Noble Class garb for children

[LadyVal]

He looks fantastic!!

[Randal]

That's awesome.

We did our kids up in peasant garb, when we could get them into garb. Never could get my daughter to dress up.

Randal

[Tammy]

You're nephew makes a splendid noble! Wonderful use of scenery as well.
My favorite picture is the last one where his head is titled upwards...snobby-ish...in a noble way, of course! 

[Friar Rohn the Chronicler]

You're nephew makes a splendid noble! Wonderful use of scenery as well.
My favorite picture is the last one where his head is titled upwards...snobby-ish...in a noble way, of course! 

Yeah well....his mother specifically requested that pose (photos were sent directly over to the family in Spain). I sorta' refer it as the "Captain Morgan" shot. All he needs is a keg of Spiced Rum and a Silly Straw sticking out of his shiny tankard.

"Snobbish"......Lord Gawd....you should hear some of the ways we are going to handle situations if he gets Snarked. We can bring Snobbishness to a whole new level.

Friar Rohn

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

You're nephew makes a splendid noble! Wonderful use of scenery as well.
My favorite picture is the last one where his head is titled upwards...snobby-ish...in a noble way, of course! 

Yeah well....his mother specifically requested that pose (photos were sent directly over to the family in Spain). I sorta' refer it as the "Captain Morgan" shot. All he needs is a keg of Spiced Rum and a Silly Straw sticking out of his shiny tankard.

"Snobbish"......Lord Gawd....you should hear some of the ways we are going to handle situations if he gets Snarked. We can bring Snobbishness to a whole new level.

Friar Rohn

It is inconceivable to me that your nephew would ever be snarked.  He looks so magnificent, I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to make any kind of negative comment!  Firstly, I just couldn't conceive of anyone hurting a child like that.  Maybe other kids might tease him (out of jealousy, cause he looks great!) but any adult who would even consider that in his/her mind has something seriously wrong with them!

We went to Janesville last spring, and their was a family with a young son in noble garb, and the same quality as your nephew's.  The entire day, whenever the family walked past, people, both garbed and in mundane clothes,  stopped in their tracks and looked at them.  We never heard one word that wasn't complimentary.  I'm sure the only comments your nephew's garb will be on how fantastic he looks!  You did a wonderful job.   

[Kate XXXXXX]

He looks absolutely wonderful.  And pleased as punch with the whole deal.

Son James also wears specs, but looks totally NOT like Harry Potter! (He's also bust his new specs...  And the last pair descended in two halves to the bottom of a lake in Biaritz back in June!)

James modeling a mage robe constructed for a friend:

[Friar Rohn the Chronicler]

Last weekend was the first time that Alexei got to wear his suit at a renaissance function, the annual "Boares Head Feaste" at the Castle of Muskogee. We had a great time but he was sort of bored during the dinner because there were no other kids there. The two "serving wenches" took excellent care of him while I was wondering all over taking photos. The King and Queen treated him with exceptional care all night. The king thought he would be a good "Henry Fitzroy" character (the illegitimate son of Henry VIII), but I told him joining the cast was not a option. We designed the suits to be along the character line as a Spanish nobleman's child. His family nickname is "Spaniard" since he was a baby (which his older brother is still jealous because he got stuck with "Weasel"). His character name we like is "Alejandro Hernandez de Kynge". The Queen had a long discussion with him regarding the use of "de Kynge" and thought that was more of a French usage. She thought that it should be "Rex Kynge". Here a some my favorite photos from the evening:



Here's a link to the complete set of photos from that night:

http://s397.photobucket.com/albums/pp52/boares_head/Boares%20Heade%20Feaste/

Not my best work though, the room was almost pitch dark because almost all of the light was by candlelight on the table tops. I had to turn off all of my automatic functions on the camera, pump up the ISO to a 1000 and manually focus on the candle flames in the hall.

Friar Rohn

[Friar Rohn the Chronicler]

Finally got the fabric for my nephew's second doublet and slops suit. What do you think of the pattern?



