ladysprite | Pout Cry Sniff

Current Mood: cranky
Current Music: 'Pity Party,' Three Wyrd Sisters

Pout Cry Sniff

Damnit. Damnit, damnit, damnit.

It's been forever and a day since I've had a chance to play in a weekend-long LARP. I miss the intense roleplaying, I miss the immersion, I miss the people, I miss everything. And in about three weeks, there's a really amazing game coming up. I've missed so many due to schedule, but I had finally managed to arrange my life and my schedule so that I could go.

Oh, well.

It's set in the Victorian era. I have costuming for just about every time period from 1100 to 1850, and from 1920 forward, give or take, but nothing in between. And my costume source just backed out on me. For perfectly legitemate and understandable reasons, and I can't be mad at her, but just the same this leaves me utterly and completely unprepared, three weeks out.

No costume, no game. From what I've been told, this is a game with fairly high production values, and I don't think showing up in jeans and a T-shirt would be looked upon kindly. And I don't have the time to learn how to make the costume for myself. Hell, I don't even have a particularly good idea of what the costume should be - all the references I can find just show upper-class party clothes, not lower-class work clothes. So I doubt I could even rent or buy something, even if I could afford it - my experience with costume rental places is that they tend more towards the fancy.

No Brassy's Men for me, damnit. And I was really, really, REALLY looking forward to it. I know that, in the grand scheme of things, this is a minor problem and that I really have no right to whine, but... it's my journal, and I feel whiny right now.

And the sleeves on my camicia are probably uneven. And there are still dishes to be done, and the handle on my basket for tomorrow broke, and Word is foiling my every attempt to write up a set of notes for teaching tomorrow, and I never got my ice cream.

I want a do-over on today.

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Try Dina at "Cloak and Dagger"? Most of what she has already made is Medieval-ish, but in three weeks, she probably could make something Victorian for you.

http://www.cloakmaker.com/

Oof - unfortunately, her prices are way, way out of my league. If a T-tunic dress is $130, I shudder to think how much a historically accurate Victorian getup would cost.

Thank you for the pointer, though - I may have to check out some of her stuff for other types of costuming....

I retract my suggestion of contacting Dina for quick production of a costume.

Dina gave birth to Olivia Flockhart this morning.
---Ben

Talk to Patri.

He may have a source that would be able to costume you, or to loan you one if you are close enough size and you promised to be very careful with it.

This is a very good suggestion. Frankly, Patri's family are closer to your size than most people, and they have a lot of Victorian clothing. It wouldn't surprise me if they'd be willing to loan you something...

Victorian women's work clothes? that covers quite a long period of time, but you should be able to get by with a shirtwaist and skirt. Not that difficult. You could probably buy some vintage clothing -- you are tiny enough to fit into it! Check out these patterns here, especially the "Schoolmistress Shirtwaist & Skirt" by Folkwear. If you found the right blouse, all you would to do is make the skirt. I assume that you have some kind of corsetry that will work for you.

One of these days I want to make a frock coat and full Victorian ensemble myself, complete with starched collars. Because you just never know when you might need it.

The patterns are amazing - I wish I had found that site when I was looking a few months ago.

Hunting down something vintage just might work. I don't have an sort of appropriate corset, since I'm pretty sure my Elizabethan one is the utterly wrong shape, and I'm not sure I'd have time to make the skirt, but.... if I can find a blouse, I might be able to find a skirt....

(And thank you, thank you, thank you for the pattern link. In a perfect scenario, I might be able to hunt myself down a more talented, more speedy seamstress with more time on her hands.....)

Found some pictures via Google; seems to be mostly high-necked blouses and long, slightly bustled skirts.

http://images.google.com/images?q=victorian+factory+women

You're tiny, and I've got some victorian vintage clothes.... We could talk about what you need and see if I've got it.

Honestly? There are plenty of folks in Brassy's who do a high-quality fake-up of the period clothing, including me. Last game, the full black skirt I'd ordered hadn't arrived in time, so I just wore a straight ankle-length skirt that's part of my work wardrobe. I rarely pull off a bustle on anything. And Miss Trent apparently spent all her money on one really fabulous evening gown that she now has to wear to every event. =) No one ever criticizes an honest attempt to look not-modern.

