Faire Ladies, Faire Lords

Quality, American-Made Renaissance Costumes

renfaire

UPDATE: The Green Linen Project

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UPDATE: The Green Linen Project

I don’t know where the time went, but here we are at last. The hunter green linen has landed!! That took a while, yes? If you don’t recall or maybe never knew, I’d been trying for a LONG TIME to source my linen and linen blends in Hunter Green. Here’s the original post about it.

Its really the MOST popular color in the Renfaire genre in my experience. But alas, it was nowhere to be found at a wholesale level. So, I figured out how to order a custom color from China. I got a few folks to invest/pre-buy and went halfsies with a fellow business owner. Add in the tariff hassles, and a lot of chaos because my importer up and moved their warehouse out of state with no notice right as the fabric got to Los Angeles. Its been exciting at the least. But, its here! Its a good linen/rayon blend, lightweight and with a good hand feel.

So far, I’ve got Venetian Breeches made up. Some are going on my website, some are going to faire this fall at Casa de Fruta. I’m in process of sewing linen shirts, and ladies skirts, and partlettes. All are going to faire this September.

There will be more, of course! I’m thinking ahead to the spring season having Doublets and Bodices in the Hunter Green Linen. I’m also branching out my sourcing and changing fabrics in a few areas – details to follow in another post. I should be sewing right now. I’ll be back.Patrick and I

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I am a costume designer specializing in renaissance faire and historical costumes. My shop name is Faire Ladies Faire Lords . I make the clothing in my shop at faire from linen and linen blends. The good stuff.

Laundry care for your costume

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I just today got an email from a customer who needed some laundry care help. They had run their partner’s doublet through the wash, and the dryer too. The doublet came out looking like a tangled mess and they were understandably upset that the garment was ruined. It was not, thankfully. It just needs proper laundry care to be fully awesome again.

That got me thinking however; in this age where most everyone wears knits and tshirts, that laundry care for woven and lined garments isn’t well known. Most clothing in 2024 is cheap and disposable, many people have never had to think about this stuff. The items you purchase from me are neither cheap nor disposable, wrecking them in the laundry is traumatic and costly. And so this post is I hope, helpful and reassuring.

The Basics:

This is the Good Stuff. All the clothing I make is pre-shrunk. The fabric goes into the wash and the dryer before I cut it. Unless specified, the costume pieces are made of linen or a linen blend. I do make cotton shirts and bodices from cotton twill, but the advice remain the same. The biggest note here is that you will need an IRON for best results. Natural fibers like linen, linen blends, and cotton relax a bit when you wear them. Its part of the comfort. So when its washed it will constrict again, like your jeans do. Part of this expansion/contraction is that steam and heat will bring things together and correct any inconsistencies.

The Care:

If a garment is not stained, spilled on, or grungy you can turn it inside out and put it on a hanger outside for a day. The sunlight will literally disinfect the smelly bacteria from your sweat.  This is for garments that are not touching your skin. Like a doublet or a bodice or a skirt. Optional: Give it a nice light steam iron when you fold it to put it away.

For garments that touch your skin like breeches or shirts, wash them. Cold/cool gentle cycle in the washer machine. If its really icky hot water is okay. Then hang dry. Once dry a little shake out, fold and put away. Again Optional: Maybe a light iron for tidy collars or cuffs.

If you need to wash something out of your garment, lunch or a spill of some kind, and its got a lining you will for sure need to IRON it. If you toss it in the dryer this will be even more needed because its getting tossed around and jumbled. Try to avoid this by gentle or hand wash and hang dry. Yes, you will still need to iron, but not as much.

If your garment has boning or extensive trim, do not put in a machine. Ever. Air it out or hand wash is mandatory. Hang dry and steam iron to get the garment back in shape.

+++female human wearing a partlette

Thanks for reading! I hope this info will give your costume garments a longer life and you’ll love them like I do. Please share this with your friends and family, your guild mates, your cosplay people. And as always if you need help or just want to get in touch, I’m on Facebook and you can email me here.

That One Time I Was on You Tube!

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Its Story Time! This post is about That One Time I Was on You Tube. The summer is moving along and I’m turning my thoughts towards the upcoming faire season. I’m getting excited, antici-pation is building, and I’m reminiscing about good times in the booth.

This past Spring of 2024 I was emailed about giving an interview about my shop at Faire. As some of you know, I never pass an opportunity to talk and promote my passion, my life’s work in costume design. I’ve done a few over the years; recently I did a PodCast for Dan McLaughlin. It was a bit silly, but I  think everyone liked it. Anyhow, it was a yes, please! We emailed back and forth a few times getting familiar with the project.

The day rolls around, the booth is hopping, customers aplenty, and finally late afternoon comes with the interviewer, Lanchen Milhalic and her production help. She was so nice!  And who knew, she really loves historic costume and it just so happens that the Renaissance Pleasure Faire (where we were) is known for its historical elements. And, surprise surprise my shop is heavily historic in my design and fabrics. Ta Da! I’d like to take credit for also letting her know (off camera) that we were at the Original faire, and my booth help and I gave her a few clues on when it started and by whom. Which she does cover in her video and I think its brilliant! Her video is definitely from a customer’s POV, so its not just a ‘fan piece’, and of course its about more than just my shop. So here is the video, I hope you like it. Visiting the World’s First Renaissance Faire 

+++Closing weekend at Koroneburg Festival is here. Celebrating the Baron, his beer and chocolate.…

Now that I’m a big important Internet Star, its still my pleasure to share these fun things with you. Please share this with your friends and family, your guild mates, your cosplay people. And as always if you need help or just want to get in touch, I’m on Facebook and you can email me here. My next event is the Northern California Renaissance Faire and I’d love to see you there!!!

