History Today

Ok, I realise I haven't had much time for IJ at all latley, I have been very busy with uni (final semester! almost done now) work, trying to find time to sew for events comming up and other places on the net (IJ being the last place I joined and the so one of the first to be dropped when I need to back of the net for some RL time.  Sorry!  Facebook went before IJ did, so thats something!)

Anyway, I have a survey for anyone interested. I'm not trying to sell anything to you guys, just looking for some input for some fingerlooping stuff I want to sell at my local medieval fair (They are fine with re-enactors selling stuff from their encampments, I don't need  stall or anything)

This is cross posted to my personal journal, sorry if you see it twice!

Ok. Lets say you were told you could go back in time for 12 hours, and have nothing you did change history (or the future) at all, and you were told you could do five specific things, and bring back five non-living things (nothing HUGE like a castle or ship, car sized at the most, and as small as you want), what would each of these things be?
You are not allowed to sell any of the things you take back, and you may not take a camera with you back in time.

You don't have any powers to jump from place to place, they don't know you are comming so can't save anything that was made in another place 100 years earlier for your visit. People will help you with doing those five things and give you those five things though.
Be fair when picking things with what is 'one'.  You can bring back one ring or one coin, but not a box of jewlery or a bag of coins. You can look at how one craftsman makes cups, cut can't look at all the craftsmen as one thing, you can go to on castly, but you can say visit all the castles as one thing etc.  

I'll have to have a think about this myself! but once I've thought I'll post my answers as a reply, and I invite you all to do the same!  

The questions:
When and where would you go?
What things would you do?
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
What would you bring back?
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Name: My name is Denzil.
Any other names you have. I am recreating Doc Holliday. I call him John.
How long have you been involved or interested in living history/re-enactment/re-creation. I am not sure. I have always been enthusiastic about some time or another, since I was, oh ten. It was ships and sea travel at that time. Never having heard of historical recreation I dressed as a sailor and memorised the names of ropes and sails, etc.
What you like most about it. One can always learn more, create more, recreate more. Also, it preserves what has gone before - all the heroism and nobility, the remnants of humanity of the dead, more than bare names and dates.
What period/s you do (or like to watch the most). 1850-1900 America, the French Revolution, the Canadian 1837 Rebellion. Thee have always been favourites.
What periods you have done in the past, want to do, think are really really cool. As above. Possibly more, but these have been the most prominent.
Any groups/societies you are in. I am in the International Brotherhood of Magicians. My friends here are in the SCA with all the requisite armour, clothing, fighting, dancing, singing, etc.

I am trying to do recreation via magic as well as this journal, and I am writing a book. I know the songs of the time, have the requisite clothing, have experienced the requisite firearms in the past (gun laws here are very strict). I know about 1900s dentistry and cards. I have been diligent with the literal history and have amassed a nice book/letter/memoir collection as reference. This period includes the US Civil War, which is a large and complex topic which I am gradually learning. I can follow John's family through the battles in which they were involved, and have gleaned their specific views, which varied widely.

Name: Laura
Any other names you have: Until recently I went by Lillith in the SCA, but I'm looking for an *actually* period name since I've decided on my place of interest (even if I don't have the time narrowed down yet).
How long have you been involved or interested in living history/re-enactment/re-creation: I kinda knew about it in high school, but I've been playing in the SCA (in Australia) for 5 years now. (And I finished my very first T-tunic two weeks ago...)
What you like most about it: I came for the people, I stay for the people. On the way, I've picked up a bit of an interest in history. :D
What period/s you do (or like to watch the most): I really like the look of Norse stuff, and I'm planing on making myself some 15th-century type cotehardies... but I'd really love to have an Indian persona - I'm not very good at/fond of sewing, and sarees are so pretty! (And practical in Australian summers!)
What periods you have done in the past, want to do, think are really really cool: I'm in a mainly-Norse household... I sorta answered this question above - the only other person in my kingdom (that I know of) that does an Indian persona is on the other side of the continent - and to be honest, I'm not quite sure where to start, since most people I know do European... I don't suppose anyone here does Indian?
Any groups/societies you are in: The SCA - (Kingdom of Lochac, Barony of Rowany), and I've hung out with the Black Ravens, a metal weapons group, a little bit.

Hey there! Saw this comm and thought it looked pretty cool, so I'm going to go ahead and break the ice.

