Tuesday projects

I've been working on a few things for reenactment over the past few weeks. One is this awesome hat:


Yes, its ostentatious, yes, its in your face...but, hey! Every girl should have something in your face to wear. Especially back in colonial times. I really dislike being a colonial woman, the hat makes me feel better, I tell people in camp I stole it from an English woman after I beat her up :-P We bought the grey felt hat and the feathers in Saratoga, I added the lace and made it a Tri-corn.

In some ways I'm looking forward to the French and Indian era better. Mike will be drilling with the Melice (french militia) and I'll have the opportunity to dress not as an English colonial woman, but as a native. sooooo much more comfortable!!

That's why I'm working on this:




Its going to be a belt that belts my wrap skirt (a rectangular piece of wool wrapped around your waist and is belted..no sewing!!!! wooooootttttt!!). A wool skirt could be warm, but its only one layer of clothing as opposed to the many that the colonial women wore during the revolutionary war. yikes. AND..they wear moccasins! Not the uncomfortable black shoes and stocking. Heaven I tell you.

If we end up going to Louisbourg (In Nova Scotia), we'll have our own dining fly..which means I get to cook for our family. You might be saying "oh, you poor thing" right about now..but trust me, for a control freak like I am..this is a good thing. I need my own space. So I dug out the cast iron dutch oven a few days ago, and soaked it in vinegar, sanded it with sand paper and did my absolute best to de-rust it enough to cook on it. So now it sits, seasoned and ready to go:


We're just waiting to find out if we got the home equity loan because without it a trip that far (I'm budgeting about $500 in gas...crazy but its about $70 whenever I fill up now..so $500 probably won't go very far) will probably be impossible.