Busy Month

So this has been a fairly busy month for us (or maybe just me). I spent the first three weeks sewing like a crazy woman. I was attempting to make two new tunics for a couple of guys in our regiment, but in the end the yellow wool was not available in time. My focus shifted then, and I spent last week sewing for John. We raided Ogdensburg on Saturday again, and surprise, surprised we won again. It is not the best sight for a battle, as far as spectators go, but it is nice to be able to get together with our friends through the winter and not just the summer. After the dinner we went to the ball again, and I finally got a picture of my ball gown. You can't really tell, but the top is smocked, and I embroidered around the hem. I think John and I make a very handsome couple. Now I just have to make Parker some civilian clothes for 1812, and we are fully set (and some new military pants, he grew).

Fan

We went "antiquing" this weekend. We have a couple of local shops that we like to browse through. Once in awhile, we find some really neat things that we want or would be useful for our reenacting. Of course at the same time we are always looking for a deal. Hubby found the most amazing fan. It needs some work, though. It is an oriental silk embroidered fan. The silk has come off of the ribs though. This being said, we got it for $5. I am going to try to remove the glue stains before reattaching the silk, and then it will be my fancy fan for 1812 reenactments. It had rice paper glued between the ribs and the fabric, so I will probably use some of my acid-free paper. I have learned that the symbols on the bottom of the box say Autumn, and that the label on the end is a poem, but some of the words are missing. I am assuming that the symbols on the tips of each rib are numbers, but am fascinated with the carving on each of the end pieces. It is so intricate and detailed. It really is an amazing find, that we are so excited about.