A joyous Autumn season to you all!
Next weekend, October 4 & 5, will see the return of the popular Endless Mountains Muzzleloaders' Rendezvous at the American Legion Black Walnut Post 510 in Laceyville, or more properly, Skinner's Eddy. Actually, even MORE properly, Black Walnut Bottom, as it was once called. We have eliminated the 'Bottom' part, but the term arose because the land there was and still is very low. Its proximity to the River Susquehanna has also meant that historically the region floods frequently.
In modern times, we can build houses on stilts and tall foundations and such, but back when this area was first settled, and still part of Luzerne County (which was huge back then, encompassing four or five modern day Pennsylvania counties!), that was not done, and people's homes flooded.
Hence the move from 'Black Walnut Bottom' to Skinner's Eddy (which also flooded, as it was the confluence of the River and Tuscarora Creek), and eventually to 'higher ground' in what was to become Laceyville.
Doctor William Hooker Smith was very smart to site The Oldest House on this 'higher ground' back in 1781, as it still exists to this day.
But, I digress.
One of the heralds of Autumn around these parts, besides the changing leaves, is the Rendezvous. Money from the $3 admission at the gate (good for both days) as well as sales from our Raffle Tickets (wonderful prizes) go to support The Oldest House.
I will be there, of course, and I have promised to wear my new 'sack back' gown, or Robe à la Française. This was a style of dress that was very much in vogue in the 1700's, although in the early part of the century it was informal dress. The sack back gown is called that because across the shoulders at the back there is an extra panel of pleated fabric that swoops out behind the wearer, like a train. It's quite nifty. By mid century, it had become extremely formal, and Marie Antoinette and other women of the French Court made it popular.
I had such a gown made for me this past winter, and intended to wear it this spring or summer at a House event, but first a sprained ankle, and then a twisted knee complete with fluid build up meant that I was out of commission for most of the summer.
I'm happy to report that although I'm not 100% yet, I'm sufficiently recovered (after a long, boring, no fun summer!) to re-commence most of my normal activities, carefully.
As I do before I wear each new gown or dress or ensemble 'out' to an Event, I took some time this morning to try the sack back gown on, make sure it fit, and that everything 'worked' with it. As I dress myself, I do employ slender elastic lacing, which is not traditional, on my corsets and the bodices of fitted gowns. I'm quite limber, but there is no way I could tighten the laces properly if they were not elasticized.
However, it's still quite a challenge to get into (and out of) period clothing secured in this manner because, well, it's all together. It's not like stepping into a dress and zipping it up--you have to wriggle your way into and out of it without unfastening it. Hence the elasticized lacing.
People who visit the House when I'm on duty and in garb often ask me how I dress myself and what I have on under the dress or suit or gown. I let them in on this secret, but am happy to explain not only the layers I'm wearing, but the order in which they are most efficiently put on (not what you might think).
It took me a half hour this morning to first lace the dress (that only took 5 minutes) and then put on my 'stays' or corset (but it really is a set of stays, laced up), which only took a minute, and then clamber into the sack back gown.
The actual tunneling in from the hem, popping my head and arms through and then tugging it down to its proper place only took maybe another five minutes. But then the real fun began!
Fortunately, the 'stomacher' or front part of the torso of this dress is attached. Some dresses had interchangeable stomachers women could attach at the underarms and at the waist; I'm quite happy mine is permanently (and sturdily, since I did a fair amount of tugging) affixed. It's complicated enough as is!
So, with overskirt and bodice on, I stepped into the underskirt. So far so good! But the silhouette of the sack back is not bell like, as it would become in later decades: it has a distinct side to side appearance, making the skirt extremely wide, but only on the sides.
I have a new set of panniers, which are the cage like things that hang on either side of the waist and make the dress stick out properly. They are appropriate for this type of gown and I bought them to wear with it. These I secured around my waist under the underskirt.
Then I stepped into my crinoline petticoat (no hoops) and pulled that up under the panniers. (Yes, before crinoline, stiffened material was used, and also more than one petticoat, to give the right effect, but we must take advantage of textile advancements when we can!)
This concluded the getting into the dress portion of the try-on; given the machinations I had to go through, I'll dress first and do my hair and makeup while gowned. Normally I do it the other way around, but not with this gown, I won't be able to. I will be sure to sling a towel around my neck and shoulders to prevent any spills or stains.
So, layer by layer I was (and will be) wearing: chemise, stays, crinoline, panniers, underskirt, bodice and overskirt. But, you note, I didn't put them on in that order. I learned early on that it is much easier when dressing yourself to put the top bit on first, and then attach the under skirts and so forth in layers, as you go.
Stockings that rise to the thigh and are held on with garter type things will also be worn when I dress for an event, along with shoes, fan, reticule, jewelry, a hair piece to emulate the style of hair-do popular then, etc.
You can see why I pray for cool weather next weekend!
I will say the gown is lovely. It's a pretty authentic looking leaf block print pattern in tones of beige, olive and chocolate and the underskirt I've chosen (not the one that came with it, which was beige) is a light cream. I could get an olive underskirt for variety, but I shall try to resist! The material at the back is pleated and falls beautifully. The neckline and sleeves are trimmed in ruffles of material and under the elbow length sleeves are separate lace frills called engageants. Luckily, these are also attached although in the 1700's ladies could change out these lace bits when they became soiled, or if they just wanted something fancier, or plainer (I cannot imagine that!).
The panniers didn't seem to me to be wide enough, although they are authentic; fortunately I have a set of 'hip pillows' that were also worn sometimes to accentuate that side silhouette. So I may possibly ADD those atop the panniers and see if I like the effect more.
It ought to be really amusing getting in to and out of my car in this getup. I'm used to the wide skirts, but I've never driven with panniers so I'm grateful that I don't have far to go to get to the Rendezvous.
Getting out of the gown was not, as you might think, a lot easier: I reversed the donning of the panniers, underskirt, crinoline, etc. but had to do a lot of tugging and wiggling to pull the gown up enough to get one arm out. I may use elasticized lacing, but it's still really tight! Then the rest came easily, but the effect when I was de-gowned was of someone who has survived a journey underground. Or at least I felt that way.
So, if you will be in or near Northeastern PA next weekend, and have some time, do stop by the Rendezvous. On the Sat Nav or GPS just search for '304 Old Route 6, Laceyville, PA'. The Legion is right off new Route 6, visible from the roadway, about 3.5 miles east of Laceyville.
I look forward to seeing you there: find me at The Oldest House booth with a few goodies from our Gift Shop, copies of A RIVER IN TIME, and also brand new hot off the press copies of TREACHERY IN TIME, the sequel. I'll happily sign copies for you, too!
