Sewing

Now that the little matter of the election is over, life, and medieval life goes on.

With Eastern Standard Time reestablished, we now move the Isenfir/UVa practice to the lower level of the Scott Stadium parking garage. Better light, protection from some of the weather, easy parking. What that location does not have is good positioning for recruitment. People don't casually walk by and discover us there. So please, tell your friends, and be sure to come yourselves!

• Kelby from Prechain has become a regular, and is discovering the wonders of a fight practice where actual teaching happens.
• Philip and Aethelwolf are reliable and a great help with the new fighters.
• I'm there every week.
• Landi has put gear on a few times and is getting more regular!
• Aloisius recently told me he wants to emphasize armored combat over rapier.
• Cartallo has made some non-commital noises that suggest we might see him now and then.
• Danny, Andrew, and Sev are all close to authorizing, and Jordan is catching up fast for only having made a few practices.

So we're definitely getting there! Even with school or life keeping Charles, Eric and Timm from fighting, this practice is definitely reaching critical mass. Maybe soon, even Karhu will armor up.

Rapier is going great too, but that's not my place to report on. But Caleb just delivered Eleanor's new helmet. Come see it!

Aside from personnel, I'm sad that it seems my idea for a polearm isn't legal. If I do understand the rules now, a laminated weapon isn't going to be very attractive in performance or appearance. Maybe I can figure out one that is. And I still have Val's Chopper....

Come on out! The weather should be good this week.

Sunday, there's some sort of sewing get together planned for at UVa. And then the Isenfir Games Tourney and Demo next week.

We had an awesome, fun weekend getting many new war standards and poles underway. We got much much more than I expected done. Roland, Alan, Corby, Aedan, and I forget who else got well underway on standards and Helmut and Kymber made some smaller gonfalons or whatever they're called.
Seems reasonable to believe that we'll have seven or more 12x4 foot war standards 28 feet above the Vair and Ermine camp this year. It should look spectacular. And cast some shade!
We also consumed vast quantities, I finished Helmut's half gauntlet, repaired some of my gear, planted the huge weglia and some lemon balm Theo brought down for me and generally had a great time.
Thanks to all the helpers and guests who made the weekend fun and easy.
Oh, and on the web album I've put up, I'm experimentally enabling picture uploading if you have any pics from this weekend you want to add.

That's the end of the backdated entries.

Weeks later, I'm all caught up. The shoulder is better, but my back is still bothering me but finally improving. The doc says it's my sacroilac joint and gave me some steroids for it. Those have been messing with my sleep schedule, sometimes waking me up at 4 am, ready to start my day. Slightly annoying, but so far they haven't caused me to crash.

It's pretty strange to be full of energy but still have a back that won't let you do anything substantial. Though the range of motion I must avoid is pretty small– I was able to use a sledge to help take down the great room fireplace brick. I just couldn't clean fallen brick, carry buckets or haul the wheelbarrow.

I actually trashed my standard pole at Pennsic during tear down. Next year a new pole using Reynard's construction methods. No more panic when bad weather comes in!

I'm very excited about Vair & Ermine's autonomous collective now getting enthused by the idea of lots of tall war standard poles for camp. I bet we have six or more of them next year! Which also means some of us need to create war standards, not just the poles. Imagine next year, not just one pole at the front of camp, but two lanes of them all the way back.

For those of you planning your own standard, here's some info that may be helpful:

Society and Atlantia have no restrictions on the heraldic display of standards. If you want to be historically accurate for your period and station, look it up. There were no rules about it in the early 13th century that I've found, so I just use what I want.
Mine is 12' long, about 24" wide. By 15th century rules, this is the size for an emperor or an arch-duke or some such. It's made of light polycotton, and is only starting to show wear now after about ten years of use.

The "fly" of the standard is next to the pole. The badge of your kingdom goes there, unless you're the king.

The rest of the flag is a place to display your colors, badge, possibly multiple times, your motto and maybe some of your awards like Shark's Teeth, QoCs, that sort of thing. Proper display may include elements of your arms, but not your full coat of arms.

Technorati Tags: Crafting, Pennsic, SCA

Oh my gosh...some people do this in public!

Get your needles ready!

  Thjora was down at Jamestown this weekend, shooting calivers and learning how they do interpretation. Her new jack coat was a big hit. Hopefully someone else took pictures of her, 'cause all we have are the pics she took. None with her in them!  And this is the first posting to my LiveJournal mirror.

Big black or dark grey cloak with a hood, or with a separate hood.
creepy makeup
dark staff, perhaps looking like bone.
some of Connor Sinclair's halloween props could decorate the bridge.

25x30 Panther tent

Everything related to the Fates station except clues

Various banners for the main stations.

Her costume

Her roman couch and other scene decorations

roman glassware

vittae for the goats

twine for the goats

Here's the quest badge outline (Right click and save as on this link, 251 K) for anyone who can paint, sticker, embroider, tattoo, stamp or stencil it onto a belt favor, baldric, sash, flag pennant, headband, loincloth or what have you. (Seriously, we could use some loincloths for the fauns.) Vary the size however is convenient for you.

Primary heraldic red for the background material, yellow or gold for the temple.

If you need this in any other format, I can provide it. If you need it with less detail (like the inner triangle on the roof) I can give you that too. If something on this can be changed to make embroidery go faster, let me know, I can do that too.

Theodora is doing some of these, Bera may be, Jonathan says Janet may be.

Thanks so much!

Fates

Each team will be given 1 yard, 36" of handspun wool yarn. At the end of each successful quest, 3" (one fingerlength) will be cut off, shortening their "life." In the early quests, Clotho, will approach each team with several spindles and wool roving, offer to spin more length onto their yarn, or to teach a team member how to spin, using their yarn. (The team doesn"t know that this represents their life, yet. In the middle quests, Lachesis will approach each team and measure their yarn, and ask for a gift from them. If they comply, she will splice on a 6" or 12" length of handspun (no knots will be used). Toward the last quests, Atropos will approach each team. Depending of gifts, whim or entreaties, she will draw out her shears and cut off a lot or a little of their remaining yarn. She will give each of them a card, suggesting that if they think they might run out of yarn (life), they could offer a sacrifice to Lachesis to add some length to their yarn. (A handwoven bookmark is the only acceptable sacrifice‚ see Athena). 

Additional Fates

A Matching game of wool, silk, cotton and flax shown as raw material, roving (prepared for spinning), spun thread/yarn, woven cloth. Each team would need to put all of the processes for each fiber in it"s proper space and order of production.  We could do some quizzes with animal/mineral/vegetable questions, matching the plant/animal picture with the fiber, etc. There could be maps where an area is designated to show which fiber comes from which areas.  This station could be decorated with lots of spiders, looms, spindles, spinning wheels, combs, and cards. (I've got a ton of these, so do other local people)