Is it winter or spring?

While trying to welcome spring properly with yardwork and enjoying the sun, winter seems that it wants to continue a bit longer. Hopefully we can start with good weather soon, there are several outdoor events and demos coming up and they will be very cold

Luckily, being down to 10 weeks before the baby is due, I have plenty of housework to keep me busy. I have 2 events in the beginning of May, then nesting, nesting, and more nesting.

To start, I'm trying to get Christmas gifts together early this year since there will be 4 little ones to buy for. I've started making crocheted blankets for the baby since Levi's are so loved and many have fallen apart. I completed a Harry Potter inspired one and am working on a complimentary toddler blanket for presents.

Hopefully I can get a picture posted soon, but my phone won't allow it today! I continue to work on an embroidered white scarf for Jehan, but it's slow progress unfortunately.  While I'm in no hurry to get everything done on a time line, I do want to clear out some upstairs space. So I will be working on that over the coming weeks as well.


Here's to a future photo gallery

An

A long time

It has been quite a long time since I have posted, and I am dearly sorry for it. Sadly, I used to post via an app on my phone, and that is no longer an option for me. I am continuing to look into alternatives, and hope to get a portable computer/iPad around Black Friday to help me.

Since my last post, many good things have happened to me. I have a good, new job, have belted to a good Pelican, and  received my millrind which is a mid level service award. I have also assisted with 1 Reign as privy secretary and am secretary for a second. I'm creating a newcomers project and hope to expand it in the next few months. I have quite a few articles to write and hope to have time soon.

And since it's the fall, I'm also in winter prep mode which means freezing and this year drying fruit and veggies to hopefully last us the winter

Today is our shire meeting and onto a new project to help clear out the 'stash to make room for new things

TTFN

An

Summer time fun

EThis summer is going so fast! Pennsic is just a few weeks away and I am definitely not ready...not that I'm ever really ready.

I can finally show off my last finished project: Jehan's white scarf!

At Bog 3-day, he was accepted into the order with much shenanigans as could be misted, including a rice Krispy pig/chicken "payment" to the Crown. 

I was able to hand sew his scarf, which was made from white linin, with the blue chevrons coming from his Cadet scarf created by THL Rowan and THL Brada. 

The treat was created by the wonderful Baron Perote 

I'm continuing to work on finishing other projects, but this heat makes it tough. I'm hoping to take plenty of pictures at Pennsic I hope to share here.

Stay cool

-An

Always chasing my tail

Life has become more and more hectic this year, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down. I've picked up a second job, so I've been working 8-10 hours a day. Between that and family needs the SCA has taken a small back burner. With that being said, I am still working on QRC as well as the shire blog which can be found at 

http://shireofacgechoes.blogspot.com

We will be attending War Practice next weekend as a family which I am very excited about. And I have finished 120" of lucet so I have done something, just not as much as I would like. Hopefully I can get a constant work schedule and a bit more free time next month 

Always 

An

Spring time fun

Life has been quite busy in our household. Between running the Chronicler office, working, having the munchkin and basic household work, I've had little time for much else. I am still working on May QRC which has been its own adventure. 

My biggest issue A&S wise is I've been having a lot of pain in my hands again. I use my hands so much at work I really have little tolerance left when I sit down at the end of the night. Luckily I don't have deadlines or what not so I'm good at working at my pace. 

I'm still teaching A&S things when I can and traveling as money allows (I taught in Nithgaard the other weekend),so I still feel like I have a part in the game. Hopefully with the weather turning I can do more outside and crafting things...

Until then

An

And winter has sprung again

It's been a warm few weeks, which is not very typical of pa weather. I'm watching a slow snow fall while I type this which is nice. I've been keeping up on our shire blog the past few weeks and will have to work on some research for it the next few days. I also need to figure out if I can link it here on my blog. 

Unfortunately I haven't gotten any real crafting done lately; my joints don't allow my fine motor skills to work well over winter and I basically wear them out at work. Things will get done when there supposed to not when I want them to.