Friar Rohn

[DonaCatalina]

Last weekend was the first time that Alexei got to wear his suit at a renaissance function, the annual "Boares Head Feaste" at the Castle of Muskogee. We had a great time but he was sort of bored during the dinner because there were no other kids there. The two "serving wenches" took excellent care of him while I was wondering all over taking photos. The King and Queen treated him with exceptional care all night. The king thought he would be a good "Henry Fitzroy" character (the illegitimate son of Henry VIII), but I told him joining the cast was not a option. We designed the suits to be along the character line as a Spanish nobleman's child. His family nickname is "Spaniard" since he was a baby (which his older brother is still jealous because he got stuck with "Weasel"). His character name we like is "Alejandro Hernandez de Kynge". The Queen had a long discussion with him regarding the use of "de Kynge" and thought that was more of a French usage. She thought that it should be "Rex Kynge". Here a some my favorite photos from the evening:



Here's a link to the complete set of photos from that night:

http://s397.photobucket.com/albums/pp52/boares_head/Boares%20Heade%20Feaste/

Not my best work though, the room was almost pitch dark because almost all of the light was by candlelight on the table tops. I had to turn off all of my automatic functions on the camera, pump up the ISO to a 1000 and manually focus on the candle flames in the hall.

Friar Rohn

Pretty impressive even in low light. I must have missed the part where you either made this or bought this.
Huzzah for another Spaniard.

(fyi the de XXXX part of the name refers to a location. Such as Barcelona)

[Friar Rohn the Chronicler]

Pretty impressive even in low light. I must have missed the part where you either made this or bought this.
Huzzah for another Spaniard.

(fyi the de XXXX part of the name refers to a location. Such as Barcelona)

Thanks, the photos came out ok. I just switched over to a Canon 40D around 4-5 months ago and I'm still relearning all my old SLR skills.

The suit was sort of designed by me. I found a seamstress off of eBay (Midnight Breeze Designs). I searched and located all of the fabrics but she picked the trims. I created a design through photoshop from one of her designs.

The matching belt and baldric was made out of California from http://www.blackbeardscreations.com/index.htm. It came with a rapier and Italian stiletto (attached to the backside). He did excellant work on creating a set that can be adjusted and upgraded when he grows. I just purchased a crossbow (a 13th Century reproduction of a English crossbow) and it should be here in a week or so. we'll looking for another ornate dagger and possibly another for his boot.

The boots were from http://www.houseofandar.com/. They fit pretty tight. We had him pre-measured for adult 7.5, ordered 8.5's and they are tight to first fit into but he says they are extremely comfortable (but the nuns won't let him wear them to school). I'm going to order a 2nd pair for next year, but a few sizes larger and in brown.

The tankard.....Gawd.....I splurged on that puppy. It's actually real, bought from a antiquities auction house out of Sweden and it was made (according to the documentation) between 1820-40.

The next suit will be made by Lady Kathleen of Olmsted and we are currently working on a design that would be acceptable for her. It will also be a doublet and slops but nothing like the blue suit. We like the suits to be elegant but simple (no pearls and such). Noble class.....not royalty. We'll looking at something along the design like she did for Sir Dallas Smith seen here....



She seemed to like the fabric and pattern (seen on my previous post) that we located on eBay.

When he outgrows them, we plan on donating them to the Castle of Muskogee if they would like them.

Friar Rohn

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Friar!!!  I am looking forward as well as honored to be working with you!!  The fabric you found on eBay is smashing and will look Fantastic for what we will be using it for!!!

The idea of donating the garb to the Castle at Muskogee is a wonderful idea.  I see their huge ad on the back of RENAISSANCE magazine all the time. Seems like a great time there.

[Friar Rohn the Chronicler]

Friar!!! I am looking forward as well as honored to be working with you!! The fabric you found on eBay is smashing and will look Fantastic for what we will be using it for!!!

As our family is also looking forward with having you design this next year's suit. I usually buy a lot of hard to find stuff on eBay, that fabric was a unusual find. There will be around 7 yards left over and we'll probably donate it to the staff of ladies and gentlemen who do the repairs and upgrades for The Castle's playtrons. It's really beautiful material, all cotton for breathability too. Midwest heat's a ________. 

The idea of donating the garb to the Castle at Muskogee is a wonderful idea. I see their huge ad on the back of RENAISSANCE magazine all the time. Seems like a great time there.

