Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Gearing Up

I am on a mission.  I am preparing for the reenacting season to begin.  We continue to do some events on lesser scale during the winter, but we really get moving in late spring when it is warm enough to camp.  This year I am determined that we will have enough clothes for each day of our longest event which is at Greenfield Village over Memorial Day.  In order to get this done we will need:
Pookie
3 drawers
1 chemises
2 petticoats
2 dresses
alter one dress
3 pairs stockings

Little Bear
2 drawers
3 under-dresses
2 dresses
3 stockings

Wonder Boy
1 shirt altered
1 pants
3 pairs socks
nightshirt

Jophus
2 shirts
2 pants
3 pairs socks

Charlie
2 shirts
civilian pants- we are doing an even where soldiers enlist and receive their uniforms.  We also decided that it would be nice for Charlie to be able to change into cooler clothes after a day on the battlefield.
socks
nightshirt
drawers

Me
1 dress
2 drawers
nightgown

Eek!  There is more of course, but these are the most important pieces. After that we can move onto important, but not necessary things like pinafores, caps and jackets.  After that is done we will get to the flourishes like slippers.

Sometime in early February I took out all of our 19th century clothes and made everyone try everything on, taking notes.  I boxed the things that were worn out, too big or too small.  I made piles of the things that had to be mended or altered.  The I looked though the fabric we got for Christmas and I assigned or let the children pick what they wanted.  I sketched the dresses I wanted to make for the little guys and  made detailed notes about petticoat and skirt length etc.

I have been sewing like crazy since then.  My sewing list now looks like this:
Pookie

3 drawers
1 chemises
2 petticoats
2 dresses
1 altered dress
3 pairs stockings

Little Bear
2 drawers
3 under-dresses
2 dresses
3 stockings

Wonder Boy
1 shirt altered
1 pants
3 pairs socks
nightshirt

Jophus
2 shirts
2 pants
3 pairs socks

Charlie
2 shirts
civilian pants- we are doing an even where soldiers enlist and receive their uniforms. We also decided that it would be nice for Charlie to be able to change into cooler clothes after a day on the battlefield.
socks
nightshirt
drawers

Me
1 dress
2 drawers
nightgown

I am making progress.  I do still have all the hand finishing to do, but I am going to a sewing day at a friend's house and will complete the last bits there.  When things are completely done I will be posting pictures.  I am very pleased with how things have turned out.