So I was asked today, after stating that I have a torn ACL (six plus years old), "you're taking up heavy weapons... why?" Laughingly, I said that I've been fencing with this condition for a few years already. Which is true. Most times, I don't even wear my knee brace while fencing - indoors, mind you.

I'm currently reading "Women in the Martial Arts" and coupled with a conversation I had with Bry before fight practice, fully realize just *why* I've decided to take up SCA heavy weapons (or armoured combat) at this point in time.

I've been swimming (a bit haphazardly regarding number of times per week) and am slowly getting more fit - better physical health and definitely increasing my endurance. I'm currently (as of this past week) swimming three days and managing 600 yards in about 40 minutes (plus or minus about five minutes). I'm hoping to be able to get my time down to 30 minutes and then increase the distance. That's basically 12 full laps (one lap consists of going to one end of the pool and back, to count). The pool is 25 yards - per 'half' lap. So, here I've been competing against myself, testing my limits and pushing forward. Honestly, the third day of doing laps in a week gets to be a bit of a challenge - "Can I make it to 600? Only 5 more laps to go. All right, lets just get this next lap down." - is some of my mental conversation with myself.

So anyway, the reason I've decided to take up heavy weapons - is for my own self and simply to have fun. I'm learning something new and testing myself. Fighting is a dance. Sure, I get bruises from good blows, but when I block them successfully, and land a few good blows of my own, it's all good. I'm not looking to win tourneys, or get "noticed." No, for me, this is simply another way of working with myself to become the strongest I can be and to challenge myself. Oh yeah, and to have fun. :)

Well, I've gone and done it now... and I'm rather glad. Yeah, I have a few extra aches this morning and a new bruise or two, but I wouldn't trade them for the world right now. You see, yesterday I put on armour for the first time. But not for the last time. *smile* I won't say that I'm now a stick-jock, but I think I'm headed that way.

Dernehealde will have a new fighter - and who knows? I might even be authorized before Pennsic (not sure if I will fight at Pennsic, but...)

Do not despair though! I have not given up on any of my arts. Heck, I've been learning to make wines, I've got a cordial in its finishing stage, and I'm about to try my hand at making some mead (starting off with 4 gallons). I've also been learning sprang and pewter casting. Come this summer, instead of demonstrating spinning and/or weaving at Robbins Crossing, I will be back in the blacksmith shop making a set of woodworking tools to build and carve (just 'cause I want it to look pretty) my warp-weighted loom. I'm probably also going to be making myself a set of stone carving tools (gotta make my own Class I and/or Class II standing stones!). *wink* I still have a tablet weaving project on my "loom" and I'm going to be learning finger-loop braiding and inkle weaving (maybe, on that last one). I am also going to be collaborating on a Complete Anachronist project as well as getting my own CA written up (anyone care to take a guess?).

So even though I'm taking up fighting and will be working on getting my kit together, I'm not giving up my other loves. It just means I have more things to chose from and won't be bored. ;)

We had a very quiet Thanksgiving - which was a blessing. Given the levels of stress B has been under from work and the fact that his side of the family is very prone to "drama" we needed a stress-free 'holiday.'

I am thankful for being able to reconnect with a dear friend who I've missed during the years where I lost touch with him.

I am thankful for my friends and family.

I am thankful for having a chance to make a difference in so many different people's lives (hopefully for the better). ;)

I am thankful for a loving and indulgent husband who cares for my happiness.

I am thankful for laughter, purring cats and happy dogs.

An explosion of ecstasy.

A very happy birthday wish to kass_rants You totally rock!!!

The storm, which had nasty potential, has died a-borning. Thankfully.

Now I can get on with business. :)

And the hits just keep on coming.

Why is it that my KWebmin to do list keeps getting longer instead of shorter?

*sigh* Oh well... to the Grindstone, Robin!! ;)

Q. What's more difficult than herding cats?

A.
     1. herding ferrets
     2. getting all the webministers to send in the proper paperwork
     3. getting same webministers to file their reports

Ok, numbers 2 & 3 don't apply to *ALL* the webministers, but to a depressing majority of them. This office is no longer playing "fast and loose" with the rules or required forms and reports. Anyone who maintains an "officially recognized website" in this kingdom will have to follow all the same rules and regs as any other officer.

I'm so gonna be not popular. Oh well, it's a good thing that my sense of well-being doesn't depend on what other people think of me anymore. *big wolfish grin - showing lots of teeth*

Home now from our Barony's Baronial Championships where I became the new Arts & Sciences Champion and my lord husband, Eidiard became the new heavy weapons champion. Torquil, another member in our household, became the new Rapier Champion.

Tired. More later.

*chuckle* Guess I should make some time to actually read some of the books I have collected for my research. Now that I've gotten *most* of the sheep research done, I guess it's time to start focusing o some of the other aspects of my project. ;) :)

This actually started out as a comment on my own posting  "A comment got me to thinking..." when I decided it needed to be its own post.

Regarding the whole "shaped facing" issue, I starting thinking about how would I handle doing the neckline (of perhaps my next gown) in a more period manner. Regardless of whether or not I found evidence for a silk band used as a facing.

