The Game Plan--Background

Although I have attended reenactment events for years, I have always been an outsider--volunteer or watcher. This year, being the 250 celebration of the Battle of Carillon, I thought I might get my feet wet and actually dress.

Towards that end, I spend weeks checking on fabrics, pattens, the differences between New France and the other colonies. The usual. I knew what I was aiming at, sorta. A personage much like myself. Take a lot of French from here and there, add some Dutch, a little of the British Isles, a bit of Mohawk, Abenaki, etc. and see what kind of a mess can be rendered.

For my first foray, I settled on a man's shirt pattern by La Fleur de Lyse. The shirt I built with a lovely off white linen I found at Joanne's (on sale!). A blue stripped linen petticoat pleated to tape and made with materials from Wm Booth Draper. These were mixed with a set of jumps made from a Mill Farm pattern. These I fabricated from hemp canvas, brown or plain linen exterior, reeds and more tape.

It took one sibling and one niece to get me into the jumps. This may be because it was our first time at such an endeavour. Maybe it was because I modified the pattern to be front and back lacing without ever having made a set of jumps before. Maybe it was getting all of the fabric of the petticoat trapped against my waist under the jumps. Maybe ....

Once gussied up, off to the Fort we went my husband as chauffeur, and me in mid 1700's rags--and no one, not a soul, took a picture!

The event was a blast (at least on my part). My husband was bored (he did not say this directly). And I learned several things.

A double length of tape is not the best for holding the front of the coat in place. That is, running the tape around the back of my waist, then bringing it to the front of my waist allowed the tension on the tape to shift over time, letting the front of the skirt sag. I must alter the tape that holds the front of my petticoat to avoid this the next time out.

English style jumps are not supposed to be worn as outerwear in public situations, it is, and was, apparently, frowned upon. When it rains, and we had quite the deluge, wet reeds warmed by my body become, um, pliable. Not quite so staid anymore. To more accurately portray someone of mixed French heritage, a colorful set of French cut jumps with tied on sleves and boning only at the front opening to keep the garment's form would have been more appropriate.

Red silk scarves, modesty pieces, or sweat bands, bleed when very, very wet. As do green cotton fishing caps worn by husbands humoring their wives. My shirt has a bit of discoloration along the collar. Oh well, the worn in look. (Note to self, find green camo hat made of nylon, hide cotton hat.)

And never, never, wear running shoes.

In the Beginning

Today, while setting up this blog, my father told me that his mother had been a member of the King's Daughters. A tid bit that had not previously seen light. I must consider this tonight.