Huzzah Bazaar!

Posted on by jsudar

Yesterday, we took a day off. No meetings, no committees, no work. We went to Pueblo West and attended an SCA event called the Huzzah Bazaar! It was a combo jumble sale, demo and class event. Fun!

I dug out the clothing basket and got our clothes out. Nice Viking dress for me and tunic and trews for Dan. We grabbed the feast gear and headed out. Of course, we were a little late leaving, but not bad. When we were a block from the event, Dan turns to me and says “It is a dress event isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

Of course, by then, my brain is going ninety different directions. I’m re-reading the event announcement in my head. “Well, the way it was written, I’m sure it was.”

“Did it say it was?”

“Ummm… no.”

I’ve been in the SCA for 6 years and haven’t attended a lot of events, so there are times I wonder….  By this point, we are pulling into the library parking lot. Shire banners. No cars in sight. No costumed people in sight. I’m beginning to worry. Finally, Dan goes the wrong way in the parking lot, finds the back lot and there is a person in garb. PHEW!

We hop out and head into the library and find the HB. 🙂 It was a lovely small event. Classes, demo’s, food, and a jumble sale. (ie, old garb, fabric, etc) We took the Viking knitting class. It’s a bit of a misnomer, as it is actually wire work. This video gives a good idea of what we did.

We had lunch, I learned English Country dances while Dan chatted with a knight about fighting, and I even sold a few things. It was a great day.

Afterwards, we went round to one of couple’s house and had a great late afternoon. I think that there were 20 people in the house at one point. 🙂 We had a lovely time, and we will be visiting the Shire of Aarquelle for other events.

Here are some pics.

Dare I say it?

Posted on by jsudar

Life is beginning to settle down. At long last!

The Celtic Music festival board meeting went well. We have new officers, and while I am the president, things are flowing smoothly. Check out what we are doing in September.

Our superintendent is doing well. PHEW! We’ve also hired 20 new teachers to replace all those that retired or resigned. We have our moderator for our RE-1 ‘Town Meeting’ too.

Our garden is in full production mode! We’ve harvested green beans, zucchini, yellow crookneck, radishes, lettuce, 1 tomato!, kale, onions and spearmint. We are amazed at how much we’ve harvested. No soil amendment or fertilizers. Just water and weeding.

I’m working on a new bespoke tunic as well. I’m to the embroidery stage.

Today, we both got out of the house. Yes, no jobs, no errands, just OUT. Granted, we went up to the Battlemoor site and hacked at weeds, gathered deadfall and figured out where we were camping. It was great. It got a bit warm at first, but then the clouds rolled in and it began to rain. The first shower wasn’t too bad, so we ate lunch and kept working. The second shower made it almost too wet to do anything. So, we came home early.

The rest of the day has been one of hot showers, snacks and just relaxing. Oh have we needed this.

Waiting is…

Posted on by

We are under a Winter Storm Warning. One that had people scrambling for groceries, firewood, batteries, etc. It even canceled our SCA event, Corazon. I took my mom to the grocery for a few things and then for a bit of a drive. It was crazy. Oh, and 62F was our high temp today.

When I got home, I made bread, a plum cake and then a casserole. While it was baking, I helped Dan with the firewood. We heat with it, and we’ve been whittling down a ‘hedge’ of pine. Today, we cleared the last of it. What wasn’t chopped, split, or stacked went into the compost bin. It was so strange to see the yard clear. By the time we came in, it was 38. We now have a bunch of firewood. 🙂

Since I posted last, we’ve had a bit of snow. Nothing like my friend Kirsty, who has 7 feet in her front yard. She lives in Massachusetts.

I’ll post pictures if we really get the snow they say we will.

Amazed!

Posted on by

Stunned. Smiling. Flabbergasted. While I wanted to give back to the sewing/costume community that has fired my imagination, I never expected the boom in stats over a hat. A hat that drove me crazy trying to get it done. I was beginning to think that I’d never manage it.

Bespoke Viking Hat.15

 

I did though, and wrote up a tutorial. I’d had people ask me about Viking Hats, and figured it would be easy enough to document how I made them. Once I did that, I updated the Viking Hat page and added the tutorial. Then I posted the link on Facebook and G+.

I figured maybe 50 or 100 people would ‘like’ it and a quarter of that visit the blog. That’s been the average when I’ve made other things, like tunics or apron dresses. That was on February 2nd. Since then I’ve had over 2000 views on the hat. 🙂 (about 1000 actual visitors)

I’m happy.

Switching Centuries

Posted on by

Last week was a small bit of hell. There is an event in late winter which we had planned to attend. This is Corazon de Leon III. It’s held in La Veta and put on by our own shire. Shire Villaleon. I wanted to make some new clothes for the event, as it is a Winter event. A nice balance to Battlemoor, held at the end of August.

I bought the fabric in November, and figured that I’d have PLENTY of time to make two hats, a tunic and a new overdress. Silly me. Life in it’s own way got busy. So, on February 1st, I put my foot down. I was going to SEW! Keep in mind that my sewing studio is unheated. If you go back through my posts, you’ll notice something… Every one of them from November on has the word SNOW in the title. Can you see my problem? It was too cold most days to sit on the front porch and sew.