I'm continuing to work on an event bid and hope to have the papers done by the next shire meeting

Till then

An

End of one, beginning of another

WThe past few months have flown by...between finishing Seneschal work, Christmas, New Years and now Kingdom 12th night, I'm ready for a break (not that I'm getting one, but still...). I still have local 12th night and now Jehan and I are creating a bid for another event;

Always busy, never board.

Kingdom 12th night went very well, and I'm glad everyone had fun we had several 

Sets of royals for the day and that added to the ambience of the day. Our feast hall looked like a scene from a Harry Potter book!

And while I didn't wear it during the day, I did create a Pileus hat for the celebration. 

While I'm finishing everything up, I'm also working on our shores new blog! It's going well, and I'll attempt to link it to my page soon. I'm hoping to get more crafting done but you know how it goes. 

Always

An

FF&F

FF&F went really well. I was quite pleased with how many people attended my class. Several people were not able to attend, but asked for a posting. Here it is please let me know if you have any questions!

WHY I CREATED THIS CLASS: I’ve attended a few classes on thrifty ways to upgrade your garb through repurposing other objects. While I love this thought, and it is very helpful, one really needs the basis of basics. After talking to several people, I wanted to create a class on this subject.

WHAT I LEARNED WHILE CREATING THIS CLASS: It can really be a never ending topic. While I only have a few objects made and in the handout, I have many more to create, and I am hoping to add more to this class. Also, this class is supposed to be a basis to use as a start of your own research

OBJECTIVE: To give individuals of all skill levels examples of garb and accessories that can be created out of a yard of fabric or less. Several, if not all of these examples can also be used as largess

NOTES TO REMEMBER:
-Preferable fabrics (natural vs. manmade/synthetic)
   +cotton
   +linen
   +silk
   +muslin
-Before you start
   +always wash your fabric (zig-zag edging helps to prevent fraying)
   +washing helps to prevent future uneven shrinkage, wash away extra dye
   +always make a mockup
   +I recommend scrap material/bedsheets/muslin
   +helps to make sure pattern actually works before it is too late

HATS

St Birgitta Cap

2 piece coif/3 piece coif

Elizabethan coif

Jorvik hood

Viking hood

Flemish (?) coif

Birka cap

Biggin

Small veils

Pileus hat

Accessories
Shaw
Pocket

Pouch

Trim
Bias tape
Straight tape
Belt
Short apron/serving cloth

Other

Feast gear cover/placemat
2 person table cloth
Table runner
Napkins
Belt favor
Basket cover
Pin pillow
Notebook cover

Please use this class and handout as a starting point. There are many other objects to make/use to help jump start your kit, de-clutter your house, and help your Kingdom with largess and silent auction items

Questions/comments please email me at antoinettedelorraine@yahoo.com

Or see my blog at antoinettedelorraine@blogspot.com

Happy Halloween!

Today is a very chilly Halloween. Can't wait for the kids to come...even though Jehan and I don't attend parties anymore, I love this time of the year and seeing the kids dress up. Hoping kids come to our house...can't wait to see what Levi thinks of them!

On the SCA front, I'm diligently working with many others on Kingdom 12th night...I'm learning a lot and can't wait to see the final project. 

This past weekend, Jehan and I were able to attend the investiture of our dear friends in endless hills as well as a wedding! I made my dress and I think it fit fairly well...it was a basic T-tunic and I wore my Saint Brigitta coif which was quite comfy 

I also was pleased to have many of my back scrolls presented as well as a new one I created for the day. 

Jehan will be gone for the next week, so I'll be working and playing single mom. I'm going to hopefully get more of my FF&F class complete and also more of my doublet 

Wish me luck!

-Antoinette

Kingdom 12th Night

Washington Lodge #265 Caldwell Consistory Cathedral, 150 Market Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815. Site opens at 10am.  The gate will close at 2pm.  The event ends and the site closes at 10pm

Come One Come All to the Celebration of Saturnalia with our Most August Imperiatori, Tindal and Etain, featuring the renown competition for Sylvan Bard of AEthelmearc.

