Costume Triumphs & Disasters

First it was the 20-minute bloomers and the Ebay-sale corset.

Then the chemise - a piece of undergarment that is definitely not worth killing oneself over, but I tried, I really did . . .

Didn't quite sew the whole workdress I was hoping for, but I did acquire a decent cage hoop and figured a way to extend the skirt without adding barmaid tassles.

Then, in a fit of I-don't-know-what-I-was-thinking, I tore my (admittedly anachronistic) bonnet to bits and  inadvertently invented the baseball cap . . .

One of these reenactments, I'll actually have a new DRESS to show off.  One of these days. . .

Moorepark: The Chore List

Reenactments (in this case, the biggest one of the year, for the West Coast: Moorepark) only happen every 2 or 3 months at most.  Seems like that would be plenty of time to get stuff found/sewn/finished/gathered, etc., right?  Hah.  Not so much.

Usually, you get to the point where it's 1.5 weeks down to the wire and you're sitting at your computer in your period-underwear wondering where the dickens the time went.

This list is mostly for my benefit - but I thought it might be best posted to a public spot so I can get a little accountability into the picture ;-)  By category, in no particular order:

For Laundry Display
1. Go to antique-store/curiosity shop and look for laundry accoutrements: clothes brush, bottles for bluing and starch, period clothes-pins, ledger-book (Check).
2. Make up a chalk-board with "prices"
2.5 Write out 2-3 pages of "ledger"
3. Wax/Seal the inside of main washtub
4. Wash-out copper boiler
5. Buy some more lye soap. (I give up trying to make my own until, um, next time)
6. Solicit donations of un-needed period clothes from fellow reenactors so I actually have washing to display (Check)
7. Buy a wicker basket (Check)
8. Ask Joel if I can borrow some of his boxes to use as tub-stands. (Check 11/4)
9. Lay out your tubs in back-yard and decide how you want to display things.
10. Read-through how-to manual and take some notes. (Half-Check 11/4)

Clothing:
1. Wash/Iron dress. (Ugghh!!!) (Washed, 11/4)(Skirt & Apron Ironed, 11/8)
1.5 Sew finishing touches on Apron (Check, 11/8)
2. Take-out waist on new petticoat/add button (Check 11/6).
3. Remind Katie to bring dress for me to borrow so I don't have to go all weekend in one gown (Check).
4. Take-in yoke on chemise so it shows less back (Check 11/5).
5. Add trim to bottom of skirt (fairly low on priority list.  (Check 11/11).

In General: 
1. Send-in eating money. (Check)
2. Practice drop-spinning (Half-Check)
3. Pack trunks with food/eating utensils/accessories, etc.
4. Pack bag with clothes, under-clothes, toiletries.
5. Pack warm sleeping-bag & good mat.
6. Print out sheets with songs in case people want to sing some folk-songs together.
7. Learn lyrics to "Garden Hymn," "Friendship Hymn" and "Occam's Carol."

Phew!!!  Okay, now I'm going to go to bed and put all this off 'til TOMORROW!!! Or the next day . . . ;-)