Last post of 2013

     The past year has been full of ups and downs and I am grateful it is over and we're ready to start fresh in 2014! Major surgery and the continuing saga of renovating an old house certainly cut down on my crafting and sewing time. I was able to complete two new linen dresses for Constanza prior to Raglan Fair and have just begun two apron dresses for her this week. I sent one home with her to finish today and the second will be my kickoff project for 2014. I also have an exchange project underway, which needs to reach its recipient by the end of the month. Better get cracking on that one!

     I only made it to a few SCA events in the past year (notably 20 year Anniversary/Midsummer Coronation in Germany), but I hope to make it to more in 2014. First will be Insulae Draconis' Coronet Tourney in February. Lady Constanza will be inspiring Viscount Finnian in the tourney, so I need to be there to cheer! I also want to go to Double Wars for the first time, to Midsummer Coronation (back to Bolton Castle!), and all of Raglan Faire X. I also hope to see the College of Saint John of Rila host at least one kingdom event again this year, in addition to the regular local events.

     I don't really have any lists of resolutions. I just want to see the last few bits finished on the house so I can just enjoy living here and to have at least a little more time for doing the things I love!

     Happy New Year!

Long awaited pictures

I've promised photos of the house as bits get done and I'm finally ready to post some. Here we go!

The Entry and Dining room (those are ALL cookbooks).

 

 

The Laundry room. (Ignore that woman in the mirror!)

The Kitchen

And both ends of the Living Room. Yes, we do have many, many books!

How could I forget?

The biggest UFO in my entire sewing room is the pavilion started in June! There are literally miles of seams to finish. That may take the entire month of November!!!

Reworking of NaNoWriMo

Recently, a post on the SCA Garb Facebook page caught my attention. It referenced the annual National Novel Writing Month program for November, but with a twist. Instead of writing, the poster suggested we all gather up our half finished garb projects and try and finish as many of them as possible during the month of November. She noted that most seamstress/tailors/embroiderers all have projects that just haven't made it to completion and that this might be a way to avoid starting new projects and abandoning old ones, for at least one month out of the year. I'm in! I'm gathering up incomplete projects and figuring out what I need to do or have to get them done. So far I have two heraldic dog coats that only need buttons and button holes and a heraldic banner for my mother that need the casing finished. I'm sure there are more projects lurking in my sewing room and I plan to go fishing for at least 30 minutes each evening. This should be both fun and productive!

New Books

As a herald-in-training for the SCA, I've started to stock a basic reference library. I was happy to receive Reaney & Wilson's Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames and Withycombe's Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names in today's post. These are very useful!

I also started work on a secret project for an Arts & Sciences exchange in the SCA Kingdom of Drachenwald. I doubt my recipient reads this blog, but just in case, I'm not going to say any more! When the gift is completed, mailed, and received, I will post photos here!

Fall fruits

Tomorrow's job will be jam and jelly making. I've got three buckets and a large box of grapes from the vines by my front door that were picked today. (by my mother and our housekeeper - I'm still not limber enough to get up on a ladder to harvest!)

 

 

Temperatures are supposed to drop tomorrow, so it seemed like a good idea to get them in today.






There are also a ton of quinces ripening that will eventually be made into jelly, marmalade, and paste. Yum!!

Back again!

Since April I have made major steps forward with my home remodeling, attended Drachenwald's 20 Year Anniversary/Midsummer Coronation in Germany (a major road trip with my friend Sorcha!), and just recently have had a total replacement of my left knee. Circumstances have prevented me from blogging about any of it, but that changes, beginning now. I am still on medical leave for the knee and hope to get caught up over the next couple of weeks. Watch here for updates!