Bodices are back!

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Bodices are back in stock online, yay! You know the ones, the cotton twill square necked bodices featured in so much of my promotional images? These bodices are based on renaissance Tudor and Elizabethan styles I’ve been obsessed with since 2004. Hey that’s 20 years, we should have a party!

drawing by Cristof Weiditz, girl with an ermine apron square neck bodiceRenaissance art is such a wonderful resource for design, and its only gotten better since I started out. Back then, I had to order books from a paper catalog – it was all so niche and hard to find. Since then; Project Gutenberg has been busily scanning and uploading every single document, manuscript, book, catalog, etc. on the planet and made it free to the public. What a time to be alive and nerdy.

Any way, back to the bodices. I’m updating the listing NOW with more stock in those classy (and classic) garments. Black, blue, hunter green, and now burgundy. I’ll keep adding more all summer long. YOU CANNOT BUY THESE FROM ME AT A SHOW. THIS IS ONLINE ONLY. Bodices are Back, baby!

I am cautiously optimistic that I’ve got a stitcher properly trained to do things ‘my way’ aka the Right Way on this style. I’m still cutting, setting grommets, fussing with patterns and all – but what a relief to have some help with the actual stitches. Another YAY!

Share this with your friends, your guild mates, your cosplay people please? And as always if you need help or just want to get in touch, I’m on Facebook and you can email me here.

Faire Season is Upon Us!

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Like the title says, Faire season is upon us! Out here on the west coast, The Renaissance Pleasure Faire is about what, 5 weeks away? Build starts in about 2 weeks. Here online its time for sneak peeks and teasers. This year like every year, is a mix of new styles and everyone’s ‘favorites for a reason’. I think we can all agree there is never too much of a good thing.

Favorites for a Reason

First up, those amazing linen shirts are back in offwhite, stone, black 100% linen, and red. PLUS there is a selection of them loaded on the website already. Because showing up to faire already looking fine is awesome. Mens doublets, YES. I’ve changed sewing teams and I am really pleased with the quality of these doublet vests. Likewise the buttonfly Venetian Breeches are back too – I made a few tweaks to the pattern and I’m sure everyone will be thrilled.

a child's renfaire dress on a hanger

Ladies, this year is about more bodices, more gowns! I’ve got a small selection of bodices already online, and more coming. If you haven’t seen the plaid Irish Dress online yet,check this out!  Also, plans for closed front gown are underway, in a bold blue and the infamous Goose Turd Green. March is going to be busy for sewing! I’ve got new colors of Bloomers one of which is a black 100% linen, and a stash just for the website.

Bringing forgotten styles back to the booth:

martina in the studio Styles from years past that come and go, and are back in the booth inventory! Flat caps! Because you’ve been asking me to bring this back and I finally was able to make time and get them cut in LINEN. I’ve even got childrens sizes. Which leads me to CHILDREN’S RENFAIRE COSTUMES. Its been a while since I had a large selection, so I brought a few pieces back to the booth inventory last year. Things went well. This year I’m doing much more. These are not on my website – yet. Little Irish dresses, skirts, pants and shirts, biggins and hats!

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And so, if you have questions about the faire or any of the items in my online shop, please reach out and get in touch. I’m here to help, so use this link and shoot me an email. I can also be found on Facebook. I’m slogging it out in the studio cut cut cutting. Though, I will respond to you within 1 business day usually. Better yet, drop in to say HI at the booth this coming April and May. I will post updates about my precise location after stakeout/build weekend.

 

Fall renfaire season is done!

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I’m home finally, the Fall renfaire season is done! It was a great season at the Northern California Renaissance Faire. I had new staff, lots of product, and the crowds were THICK. So many attendees in fact, that the Saturday of the final weekend they closed the gates to entrants. Wow.

So, as many of my regular patrons know, I’ve been short handed for a while. Lets just say its hard to find qualified help that are willing AND able. I went through a few booth helpers over the recent years, none were quite the right fit. That changed this season. I got a referral from a friend (thank  you Rachel) about a young lady with the right skills and I got in touch. Well, we hit it off! So much so that she’s interning with me as well as helping out in the booth. Then, quite by happenstance this past Spring I asked a patron if he wanted a job at Northern. He thought a moment, then said YES and that is SO awesome. They are both smart, charming and easy on the eyes. I’m beyond excited and so very hopeful these will work out to long term arrangements. So, everyone meet Kayla and Ezekiel.

       

+++ What’s Next?

Now that my 2022 faire season is done, its time for restocking the website AND taking special orders. This is your big moment. If you want that martina vending at renfairespecial shirt, or doublet, or gown, you need to get in touch with me asap. Kayla and I are working on special and custom orders until the end of the year ONLY. After that its inventory fill only. In fact, we are already working on inventory fill – linen and cotton shirts are the first up for cutting/sewing. I’m estimating that the first new drops of shirts will be in December. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL FAIRE STARTS TO ORDER A SPECIAL SHIRT. I’m really trying my best to hook you folks up, but I need you to work with me on the schedule. You know who you are, friend. 🙂

Thanks everyone for a fantastic year. I know I worked super hard on making this year solid. I appreciate you all. See you soon at faire!

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Also, have I mentioned you can find me on Facebook? Its a bit wonky these days (thanks Zuk) but I do check in there regularly. Ciao!