Today Josephus day tripped to Cynagua/Mists War (as he is RMIC) and I stayed home. Since I was up at 6AM I figured that I would work on my web site. I posted the two paternosters I made to my Projects page on my web site. Now I will relax on the couch and start back to work on the two haversacks that I need to finish. I can always work on the other Or Nue sample piece in between; not to mention two scrolls that I need to finish painting.

Of the 15 projects needed by January, I am now down to 13...LOL. Yes, they will all be completed and ready for delivery at that time. Have I ever mentioned that I love to keep busy??

• Haversack-Ducal promissory


• paternoster-Colorado


• paternoster-Sir Gemini


• finish Byzantine tunic trim


• commission – pillow cover


• commission – smocked apron


• haversack – finish device


• service project 1


• service project 2


• goldwork butterfly


• aprons – smocked & blackwork


• Or Nué – leaf & chalice


• 2 scrolls – AOA & LOM

Okay, I finally finished my Or Nue class project (taught by Mistress Teleri at IKINS). I took out all of the first attemp I made due to a bad wave in my gold threads. Thistime I was able to complete it without any majot errors. IMHO, it is still not perfect, but this is my first Or Nue project.

I now have E'tai'n's haversack completed and ready for delivery this weekend (I used blanket stitch for the strap and flap, herringbone stitch for the seams and hand stitches the lining). She is just expecting it to be plain sewn and usable; she does not know that I have completed all the seam emblishments. I hope that she will be pleased with it (if she decides she wants a Celtic/Norse design on the flap, I can add this upon her return from GWW).

My mind always runs amuck and, lately, it is hard for me to keep one thought long enough to complete anything in a timely manner; but I do seem to get things done (to my surprise). You know how a bee goes from one flower to another, never staying too long at one? Well, that is how I feel, at present, with all my projects. I have countless projects (some with due dates), started but not finished. I end up going from one to the other and working on them here and there. No wonder I get over-whelmed and feel that I cannot accomplish things. Is this due to boredom of doing one continuous stitch technique, due to my getting an idea and wanting to start something new, or a mental problem (short attention span)? Hubby thinks it is due to my getting bored of doing the same thing over and over, that I just like to try my hand at doing something new all the time; that I am always coming up with new ideas to try.

In medieval times, there were usually many women working on the same (large) project; I am doing things by myself. If the project was small, one woman would work on it from dawn till dusk (or as long as she had sufficient lighting). There was, usually, someone else to do the cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. (especially in a castle or large household); so if one was an embroideress that is mostly what all she would do. I need to balance everything from house chores, to working on computer, to embroidery; there is never enough hours in a day it seems.

Since I started doing embroidery, TV has gone to the way-side, usually on just for the noise factor (no, a radio will not cut it); guess I need the occasional visual distraction as well. I have noticed that 99.9% of my embroidery designs are medieval in motif; the modern designs do not interest me. Maybe I should take a break and work on something more modern; but then, what would I do with it when finished? I cannot see myself as the elderly, grandmother type who has her walls covered in her embroidery pieces, and I do not know of anyone else who would appreciate an embroidered sampler, wedding/birth sampler, etc..

Second time in ten years I am feeling burned out with my embroidery. I have five main embroidery projects that I am working on…..
1) 10 black swans for Princess guards favors (four completed- due by Crown)
2) Kingdom project (due by 12th Night – ¾ completed)
3) Viking apron dress (adding spacer to make it larger)
4) Trim on tunic dress (3/4 complete w/embroidery – then need to add pearls)
5) Silk wreath project (was asked to get as much as I could completed by Crown)

And a couple projects that are not embroidery….
6) Casting 35 Cynagua awards (by end of October)
7) Making 300 site tokens (due by January)
8) Finishing up my new silk parasol (still need to order the beaded trim) (am making my own glass beads to add as decoration on top)

I know my limits (yeah, right) and my sewing abilities, so I do know that I will get the two main projects (#1 & #2) complete by due dates. (I do well under pressure…*S*) The Viking apron dress can be put on hold for a while longer, but the tunic dress I would like to wear at Crown. As for the last three projects (#6, #7 & #8), are “fillers” (can be done as a break in between embroidering) but will be completed by their perspective due dates; they can also be completed over one weekend - when I can get a free weekend).

