Hello everyone, I know it's not tech clothing, but I am in search of a period style of water proof umbrella. Not the paper/rice style, but something that will really hold up.
Thank you
My first thought was http://www.lunabazaar.com/paper-parasols.aspx (http://www.lunabazaar.com/paper-parasols.aspx) - I think they have some that are not paper. Even some of the paper ones are supposedly waterproof. Probably not the highest quality, but they are cheap.
A steampunk umbrella might work - something like:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/20824787/steampunk-parasol-gold-roses-on-black (http://www.etsy.com/listing/20824787/steampunk-parasol-gold-roses-on-black)
http://www.etsy.com/listing/45804109/black-boa-second-line-umbrella-small (http://www.etsy.com/listing/45804109/black-boa-second-line-umbrella-small)
etsy has some nice ones: http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=steampunk+umbrella&search_type=handmade&ref=auto (http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=steampunk+umbrella&search_type=handmade&ref=auto)
If that's not what you're looking for, I seem to recall a previous thread about parasols on this board.
You could also cut out the middle man - take a regular umbrella and decorate it with lace or feathers to make it your own, match an outfit, etc.
Syrilla, I purchased a Thai oiled paper parasol. I like the style with the wooden Thai "cap" at the top. Anyway, I've not used it in heavy rain, but in a lite drizzle 'till I could find cover it did fine. Just have to keep it opened until it's completly dry.
http://www.asianideas.com/copapa.html
Another thought, as you are so creative, you could purchase one , remove the paper and replace it with something you know will hold up to rain. Shouldn't be that hard. The paper is just glued on and/or lightly stitched.
Syrilla, the parasols at TRF are either treated paper or canvas, I can't tell. But if you remember the Mem Day Weekend rainstorm of 08? My parasol held up to that, and is STILL in good working order.
Wild West Mercantile had some parasols on sale. You could treat it with that campdry stuff.
http://www.wwmerc.com/cgi-bin/Category.cgi?category=8210&type=store
Since umbrella's aren't period (parasols were very very late 16th c and only in Italy it looks like), I tend to use things that have a wooden handle and are covers of famous medieval/renaissance art. My favorite one to use is one of the two angels by Michelangelo.
In period, they used wool hoods or stayed in. We don't know better than to stay inside during a rainstorm anymore...
There are also the swrod-hilted ones discussed in the other thread:
http://www.renaissancefestival.com/forums/index.php?topic=10836.0
This Witches Stitches's
www.myspace.com/thiswitchesstitches
To my eye, anything with all that lace on it actually looks *less* authentic. I'm with those who suggest getting an oiled paper parasol and waterproofing it with CampDry.
Syrilla, is the umbrella to be used when you are working at a faire? Because I bet 99.9% of the patrons have no idea of what is period or not, and I'm sure they wouldn't care. After all, the queen mustn't get wet! You can get them with a wooden handle and spokes, might have to look for them a little, but I've seen them at faire at different times.
You know, this makes me think there's gotta be some (small, side) business in something like custom umbrellas. Maybe an artist could screen print them or something. But imagine something like a Tudor rose umbrella, or a royal crest, or a jester umbrella (with harlequin pattern, points, and bells). How cool would that be?!
I have started buying the cheapie umbrellas from wally world and painting them with acrylic paint and then adding flowers around the edges. It is a truly fab umbrella!
Thank you for all of the suggestion. I have had and used the paper, oiled, "fabric" coated umbrellas. And each year, even with water proofing, and re-coating, I have to purchase new ones. I am in search of a good alternative. I would love a leather on. But know one seems to be able to make it, and make it a working one. Even tho others will not know what is period or not, I do. And I want to keep it the best I can afford.
Check this one out: http://www.umbrellas.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=sfgsk11a-skyumbrella
Also, the Doorman II may be good. Unusual looking, and not too much $
That's fun! The sword-hilted umbrella is silver underneath.
I liked this one (http://www.umbrellas.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=g30111af-peacock&Category_Code=AU&Product_Count=259) at that site:
(http://www.umbrellas.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/g30111af-peacock_thumb.jpg)
It would go with these folks:
(http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL417/1033223/7547261/159065820.jpg)
Ha! Syrilla, I found it!! I knew there was a woman who collects and restores antique umbrellas and rents them for weddings, etc, and after searching here and there since you posted, I've found her! And even better, she now sells vintage reproductions, and they're lovely! Pricey (no, seriously), but lovely:
http://www.bellaumbrella.com/
They're not Renaissance, of course, but they have an antique/romantic shape to them that I think would look lovely at Fair:
(http://www.umbrellas.net/images/Product/medium/5.jpg)
Once before I started going to Faire in garb, I visited PARF because because a co-worker was on cast. It was a very rainy day and I happened to have a beach umbrella in the car. It may not have been period, but many of the cast stopped to converse with me, taking some respite from the merciless rain under my portable roof.
Quote from: Syrilla on May 02, 2010, 10:47:06 AM
Thank you for all of the suggestion. I have had and used the paper, oiled, "fabric" coated umbrellas. And each year, even with water proofing, and re-coating, I have to purchase new ones. I am in search of a good alternative. I would love a leather on. But know one seems to be able to make it, and make it a working one. Even tho others will not know what is period or not, I do. And I want to keep it the best I can afford.