Seriously, don't skip the game because you don't have the exact costuming, I'm telling you. If you have a high-necked or poet blouse and a long skirt, you will be costumed as accurately as at least half the game if not more. Come, and play, and have a blast (because the campaign is SO fun) and worry about fancy costuming next time. I'll even make you a marvy little hat if it will make you feel more period!

If you have time to do a little sewing, I can loan you my Folkwear Walking Skirt pattern. It's a very simple floor-length skirt with a slightly gathered back. I made mine in a couple of days. The placket arrangement is a tad tricky, but I can talk you through it. Ignore the directions for a button and buttonhole on the waistband and just use a flat hook & bar. I made the street length version in red linen and (except for having no pockets) is one of my favorite skirts. Even floor length, you could probably incorporate into your regular wardrobe, especially after you get a real Victorian party frock.

I also have a pattern for a Civil War era corset that we could make at some future date (like after Pennsic....)

*hug*

If you were close enough for fittings, I'd do something amazingly crazy and offer to make you a Victorian walking skirt and jacket outfit. I'm guessing you could find a proper hat somewhere. Barring such flights of insanity on my part, the walking skirt and matching jacket is a great example of a Victorian lady's outfit that can be put together without too much time required. (or walking skirt and shirtwaist, for summer weather)

A floorlength dark skirt, and a high-necked white button front shirt should be fine. Dress them with some accessories (a cameo, a parasol, a clutch, etc.) and you'll be the belle of the ball. There is no need to either break the bank or your fingers to make this work.

While the upper-class clothing changes every few minutes, what the dockworkers and gypsies wore didn't change much for decades. Wear what you have and no one will blink.

I promise a big hug if you come!

Wear what I have?

What I have is a bunch of 1300's-to-1550's-era English dresses, two 1850's ballgowns (complete with hoops), and a flapper dress. None of them particularly appropriate for the setting or the character, unfortunately.

I'm going to spend tomorrow trying to hunt down a decent skirt and blouse - I won't give up quite so easy now that I know options exist. But wearing what I have isn't really an option....

As Victoria became Queen in 1847, seems that your 1850 costume should be permissible. Unless of course they require clothing a particular section of her reign which lasted 63 years.

Opps, slip of the finger on keyboard

Queen Victora ascended the throne in *1837*

Hi Dr. Becky

Sorry I'm using your LJ for personal e-mail but I was hoping to ask a question. Is there a way to find out a vet's reputation aside from word of mouth? We have a cat that we adopted from our tenants and have no idea where to bring her other than her former vet but we don't want to drag her needlessly to Boston if there is a closer option here in Mehtuen, or even Salem NH.

Any advice you can give would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Jamie and Dan SKA - Jacob and Dan

I really think you should write the GM's about this. Your character may be critical to some plots and dropping last minute might affect the game of other players. I don't pretend to have an answer to female fashion but I would like to believe that something could be arranged. There is a Brassy's List of people.

I agree with smith_e and will e-mail you about this. We are a bit more forgiving and flexible about costuming than you seem to think we are.

I know that the GM's are flexible, and I didn't mean to imply that I would be banned from the game. But for myself, in a high-immersion, roleplaying-heavy game with high production values, it's almost impossible for me to get immersed in character without some kind of costume.

The issues are strictly on my end, and I apologize for any implication otherwise. And I had no intention of spoiling anyone else's game by my failure to attend; I honestly figured in those circumstances things would just be less spoiled by my absence than by my presence.

I'm willing to bet you the price of a new professionally made costume that if you post your size and dilemma to the Brassy_talk mailing list that you'll get at least two separate offers of costumes that will fit you and your part.

Oh, I have no doubt that you're right.

Unfortunately, I really wouldn't feel comfortable doing that - I'm new to the campaign, not having played in any of the previous episodes, and it would feel kind of like an imposition to ask that, out of the blue, can people please give me costumes just because I want them.

I'll be there; apparently I have an obligation to do so. :) And I'll figure out something to wear that isn't hoopskirts or sideless surcotes. I just wasn't expecting this hurdle, and wasn't quite prepared to deal with it......

What size are you?

It varies, but I mostly range between a women's size 3-7. 5/6 is usually a safe bet. I'm short, but I'm willing to pin hems up if need be, or wear heels....

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