I always wondered if that ad was just regional. The Castle's getting larger every year. When I took Alexei to the Haunted Castle for 2 weekends, the lines were longer in comparison than when I took the grandkids to Disney World. Jeff Hiller, the Lord Keeper and Steward of the Castle will each year  upgrade and add new buildings. I can't think of once when I've dropped by where he would appear out of the blue covered in wood dust and a hammer in hand. Jeff always puts money back into the place instead of sitting back on his laurels.

Our family always donates to favorite causes. Eventually Alexei will outgrow them, most would suggest "to eBay" them. Not our style. The suits we will donate, the leatherwork and weapons will be mounted in a locked shadow case we're going to have made for his room.

Speaking of weapons, he finally got the big prize he was promised, a 14th century reproduction crossbow. I almost feel like I stole it from the seller. I really don't think he knew it's actual worth. I had been looking for quite some time. Most I had found were too large or heavy. Almost all were around the $350 to $500, required months to create. When contacting the sellers, they usually never emailed back or called back from their answering machines. I found this one below listed on eBay under "medieval crossbow" and the seller listed it as a "non firing replica" (not according to the holes I shot through the metal trash cans [through both sides] in the back yard). I had found another one and won it but then eBay sent a message that they canceled the auction shortly after it finished. No explanation or response from the seller. This one was a far better deal anyway. I picked it up for about $45. Perfect condition, never used and still in the original packing.



Now some would wonder, would the good Friar give a 11 yr. old child something that could shoot through a car door?

Yes and No.

I'll keep the 3 armor piercing bolts that it came with at my house, I've bought a package of long replacement erasers that draftsmen use. I can accurately shoot one of his action figures from 50 feet. He'll wear his paintball helmet just in case. He's very responsible, has been trained on rifles, shotguns and I've even allowed him to fire some of my exotics at the range. I may slightly modify it with a small rail to put one of the daylight green lasers on it.

When he opens it on Christmas, it'll be like being shot back to when I opened up my first BB gun around the same age. It's a guy thing.

Friar Rohn

[Kate XXXXXX]

So tell: how did it go?

Love the idea of replacing the bolts with erasers.

[Friar Rohn the Chronicler]

Christmas went rather well this year. Alexei, as usual.....made a killing. I don't remember having all these cool toys when I was a child. According to him, Alexei's crossbow was his #3 favorite item he got this year. All 3 of the grandkids give me a Christmas List every year (I actually save them for when they have kids someday). On the top of his list was a Blackberry cell phone. I assume that one of these was the new "gotta' have one" from his prep school classmates this year. I figured that it was going to be some new online video game, wrong. I guess these kids today have priorities that are far different than our childhood (G.I. Joes, bikes, and BB guns). Of course he didn't get the cell phone, if a Christmas present requires a 2 year contract with monthly payments, plus it's at the top of the list of "contraband" that will be confiscated by The Penguins (the nuns).....well, it was replaced by a lump of coal. 

Request to be submitted again after being accepted to college.

The top 3 gifts this year were as follows:

160 gig Ipod (loaded with tons of music and movies)
A 14" Halo action figure (a more or less updated G.I. Joe) that has the potential of be the #1 target the crossbow's "eraser bolts".
The crossbow

The crossbow looks good hanging on his wall by his compound bow. I took the rolling block out to disable it but to be honest, Alexei and his older brother couldn't pull back the string. Alexei's compound bow has a 60 pound draw, the crossbow has a 150 pound draw. I may have to purchase a "crank" if they want to shoot it regularly. It's a device that fits on the end of the stock and looks like a bicycle pedals. It's the same device used centuries ago for soldiers to "notch" their bows.

The cross bow is the perfect weight and length for him to carry. I'll disable it probably by using plastic tie downs attaching the string to the front stirrup. That will keep the string from being pulled back and notched. I'm pretty sure that will be sufficient as being "peace tied".

Here's a few photos from Christmas morning. As you can see, you can always tell if you're a Rennie by the shape of your gift packages......



Next up on the Ren List, get his measurements when he gets back from Spain so Lady Kathleen of Olmsted can start on this year's new suit.....

[Wisp]

Friar Rohn, your nephew looks terrific, man I wished I looked half of half that good.

Will Shadowlurker