The shaped facing I used on the current dress/gown (I still don't know what to call it) is admittedly, a modern convenience. By having a pattern for the keyhole neckline, cutting it out and sewing it in place before cutting out the neck and keyhole, it makes it much easier for a modern sewer/seamstress to get a nice, neat looking neckline. I have to admit that I haven't read much in Hald's book - either for necklines or neckline facings, but I have to wonder if in the 4th-7th centuries whether they actually 'faced' the necklines or not. One would imagine they did, simply to help the garment retain its shape.

Supposing I did find evidence of actual neckline facings, how would I deal with it? I think, what I would have to do - which would most likely be non-period, would be to trace out the neckline (probably from the pattern I have created) then, take a strip of fabric (wool?, silk?) and then just start sewing it down along the lines, much like I did for the shaped facing. Mitering corners is easy enough, and if I didn't want a lot of bulk, I could cut the excess from the mitering and turn under the edges of that. Doubt it would be period, though. Hmmm, something to think about.

eithni ? Do you have any ideas on this? mightyjesse ?

One of my commenters asked to see the wrong side of my keyhole neckline. So, here it is.

One of the things you can't really see in the photos is that I cut the facing at cross-grain to the main body of the gown. I'm not sure I really had a reason for it, other than it seemed like a good idea at the time.

This second picture is a little bit blurry, and for that I apologize. Turns out, the one panel I didn't tack down is the one used for the close-up. Go figure. :/

Anyway, the fabric was washed and dried in a commercial laundromat the same way I wash and dry my dark clothing (cold water and low temp on dryer). This fulled the cloth just a bit. For tacking down parts of the facing, I used wool thread pulled from the body of the gown. This way, the tacks would be virtually invisible on the right side of the garment.

I used a backstitch for attaching the facing to the body of the gown. From Kass McGann's "Sewing Techniques of the Medieval Period" sewing guide. After looking through Hald's section on sewing in her "Ancient Danish Textiles" (page 280-ish), I realized that the backstitch may not be period correct for the 7th century. But I wanted something that would be able to take some of the stress I know I'll be putting this thing under (every time I put it on and take it off). Heck, using a lavender/purple linen thread is most likely not period, but I wanted to be able to see the stitches and it contrasts so nicely with the darker blue/green wool.

So there you have it. If I work on this diligently, I may have it done by our Baronial Championships at Border Quest 7 on 26 September. If not, I'll still probably enter it as a "work in progress" for the A&S Championship. *grin*

Tee! I think my foster-Laurel Mom, eithni is going to be at least a little bit proud of me. :)

So, part of my research includes handsewing my clothing. Well, here is a very early photograph of my work. Thanks to mightyjesse for the "winning" suggestion for how to handle a keyhole neckline. I've almost got it sewn down. As you can see from the picture, I was a dork and cut along the four lines (shoulder, to back and front) before getting the neckline facing sewn on. Fortunately, I didn't cut further than would be covered by the half inch seam allowance.


The fabric is a "summer weight" wool, the thread (is actually more purple than the picture shows) is 90/6 Bockens linen and the needle is bronze. The thread and needle were purchased from Reconstructing History at Pennsic - where I actually got to meet both Bob and Kass! The wool was purchased at a local (to me) fabric store called "The Tatted Corner." The pins you see are actually steel, not brass or bronze. (The camera, it lies.) ;)

Since this is my very first, fully handsewn garment, I'll try to document my progress here. As long as I remember to get photos and post them.


EDIT: Well, I finished the neckline, including ironing the facing down and tacking it in place. Hee, I "cheated" by using a thread from the fabric that I pulled from the length of it. Much like Hald describes as a possibility of what was done with some of the bog finds (ref: page 280-ish in Ancient Danish Textiles). You can't see where the tacks are, which is made of total win for me. :)

Note to self, make sure my hair is down, otherwise I can't get this over my head. Did I ever mention that I wear a men's XL hat? My hat-size is 7 3/4 which is fairly large. It's the reason I can't wear women's hats.

So, I'm starting working on my new Pictish gown and I've come to the part I always seem to have problems with - the neck hole. Necklines I've made before usually end up almost to my shoulders (well, bra strap anyway - yeah, I'm working on period under-support).

So,  what is the best way of making a nice, smallish neck hole? Does anyone have a "fool-proof" method? I may just go with making a smallish circle, more toward the front of the garment, and then making a slit (like a keyhole neckline) that I can fasten shut.

Oh, the material is a lightweight wool.


I'm cross-posting this to my sca-garb as well.

Just because I get tired of embedded media... here's the link to the Shaun (the Sheep) of the Dead.

Yes, I'm a fan of the original - of both Shaun of the Dead and Shaun the Sheep. :p

I guess it's official since I received an e-mail via the address of webminister@midrealm.org.

I'm the new Middle Kingdom Web Minister.

Hope I can grow into the position and do a good job with it.

*meep!*

... she is growing!

Research Bibliography

I really need to work on my writing skills. I've got another "article" up on my sheep research site Finnseach's Souterrain of Pictish Research, just follow the "Sheep in Early Period" link in the menu bar for the articles that are now there.

Moar comin' soonz - promise!

Research - fun! Writing - ugh.

Edited to add "where" my articles are hiding. :p

Well, I promised the people who took my class at Pennsic that I would have my notes posted by September. I have started to fulfill that promise. To read the intro, visit my 'other' website Finnseach's Souterrain of Pict Research.

That is all.

;)