Task done!

I volunteered a while back to make the Thamesreach patch for the Kingdom wallhanging project. I'm happy to say it is finished and in the hands of the organizer two weeks before the deadline. Huzzah! And to make it even better, I actually made a second one for the Stronghold of Campofiamme and it's been delivered too. You can see all the patches at the Dragon's Needle Guild website. Mine are in this post.

Hmmmm... really?

I gave in to curiousity. Very sad!

I write like
Dan Brown

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Using my most recent post (minus the pictures), this was the result. Do you think I could make his profits? I rather doubt it!

Raglan, part the second

So, Friday night there was also a pas d'Armes in the fountain courtyard by torchlight. I have no pictures, because using a flash would just have been tacky. You need to envision this courtyard in flickering torchlight and the sounds of swords on armor.





In the background are the quiet sounds of a harp, played by the bard watching the swordsmen (and women). Just magic!



Day Three (Saturday)

I've edited a bit since my last post, having realized that Friday and Saturday had blurred together in my memories. Oops!

I spent some good times at the dyeing class, working with weld.









I also took a class on Naalbinding, made a mask for the ball, gave my workshop on the Kingdom wallhanging project, and sat in on an embroidery class just for fun (and to promote the wallhanging project!).

Saturday night was the auction to support the Isulae Draconis travel fund, which could not have been better. Master Robert and Master Etienne were the tag-team Masters of Ceremonies/Auctioneers and they couldn't have been better. Everything was on sale from children's clothing to feast gear, to Duarte's services for an hour. Bidding was especially brisk on a silver circlet, a handthrown pot, and blanket that both honeymooning couples really wanted. Nearly £1000 were raised and everyone had a wonderful time. After the auction, there was a comedia del arte play, directed by Susannah of York and then the torchlight ball.








I confess I passed off my purple and green mask to Lady Edith, who hadn't had time to make one, and made a (relatively) early night of it. It was a good decision, since I was quite tired.


Day Four - Sunday

Let me take you on a tour of the castle, for those who couldn't be with us.




















































Sunday was Master Robert's 4oth birthday and he hosted a Canterbury Tourney, which meant fighting until he had taken forty blows. Ouch!

















The birthday party for him was a little less martial. It involved a lovely dinner at their camp, followed by dessert on the bridge. Here's the birthday cake, featuring Master Robert's fleece.














More to come.....

Wales on my mind!

I've been travelling and catching up at work since Raglan and haven't had a chance to sit down and write about it all. First, it was AMAZING! Despite the intermittent rain, I really want to do it again. Here's my favorite view of the castle.










We arrived on Thursday by train to Newport, where the amazing Wenny picked up the two of us and all of our gear. She had also stopped at the grocer's and had all of our provisions ready in the car. What service!!! Check-in was painless and so was the tent setup. We were the second group to arrive in the mundane camping, so we were nearly at the end of the terrace. It made for a beautiful view out over the countryside.











Our tentmate, Cat, arrived about 30 minutes after we did and we spent the afternoon organizing the tent and our gear and walking through the castle grounds, taking pictures and greeting friends who were also setting up. Cat also "catcalled" a poor gentle who almost walked into one of my photos. She'll never live that one down! We had no idea if he was one of us or just a tourist, since none of us were in garb yet. It turned out he was there for the Ffair with his lady and they were honeymooning in Europe and were from An Tir. Cat and I spent quite a lot of time over the next few days with his lady and we teased Cat unmercifully! As you can see, she held up well!











The end to the evening was a supper of Lord Guy's rissoles and Lady Catherine's cakes at the campsite and some stargazing. Just lovely!

Day Two saw nearly everyone set up and the classes and fighting well under way.

Lord Guy was busy fighting, as you can see!








We had an amazing supper Friday night at the "posh camp" under the bridge. Lord Thomas Flamanc is an amazing cook and we ate spit-roasted lamb, two salads, broad beans, fresh bread, a bagged pudding, and raspberry fool, to name just a small part of the feast.






Lady Aryanhwy especially liked the raspberry fool!












More to come later.....

Rhaglen Ffair preparations

The last month has been all about getting ready for Rhaglen Ffair VI. It is held at Raglan Castle in Wales annually. This will be my first time there and I am equally excited and nervous because it will be my longest camping event to date. I've finished a new dress and have another chemise and veil to finish, then I should be all set, clothing-wise. I still have a few things to finish for Lord Guy, but they are all pretty straightforward. It's the cooking on-site that concerns me a bit. I like to have things very organized and when you are travelling to an event by plane and train, not car, it's not so easy. Only eight more days and I'll be there!

This time next year I hope to be at Pennsic 40. Needless to say, I've got a list of preparations a mile long already...

Banners

One of the finished items on my A&S 50 list is having my heraldic device approved by Laurel. Well, it went through a while back, so I decided to experiment with a banner. This is a first attempt and it is almost entirely machine sewn. I decided that was a good idea, because it will primarily be used outside (and in all sorts of weather) so it didn't seem like a good use of my time to make it by hand.







Argent, five linden leaves in saltire vert, within a bordure gules





Next, I want to silkscreen a war banner!

Addition to my Winchester post, part the 3rd

Thanks to Lord Raphe Cuthbert, I now have added some pictures of us at court to my third post about Winchester V. You can see his full set here as well.