What I really need to start doing is “prioritize” my embroidery projects (for me, that is easier said than done). Kingdom & Principality projects are always put first, my personal projects I end up putting on hold (a lot), and I do like to make items for gifts to other people (hence putting things on hold more often). And I do try to have non-embroidery projects so as to have a break from sewing…. *S*.

(I know a few people (and Laurels) who have the same feeling on this issue as I do; I am just more vocal about it. I do multiple projects because “I want to and enjoy it” not because I “have to”. I even have a barter in progress; he knows what I want but has not told me what he wants as yet; which means more sewing for me (I think).)

As if I do not have enough projects to keep me busy (if there were 10 of me, I still wonder if I could get everything completed), I have added a couple more projects on my over-flowing plate....

1) am going to make an apron with smocking at the top (thanks to Eowyna)
2) am going to make an apron with blackwork across the front
3) have now started planning Embroidery classes to be held at my home the 2nd Monday of each moth.

Took a break from regular embroidery and made a couple more unique (at least I think they are) pin cushions.

Some of the pin cushions are made for a "special" reason, or person, and I might not make duplicates of them. This one is for Princess Aeschine, since her reign theme was "BEES"

Just finished 3 leaf pin cushions. I tried to get them to resemble laurel leaves. Might give these to a couple Laurels I know. Think the next ones I will use a brighter green thread so that the veins will stand out more.

My pattern for my inkle belt is giving me some problems today, so I decided to put it aside for a while and started to work on a new project -- a pin cushion made from pop bottle caps.

Instead of trying a simple pattern I choose to make a more complex one -- a crown. I already have plans for this one, so I am glad that it turned out better than I expected. It measures 1 1/2" tall by 1 1/4" wide.

Got up late today, 9:30am. It is already 95 degrees and suppose to hit 103 (too hot to do anything outside). Think I will close off the living room, turn on AC and embroider more on napkin project. Am almost dome with them; about a quarter of each left; should complete them by tonight. (Sometimes I feel that I have a needle permanently attached to my fingers...LOL) Then I can start on my yellow inkle belt. Busy, busy, busy!! First, I am going to jump in a cool shower to cool down a bit.

I have changed my project plans and have decided to concentrate on just three (yes, three) projects for the next 15 days...
1) finish Royal napkin project
2) work feverishly on A&S banner
3) work on my protege belt -- have design all drawn out, need to warp inkle loom and get working on it.
(So as I do not "burn out" again, I am splitting my time between these three projects, instead of working constantly on just one technique.)

Now am off to drop items to Jaida that she displayed at our Needle Guild A&S at Crown. Then back home to start finishing my projects.

I was catching up on my blogs and was reading a post from attack-laurel found a link to instructions on Gold Plait Braiding. I have been wanting to learn this technique for quite some time now, but have been unable to understand the steps. Now, with these new instructions, I hope it will be easier to learn.

Last night I made country style ribs in BBQ sauce (they still are so tender that they fall apart) and a fresh strawberry pie...YUMMMMMM

Since taking office as Cynagua’s A&S Minister, and reading through the Cynaguan A&S Handbook, I found out that no one has replaced a few missing regalia items; a baldric and banner.

I decided to work on replacing these items during my office. I made myself a personal belt favor; this I can wear at other events showing that I am an A&S officer (plus, I can add this to my other office favors after I step down). Last night I completed the A&S baldric. Both of these are on a gold & white linen background and have an embroidered roundel of the A&S badge (Azure, a candle enflamed within an arch stooped argent). Although the belt favor has three brass bells sewn onto the bottom (I love bells).

The banner is going to take a while to complete; thanks to my not thinking it out properly. I decided to make it approximately 18”X20” in size. I am doing it in needlepoint on 12ct canvas. I have the candle & arch outlined in black (these I will fill in last as it will be all white and will be done in tent stitch) and I am now in the process of filling in the blue background. I started to do the background in tent stitch, but after completing a 5”X6” section, I decided to tear it all out (the blue) and redo it using brick stitch. Going over four background threads will make it go faster and will give it a nice textured look.