I'd say that after yesterday you'd have to buy a new one for sure. You still looked fabulous as always though! I think a leather one would be really nice, but how would you keep the leather from stretching and shrinking once it gets wet and then dry? I honestly don't know, don't work with leather much. :(
Well, after weather sealing your leather, you would want to make sure that your umbrella was dry before it was put away. It won't shrink or stretch if you remember to do that.
Quote from: BubbleWright on May 02, 2010, 06:21:07 PM
Once before I started going to Faire in garb, I visited PARF because because a co-worker was on cast. It was a very rainy day and I happened to have a beach umbrella in the car. It may not have been period, but many of the cast stopped to converse with me, taking some respite from the merciless rain under my portable roof.
We have a patio umbrella out side of my shop and a few years ago it was raining like CRAZY and one of the Royal Gaurds came and asked to borrow it for the Queen to walk to the joust. It was histarical to watch him march away with the HUGE umbrella
I have drooled over bella umbrellas for a few years now. One of these day I will just spend the money and get one. Sigh.
Use it for four years, and it's only a $24/year investment. Not bad, really. I think you owe yourself a present.
Quote from: Adriana Rose on May 03, 2010, 09:20:41 PM
We have a patio umbrella out side of my shop and a few years ago it was raining like CRAZY and one of the Royal Gaurds came and asked to borrow it for the Queen to walk to the joust. It was histarical to watch him march away with the HUGE umbrella
Ha! That actually happened at one of my faires last year, except it was to protect the King AND Queen. Their majesties eventually took shelter in the pub, and the guard had a ball parading around the faire with the giant umbrella, giving assistance where needed.
Quote from: Syrilla on May 02, 2010, 10:47:06 AM
Thank you for all of the suggestion. I have had and used the paper, oiled, "fabric" coated umbrellas. And each year, even with water proofing, and re-coating, I have to purchase new ones. I am in search of a good alternative. I would love a leather on. But know one seems to be able to make it, and make it a working one. Even tho others will not know what is period or not, I do. And I want to keep it the best I can afford.
One last thought, if leather seems too expensive or too much bother, perhaps make a cover made from vinyl or oil cloth. Something not a permanent part of your parasol, but that can be kept folded in a pouch and tied on when the weather turns. Could be a fun experiment. Paint it or bejewel it...maybe?
That umbrellas dot com site has three different flowers, and one palm tree. Any of those would be neat, especially for a fae or sprite.
Quote from: Butch on May 06, 2010, 03:07:29 PM
That umbrellas dot com site has three different flowers, and one palm tree. Any of those would be neat, especially for a fae or sprite.
Not quite period, but definitely cool, as you say, for a fae or sprite. Heck, I might even get one of the palm tree ones. That way, the aliens won't be able to spot me here in Florida when it's raining. I could probably even line it with foil ...
gem, where did you get a bella umbrella for $24. They are over $80 on the websites.
I have used the patio umbrellas, I just hate to make anyone carry around one of those things. It is HEAVY, and if the wind gets un-wilding.
No, I meant that you could spread the investment over the lifetime of the umbrella. If you *only* use it for four years, then it's $24/year (the brown one I posted is $96). Push that to ten years, and $9.60/year... which is probably what you're paying every year for a new paper parasol.
MUST HAVE MINT GREEN PAGODA UMBRELLA!!!!
I'm bumping this up, because I've just stumbled across a Threads magazine tutorial on recovering an umbrella!
http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/10563/how-to-recover-an-umbrella
(I got my local quilt shop's weekly newsletter, and this week's focus is Amy Butler laminated fabrics... and one of the featured projects is, you guessed it, an umbrella! I saw that and did a double take. Some quick Googling turned up this link!)
Another bump, because I've found a less expensive reproduction umbrella. This one is from a UK merchant, but even at 15 British Pounds + overseas shipping, has to be a better bargain than the Bella Umbrellas were going for.
http://www.museumselection.co.uk/edwardian-parasol-prod6037/
(http://www.museumselection.co.uk/images/products/large/6037.jpg)
Gem, you might also want to look for antique parasols and umbrellas where the fabric just needs to be recovered. I'm in the process of recovering an 1880's/1890's parasol right now. I also have a lovely mid 19th C one that I'm considering recovering but the fabric only has one VERY large hole and -with the fabric placement- it still provides too much information about how these parasols were covered to really take it apart, yet.
I won a lot on ebay of four antique parasols for $40 not too long ago. This way, you can use your own fabric to match your outfit. For a real umbrella at fair, I typically just use my "Sistine Chapel" one. The Sistine Chapel is period. :-)
Here's some info on reproducing period umbrellas/parasols: http://www.screentanning.com/Parasol_Handout.pdf
I plan to try both versions since I wear both Roman and late period Italian. :)
Awesome link, Sealion.
Wow, that is good resource.
Yet another thing to make for my wife ...
Late to the party, but I found these: $35?
http://www.amazon.com/Parasol-Style-Wind-Resistant-Premium-Umbrella-Red/dp/B004P4Y3AA/ref=pd_sbs_a_2
http://www.amazon.com/Parisian-Pagoda-Parasol-Umbrella-Greatlookz/dp/B003UHBLRG/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&qid=1346345982&sr=8-25&keywords=lace+parasol
May want to change out the handles - but that has to be easier than changing the fabric!
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