undress.

Even though we are rushing to start the meal so it’s ready for guests, I love how the sun slowly creeps up over the river as we put the room in order; time stands still for just a bit. Breakfast is porridge and bacon. It’s an Ox Bow staple and favorite by all guests. I’m not sure what would happen if we served anything but that. Our hash is divine as well, but people must have their porridge and meat!

 

There is a frantic mad rush for about an hour as women bustle around the kitchen dishing out porridge and making sure the guests are satisfied. Because of the cool autumn temperatures, everyone wanted to pile into the dining room at once.

Once everyone leaves, it’s time for the tavern staff to eat…

Mr. B the younger finds a spot on the stairs – a fitting spot for his station in life.

And a young recruit and cook sneak morsels in the kitchen.

 

 

 

And clean up….

Mrs. Blodgett instructs B about upcoming tasks to be accomplished.

A clean pile of dishes ready to be put back on the shelves.

 

As the day progressed, the women prepped food for midday meal and the men cooked it. (Nothing like cleaning up from the first meal so you can start the second).

Fun colored carrots and potatoes for the soup!

 

 

 

 

Women bustling about.

 

Making important decisions about which bread to use.

 

Mrs. Blodgett rules the kitchen.

 

Mr. Blodgett rules the fire and cooks oysters, soups, and ducks.

 

 

Throughout the day and well into the night, we welcomed an outstanding musician. My favorite tune is Staten Island.

 

A few men and myself even found time to practice our shooting skills.

Our resident soldier demonstrated proper technique first so the new recruit could hone his skills.

 

Mr. Blodgett then demonstrated for his daughter how best to aim and fire.

I took my turn.

 

After the fun and games it was back to work preparing for evening meal, which was for the family and staff only. We used our fine china!

 

Everyone journeyed back to The Ox Bow for a night of revelry and merriment. We had a full house!

 

 

 

A small group of women congregate in the kitchen to exchange news and gossip.

 

As usual, the family and staff fell in to bed around midnight and slept peacefully until 5:45 the next morning when we awoke to frost on the ground. It was beautiful to watch the sun rise through the fog.

Unfortunately, frosty mornings do not mean water should not be fetched. B was ready and willing to brave the elements.

 

Family and staff gather around the morning fire to receive instructions for the day.

The daily routine was the same as the day before, and the afternoon was warm, allowing a brief respite in the form of a walk, which lead to random leaf collecting.

And this leaf!

 

Goodbye little stone house; you’ve served us well again. We look forward to our next event when we can all come together as a family/staff and provide a superb experience for everyone.

 

Cantigny NWTA Grand Encampment 2014

Tags

18th century, living history, Ox Bow Tavern, reenacting

We recently had the Northwest Territory Alliance 40th Anniversary Grand Encampment at Cantigny Park in Wheaton IL. It is a lovely wooded 500 acre park and the tree lined path where we camp is delightful. A friend and I arrived late Fri night and it was cool and misty/rainy and muddy. Not ideal, but we didn’t care because we knew the next two days would eventually bring the sun. Despite the cool (read: 40F) temps at night, we managed to survive. One of my soldier friends set up his extra tent for us, which was so kind. My friend and I worked at the tavern and a good time was had by all!! We served 150 meals total this weekend – our largest ever. Here are some photos from the event…

 

I was a meat monger!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had two tents this time for the Ox Bow; one was for the patrons and had four walls which was nice protection against the wind and cold for both days. This tent doubled as our prep kitchen and extra seating.

 

 

Patron tent

 

 

Inside full of patrons for day time meals

 

 

And at night time for libations!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A smattering of photos of tavern staff life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cantigny Ladies of the Ox Bow!

 

 

 

It makes me laugh

Tags

18th Century blue striped linen jacket

You know what makes me laugh? Going back and reading posts where I write things like, “I’m going to totally just focus on making our dresses for Waterloo.” (Okay that’s not a direct quote, but that’s the gist of it). A month after that post, what am I working on? A jacket to wear by Aug 30. It’s a basic 18th century jacket, not needed for Waterloo and not appropriate for any other time period except the 18th century and because as I’ve mentioned before, I crave the rush of sewing right up to the last minute. Ha.

Yesterday I washed my fashion fabric and lining – both delightfully lightweight linens from WM Booth. Then today I started to cut out the pieces. I’ve yet to cut out the striped fashion fabric; so far I only have the lining cut out. However, I’m very excited to work on this *hopefully* simple project. I can’t decide yet if I want to dress up this garment in any way. I really like the style of self-made ruffly ribbon trim from the fashion fabric like these:

And then a neat black little silk bow right in the front center at the top would look really smart. My other jacket is a darker solid blue linen and more of an every day/work/middle class garment. Therefore, I wouldn’t mind having a little bit fancier jacket. But then I think, oh no, I really want/need another working garment. I can’t decide!!!!!