SCA: Just Weaving Some Stuff

I’ve just recently obtained my very own copy of Applesies & Fox Noses, a book of historical Finnish tablet weaving patterns by Maikki Karisto and Mervi Pasanen. I’m super excited about it - it’s been out of print for EVER and they finally released a new printing. Yay! 

So far I’ve only done the first pattern, a band from the Carelian Iron Age from the Kaukola Kekomäki graveyard that the authors are calling “Colorful small Applesies.”  The first time through I did it in red, yellow, and blue like the pattern: 

I had an enormous amount of trouble with the tension on this one for some unknown reason, but it came out pretty well anyway.  

The second version I did was in greens, black, and white:

I LOVE the color scheme on this one.  

I recently re-fitted my ancient black linen smokkr - it was in good shape, but it was too tight across the chest, so I took a strip off the lower hem and used it to make a thin panel that I inserted into one of the seams to widen the whole dress. It fits great now, and now it also has a lovely green band on it: 

I can’t wait to wear this at my next event - which will be Bjornsborg’s fall baronial event on Halloween weekend  that weekend is also my fiftieth birthday, hooray! This will be fun. 

SCA: Hooray, New Book!

 LOOK what a friend gave to me last week:  

“Women In the Viking Age” by Judith Jesch (1991).  Im SO excited to read it! Looks like there’s some nifty stuff in there -  archeology, religion, politics, home life; poetry, weaving, jewelry, tools - and lots of great black and white photos and illustrations and MAPS. I love maps! 

Yay! Thank you, friend! 

* 

We now return you to your regularly-scheduled pre-event creative crunch, wherein out heroine is finishing up six different projects before the event deadline and also starting two more that she absolutely does NOT have time to work on right now. Stay tuned… 

Fall Ball* Projects

At the event over the weekend I took a *fabulous* calligraphy class taught by a really nice man, and I used an inkwell pen for the very first time.  Where has this BEEN all my life??  It's so much easier, and nicer to write with than those stupid felt-tip calligraphy markers I've been "practicing" with.  I'm never using those again!  Really cool class.

The shire had a fabric and book sale fundraiser going on for a while outside the hall, and I picked up:

10y ltwt white cotton blend for $9!   Book for $2!  :D

pretty little textural details; the fabric is
semi-sheer and soooo soft

And there was a free scrap with purchase, too!  I grabbed a pretty pomegranate-red bit of cotton, and, since I happened onto the sale table just as I was out of things to do for the next couple of hours, I sat right now and made a little bag for my new camera, entirely by hand.  (This is actually the first project in the SCA I've ever done entirely by hand).

first period buttonhole ever - MAN these things are easy! 

* Yes, in January. Long story.