On 3/27/2010 12:38 PM, Käthe Barrows wrote:
There is a magic in creating something that the SCA has lost a bit of since
I joined in 1979.
I should have mentioned that I am a Laurel in costuming, and have been
for some time. I understand the magic of trying to make something as
closely as possible to the original, and I encourage it as much as is
humanly possible. My preferred period is Herician/Elizabethan (lots of
fitting) and do it well enough to have gotten my Laurel in it. I do the
corsetry not only to smooth out the upper body, but to help my back
since it supports it far better than a bra. For the Steam Punk I have a
completely different corset, and use the "Mature Figure" gowns ( I think
hour-glass as a concept was born in the Mauve Generation.)
When I started, you took a wedding gown pattern and altered it and got
all sorts of big eyes when it did work out. Then we learned about metal
grommets. We learned about plaquets (they didn't have them). Finally
wonderful people like Margo did pattern lines for anything from the body
on up.
As for the old chestnut about telling someone "that's not period" not
being period. I just wish someone would enforce it by gently and
humorously stopping the problem at the source rather than spreading a
single occasion all over the internet as though it happened at every
event constantly. If it has happened to you, I'm sorry. I tend to
prefer the wide eyed "really? What would you do to make it better"?
I still can't wear either my SCA or Steam Punk outfits to work. I don't
tend to find the type of business clothing offered to us off the rack
types to be beautiful and appropriate no matter how I corset myself. I
still love the SCA and Steam Punk events where I can wear things with
glitz or lace.
I also like the concept of putting found objects together to get
something else that works. I remember being told that the wonder finial
on one person's tent was actually an antique toilet float, spray painted
gold. The same person had another that consisted of a basket ball, a
large soft ball, and a tennis ball, one atop the other all painted gold
for another finial.
Reworking found objects; wearing glitz and lace and meeting many other
people who actually think and read and... is the thing that keeps me
coming back. Certainly no one in my office, all of whom have
responsible jobs as do I thinks about much besides their kids, the
football/baseball, other things. Heaven help you if you slip off track
and wear something different (at my age I don't give a flying leap so I
occasionally show up in a Sari, or a Salwar and Camese. I have to avoid
those gowns that need a hood of some type - English or French since I
can't answer the phone well in that.) Fortunately I don't work in a
place that has a dress code.
We are fighting the old battle of the fun mavens versus the period
mavens. Actually we are probably both on the same side in that there is
a very happy medium as well as great joy in getting everything exactly
right and feeling like you stepped out of a painting.
It is the magic of making the found item work as something medieval with
a little tweaking that I sometimes miss in the SCA. In Steam Punk
almost anything goes and laughter is the best medicine. The feeling of
"Oh wow! I never thought of using X for Xy" How cool is that.
Regina
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