Tiger Lily's Threads

Disclaimer :  Due to the nature of this blog entry, I do warn that there will be some  uncomfortable and delicate content included in this post pertaining to slavery in the 18th century.  This past weekend, I spent all of Saturday and Sunday in early the 1770's  fully immersed in the lifestyle of what it was like to live  and work in the mid 18th century Maryland. I was expecting the weather to be frigid like the polar storm we had not too long ago, but it seemed like the weather was more favorable (in fact, it felt like an early spring). The participants of the big event were close friends and new acquaintances and the visitors who came really enjoyed talking with everyone and learning second-hand what we all experienced first hand such as sleeping outside in wooden cabins with nothing but the fireplace and bodies of people you either just met or have known for years to keep you warm. We experienced eating authentic 18th century foods, learning how to wri...

Disclaimer : Due to the nature of this blog entry, I do warn that there will be some out of date terms that are not exactly politically correct. If you are uncomfortable, please understand that these were words used throughout the 18th-20th century to define a group of people, and does not reflect my views or beliefs.  This weekend coming, I will be participating in an experiment at Historic Londontown & Gardens in Edgewater, MD. It is a full on immersion where several reenactors come from all over and do a living history immersion of what the Annapolis area was like in 1770. We will be really roughing it-eating authentic 18th century food, huddling together at night to keep warm by the fire, no electricity, no modern day comforts, and fully portraying our roles/ characters. With that said, I am portraying a young enslaved woman named Beck , who worked for the Fergusons (a very prominent family who lived and worked in Londontown). While there are no real accounts to ...

Hey There! So, I have been a very busy seamstress these past 2 weeks in preparation for an upcoming reenactment weekend in Annapolis, MD. Not only am I deeply immersed in hand sewing my woolen jacket (which I will do a write up later), but I have also been working on some minor and yet major side projects for this event. Here is the short version of the backstory. For this event I am portraying an enslaved woman named Beck who lived and worked in Londontowne (You can read more about her life  here , courtesy of Historic Londontowne and Gardens). While my interpretation of this young lady is mostly a seamstress and a chamber maid, I also speculated that she may have had something like a market wallet in her possession. On a similar note, I definitely needed to make one for myself for future reenactments (rather than walking around with a large basket).  The construction of the market wallet is pretty simple. I ordered a yard of pillow ticking from JoAnn Fabrics, ...

Looking at the list of things I want to make this year I may have to invest in a couple of garment bags and storage boxes overtime, however to my surprise my cosplay goals are a bit on the small side. On the plus side of things I have a strong feeling that as I continue working on projects, overtime I will find new techniques and tutorials to further expand my sewing skills. So let's see what this year has in store.... 18th/19th Century  Linen Half Boned Stays - In progress American Duchess (Simplicity) Stays 1770's Yellow Woolen Caraco Jacket- Completed   market bag w/ blue ticking- Completed Knitted Garters (w/ sock yarn) - Completed Knitted Monmouth Cap - In Progress Copper Silk Taffeta Petticoat Red Silk Taffeta Petticoat 1770's Silk Francaise gown  Jonathan's 18th century banyan (finally!) Striped Blue 1812 Open Robe Gown Cosplay Wonder Woman - My variation Stocking Anarchy bunny suit -PS...

!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2017 has come to a close (...good riddance) and now to welcome in the new year with boxing gloves, prepared and ready for anything 2018 has in store. I'm much wiser and ready.  That being said, 2017 has been a year of good challenges and opportunities. I was introduced to many wonderful people who work in the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation during my Spring internship, .I participated in some really cool reenactments in Yorktown and Londontowne, and I had the opportunity to of course challenge myself at new patterns that I've always dreamed of working with. And let me tell you, now that it's the new year, I am already setting up goals to reach and tackle. So without further delay here's the highlights of 2017.  SPRING  SUMMER FALL  WINTER