Keep your strength up for reveling by partaking of the splendid lunch presented by Baron Janos Mezzaros, and after a day full of activities, you may choose to sit Above the Salt or Below the Salt for a Saturnalia Feast also created by Janos and his Company of Cooks.

You may choose your entertainment throughout the day: dancing (Instruction during the day and dance in the evening), an arts contest with roots going back to the the days of Cicero (more info to come), games of chance (including a Kingdom fundraiser) and games of skill.

Come in your most brilliantly-hued haute couture. As did our ancestors, we too will revel in the Roman fashion.  There will be a Kings Choice and Queens Choice for best dressed in Saternalia sartorial splendor. And  as the Sun turns, so too shall our social order, and as befits our celebration, our Lord and Lady of Misrule too shall make their choices known.

Merchants are welcome.  In lieu of a merchant fee, we are asking for donations for the fundraiser. Due to limited space, you must reserve ahead of time. Please contact our Merchant Liaison Baroness Rosemund von Glinde (Wendy Hart, baronessrosemund725@yahoo.com, 716-949-4984) 

Other activities and information will be forthcoming on the web and on the Kingdom and Twelfth Night Facebook pages as well as here in the AEstel.

Autocrats for your event are Lady Antoinette de Lorraine (Ashley Green, antoinettedelorraine@gmail.com, 570-317-4575 - before 7pm)  and Mistress cori (Clare Jackson, thecoribird@gmail.com, 716-517-8570 TEXT is best). 

Please send reservations to Edith of Winterton (Caroline Elliott, 38 Chateau Terrace, Amherst, NY 14226, edithofwinterton@gmail.com, 716-574-1354).  Please include an email with your reservation for followup.  Please include any food allergies when you make your reservation.

The cost for this wondrous affair is:

SITE FEE (includes lunch):

          Adult: $14.00          

          Minor age 13-17: $7.00  

          Minor age 0-12: Free 

Family Cap SITE FEE ONLY: $35.00 

BELOW THE SALT (Site Fee + Below the Salt dinner)

          Adult: $22.00

          Minor age 13-17: $15.00

          Minor age 0-12: $8.00

ABOVE THE SALT (Site Fee + Above the Salt dinner):

          Adult: $27.00

          Minor age 13-17: $20.00

          Minor age 0-12: $13.00

For Children age 0-12 there will be an alternate Children's Feast available at a children's table in the feast hall for $3.00.  

For those whose minor children do not eat event dinners at all, parents may reserve for them with site fee only. We will have a table in the feast hall for kids who are not partaking any feast whose parents are, so that the kids may still be in line of sight without taking a feast seat.

Off board tables will be available for people who wish to stay at the event and bring their own feast. 

    

Please make your checks payable to: SCA PA, Inc.- Kingdom of AEthelmearc.  A $5.00 non-member surcharge will be collected at the door from all non-member adults.

Coronation

Currently, Jehan and I are headed back from Coronation in New York. It was a lot of fun, but very cold (Jehan and I tent camped the event). I was very proud of myself for finishing a women's doublet where I was able to get some advice on how to refit it. I'll post pictures of that project later. 

I'm preparing for FF&F for a new class I'm teaching; the topic is what can I make out of a yard of fabric. So far, I have 2 hats made, a Viking and an Elizabethan coif. When j get everything put together my plan is to put the class up here. 

Viking cap

Elizabethan coif 

Lake at Coronation 

I've teamed up with Mistress Cori to work on Kingdom 12th night, which we worked on this weekend, which I am very excited about. Projects are running around and I'm getting things accomplished in a manner that I am happy about

Till later!

