Kristen: Christmas Crafts and Celebration!

As of recently, I've noticed that my posts have been...nonexistent! My fiancee is now home, and we've been running from shopping trip to holiday party. Don't think I've stopped sewing; in fact, I have a few recipes and patterns to share!

Felt Owl Ornaments

 Cost: Felt (.55), hot glue ($1-5)

Time: 30 minutes or less

Skill Level: Easy! Cut shapes, glue pieces on, and then simple stitch around!

Cinnamon Glue Ornaments

Cost: Elmer's Glue ($1), Cinnamon ($1), Applesauce ($1). Makes 15 ornaments.

Time: 1-2 hours mixing, cutting out shapes. 1-2 hours baking.

Skill Level: Try not to set yourself on fire with the oven. Other than that, easy.

Awesome Christmas Brunch

Egg Cups

Ingredients: Egg, Cheese, Hash Browns

Steps: Mix ingredients, fill sprayed cupcake tins 2/3 way full. Cook until outsides brown.

Banana Bread

Ingredients: Mashed banana, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, fruit

Steps: Mix ingredients, bake at 375 until outsides brown.

Cran-Pecan-Brie Baguette

Ingredients: Brie, french loaf, maple syrup, brown sugar, pecans, craisins. 

Steps: Lightly bake baguette, heat syrup/sugar, add brie and other ingredients on top.

It has been a most excellent Christmas! I am so lucky to have a wonderful fiancee who puts up with me and my crafting craziness. He certainly enjoyed the food, as did my family! 

Happy Holidays to you and your family!

~Kristen

Kristen: 9 Homemade Civil War Christmas Gift Ideas

Perhaps the most fulfilling time of year approaches: Christmas. Nothing fills me with more joy than battling through crowds on black Friday and wrestling an old lady for a necessary Tickle-Me-Elmo. Please note the sarcastic tone I've taken thus far...

I've decided to come up with a list of gift ideas, just little things with the Civil War reenactor in mind. All of these have been featured with tutorials on my blog, so if you're new or want pictures, I've made it easy! So far, here's a list to get you started:

1. Travel bags: I have a post here that shows how to make these. It could be an afternoon project!

Cost: These can be made with leftover materials, or you could go all out! $0-$100

Time: I tend to take breaks while sewing. If you make this simple with less embellishment and use a sewing machine, this could be a 2-6 hour project.

Skill Level: Sewing intermediate. Need to know basic stitch and buttonhole.

2. Thread Waxer: It's an acorn, how can you not love it! I can show you how to make that here.

Cost: Beeswax ($10), play-dough ($1), string/soutache ($1), bead cap ($1-$3). Total about $15-$20, making dozens of them.

Time: At least 2 hours, plus wax melting time.

Skill Level: Not setting yourself on fire, patience.

3. Handkerchief: Really easy, an awesome gift for men and women, tutorial found here.

Cost: About $9 a yard here, with that making at least 3-4 hankies. Thread from stash.

Time: 2-3 hours each, depending on skill level.

Skill Level: Sewing Intermediate, hidden stitch.
****Special Note! Make your hems much smaller than I did!

4. Hair Flower: I've tried the basic gimping technique multiple times here, here, and here. A very unique gift, especially when placed inside of a necklace. If you can make one, it will be a very unique and thoughtful gift, especially for a loved one! 

Cost: $0-$15, depending on the jewelry/frame you put it in

Time: Practice makes perfect! Anywhere from 4-8 hours. 

Skill Level: Wrapping hair around a stick. Seems easy, incredibly frustrating!

5. Housewife: I have a housewife tutorial, right here. Can be good for both men and women!

Cost: $0-20. Honestly, this cost me about $5 for scraps and all the twill tape.

Time: 2-3 hours, with generous eating time allotted.

Skill Level: Sewing Intermediate, basic and invisible stitch. 

6. Spectacle Case: Can be for males or females! Check it out here.

Cost: Leftover supplies, 1/2 yard fabric and cotton soutache. Total $3-10 with leftover supplies.

Time: 3-4 hours

Skill Level: Sewing Intermediate, whip stitch and tacking down soutache.

7. Basic "hiding" bags: A gift any reenactor will love! See it done here.

Cost: Probably free from stash-leftover fabric, any thread.

Time: 10 minutes or less. I've got it down to 3.

Skill Level: Sewing basic, or machine perfection!

8. Cooler cover: One of the best presents I ever made myself! If you need a different thing covered, just make sure to get the right measurements!

Cost: About $10 for fabric, more if using actually treated stuff.

Time: An hour or two with the sewing machine, more if by hand.

Skill Level: Sewing basic, emphasis on measuring skill!

9. Beaded Butterfly: Are you in the mood for butterflies? These things make the perfect little additions to bonnets or hair pieces. Documentation was used to support nature's colorful friends.

Cost: $5-10, beads and wire.

Time: 15-30 minutes

Skill Level: A good set of eyes and finger dexterity

Happy gift-making everyone! And if you don't feel like making anything, you can always check out my etsy shop, The Victorian Needle.

~Kristen

Kristen: Jane Austen's Birthday Party!

