This past weekend, we opened up our newly added shoppe doors for this year’s Sherwood Forest Faire season! It was a rainy opening weekend with a chill in the air, perfect for garbing up and having a great time. We have seven more weekends ahead of us, come out and enjoy the festival!
I’ve only recently been introduced to these sisters’ music, and I love their version of the Pirates of the Caribbean music! Check them out, and subscribe to their YouTube channel to get updates when they add new videos.
Back when I was going to school at Amarillo College (2004-2006 range), my Mom and I learned about a little Celtic festival in Amarillo. It didn’t have a lot at the festival, but we found a clan represented there that included last names of our extended family. I bought my first tartan accessory there, a sash in Thompson red. With my family’s general fascination with our heritage, I wanted to have an outfit that reflected some it, and well, I’ve never really liked the look of the other clan tartans we can identify with. So while I found patterns that were inspiration for my Celtic garb, every time I tried to find the Thompson tartan I wanted it was far more than I could afford.
Every now and again I’d search for sources and always come up with the answer that it wasn’t going to happen. But just a couple of weeks ago I searched again, and found an ebay listing for a handmade woman’s kilt in that tartan that was a little small for me, but I had never seen a ready-made women’s kilt in the Thompson tartan. The seller didn’t specify the clan tartan and didn’t know much about it, so I got an amazing deal. I always shy away from altering ready made pieces because I feel like I’ll be wasting a perfectly good thing if I screw it up. I was nervous about taking apart something I considered to be quite precious and putting it back together the way I wanted it. I got it, cleaned it carefully, and last night I reworked it into what I’d wanted for the last decade.
Before altering, the kilt was sized a little small for me and definitely would not be comfortable under a corset like I plan to wear it. After giving it a careful cleaning (soaking in the bathtub with no agitation, rinsing it with the shower-head, and allowing it to drip dry overnight), I started by taking off the buckles, removed its straps, and took the front panels out of the waistband. I didn’t need to pull the whole thing out from the waistband, since I just needed the fronts to be pleated down. The pleats are just about an inch wide, and opened up the front enough to let my linen skirt show underneath. After the buckles were removed, I needed to add on a closure. Thankfully I had one pair of hook and eye pieces left from some of the first Renaissance skirts I’d made. The waistband extends and overlaps the front and now stays on by the hook-and-eye clasp.
I’m excited to wear my new kilt/overskirt to this year’s Sherwood Forest Celtic Gathering outside of Austin, Texas! The gathering will be happening this coming Saturday, September 10.
I’m sad to say my time in Austin is over for now, and I’ve moved up to Grand Prairie, Texas. Of course one of my priorities is getting my sewing space set up, and it’s coming along nicely! It will still be another few days before I can really work in there to get a friend’s order for her trips to the Texas Renaissance Festival done. With Hallowe’en only a week away, I’m also doing what I can to decorate the house! My specifically Hallowe’en decor is on the minimal side since I’ve been in apartments for the last nine years, though I have a good amount of dark items that will be used as general decorating for the house for everyday.
Once I’m set up again, I’ll be reopening my Etsy Shop for ready to ship items, and afterward will be getting all the made to order items back up once my sewing room is fully functional. (For whatever crazy reason, I didn’t label the box that my thread ended up in. Whoops!) I will do my best to update this little ignored blog of mine again, which shall include a project I’ll be tackling next week! I’ll be building a computer desk for one of my work spaces that includes antique Singer brand treadle sewing machine legs. Just one of those little things that I’ve imagined doing for the last few years, though not until now did I have the space to do it.
As I get back to sorting through boxes (and making a huge mess), I’ll leave y’all with a picture of how my boyfriend proposed to me in August!
A few weeks ago, Joel contacted me about possibly shooting my products on Super8 film. With my previous experience of transferring old films including 8mm and 16mm to digital, I was so excited to have this opportunity! This was such a fun film to make! My products plus Joel’s Super8 camera in a gorgeous garden in Austin, Texas. Featured items include Nephele Steampunk Boots, Pirate Hair Jewels, Steel boned Corsets, Linen Renaissance Skirts, Pixie Skirt, Emily Elaine Lace Capelet.
My hat was a custom creation by GypsyLadyHats, and no, it’s not for sale. 🙂
Video by Joel Valle – http://www.fineartsfilm.com/
Filmed with Super 8mm film, transferred to digital
I went on a sewing spree for the past few months trying to get these skirts ready for this season of Sherwood Forest Faire! I started the season out with most of the skirts I wanted, save for all the potential colors of Linen Renaissance Long Skirts. Last week, we got a small photoshoot in of most of the new linen skirts! This week, I’m getting them up into the Etsy shop for made to order skirts, and will have them ready to ship once Sherwood wraps up for the year at the end of the month.
Also, I’ve been getting my vendor applications in for events this year, and I’m happy to say I’ll be at this year’s Austin Mini Maker Faire again and at Ama-Con 2014! I’m still looking into other events, and I’ll update the Vending and Events page with as I get my year planned out.
Sherwood Forest Faire will begin in just a few weeks! We’ll be open weekends from February 8 through March 30.
I’ve been hard at work making a lot of new skirts for Sherwood! On the list is Pintuck Taffeta skirts in black and green; Linen Renaissance Skirts in black, red, green, and natural; and Linen Pixie Skirts in black, natural, red, blue, green, purple, orange, and teal. I’ll even have a few one of a kind Pixie Skirts that are test items. If there’s interest in them, more will be made! I’m also looking to have a few petticoats available this season, but I’m trying not to plan more than I can actually do either. Will there be pictures of any of these before Sherwood begins? Maybe!
Be sure you like Faire Treasures on Facebook for more updates!
I can’t believe that Hallowe’en is so close now! Most people who know me have seen bits of my Hallowe’en sock collection, and I’ve gotten to add a few more to it so far, but I haven’t gotten to grab enough for the next year! Let’s face it, holiday socks tend to be cheaply made, and they get worn through fast! As for something that won’t wear through quickly…
I’ve started the new line of Linen Pixie Skirts! The first three are already available: Black, Natural, and Red. Soon to come will be Forest Green, Brown, Purple, and Burnt Orange. Not all of these will be pre-made for Hallowe’en this year, but if any of those colors interest you, message me about doing a custom order!
These skirts are made of a rayon/linen blend, and look absolutely amazing! Since they aren’t 100% linen, they don’t crinkle as badly and the drape is beautiful. The texture of this fabric will work perfectly for pirates, wenches, peasants, and gypsies. Of course they look stunning layered over long skirts or with other Pixie Skirts!
Find them in the Skirts section here on the site,
or visit the Skirts section of the Etsy shop!
This will be one of the next events I’ll be a vendor at! Purchase your tickets online, and “Git your gears to Giddings!”