My stay-cation

This year Jehan went to Pennsic by himself....I didn't feel ready to leave our son for that long, so I opted for a stay-cation, and was able to accomplish a lot actually.Levi and I relaxed a bit, I was able to perform some brides-maid duties on monday, and things around the house other parts of the week. I have always wanted a porch I could sit on and drink my tea and just watch the clouds go by. While this house doesn't have a huge porch, its big enough for me to sit, and Levi to play at his water table. I planted fake flowers in a metal chicken frame with the next goal of a table being made to place over it.

start of dream porch

 Since Jehan went to Pennsic, my special prize is two new dresses, since I havn't really any winter garb, and I havn't had new pieces added since about 2011. My hope is to have a gothic fitted dress made, and I'm not sure what the second style dress will be. While it is an earlier time period then my preference, I would like to learn construction of all types of garments, and I believe to learn 16th cent. construction I have to start earlier. Also, its nice to have a variety of choices. To help me in this quest, my mother and I emptied out one of our storage bedrooms, tore out the carpet, and I am now waiting for the ability to buy a table and fabric before I start on a new project. I am so excited and hope to have at least one dress done for our friends wedding and FF&F. I will more then likely make it out of linen (underdress) and wool (over dress) to stay warm, since I always freeze in the late fall/early spring. I will have to make some nice summer dresses, but I'll save that for later.

start of sewing room

I also decided to try my hand at freezing vegetables this year. I've never done it before, and since we have a chest freezer, I might as well use it! so I spent a day doing just that. It took more time then I realized, but it was fun to do, and I'll continue doing it as I have the time. while we have pre-frozen vegetables in the store, there is nothing quite like pulling out veggies that you know were done with no additive and were bought at a farmers market, supporting local farmer. Hopefully I didnt mess up too bad...we will just have to find out this winter!

I still have some outstanding scrolls that I'm waiting to have handed out before I can post them, and I have another 2 that are started, but I can't work on since my mom has been staying in our dining room, which is where my art desk currently is located. I'm hoping to move that upstairs eventually, but for now, I'll just wait. I'm working on red and white lucet, and will have a second suprise project to work on after that. I am also hoping to work on a 16th cent coif pattern soon and maybe be able to hem a veil for my friends wedding. You never know!Sadly I believe my computer has a virus, so I'm hoping it will hold on for some time. Posting is already hard to do, with the little time I have to accomplish things anymore. sadly, all things must

natures bounty

come to an end at some time in their life I guess.
It has had a hard life, and continues to be used very hard.


Here's to more work and hopfully more fun!
An

Well, I finally have the ability to sit infront of a computer and update as I wish. With several people in my family falling ill, including myself and now the baby, its been tough to get things accomplished. I've been keeping busy finishing up loose ends, including finally getting all our scrolls hung up, finishing heraldry submissions that need to be submitted by friday, and working on queens tokens. I have 4 embroidery pieces done, and wish to create more before I couch them down on other fabric. I believe I will make shoulder tabs that can be turned into belt favors, or Her Majesty can use them on her retainer sashes.

goblet cover side 1

goblet cover side 2

For Their Majesties at this past spring coronation I created a goblet cover for both of them, to protect their drinks from dust and bugs. They are approximately 7'' in diameter and have one bead that I purchased at Ice Dragon in each corner to help with the pull to keep them sitting nicely on a goblet.

I also finished my Ice Dragon project. It took me a long time but I did it, and am quite pleased with how it turned out. I went with a simpler design on the back side to show a simple and a more complex version of the project. I used beads that I have been gifted in the past for practicality and also so I can show them off and not keep them simply in my drawer not being used.

 

 

 

 

 

side two pouch

side one pouch

 I've been attempting to use up the materials that I
Already own before I buy new items and take up more space in the house. I have also finished other projects including a scroll for our dear friend Lucha, and the oak tree tokens for the Shire. Since we are only a shire, and not a barony, we cannot hand out awards in the same way. But we hand out appreciation tokens every local 12th night. We did not have any made so i created them out of craft paint, a wood circle and metal wire. I ended up using a black sharpie for the tree to give it a smoother look in my opinion.

tokens

scroll

Well that's all that I have for now. Hopefully I can work on more embroidery and post pictures soon!

Always,
An

We've upgraded!!!

wow we have had a busy few months: the major events we've been too are kingdom 12th night, ice dragon, and the coronation of their royal majesties Timothy and Gabrielle. We have had wonderful times at these events and am so happy we could go. And now we have the internet so hopefully over the next few days I can post pictures of projects accomished and a tutorial or 2

Always
An

Being mommy and me...

while the past 5months have been some of the greatest in my life, it's been really hard keeping up with what I want to do. Between working full time, a 40min commute one way, keeping a house, being a mom and a wife, it's really hard for me to find time for myself. Since I've given up fencing for now, I stay home with leviticus so jehan can attend practices and I attend our local embroidery and narrow makers (trim) guild so we each have alone time with others to somewhat relax.

