100 Days of SCA lite

A bunch of friends do A&S challenges, but as much as I love crafting, I also love service.  So after having taken an LOA from derby for the month of May, I realized I had done something SCAdianish every single day.  Here are some of the smaller things and a calendar I will be updating as I go.

1.  Done on April 30 instead of May 1st because I had to give out my final exam. 
• Started to plan a Spanish Trenzado coif.
2. Researched bobbin lace patterns.
3. Pulled out my pillow (purchased and last used in 2008 >.> ) and made my first foot of lace!






• 
  
4. Saturday, went to Queen's Rapier Championship
• Did some kamikaze calligraphy over someone else's art.  Not my best work, but I blame it on not having my own equipment and having to cram too many words in a very small space with a failing marker.



• 
  
5. Found out that the hat I want to make follows the pattern for a St Birgitta Coif.
6. Found patterns and fabric for the coif.
7. Went to the Spinners Guild meeting and talked with some weavers about the AEWP class I was planning. 
• Hunted down tubers for soups for sideboard.
8. Pinterest hole researching bobbin lace.  
• Found sources for weaving silk.
9. Nithgaard business meeting
• Sliced up All The Tubers.
10. CLEANED.  
• Hardboiled 90 eggs for Crown Tourney. 
• Worked on blanket stitching the edge of the braid case.
11. Crown Tourney, worked kitchen and setup, shenanigans.
12. Peeled and steeped lemons for Limoncello. 
13. Drafted Venetian bodice from saturday's fitting, realized I missed a couple of points >:[
14. Bought some embroidery books at the PSU book sale
• Went to Joanne's for bobbin lace thread.
15. Got 10 books out of the library to use in my weaving class. 
• Decanted and refilled limoncello peels.
16. Nithgaard A&S meeting.  
• Drafted up my weaving class while Andreas taught calligraphy. 
• Finished up limoncello and balanced the flavors.
17. Went to Æ War Practice!  
• Taught my first class "Whatcha' Wanna Weave?".
• Participated in the Brewer's Competition, won the Cordial category (only participant), got good reviews.  Volunteered to start the Boozy Food category.
• Was the Resident Scribe and found supplies for Maddoc to sign in an apprentice.
18. Worked the Scribal breakfast.
• Carved my first soap stone medallion! Thoroughly enjoyed Shea's class and giving him just enough hell for a new teacher to learn. 
• Went to the Brewer's mead tasting class and learned how to give an evaluation.
• Got great tokens at Court for teaching and winning the competition, and a nifty bar towel that I want to embroider the event on for participating.
• Found amazing pickling recipe!
• Made contacts with a pig farmer.
19. Worked the Scribal breakfast, again.
• Caught people to measure for dresses.
20. Made AEWP recap post.
• Researched linen for dresses.
• Made a list of all the projects I need to complete for Pennsic -____-
21. Started making scroll cases from leftover breakfast bread boxes.
22. Bought and washed linen for two kitchen dresses and two chemises.
23. Cut cardboard for 8 scroll cases.
24. Test out camping equipment for Pennsic.
25. Bought fiber for project
26. SCAdian family party.
27. Spent way too much money I don't have on stuff I will probably only ever use for Pennsic (got a roof rack!), dried out the tent.
28. Beet pickled motherfucking three dozen eggs.
29. BLOG ALL OF THE BLOGS!
30. Get 50 cigar boxes for scribal retreat.
31. Sew scroll cases.
    
32. (June 1) Scribal retreat: Macclesfield Psalter Pg 161
    
    
33. (2) Scribal retreat Part 2: Macclesfield Psalter Pg 170
34. (3) Put away everything from the past three weekends, start coordinating feast
35. (4) Ball up weaving silk
36. (5) Emotional Support Drea, talk through summer plans
37. (6) Nithgaard meeting, continue balling up silk
38. (7) Make a bliaut
39. (8) Scarlet Guard Inn
    
40. (9) Go to Pittsburgh Pride, scare Heavy fighters
41. (10) Make SCA resume
42. (11) Warp and start weaving
43. (12) Weave
44. (13) Nithgaard meeting, weave
45. (14) Didn't want to tame my hair, so I made a Birgitta coif and inset the first bobbin lace.
46. (15) Æthelmearc Æcademy 
47. (16) Beer Pickled Eggs
48. (17) Weave
49. (18) Finish weaving!
50. (19) Research "Ancient Deviled Eggs" and krupnik
51. (20) Meeting with Italian White Vine class! Start Om krupnik.
    