Name: You can call me Com or Comanche.
Any other names you have: Nothing in particular.
How long have you been involved or interested in living history/re-enactment/re-creation: Not involved in anything much, but I've always found living history to be interesting and exciting.
What you like most about it: It isn't as static as reading from a book. You get an actual feel for how it is in the time period you're watching/re-enacting.
What period/s you do (or like to watch the most): I love to watch Medieval European periods, and late 1800s. I shoot antique rifles as well, from the late 1800s and both World Wars. I own an old 8 MM Mauser from WW2, and have shot Austrian rifles from the 1890s. Needless to say, I'm used to a bruised shoulder.
What periods you have done in the past, want to do, think are really really cool: Do school plays count? If they do, 1800s, American Revolution, 1920s. I like anything, really. History has no limits, and neither do I.
Any groups/societies you are in: None.

I'd Just like to say welcome to all the new members!  I was pleasantly surprised when I logged on to see so many had joined in such a short amount of time :)
Feel free to make an introduction post and let us know who you are.

I'm rather new at all this, so I've set this thread up for any suggestions you have for this Asylum.  It can be anything, suggestions of topics, suggestions of what Tags we should have, to the content and layout- anything you like! 

Kathelyne

I made a really good hose pattern (based on the london finds), but I have to re-make it as I seem to have lost weight in my legs. (I've lost a large about of weight over the last year and a half-two years, I put it on because on an illness then it all fell off when I got better again)

So I am showing off how good my hse USED to look.

This is my dress diary to date for my latest dress

18/2

Starting a new dress…

( cut for text and pictures )

This dress is entirely hand sewn, all visible sewing is done in silk thread, all unseen sewing is just done in synthetic thread, I would have used all silk if I had enough. Please excuse the dorky hair and bad photos as usual. Later this year my group are getting some proper photos done outside, so I will have nice photos and not ones in my messy bedroom taken with the camera’s timer!

10/03
Since I last posted I haven’t done much- but I have new shiny photos. 

I have pleated the second large panel, and sewn both to the bodice. I have also half put some trim round the neckline, and am going to add embroidery to that. I still have the mini panel to peat and attach, and have to sew all the panels together (yes, I should be doing this by sewing all the panels together, pleating them then sewing them to the bodice but I get impaitent to see how it will look), sleeves to do, and to hem the thing.  I have to draft an improved sleeve pattern too!

I took some photos with the sleeves from the other dress for fun.. 


( cut for pictures )   

If you want to see a bigger version of the first pic, then you can full view it at my DA http://kathelyne.deviantart.com/art/1474-80-Florentine-NEW-PICS-77691651
For those that like to download HUGE pics, you can do that there too.

 Thanks for reading!

The Public- love 'em or hate 'em,for most of us they are an important part of what we do.  But boy do they ask some odd things!
My brother was cooking some fish over the fire one evening, and was asked if the fire was real.  Well, yes!  Then he was asked if the fish was real.  Well, yes! He was hungry!

I know people who have been asked if food was real, if babies and children were real, if weapons were real, if anything you can think of was real, including one person who had to be stoped from picking up buening charcoal to see if it was real.  

Also the "do you live like this all the time?"

Another thing, is parents giving children miss-information.
"No, of course that fire's not real, that would be dangerous! its done with lights"
"No, that armour is plastic, go hit it" (this child was fortunatly stoped by the re-enactor before it could injure its hand on hard steal
"Sure you can hit your brother with that sword, they were doing it so it must be safe!" (again, re-enactors made sure the child did not get hold of said sword, and parent was told yes, they are dangerous.)

So what questions/comments have you heard that made you chuckle or shake your head?

Name: Kathelyne
Other names: Cathelina (persona), Kathleen (old persona) kath
I’ve been involved since the beginning of 2005, but I had a break between July 2006 and 2007 as I was looking for a new group- I kept sewing and researching in that time.
What I like most: I love the sewing and the pretty dresses, but what I think I really love are the ‘moments’. When you are off fetching water, and look around and you could really be in the time period of your persona, or late at night round the campfire which roasted a whole pig during the day, laughing about the day gone by, walking through the encampments seeing different bits of historical life. Those sort of moments
Period: Currently I do Italy (specifically Florence, most of the time) 1480 (research period 1470-85) as that is the time period of the new group I have joined.
Other periods: I have done a little bit, and love 1460-80 Flemish and Elizabethan. I love most 15th century actually! I love the pretty dresses of later errors too, but don’t know even enough to say what eras I like! I do like regency though.
Groups: I am in a small new group in Brisbane, Australia, called Condottieri that has some lovely people in it. 

Thanks for reading!