I have found time to do a few projects: deadlines are very helpful. i was able to make a first attempt at a viking hood, create a scroll for the local barony, and Ive started on some trim.

FOr now I'll do what I can...kids grow so fast and I don't want to miss everything!
Here's to a bright future
Forever
An

Busy as a Bee

well, this has been a busy past few months. I haven't been able to get a lot done with work and Levi taking up much of my time, But I'm going to start taking a bit more time to myself to help with my stress level. my first two projects will be to finish a tabbard I made for Levi for last weekends trip to West Virginia for Queens Rapier Challenge (I simply have to finish hemming it), and finish fixing my pink T-tunic dress (I had hand sewed it and messed up the neck line...now I have to try to fix it after zig-zagging it). With this I will make sure to post updates hopefully at the beginning of next month. I am also hoping to find my lucet I have made as a gift to the kingdom, but somehow it was lost in the move. Guess this means I have to do more cleaning!

I also have to work on my class information for FF&F, my favorite Arts and Sciences event that our shire has every year. I will once again be teaching my basic detached button hole class. I am hoping to add a few more classes to my teaching roster for next year. I also have a scroll to work on for the first weekend of Nov which will be fun to do. I love scrollwork, and havn't done one in a great while. I'm hoping I can get all this done as quickly as possible, and do a nice job. I"m thinking I might also fix one of my other T-tunics to try to get my clothes to last longer.

On top of all my other SCA tasks, I have my continuing education credits I need to complete for my job, so once again, its going to be a busy couple of weeks!

~heres to more then 24 hours in a day!

An

A bouncing baby boy...

Well, it's been a month since our little boy was born, and it's gone quickly. So far on maternity leave I haven't had time to work on any A&S projects, but I'm hoping to soon. I've just been enjoying the short amount of time I have with our son. He was born June 20th at 2:57am weighing in at 8lb 4oz and 21in. So far he's been pretty good, although sleeping has become an issue this week. Hoping to get a dress done for our kingdom 12th night which will be held in our shire. If not, I hope to have a outfit done for the baby. But for now it's just maternal bliss
Till later,
An

A little behind...

Well, I have to admit a lot has happened since I last posted. Jehan and I bought a house! We've been here for a little over a month, and it has kept us extremely busy. On top of that we have been desperately trying to get things in order for the baby's arrival....just 16 days and counting! It's been tough organizing, unpacking, cleaning, and working full time. While I did assist with the Lewisburg Arts festival and am continuing with my seneshal duties, I haven't done too much in the crafting world. There will be time for that later, and right now it's resting and nesting time. The nice thing is jehan bought me a new iPhone so now we have internet (well, kind of). It's not the same as a computer, but it works just as well. I wish I had more to report on, but that's all for now!

Loves to all,
An

And the show must go on...

Sadly, I'm a bit behind in everything I have been wanting to do, including posting here, which I apologize for. Jehan and I are continuing to work on buying a house, and am preparing to close and move Easter weekend. I"m also on my incubation week 30 coming up, which has left me exhausted. So working on things just are not happening.

Our dear Shire of ACG held its 25th anniversary event on March 1st, where Jehan was the autocrat. It was quite the experience for us both, and we learned alot. While there, I was suprized and awarded my Golden Alce, a fighting award in the Kingdom of AEthelmearc. My dear friends Don Po and Lady Christina created the scroll for me. I love the fact that she added the lamb, since my device is a vegetable lamb. It made the day extra special and I will cherish this forever.

Sadly, I have not really gotten too much SCA work done, but packing and cleaning has been going slow. Probablly will not be doing too much crafting until after the move, but I am quite ready to start nesting before this baby comes. So if my creativity has to be put on hold, so be it.

Hopefully I can keep updating with good (and crafty news) soon,
An