words of encourgagement from Robert Genn:   Feel and relish the environment.Get into a "be here now" state of mind.Start your work anywhere.Look cleanly and with an uncluttered mind.Be joyous and unencumbered in your stroke.Work everywhere at once when you can.Try to leave your strokes alone.Do not labour or think too much.Don’t sweat the small stuff. Let the painting tell you what it needs.Though it may be small, make your picture big.Without being a wimp, serve your subject.Don’t verbalize your sight–sense the being.Surrender to earth’s beauty and wisdom.If you make errors, fix them in good humour. Be suspicious of what … Continue reading Painting advice

Well, I look tired, and this is what a linen kirtle/Gothic Fitted Dress looks like, now that it’s sort of done.  A wool one looks better. I’d like to put buttons on the sleeves, the fabric for the sideless surcote is still on the loom/spinning wheel, and that’s just plain cotton yarn lacing it inadequately.  (Sign of an A&Ser – apologies and excuses about area of specialization.)  But this is a very cheerful picture, despite the tired/unfinishedness/wrapping paper.  (I’d just gotten a lovely present from THL Theadora Perplexa.) Thanks, THL David le Ymagour.  (To see more of David’s pics of … Continue reading Post-deed pics

Just back from doing a demo at a local middle school – they had an all-day festival for all of the seventh grade, I think, and I have now said about 90 seconds worth of ‘how wool becomes fabric with these tools right here’ about 243 times.  At least.  And signed lots and lots of Passports into the Past. It was very fun, of course, because I love explaining this arcane fiber stuff that I do, and seeing oh, about 20% of the faces light up.  A few even come back for more. I also like educating the teachers.  Just … Continue reading Demo at Meigs Middle School

Okay, so here are the rest of my events this year (I think). Jan – Osprey’s Birthday Bash, Evergreen. Feb – Mar – Gulf Wars, Lumberton (Meigs Middle School demo Mar 27) Apr – Hit List, Evergreen (Osprey) (Crestview demo Apr 15) (Valparaiso demo Apr 26) May – Crown List, Evergreen (PG hosts) June – Kingdom A&S, FDR Park (FWB Parade, June 9) July – Arabian Nights, Evergreen (Arenal) Aug – Sept – Daggers & Hemlock 2: Medici Murder (PG hosts) Oct – Wine List???, far away Nov – no events, holiday prep Dec – Magna Fair, far away As … Continue reading 2008 Event Calendar

It’s interesting how much I’ve learned in a year.  I’m not sure my experience last year (of having the top of my head blown right off) will ever repeat itself, but this year certainly was worth the trip if very different. First, the loot.  (Any war generates spoils, right?) From upper left: Silk organza for my 16th c Black Protestant hat, and machine bobbin lace for same.  Camel tropical-weight wool for a Tudor Working Dress.  Colored wool is for Coptic tapestry weaving.  The black thread is linen dyed blackish with only tannin and iron (cook linen in an iron pot … Continue reading Gulf Wars, 2008

You’ll now notice that ‘Resources’ have appeared on the sidebar.  Many many links.  I have a long way to go in processing my del.icio.us account of SCA stuff, so I’ll post again with the next big addition. Also, there’s now a Page for each Garb Persona I’ve been working on – there’s more stuff to add to each one, but I’ll get there. In non-digital life, more housekeeping also.  I have made progress towards my Wardrobe Room, by sorting out the contents of the third bedroom, moving some furniture, donating a heap of stuff to charity, burn testing all my … Continue reading More housekeeping

You may have noticed that I’ve made some changes around here. As I post more pictures, the 500px center column format was impractical.  Furthermore, I’m getting better at organizing my projects around themes, rather than dabbling here and there.  So I’ve subdivided the Garb Construction category according to the times/cultures that I’m making. I’ve also started a permanent Page for each set of Garb, which will replace the Greet’s Garb Photo Album.  The Finished Fuzzy Things Album is temporarily disappearing, until I figure out what to do with it.  Email me if you can’t find something.  I’ve also disabled Greet’s … Continue reading Bit of housekeeping

I’m back from Saltare, and had a wonderful time.  (Yes, there’s a pic of me in the 14thc Versatile Gown, it’s coming.) However, driving home and talking about future garb projects with Melbrigda, I realized how I can put some strategy into the varied stuff that interests me. Gardens – 16thc Persia, Egypt (date?) and Spain (Alhambra for starters).Dance –  16thc Europe and Persia.Textiles – Coptic weaving (1000AD) and 16thc Persia (I think).Domestic architecture – Roman courtyard houses, Indian brickwork, Egyptian mudwork.  See Persian gardens.Garb – ALL OF ABOVE CULTURES. So, clearly, I still need 16thc Persian garb to talk … Continue reading New strategies

I’m reprinting this from the Meridies-CostumeGroup list, for my own future use – but of course, y’all are welcome to anything you can learn. Q: In the spirit of "There are no dumb questions, only dumb people." I am outing myself as one of the dumb. I don’t understand some of the rules for A&S competition. Specifically, when & how many times can I enter something? There’s Magna Faire, a regional A&S, and then Kingdom A&S in June? Is that right? If I enter something in one of them does that prevent me from entering the same thing at another … Continue reading SCA A&S Fair stuff