Welcome to the first Sunday Lately of 2019! If you are new to Sunday Lately, it is a weekly series featuring three prompts to get us writing and sharing. Each blogger can interpret these topics however they choose in their post. Then we all link back to Katy to share with each other.
Obsessing:
Today, I start a new and exciting adventure. I am volunteering at a local history museum about 18th-century French fur trade in Illinois. Originally, I thought I was just going to be helping by doing mundane office tasks like making copies and answering phones. Turns out it is so much more than that. I will be there one day a week giving tours to field trip students and talking about history. What’s even better, and totally didn’t realize when I signed up, is that I also get to dress in period costume one Sunday every month for their monthly Living History demo! This is where the Brigade of volunteers dress up and spend the day reenacting life. Guests come to watch and learn about frontier life. There are even special events that our brigade can attend to meet with other reenactor groups. I know I know, I am a giant nerd, but I don’t care because I get to make and wear a fun costume.
Now, I have quite the closet of Tudor and Elizabethan garments and accessories, but I do not have anything 18th century. I have done a lot of research on 17th century England but not much on 18th-century French fur trade. This past week I have been obsessively scouring the interwebs searching for resources. I have been pinning like mad. I even have a couple of books that came in yesterday from Amazon to help me understand life in the frontier. As far as costuming goes, I have also been lusting over some patterns from J.P. Ryan and shoes from American Duchess. I tend to go towards the more high-class nobility garments, which I know are not going to work for this, so I have not bought any pieces yet. After today I will have a better idea of what kind of garments to make and what accessories I need to find.
Perusing:
I was a terrible blogger and blog reader in 2018. I miss blogging and I miss reading about what everyone is making. I have been primarily on Instagram for 2018 and while it is more instant, you do not get the depth of postings as you do with blogs. This weekend I am getting back into blog reading and chatting with you all. I am really enjoying reading about everyone’s 2019 goals and Make Nine plans.
I just jumped on the Make Nine challenge for 2019 too. I sew way more than nine garments a year but we will see if I can commit to making these specific ones before I get bored or distracted by something else.
Praising:
Speaking of getting caught up on blogs, I need to give praise where praise is due. Here are a few of the standouts from what I have read so far.
Manju from Sewmanju always kills it with her style and her 2018 wrap up post is full of gorgeous pieces I wish I had in my wardrobe.
Sara wrote a beautiful, what I am going to call, love letter about how sewing helped her find herself again in 2018.
Girls in the Garden’s, Lori, made this absolutely fabulous floral rayon blouse. Sadly, the fabric is sold out, but I can dream.
Jenny has written a great inspirational piece about sewing for the body you have now. This is a must read!
Check out the FB Blogger Tribe group for a list of future Sunday Lately topics. I hope you will join us! What are you obsessing, perusing, and praising this week?
I. Cannot. Wait. to see what you make for your costume!!! How amazing is this? While not the same, we’ve been toying with cosplay and joining the local 501st. Nerding our and wearing something amazing that I got to create? I mean….it’s perfect for us dorks, isn’t it?
Yes! Do it! I think this would be fun to do too. Maybe I need to look into a local group for us. I know my husband would love any excuse to buy a fancy lightsaber.
A costume sounds amazing. So not my area of expertise, but I love seeing others’ period sewing and costuming -it’s always so awe inspiring to me. That sounds like fun!
Thanks! I am so excited to get started.
Your new adventure sounds really fun! I can’t wait to see what your costume will look like once completed. As a teacher who has gone on field trips to museums like yours let me tell you the kids are always really excited when their guide is as excited as them. I hope you enjoy this adventure.
Thanks! I am pretty excited to share my love of history with little kids.