A weary veteran of years of service, this knapsack is a nice copy of what the British Army used at the end of the 18th century. Sadly, the original dates to 1794. Interesting thinking by learned men (Mr. Rees, Mr. White, Mr. Kirk and Mr. Melius, for starters) has shined a light on this subject recently. This […]
Read more "Knapsack"Among the annoying traditions of some 18th-century British Army units (including the 7th Foot,) is buff leather belting dyed bright white for field use. Soldiering, even the pretend kind, is hazardous and unforgiving when it comes to fashion. Between the belts, the hat trim, and the small clothes, white seems a poor choice. The larval […]
Read more "the Curious White Ball"Last post of the year. Hoping for more next year. Slightly taller than the originals, the boots now need stretching and finishing. These things are crying out for some pantaloons or stretch pants. Very happy with the finished product. Somehow there are now twice as many Federal Era shoes as 18th century. Where the boots […]
Read more "Give ‘Em Enough Rope"Well that didn’t go well. Making two coats at once was a huge mistake. Too many distractions. The regimental coat looks good, but doesn’t fit worth a damn. Snug WITH constraint. Perhaps Kitty can make it into a riding habit. The lesson here is patterns need to be revisited and fitting patterns made for everything. Don’t rush. […]
Read more "Boots and Bearskins"After seven years of fighting, The survivors of the 7th Regiment of Foot evacuated New York in 1782. They had lost two sets of colors and left fallen comrades from Quebec to Charleston, and Savannah to Monmouth. I greatly enjoyed recreating their late-War Winter uniform. Ignore my socks showing through the overalls. I’m thinking about […]
Read more "Winter Soldier"Okay, they’re tight, but they’re supposed to be. Overalls or gaiter-trousers are a unique late 18th century military garment. Previously, breeches were worn with stockings and separate leggings or gaiters. Around 1777, both American and British troops switched to hemp or linen varieties for Summer and Redcoats often got brown wool in Winter. Stylish […]
Read more "Gaiter-trousers"As seen here, three evenly-spaced hooks and eyes hold the regimental coat closed. The bottom pair lines up with the fourth buttonhole in the lapel. The coat seams are pinned together, inside-out, on the form. The now familiar linen tape holds the lapel buttons on, sewn to the canvas interfacing. The ends of the hooks […]
Read more "Hooks & Eyes & Bays"There are a couple ways to make a rectangle pattern loop and the 7th Regiment’s is the hard way. The larger of the two loops requires 8 3/4″ of lace (the smaller is around 8″.) Here are two of the larger pieces ready to be folded. Only one line of stitching holds these things together, […]
Read more "Fusilier Lace"The 18th-century British army LOVED lace. Musicians were practically wrapped in the stuff. The 1768 Lace Book at Windsor Castle documents the official pattern of each regiment on a sample of the coat facing cloth. Roy Najecki was kind enough to document it on his website. Of course, some period paintings show different lace than […]
Read more "Lace and Buttonholes"Greetings! Sorry for the delay. Lots of small things jumped to the head of the line for events. The British army weskit fronts got buttons and buttonholes in my spare time. After that, It was buttoned–inside out, and pinned to the serge back from my previous attempt. After the side seams are fitted, the lining […]
Read more "Military Weskit Finished"