As afore mentioned the Alabama Renaisance Fair was the last weekend in October right here in downtown Florence. Each year I make, or in the case of last year, get together an outfit: my first year I went as a peasant, the next year I went as a rather modest bar wench, last year I went as a gypsy, and this year for the first time ever I went as a lady.

You have all gotten the condensed version of the Olympian effort my most spectacular Grandmother made in getting together an outfit for me in six days, since I have been tied up all semester unable to make one. We went and picked out some beautiful fabric on Sunday, little did we know that Jacquards are notorious for fraying. We went with period colors and fabrics, after all I am a history major, these things actually matter to me. The next problem is that all the marroonish colored stuff you see, there was no pattern for how to lay and cut the pieces. So Grandmother let me tackle that and after some inventive manuvering, I managed to put together a lay-out and got them cut out. The next adventure was that we put the front left on the right and the right front on the left and had this huge waist and miniscule bust. It was a great 30 minute effort to figure out that we hadn't actually read the pieces correctly. The third great challenge was the fantastic collar. The directions simply said attach at notches. So my wonderfully talented Grandmother spent several hours reworking the pattern and experimenting with the sewing machine until she worked it out as I watched most amazedly. Well, bad things supposedly come in threes so we thought we were set. Well, not quite. She finished putting it all together and trimmed the seems and everything while I was in Florence for the week. When I got back she worried it would be too big, but after getting into it, we discovered that it was a smigen tight. If I had worn a corset it would have been find, but Grandmother worried over the four pulls that could be seen. A $15 historical circlet from online, and some $10 not even close to historical shoes rounded the outfit out.

The Saturday of Ren Faire the wonderful affore mentioned brother helped me get ready. I begged and begged him to come with me, but he declined. So we treaked around the apartment looking for the perfect tree for pictures. (Matthew has an eye for these things.) While taking pictures a lady came out and insisted on getting one of the both of us.

So then the adventure began. I went down to the park and walked around the fountain, paid homage to our king and queen, and started bartering with the venders. I managed to spend too much money (which I justified by the fact that I won't be here to go next year), however I came away with several steals: two silver tankards with some nice scrollwork and a veltine lined box for them, a new grey cloak (which I have been wearing to church), a battle-ready dagger with a deer antler hilt, and several flags. I managed to get the Irish province flag and the Erin Ga Brauh flag for myself and two for my little brother for Christmas. Sunday, Grandmother agreed to let me wear the dress to church, and afterwards I spent two more hours at Ren Faire. I got my hair done up, and if I ever get my film developed I'll add a pic on here. Then I spent the day sketching rather poorly tents and venders and people.

It was fantastic. I had so many compliments on the dress, so everyone in Florence knows that MY Grandmother is the best seemstress ever. I even had one vender as I was meandering through the festival grounds tell me that I didn't just have the dress but that I had the "walk and the aire of a lady." I just thanked him and laughed, maybe for a day I did, but we all know better, I'm pretty clumsy and graceless. HA.

The Ren Faire was great really. There were the usual fire eaters, tinklers, bakers, and blacksmiths. Only the leather armorers were not in attendance. The faire's herald, announced the events at the Northern Winter Stage, according to the time on our wrist sundials. I even saw a few friends so that the entire five hour or so wanderings were not spent alone. If you ever have the chance to attend a Ren Faire I strongly encourage it. Alright, that's it for me for tonight. I will hail you all at a later time, after all my wrist sundial isn't working, but I'm reckoning that it is very late.