52. (21) Try to sell helmets
53. (22) Read about wild fermentation
54. (23) Read about Basque names, order library book
55. (24) Hood class outline
56. (25) Hibiscus mango krupnik, name research, print old handouts
57. (26) Coffee krupnik, Vigil organizing
58. (27) Spicy pickled eggs
59. (28) Make new shirt for Dave
60. (29) Kingdom For My Horse (so much fun!)
61. (30) 
62. (July 1) Buy way too much linen
63. (2) Cut out Helga Ball dress
64. (3) Sew together Helga Ball dress
65. (4) Hand finish seams
66. (5) Pack for PAX, fit dress
67. (6) PAX Interruptus, retaining
68. (7) Add gusset to Helga Ball dress, hunt down pizzelle press
69. (8) Jump on Jen's elevation dress
70. (9) Meet with Jen for fitting
71. (10) Orangello, dress bodice lining
72. (11) Honey Anise eggs, dress kickplate, Nithgaard potluck
73. (12) Bog Three Day, kitchen prep
74. (13) Bog Three Day, kitchen and retaining
75. (14) Venetian bodice
76. (15) Soy eggs, bodice
77. (16) Blueberry cordial, bodice
78. (17) Bodice
79. (18) Chipotle honey mango eggs, bodice
80. (19) National Museum of Art: 16c research
81. (20) Drive back from DC, post pictures
82. (21) Line bodice
83. (22) Line bodice
84. (23) Finish lining bodice
85. (24) Sleeve panels, viking underdress
86. (25) Decant boozes, Sleeve panels, viking underdress
87. (26) Class handout, Sleeve panels, viking underdress
88. (27) Tiki!viking dress and underdress
89. (28) Last viking under dress, and PENNSIC!
90. (29) Æthelmeark hospitality
91. (30) Get weighted loom form Hrolfr, start new set of garters.
92. (31) Take classes (Aztec Illumination)
93. (August 1) continue weaving
94. (2) Morning Troll, airport
95. (3) Archery, Process at Opening Ceremonies with BMDL, man radios at the Watch
96. (4) Finish apron dress, stamp cabbages on 28 aprons, HOLY SHIT SERVE VIGIL
97. (5) Finish weaving garters, stage makeup for Comedia
98. (6) Retain for TRH at Great Court
99. (7) Teach class, Cartridge pleat Venetian, serve Seven Pearls dinner
100. (8) Attach skirt to bodice, party like a Roman
101. (9) Tear down Æthelmeark Royal, host krupnic "competition"
102. (10) Close up camp and drive home.
103. (11) Three loads of laundry, two of dishes, put bulk items away

Plus so many things I forgot at Pennsic. I took Owen's whitework illumination class, Nicola's died parchment class, Aztec illumination and costuming, and German hats!  It was exhausting, amazing, and probably going to continue.

Viking (and Cranach)

 Yesterday was Easter, but the previous two weekends I went to SCA events.  The first one was Coronation and Anna Leigh's Strawberry Party, for which I made a Viking apron dress.  I lucked out and got the pink wool from Cassie because it was too scratchy for her, and it matched Ye Olde Bliaut I've been working on for five year enough to use it as an under dress.  I used the beads I strung for my Valhalla Back Girl costume from Rollercon last year and the ones I made myself about three Pennsics ago? Unfortunately that string broke at the Strawberry Pizza Party and I had to restring them for Ice Dragon, but Vera Fischer was amazing and gave me three new beads!  I also got a fantastic shot glass from Honnoria Thescorre (Gayle A. Erwin) with a mermaid and boobies ^_^ that is now hanging on a chatelaine. 

Because I am super vain and don't particularly care for Viking attire, I completely cheated.  Yes, they would have used pleating to store up excess fabric that can be let out when pregnant, and I used it to hide in princess seams.  They look straight up and down, but the secret is in how you tuck the fabric inside the pleat.  

I also wove trim!  Simple tablet chevrons.  I learned a lot about decisions I need to make before starting a new weaving project and I want to teach it at War Practice.  I need to get my shit together -_____-  But I'm glad that this all came together in just one week.  I'm impressed!

I also finally managed to wear my Cranach for Coronation!  And I forgot to pack the padded bra it was sized with.  It looked ok, but I have so many ideas of things I want to improve.  Of course.

Ragrets

Yesterday was easter, and I planned to take a cheat day for the past six weeks for a pierogie party.  First it was only going to be sunday, but Dave woke up and heated up sausages and grilled pineapple, so, welp.  I realized A LOT of things that made me feel gross and just not worth it.

BAD

- GF GS cookies - too sweet

- home made peanut butter eggs - meh, again too sweet

- candy - why bother?  There are great SF versions I can eat a piece a day

- cupcakes - never that fond of them, just tasted boring

- HFCS rootbeer - for as much as I love SF Barqs, the regular stuff left me nonplussed.