Let me preface this post with the following statement: I need sleep. If at times my text is confusing, I apologize! Within the past week I've participated in a Civil War Christmas "party," Jane Austen's birthday party complete with Regency dress and underpinnings, wrote /edited a 15 page paper, and finished a website for class (http://18thcenturyclothing.weebly.com/). Yet it was all worth it! You've already read my post here about my Civil War party...now for Jane Austen's birthday!

 I am a proud member of JASNA, the Jane Austen Society of North America. This fall I went to a tea party/book discussion that I mentioned in a previous post. I was ecstatic to be invited to a birthday celebration for Ms. Austen with such a lovely group of women, and at the Inn at St. John's, a former seminary!

The chapel itself was gorgeous! I was one of only a few women who dressed in Regency attire, so there was a *gasp* when I walked into the room! After a short blessing we headed down to the banquet room, where a party was set to honor Jane Austen's birthday!

We first started with a toast...and since I didn't have my license (left in the car) they wouldn't serve me champagne! My 26th birthday in one week, and I toasted with sparkling grape juice! Everyone at the table had a good laugh at that one...After our meal, we sang "Happy Birthday" and ate some cake.

Our host had little prizes for the tables if we could answer enough trivia about Pride and Prejudice without the use of modern devices. One of the women at my table could nearly quote the book! We didn't win, but I did learn A LOT about the text itself, and that I truly was in a room of Austenites! They also had a little lending library and games that we could admire. Did you know Jane Austen has an action figure????

Did I mention that everyone kept snapping pictures of me? I was quite a novelty; one women even commented that I looked like dear Jane herself! I take pride in the time/research that I invested in this ensemble. 

Finally, I had to return home. Along the way I stopped at my Aunt's house to hem my cousin's choir dress. I made her take a few pictures, since the lighting at the party was difficult. I'm reminded of how well everything fell together. Seven yards of light yellow cotton voile fabric, several feet of embroidered leaves, a set of short stays, a sleeveless chemise, white stockings, dainty black slippers, perfectly curled hair with grecian hair band, my own teardrop pearl earrings, reproduction ring, and a silk/wool shawl imported from India...so many pieces had to fall together *just so* in order to make this work. I'm glad it did! As my first Regency wardrobe, it certainly displays the advancement of my sewing skills.

It has finally happened...I am an Austenite! It's not enough to read her writing...I needed to spend some time in "her clothing" to truly understand her. 

Now I shall SLEEP! That is, until I start sewing for The Historical Sew Fortnightly...more on that later, you nosy reader you...

~Kristen

Check out my 18th Century Website!

http://18thcenturyclothing.weebly.com/

Christmas at Fort Wayne

This is the second time I have had the opportunity to participate in the amazing event that is Fort Wayne. I've visited the fort numerous times, and you can read one of the events here. This time, however, was special. We celebrated Christmas, and we did it completely in 1st person. Yes, I stayed in character the ENTIRE time!

 I was Mr. Giorlando's daughter, and Larissa's stepdaughter. With Rosalia as my sister, we were up to no good the entire event! Also note the pretty plaid green/blue dress; I *barely* finished it in time! It's hot off the sewing room table...

 Andrea played my cousin, and of course us ladies kept busy with either sewing or knitting. It was lovely to sit and relax for a change. Usually I am running all over an event, but I was able to sit and actually get some work done!

 My dear Aunt Sarah (Sandy Root) brought along decorations, which filled the home with a festive air. Andrea and I had an interesting time adorning the stairs, though when we finished, we were awarded with the joyous company of our family!

Of course we had fun whilst celebrating the holiday. My Father even delighted us with his playacting experience, and my Uncle lent me his pipe! Also, let it be known that more popcorn ended up in my mouth, rather than the Christmas tree. Perhaps the reason I love this celebration so much is because it warrants a bit of silliness in every heart.

I should also add that we were able to eat dinner in the dining room! While I caught no pictures of the beautiful meal, we were able to snap a quick *shiny* pic at the end. Everyone brought a dish to share, and we were served by my Aunt Sarah's servants, Agnes and Candace. Ham, cheeses, pickles, mustards, cranberry, pudding cake, cookies...and a cup of hot spiced cider to top it off! I was nearly bursting out of my corset!

We sang carols a bit later (I offended everyone's ears with my horrific voice...) and eventually listened to Father read the last chapter of A Christmas Carol. By that time the meal had my eyes heavy with sleep...seven hours of celebrating has that effect on a person!

 At the end, when we all broke character, we realized just how many people had visited during the tours. Fort Wayne gave nearly 300 people a tour of Christmas along various stops. We were an affluent family in the Commander's old house, but there were also others: the Lincolns, a poor southern family, a group of officers, soldiers in the barracks, a hospital, and a blacksmith. This tour was also very inexpensive; at $5 a person, an entire family could enjoy live history for less than a movie!

The people taking care of the Fort are excellent! They are doing their best to recreate the Fort with very little money...those of you familiar with Detroit's financial crisis know how difficult it is to allocate funds towards historical preservation. Through these events and other resources, the Fort will one day be transformed into its original state! If you would like to donate, you can do so here.

I returned home exhausted, but so excited by the amazing events that transpired throughout our celebration. Thank you to everyone who made this possible for me, and happy holidays to all!

~Kristen

***I have two finals and another event to prepare for in the next 4 days. Yikes!!!