April 2024: Summer Ramp Up Continues
My April goals were:
Finish all my various class materials.
Big project: a 14th Century saya from the Medieval Blue linen I purchased in February.
Littler project: a set of both wool and linen medias calzas to go with the calzas I made this month.
Stretch goal: a camisa with narrow sleeves to go with that blue 14th century saya.
Well as you may have noticed, the first thing I did this month was give my site a little facelift. As I mentioned last month, I wanted to try to do a more cohesive branding option for my site now that I’ve kind of started that with the YouTube site. I’ve edited some of the site themes and they may or may not be permanent. So far, I’m really liking how it all looks and the feedback has been positive so that’s definitely something!
The beginning of this month saw me slow-rolling the 14th Century Saya and focusing a bit more on both finishing my various class materials, prepping for Storvik Novice at which I ran A&S while Bea stepped up as Baroness of Highland Foorde, and getting ready to support the elevation of my apprentice sister, Mistress Marguerite at Coronation. It was a busy first week! I’m also now officially divested of my role as vigil coordinator and very much looking forward to getting to turn all of my service attention/time/spoons back to The Oak.
I got to do two really pretty mini-projects for the elevation: writing our family tree in Marguerite’s vigil book as well as naming her worthies and embroidering a towel for her to use for her handwashing. They’re not documented projects, but I love how both of these turned out.
I also decided to submit my persona development class for Summer University for online classes. I realized while working on the handout to teach the same class in person at Novice that I had not left myself very good teaching notes at all. I had to basically reconstruct the class from just the slides and a very rudimentary outline that I had done last time. Here’s to learning my lesson on not recording a class because it’s the first time I’m giving it! Anyway, this time around it’ll be recorded and now it has a new handout as well. Those updated materials can be found here.
The next class I had to finalize was my Persona Pentathlon class. That’s was given twice this month- one in person and one virtually. The virtual presentation was recorded by the University of Atlantia and once some technology issues are resolved, I plan to also embed that into my recorded classes. However, because it’s was given in person first, it did need at least a short handout to go with it so once my slides were done, my attention turned there next. I managed to get that handout done as well as slides and I was pretty happy with the overall direction of the class. The actual Instructor Spotlight had some minor technical difficulties courtesy of Canva, but I am please with the class overall. It will likely need to be re-recorded in the not too distant future.
I did end up taking a little detour to work on finally getting around to giving my feast gear box some TLC. It’s needed both a stain and a seal for a little too long now and the wood was starting to crack due to weather and use. I used the same stain I used on the mirror box because I happened to have some, and then Evan helped me find a brown I could use to help paint over the areas where glue had gotten into the wood both during its initial construction and during its repair. I also added some handles to the sides and reorganized its contents a little bit to make some extra room. Also on box TLC notes, I finally finished my mirror box repairs! It has hinges, a lock to keep it closed, corner protectors, linings, and a functional hinged mirror in it and I am quite pleased. I did end up buying a second one of the feast gear box chests during a great sale at Joann’s, so I need to decide something to do with it now that I have it.
I’ve been thinking about where my actual research based/documented work goes next from here and there are a couple things I have floating around in my mind. I’m going to start smaller this month and try to push myself back into reading one item of actual research a month as part of my monthly goals. I’ve got a bookshelf of things that I either have left in my To Be Read pile or haven’t revisited in a while that I think deserves some attention. I’m hoping that’ll give me the juice to start the actual project I have in mind, but since it’s still early in planning and I have to finish Pennsic items first, I’ll keep it to myself for a little while longer. The other thought I’ve been having is about teaching a class or two about my actual projects, not just on the SCA-isms that sort of surround them. I’m thinking about some of my garb work and my chapines in particular that would make for good classes. I don’t think that would be ready for Summer University, but I think I might aim for teaching that at Fall University. I would much rather take a known/test driven class to Pennsic, so I’ll be bringing the Iberian court cuisine class there with me.
Goals wise this month, I ended up adjusting my goals and progress a little.
I decided not to make myself medias calzas this month. We went to Fort Frederick Market Fair this month and I ended up buying several pairs of socks of various materials and I want to test those all out first before I start making more socks. The wool medias calzas may be part of the eventual winter garb push.
My 14th Century Saya did make a ton of progress this month- it was fully constructed and wearable by the end of the month. What’s still missing is the buttons on the sleeves and the ribbons. In reviewing the construction, I decided to add the ribbon at the wrist openings, two stripes at the hem, and the neckline because even with the eyelets in the middle. For the buttons, I decided for ease of donning/doffing, while they may go most of the way down my forearm, only a couple at my wrist will be actual fastening buttons, the rest will sew the opening closed. I wore the constructed dress for the first time for my Instructor Spotlight and I really enjoyed wearing this garment! I’m looking forward to having it decorated.
In making this dress, I was able to tackle the design concept for the camisa underneath it. Because the dress is so fitted, it needs a fitted garment underneath it. Because of the neckline, mobility is also a longer term concern. So I settled myself on a camisa based on the pattern for the saya, with a bit more ease, and no sleeves. I was able to get the fabric prepped for this and cut so the camisa could come with me on my honeymoon next month. Also in making the saya, I did a lot of thinking about the overdress I want for it. I have an inspiration photo for this outfit as a whole and between that and this dress, I’ve got a great design in mind for that overdress. That’ll probably be an August project at this rate.
For my research this month, I attended an online conferenced called Fabric and Food, Food and Fabric put on by the Medieval Dress and Textile Society.
My May goals are:
Finish the decorative touches on the 14th Century Saya.
Finish the 14th Century Saya’s camisa.
Stretch goal: Start my next dress project, the Ocean Saya.
