running like the Red Queen

in which our plucky heroine embarks on a slow sewing project...

The gown this embroidered cuffs and yoke decorated was close to twenty years old, and the original linen garment was far too threadbare to patch again. Fortunately, the beautiful plaid indigo linen twill, a gift from Kateline, seems as if perfectly matched to the venerable embroidery.

I've been gradually reattaching the embroidered pieces to the component sections of the new garb. It is tricksy, since they were not originally created as applied pieces, so deconstructing the older gown leaves odd edges that need finished in ways that don't always line up readily with the new. However, it is well worth the effort, since another linen undergown will be most welcome at summertime SCA events

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and because it is Monday, here is a tiny delight...

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Went out on my bike to do the grocery shopping that was put off yesterday due to crashing rain and electrical storm. On the way home found yards of sturdy if weathered 1/2" hardware cloth being discarded... SCORE! Managed to carry it home on the bike rack, rather awkwardly, since it wasn't neatly rolled and I only had one bungee.
I may now have enough to build the chicken fencing hurdles that have been on my wishlist for forever. (I have been scavenging hardware cloth for several years now) With some 2x2 lumber, some eye screws, some rebar pieces, and the hardware cloth, a whole set of moveable panels can be built, to contain the hens and use them to destroy grass and weeds and cultivate and fertilise the yard.

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I carved a few more tiny stamps, and each one allows even more variety in the trim designs; in the last few days, have completed eight different designs of multicolor block printed trim-for-sale: motifs are about 5/8" wide, fabric strips are 2 1/2" wide, 46" long; $25 ea

As far as I know, printed trim was not really used in the SCA time period. My intention with this is to provide, for self, friends, and others, something that imitates some of the elaborately woven or embroidered embellishments that were used on garments. Just as a lot of the block printed fabric that I and others create is also in imitation of and inspired by the elaborately woven fabrics that were used in period and mostly not available in modern times

Actually weaving or embroidering trim is not something everyone wants to do, and while I myself enjoy both those activities, and a lot of my garb has embroidered or tablet woven embellishment, I also think that an alternative to commercial machine-woven trim might be a good thing, the hand printing has slight variations that seem quite appropriate, in the same way that hand embroidery and hand weaving are variable.

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May SMART goals

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	printed trim samples	caged feral roses	cardboard recycling
2	banner design	block printed my undergown hem	1300 lb shed debris
3	small coin pouch	shed gone	11 concrete piers
4	charter #8	planted green onions	yard waste bin
5	Aesa apron dress	repair chook waterer	some apple thinnings
6	11 scissors cases	rebuilt undergown	-
7	blockprinted trim	-	-
8	Viking purse	-	-
9	charter #9*	-	-
10	-	-	-
11	-	-	-
12	-	-	-

slow stitchery

in which our plucky heroine unvents* a knot...

I've been slowly making progress on my Viking purse, in betwixt working on projects for others, or for sales trinkets. I love that I've been able to bring knowledge learned as a child into projects done decades later. I learned to braid round, and square, four strand braids back when my age was measured in single digits, and that skill has served me well over the years.

After I braided the ends on the shoulder strap for my Viking bag, I really wanted some sort of tidy way to finish the ends, after sliding the braid through the holes in the carved wood. My vague concept was "some sort of decorative stopper knot, with a tassel"...

After an unsuccessful internet search for a four stranded stopper knot, I experimented with different ways to bring round the ends, and decided to combine a four strand square braid interlace I learned as a child, with a sort of loop around and through, to form a knot with a tasseled end. Each of the four tassel ends were then split in half again, leaving eight strands.

Well, as it turns out, I managed to "unvent"* the Turks Head terminal knot, as Tullia commented when she saw my project. Turns out I was looking in the wrong places for information, and when I borrowed a Library book on leather braiding, there was the very knot I had sussed out a few days before...

...and now that the strap is neatly ended and attached to the bag, all that still remains is to run a line of stitching in waxed linen up each side of the shoulder strap. This is a slow process, not as much in the stitching which is straighforward and simple, but because stitching through the two layers needs must have stitching holes punched through all along the strap on both sides. I use some venerable thonging chisels, which come in either single, four, or seven ended options.

I've been using the four end chisel, as that is the best balance between effort and convenience. I expect that the strap will be finished entire before the first summertime SCA event.

* unvent is an Elizabeth Zimmerman term for creating from scratch a design or technique that others have likely come up with once or more again in history... not exactly the same as inventing somthing brand new, but equally clever

Monday musings

in which our plucky heroine continues trying not to worry but instead to work...

This weekend was mostly about setting about preparations for projects rather than completion: started work on a new Golden Torc charter master, set up parts for making tiny fibulae, filled out my primary ballot and took it to the drop box at the end of the street, attached a lining layer to the strap of the Viking purse, ironed strips of fabric for blockprinted trim, and other such necessary tasks. The next two weeks will hopefully be filled with making things...

Meanwhile, out in the yard, a recent development: there are baby persimmons! Hard to see, hard to find, as they are green amidst the greenery. Last year my Fuyu had one persimmon, it was the first one ever, though the tree has been in the ground for eight years.

I found out last winter that persimmon wants watered during dry summers, which I have never done in the past. Now that I know that, I intend to save rinsewater to keep it watered during the summer, and will hopefully get a somewhat larger number of fruit!

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It has never been what I expected, but it is worth the trip...

"By Way Of Sorrow" - live version by Cry Cry Cry
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