Episode 1 - Secrets of the Castle

I've enjoyed the various BBC history documentary series featuring Ruth Goodman and Peter Ginn, starting with Tales from the Green Valley. This latest installation, Secrets of the Castle, features Guédelon Castle, a modern recreation of a 13th century French Castle.

And even more special about this show is that one of Drachenwald's own SCAdians is one of the costumers!! Look here to see her blog post about it!

Episode one just aired and is, as usual, fascinating. It makes one want to do even more reenacting!

Episode two features sewing a gambeson and building a crossbow.

Episode three has lime render, wall painting, toilets, and tile making.

Episode four has building a water mill, fish supper with pike, wood working, and bread baking

Episode five has Byzantine arches, stone carving, dyeing, and goldwork embroidery. Ruth is not a stellar embroideress. But she is a good pilgrim!

Well, I missed October entirely.

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I haven't been around much here. That's not to say I haven't been working on projects, just that my time has been extraordinarily limited by Real Life.

Here's a sample of what I have been able to do though!

Lord Guy now has a lovely red wool livery coat and will be toasty warm for winter events. I do not claim the grand blackwork shirt he has on. That is the work of his wife, Lady Constanza!

I have also been working on a project for the Kingdom's second Arts & Sciences gift exchange. Here's a peek at part of the gift I made.

Winter is Coming!

      I cleared some things out of the garden today, because autumn is here in full force. I have hops in the dehydrator, because I'm planning to try my hand at beer making over the winter. I brought in all the rose hips I could find, because they are full of Vitamin C and are good for winter colds. The quinces are in and waiting to be turned into jelly and paste and the last of the peppers and eggplants should make a nice batch of kyopolou, or eggplant caviar, as it is also known. So it's off to the kitchen!

      Before I started on the garden/kitchen tasks, I finished up two quilted arming coifs for the fighters at the College and two more embroidered badges for the Household. It has been a very productive day!

Not Raglan, but a castle!

Thinking about Raglan, I remembered the TimeTeam special on Dover Castle. I wanted to be able to reference some of it for my own persona use, especially in the use of colors in the 12th century. I need to remind myself that if your eyes aren't bleeding from color, you're not doing it right!

This is in Sofia, Bulgaria, not Dover, England, but it's the same time period.

Kaloyan and Desislava look pretty tame here, but when you see this up close, it's pretty loud.

A Raglan 2014 photo recap, part 1

 

Raglan was, as always wonderful this year. It bucketed down rain during set-up, but my darling children made me sit with friends under their sunshade and stay dry while they did the work We camped next to the archery range for convenience (everyone was shooting this year, even me for a bit!) This was our morning view.

 

It's the back of the castle and the windows were used by the archers to kill plague rats on the slope...

 

I shot a bit with the beginners in Master Pol's Archery 101 class. I enjoyed it enough that I have ordered a bow, which should be on its way here from Ireland in a week or so. Adam is a much better archer, as you can see here:

 

 

 

 

That is his arrow leaving the string in flight!!! Lord Stefan Dahl took both of these archery photos.

 

We took our meals here, in the Irish encampment, which was terrific fun!

 

 

First principality court was lovely. Held in the fountain court, it was full of pomp, but not at all pompous. It was the first of four courts over the ten days of the Fair.

 

 

 

 

There was much gambling on several evenings. Mostly Gluckhaus, but also various card games My stash of escudos is severely depleted!

 

There were classes on silk banner painting for both children and adults. I now have a nice silk pennon with my device!

 

The kids (big and little!) had lots of fun with boffer fights.

 

That's enough for today - more tomorrow!

 

 

 





 

Some Raglan projects revealed

For Raglan Fair X, I made several banners as surprise gifts for friends. They are specifically camping banners, made to deal with rain and mud and wind. I am very happy that everyone liked they very much. In fact, they were so well-liked that I now have commissions to make two for some other friends! The best part was that Barun Pol O'Briain was put on vigil for the Order of the Pelican at the Fair and he was able to use his banner in the vigil room as part of his display. It was a happy coincidence!

 

Lady Catherine Weaver of Thamesreach

 

Viscountess Susannah of York

 

Master Pol O'Briain

 

Baroness Caitriona of the Raven

Ten days and counting down.

Three projects finished, two more than half finished. Packing started. Don't know if it will all come together in time, but I'm trying! Pictures after Raglan, because nearly everything is a surprise gift!