Presbytery Post-Partum

It's always nice to see cross-country friends at Presbytery. This was our family's fifth year to attend, so we know a lot more people now. Though in the family-camp setting I'm beginning to feel like the eighth wonder of the world: The Unmarried Woman. I'm sure I was easily the oldest unmarried woman there, as I am at church, and it's a rather dubious distinction.

We returned home just in time for the second serious storm of the season.

Anyway, we're home, I love my bed, and thank you Lord we don't have mice. I'm back to work, though my job is still up in the air. I may or may not be transferred. With only two weeks left before the store closes, I hope to find out soon one way or the other. My car is also up in the air. Poor thing is fifteen years old this year, feeling it's age, and demanding some financial attention.

In part due to the cost of car repairs and also because I really wanted to get it done last month, I'm determined to finish the redcoat in June. At first this process meant looking at the fabric, looking at pictures. Looking at the fabric, looking at pictures. With no pattern and only a few photographs to work from, it's been a challenge. 

That lace. Wool lace is murder. I think, taxes aside, the decorative lace on Regimental uniforms would be enough to provoke the colonies to rebellion against the crown. Last night I realized that I put the buttons on the second sleeve cuff upside down, so I had to take it out and flip them. Then I realized that the wool tape on the first cuff was less than a quarter inch too low, so I had to move all of those. Sigh. But it's coming along.

There aren't a whole lot of resources online(that I've found) on how to actually make a Rev War military coat, but here are some pages that helped me:

Some basic descriptions of standard measurements for this style of coat.

Wool lace. Press, cry, press, and cry again.

 A coat from a different era, but some of the steps are similar and the pictures here are great.

Again, a different coat but great pictures.

Here's a very similar redcoat; a different regiment, still, but similar.