I also forgot to mention something. On February 19th, when we were up in Denver for the CASB Legislative conference, I slipped and broke my nose. Yes, big goose egg on my head, slight concussion and of course, the obligatory Black Eyes from hell. I managed one day at the conference before the bruises bloomed, but that was it.

It also put my behind schedule, because I just didn’t feel good enough to use a little tiny needle…

March 1st. Of course, there was snow. I managed though to plan out Dan’s hat.

March 2nd. Sewed, ripped, sewed, ripped the hat. Finally realized I needed fur. Rabbit fur. We had to order it. Fast.

March 6th. Cut out my dress and Dan’s tunic. Did a little sewing.

March 8th. It snowed, but I actually got some stuff done. Worked on the viking coat a little and did the last minute drafts for the tunic pattern. Keep in mind, that unlike most modern sewing patterns, medieval patterns are sketched and measured onto the fabric.

March 10th. Meetings. Awgh! Sewing like a crazy person. I used the machine on the major straight seams. All the flat feld seams and hems done by hand. 

March 13th. Dan’s hat is done, as is his tunic and the main portion of my apron dress.

March 14th. While with my parents in Colorado Springs, I’m sewing like crazy. Dad is suppose to be in hospital for bladder surgery, but instead we ended up in ER. They thought he had a stroke. Craziness ensues. Dad ends up spending the night in hospital, and we go home. Only good thing… I finished my hat.

March 15th. Corazon. Well, we managed to be there for about 3 hours. sigh… At least we got to see some friends and wear our new clothes for a few hours. Later that day we went up and got my Dad. No stroke, but not sure what happened. A very rough weekend.

Here are the pictures of the clothes and some of Corazon. This coming week, I’ll be doing some adjustments to the apron dress.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Head space

Posted on by

Yes, getting into one. Battlemoor is in about two months. August 28th to September 2nd. It is our vacation time, and as it is only 10 miles, and 10 centuries away. So, I’m trying to get my brain back in that Medieval Mood. 🙂 I’ve started by working on our garb.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I’ve taken my best under tunic and apron dress and added embroidery. Vikings were rather good at it, so I’ve got to improve. 🙂 I’m going to be working on Dan/Lothar’s garb as well. I’ve plans for a gambeson for him too. He’s finally decided that maybe, just maybe he’d like to be a marshal. That’s the guy who referees the fights. 🙂 So, we shall see.

I’m also working on some craft items. I’m making Nalbinding needles and trying to learn how to do Nalbinding. Not as easy as you’d think!

I’m also trying to figure out how to turn our Earth pimple tent into something more Viking-esque. So far, I’m not sure if the ‘cover’ will work. Hopefully, by next year, we can afford a real Viking Tent. I’d like to go to a few more events as well.

Funny part? I find my garb more comfortable than ‘modern’ clothing. Yeah, I’m weird. However, it’s mostly natural fibers… wool, cotton, linen. And the fit… perfect. All the patterns are made to measure.  That means short, round me actually is comfortable. Oh, and I didn’t need to take the legs in or hem them to make them fit.

Ah well. More pictures as my garb and gear is spruced up.

 

Preparations for Battlemoor II

Posted on by

Or how I will spend most of the next two weeks sewing!

Last year, the SCA kingdom of the Outlands held a new event called Battlemoor. It was on the Stroh Ranch up near Greenhorn Mt., about 10 miles from Walsenburg. We went up and took lots of pictures and had a great time. However, we only did the one day thing.

This year, we have a new Shire in town… So to speak. Next thing we knew, a bunch of SCA people poured out of the woodwork, got together and *poof*, we had the Shire of Villaleon!  You can check it out here  And you can check out Battlemoor II here

As with last year, I am covering the event. This time though, from the INSIDE. yes, we are actually attending the whole event. 🙂 So, I’m making clothing like a mad woman. I’m a 900-100o AD era Viking who hooked up with a Lombard Mercenary from approximately the same era if not a little earlier. So, Jaye and Dan will morph into Unna Farulfsdottir and Lothar de Savage at the end of the month.

Last night, we attended the shoe making class held by two other SCA members in the Shire. We got to cover a sock in duct tape and then make a pattern for our shoes. The big test though will be getting them sewn, by hand, before June 29th. Oh, and all the tunics, underdresses, apron dresses, and trews. Wheeee!

If you’re in the area at the end of June, Stop by. Dress up and come play for a day!

 

Battlemoor

Posted on by

Last week I went to a new SCA eveent being held in Huerfano County for the very first time. It was Battlemoor, the Mountain Crusades. Dan, my Dad and I went down as press representatives for the Huerfano World Journal.

We had a great time watching the rapier melees, the tournaments and the heavy weapons melees. I took tons of pictures as did Dan and Dad. Links to the pictures are here:


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=127495&l=86d470918b&id=1484005208

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=127494&id=1484005208&l=8a518e31cd

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=127493&id=1484005208&l=a863ba9558

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=127492&id=1484005208&l=7660bd26d9

The rest of this week has been a combination of working at La Plaza, working around the house and trying to keep caught up on college work. Last night my parents took Dan and I to the Wonderful House in Trinidad. Oh it was good! Once we have the transport issue taken care of, we will have to go there again. Yummmmmmm!

Tonight we have an ‘open mic’ event to go to in La Veta. Promises to be good. I think we will take a bit of a picnic supper. It will be Dan, Ian, Morgan and myself. 🙂