Welcome to the Preenactment...

Preenactment: n. the weekend before a reenactment, usually filled with various and sundry reenacting-oriented projects, only 50% of which will actually be finished before zero-hour.

This weekend consisted of finishing off the button-holes and hem for my new workdress.  Tah-Dah!  (It only took me 3 months to make...). 

           

I made the mistake of going to Joanne's to pick up more thread.  After being sucked into the vortex of New-Seamstress-Retail-Doom (40% off final purchase coupons!!), I came home with this new fabric in my bag (NO idea how they got there):

 So, I decided the dress needed something - maybe a bonnet?  I set to work:

Then, of course the cat wanted in on the action:

I ended up having to call for back-up in the form of the Sunny Seamstress, who cheerfully spent this afternoon coaxing me through my first slat-bonnet.  Here we have the finished product modeled by a local:

Self-titled, "Bro-Peep"

The Seamstress also helped wax the inside of my washtub (a two-person Preenactment task if there ever was one) and together we planned the menu for Knotts.  Now I just have to pick up laundry to wash from various non-participants in the troop, wash my dresses, collect and pack my various sundries and I'm ready for the first reenactment of the year!  

At this point in the game I always wish I had done more research - my book on Winchester civilians is still languishing, and my laundress manual isn't near memorized.  This is where the improv skills learned in acting classes at LBCC come in handy.