[Ansteorra] period on a budget

[Susan Hill]

John,

You have gotten some excellent advice here, but if I may remind you and 
everyone else again...so long as you have made a reasonable attempt at being 
'period' whatever period you have chosen, you are doing fine.

I don't know where you are located, but here in the DFW metroplex, the 
fabric mecca is Perth Street, a little block in a half cul-de-sac with 
several wholesale/retail fabric outlets on it. It is off of Harry Hines Blvd 
near Inwood, I believe. Just a block or so further south on Harry Hines is 
Golden d'Or Fabrics. This is where I shop for most of my silks (they have 
fabrics other than dupioni) and they have luscious wools, though these are 
still fairly expensive.

Linens and Linen blends (usually linen/cotton, and linen/rayon) are 
frequently available at several of the stores on Perth Street for prices 
from $2 per yard to $7 per yard. Most are in the $4-$5 range. I have bought 
some wools (usually jersey, which some people will fuss about being period, 
but it is still wool and drapes beautifully. It is just like a plain wool 
weave, but the threads are twisted) for $5 a yard in a couple of the stores. 
You won't need much wool in TX, but it's nice to have from time to time, or 
if you travel much. I made my lord a wool overtunic for gulf wars this last 
year and he spent a lot of time in it.

I would rather see someone slowly build their kit around a few good pieces 
of garb than try to spend a lot of money on poor fabric and stuff that looks 
like a lot of the pieces we see in ren faires and movies and wish we didn't. 
Make yourself a simple T tunic or two out of good fabric, and make a belt 
out of cording or something along that line until you can afford a good 
leather one. As far as shoes go....these are the last things to worry about. 
Unless you can afford to spend what it takes on good turnshoes, boots, or 
learning to make your own, wear what you are comfortable with. There are a 
lot of lovely period gowns that cover tennis shoes because lots of people 
have orthopedic issues that make period shoes difficult to wear.

I have spent a large part of my adult life in birkenstocks. At my first 
event, I was wearing a pair of Birkenstock "Bostons" of black smooth 
leather. A lovely gentleman (who did make shoes) told me that the style of 
shoe I was wearing was not that far from some period designs. So long as you 
don't have some huge welting on the top of the shoe, you will be ok. smooth 
surfaces are best. As far as the moccasins. Yeah, lots of us wear them. It's 
best if you cut off the fringe, but if you can wear them, they are fine. 
When you have played for a while, and are sure of the period you are going 
to stick with, invest in a pair of shoes that will meet your needs.

It sounds like you are off to a good start....and if you run into a period 
nazi....send 'em to me...or any number of good people around here that 
aren't afraid to tell someone to remember this is just a game.

Cheers!

Lyneya de Grey

----Original Message Follows----
From: "john fry" <jefisme03 at gmail.com>
Reply-To: "Kingdom of Ansteorra - SCA, Inc." <ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org>
To: ansteorra <ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: [Ansteorra] period on a budget
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2006 07:35:14 -0500

ok I've been reading along with your period not period posts, and now I want
to know how do you go period on a budget. I'm a current student with limited
amounts of money to spend on garb, but I still want to go to an event or two
when I have a chance, without being slapped around by the period nazis.
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