Mostly, what made me feel gross was the drive sugar produced in me to eat everything in sight.  So while maybe one cookie would have been ok, I had to rip myself away half a sleeve in.  I also found that I needed salt in everything, and that unsalted sweet things just didn't appeal to me, but that's pretty standard for me.  Unsalted butter is for animals.

GOOD

 - Pierogies - duh.

 - Chinese Wok

 - Pizza - yes, even bad pizza is better than no pizza

 - Bailey's

 - Cake batter - really good when mixed with vodka >.>

 - Peanuts and chips - aaaaaalllll of the chiiiiips is not the right answer

 - Krupnic - again, in sips, not half a glass

 - Ice cream - I can probably be more discriminate with this

 - Beer - I nursed a Winter Warmer for two days.  It was odd. It might be different with other kinds.

 - Jello - So. Many. Shots.

The things I did like were also impossible to put down, and I definitely felt worse and worse the more I ate them.  I don't know if this is more caused by the caloric restriction or the keto.  The next scheduled day off I have is in four weeks and will be War Practice, at which I have been invited to the Brewer's Guild Party. I plan on eating whatever I want, just forcing me to not snack or binge.

These last two times I've gone off keto I've jumped from 159-170-161-170.  It takes me about four days to get back to the bottom weight, and even then I didn't get all the way back to pre-binge.  I think I'm plateauing at 160 and definitely need to amp up the exercise.  Luckily I'm on Review Week and I get time back to myself soon!

Progress

I didn't make the final roster for BotAS (first alt), but I've decided to keep going with the diet for a while, at least Rollercon.  There hasn't been much progress, but it is existent.  The five pounds I gained in Columbia didn't stick and left with the glucose flush (~10lbs?), and I've managed to lose a legitimate five pounds in the past 2.5 months.  I think I was a bit slow in january because I found way too many excuses to drink vodka.  Cheats have only been Dave's b-day/cabin trip and Mardi Gras; next one will be easter. I'm also starting to lift again, and today is finally warm enough that I want to go jogging outside!  So despite the diet shamers, I'm going to keep with the progress.

Oh! And I managed to wear the dress I bought for Fer's wedding Oct 2017 that I had hulked out of that winter, and I think it fits me better now than when I bought it.  I'll update if I find a picture.  Mostly I think I like how the lack of glucose looks on me and gives me a better shape, more than the actual weight loss.

Also, fuck guys who always brag that "a 30x34 is always a 30x34" when talking about pant sizes.  I keep trying them on because I want pockets, damnit, and they still fluctuate (admittedly less drastically) from style to style.

Tall Collar Cranach pt 1

This weekend was the Region One 12th Night: Fire & Ice celebration and it was amazing!  I spent twelve hours in the kitchen with some great people, stood through court while Cas got awarded arms, and all in all had a fabulous time with all the shenanigans.  What I didn't do was wear the Cranach gown I made in six days >.>

I'd never previously made a Cranach dress (nor researched them) nor had I ever made anything with a collar, so I was very neurotic trying to get started.  I figured I could try to modify a Simplicity pattern for an Elizabethan coat/gown, but still just continued to freak myself out through Saturday.

I then decided to roll pleat my skirt Sunday until I could find knowledgeable help. Five yards of silver velvet that I found at Surplus City for $1.99/yard, minus 20% through January. Yay!

Monday I finally managed to pounce on the most wonderful Kiera (aka Baroness Seley (aaka my favorite Feathertwat)), who makes Cranach dresses in her sleep, borrow her basic bodice pattern and get it perfectly fit in a matter of hours.  

The next few days I proceeded to encase the front of the bodice and realized just how much I hate encasing.  And I managed to shove a needle into my finger, eye first, 1/4", and bleed on the fabric >:[

I decided to help myself out with the sleeves and use Elmer's fabric glue before cutting the slashes so that the fabric wouldn't fray.  After my final fitting on Wednesday, I decided to only slash the elbow and not the shoulder, but there's always a chance that might change in the future.  

The last thing I made was a "back up Brusefleck" just out of the contrast flocked satin, in case I didn't have time to bead the one I wanted to make out of black velvet.  Which of course I didn't make because I got home at 1 am and woke up at 7 Friday to get things ready and on the road.  I don't have a finished picture of the dress with the sleeves attached or of me wearing it, so I guess I'll just have to find another event to go show it off!

There is also something to be said about Landsknech and miles of linen protecting my crotch from incinerating while making grilled cheeses for 160? people for a whole hour.