All in all, I think it will be nice, for future A&S Ministers, to have the regalia items complete.

Over the weekend I attended the Kingdom A&S, as I also had a pouch for a competition "A Decorated Bag or Pouch".  This was the pouch I did using the intarsia method  (the design is cut out of the fabric and a contrasting piece of fabric inserted into the gap).  This was the first time that I tried this method and was a tad worried about doing it.  It came out far better than what I expected, not to mention that it was a gift (my part of a barter) for a friend.  Since she dresses in Elizabethan, I wanted to make her something that would go with her lovely costuming and this pouch would work!  I took 1st place in the competition!!

The pouch is based on a 13^th century Seal Bag from the Reign of Edward I.  To personalize it, I changed it a bit on the back side by adding her initials in split stitch (in Mary Queen of Scot's style).  It came out lovely and took FIRST place in the competition!!  And Marsaili was very pleased with her new pouch.  She was actually speechless when she first say it (if you knew Marsaili, she is hardly ever speechlees)..*S*.
 

Leave it to me to do things at the last minute!   Last Fall I made myself a wool Viking apron dress, but now that it is getting warmer weather I needed one in linen.  I found some red linen in my stash and figured it would be good to use.  Especially since I wanted it for an A&S event this weekend.  Since they are easy to make, I figured I could complete it this week.  WRONG!!  Things will go wrong when one is on a time frame.

 I spent Monday cutting out the pieces and even a couple Jorviks (caps).  I started sewing the dress pieces together but when I wrapped it around me for testing I noticed that it was "too small".  I followed the same pattern as my wool apron dress, but something was wrong.  I remeasured the pieces, re-checked my measurement notes --- everything matched.  I could not figure what went wrong!  I sent out emails to a Laurel whom I rely on for help.  All the while stressing myself out even more, as I really wanted this done by  Saturday.  I know that this material width was 50" instead of the 60" I used for the wool, but that should not cause the problem.  The length was perfect, just the width of the dress was off.  I did not take into consideration that wool has a "give" to the material whereas linen does not.  What to do?  I know how to make it smaller, if needed, but how to make it larger?  I racked my weary, aging brain even more, getting more stressed to the point of walking away and leaving it alone for a while.

If I added a small,  reversed gore under the arms, that might work.  But thought about the top looking like a "tulip" and being too large at the top.  How did they alter clothing in period?  Would they have added the smaller gores under the arms or long strips at the back?  No one knows for sure.  So I took my best shot and added two narrow strips down along the back panels.  It worked!  It now wrapped around perfectly.  But, another slight problem, it did flair out a tad at the top, looking like a tulip.  More stress, more altering.  This time it was an easier solution; I just took in the two front seams a bit from bust to the top.  With the straps pinned on, you do not notice the small alterations.  But then, if one is a Viking perfectionist, then they might notice.

The straps; I could manage with just plain straps for this weekend, but I have the rest of this week to work on them, so I wanted to decorate them.  I figured I would have time to do this task as well.  I decided on the small faces motif from the Mammen Viking mans burial (from Denmark).  I hand-drew the faces along each strap, 17 faces each.  I am doing the face outline in black and the leaves in white, gold, orange and blue.  Hopefully, by Friday I will just need to sew the strap seam and attach them to the apron dress for wearing on Saturday.  Next week I will decide on how to decorate the rest of the apron dress.

Today was a quiet day, the landlord was here fixing the clogged system, so hopefully things will be running more smoothly for a long time.  edit:  also found out the it is NOT a rodent under the house, but a squirrel in the rafters.  This is a great relief!!

I finished editing my documentation for my Intarsia Pouch, so it will be ready for next weekends event.  I made it for a friend, so hopefully she will be at the event so that I can give it to her Saturday evening.  This is the first time I ever did the Intarsia method, but I am very pleased with how it looks.
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