Creating and selling ruffled shirts, wrap pants, capes and — on occasion — period-style gowns for Renaissance fairs across the globe, the local Seguin couple works to keep the days of Robin Hood alive.

“We have sold all shirts all over the world,” April said. “We have shipped them to England, Japan, Germany and France.”

The area couple who own RenShirts — a trademarked brand of Renaissance style clothing — started with an alterations shop that grew into a complete other business.

“We opened the sewing shop in 1996,” April said who has been stitching and mending for almost half a century.

The Rippels have been in the Renaissance clothing business for about a decade, said Frank

“Our first Ren faire was in 1998 and in 2000 we came up with RenShirts and trademarked it,” Frank said.

To learn more about their creations, the couple traveled to many different festivals across the states and in to the northern territory.

“We have traveled to the Colorado Ren Faire,” Frank said. “And we have gone to Canada for the World Jousting Competition. We mainly went to see the competition but we also wanted to get ideas for RenShirts.”

At one Renaissance fair, Frank recalled the couple sold out of all of the products within the first day.

“We worked hard that week to ensure that we wouldn’t sell out again that second weekend but we still sold out by Sunday,” he said.

For quicker turn out of shirts, while April sewed the fabric together, Frank and his brother would cut the material based off of patterns.

“We have patterns from 4XL down to very small children,” April said. “It takes me about 45 minutes per shirt and about two days per gown.”

In preparation of the upcoming event the couple has already assembled at least 2,000 shirts and an unknown amount of capes and wrap pants.

One of the projects that April is working to complete is the last dress of three for a maiden known as the Valkyrie Queen, Frank said.

“April has been making these dresses for Samantha Marks for a couple of years,” he said. “She just loves to dress up and enjoys getting her picture taken with strangers in these dresses.”

Frank’s brother is not the only one who helps the Ripples at the festivals, April said.

“My mom has been doing Ren fairs for 30 to 40 years,” April said. “She did calligraphy. She still comes out and helps us. It’s a family thing and it’s great.”

Frank and April can be seen on the weekends starting Feb. 27 to April 4 in the Central Texas town of Paige at the newest Renaissance style festival — Sherwood Forest Faire.

“This one is going to be kid-oriented,” April said. “There is a section that is kind of corralled off. There will be all kind of games that are kid safe including a mini archery lesson.”

Along with the abundance of child-related activities, there will also be adult entertainment, Frank said.

“There will be an archery troupe that is going to try to recreate the scene in ‘Robin Hood’ where he splits the arrows,” he said.

April and her apprentices will have their own shop at the fair.

“We will have a dressing room so you can be fitted on the spot and walk out with you new clothes,” April said. “Of course everything that is modern will be camouflaged.”

While dressing in period clothing may not be something for everyone, Frank said it doesn’t matter because the event is still full of excitement.

“It’s fun to go to the fair. You can come as you are, you don’t have to dress up,” said Frank. “But when you put on a costume it’s like you become a part of it. It’s like you took a step back in time and there are enough actors there that will interact with you whether you are in costume or not.”