Greet's Middle Ages

Spring Sewing

I've been sewing as part of a Big Barter lately.  (And a little bit for me, as I stop quite so much faffing around in tertiary personas - trying to stick with 6thC and Bronze Age lately.)

But it's been good that I've done quite a bit of reading and garbing for High Medieval, since now I can help out a friend.   This brave soul handed over her fabric stash an embarrassingly long time ago, and asked for a wardrobe's worth of "loose 14th" work + nicer clothes, that are fitting to a very accomplished potter.  Here's my progress so far, with a few things I've thrown together for me, just to see what my stash is up to:

The four hangers on the right are for me, but all the rest is The Trade.  And this too, which hasn't been cut up yet, except for that embroidered undertunic peeking out...

The three hangers in the center, (blue, brown, and blue) are done except hems, which I hope to finish this weekend at Kingdom A&S.  When I'm not chatting and taking classes, which look really good this year!  I want to check out these classes/demos:

• 10am The Honorable Lady Brighid of Ferncliff Early Period Embroidery
• 11am Lady Juliana verch Hoell Coptic/Tarim Naalbinding Stitch
• 1pm Baron Charles O'Connor The Period Concept of Beauty
• Print carving and regular wood carving Baroness Katherine of the Wode

though with temperatures in the 90s, attention span for me is always iffy.

I've done some Sable Sword cloak sewing, too, a couple of linen ones for summer, but I have no pictures of them, either in progress, or on their recipients.

Wine List, February 2011 (aka Way Overdue)

(Here ought to go a pile of apologies for forgetting how to blog.  Let's call that done, and get to the good stuff.)

Way back in February, my adopted group Glynn Rhe, threw an event called Wine List.  The "List" part had to do with a tournament, in which all participants put a bottle of wine on a blanket, and then everybody fought everybody else, and the winners* got to take home the wine, and some prizes, besides.

*There were teams involved.  I really only understand about that much, and that the Viking was on the winning team, and that's why we had a pile of wine to take home.  I was busy with the next bit.

The "Wine" part of Wine List not only has to do with the prizes for the "List" part, it is also the theme of the non-fighting part of the event.

I love a theme, therefore I appreciated wine.  First, I learned how.

The fabulous Martabon (Mistress?  Not sure.  Didn't I say there was wine?) traveled in to help our own Mistress Odindisa show us how to talk about the wine we were appreciating.  They gave us a chart, which was a particularly good idea, because now I can read what I thought about it three months later.

We graded wines on the following aspects (I quote from the chart, and editorialize in italics):

Appearance/Aroma/Flavor: Is the color pleasant or does it seem too thin?  Are there distinctive aromas you can identify?  Is it dry or sweet?  Full-bodied or light?  Does the flavor seem consistent with the aroma?

Overall impression: After the aftertaste has faded, what do you think of the beverage overall?  Is it pleasant and applealing? Simple or complex?  Are all the components in balance?  Does it make you want another sip? (My favorite criteria.)

Drinkability: Is this good enough for you to drink an entire bottle by yourself? (Don't you like how the standards seem to be increasing?) Maybe you'd take a few sips and give the rest to your spouse?  If served this beverage in a restaurant would you have to gulp it down so you could order another glass of something else? (Ick.)  Would you serve this to good friends?

We drank/tested a fair few:

Barefoot CA Riesling, CAVA Brut, Fetzer Gewurtztraminer (by FAR the favorite at the event), a homemade blueberry, Morgan Creek blueberry, Beaujolais Louis Jadot, Frunza Merlot, Barefoot Shiraz, Barefoot Chardonnay, and Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon.

We also used 5 steps in our appreciating:

1. See - clarity and color.
2. Swirl - look for "legs", the drips back down the glass vary in viscosity, and "strong legs" is called a more full-bodied wine
3. Smell - here we tried to assign metaphors like "floral" or "fruity" (other than grape)
4. Sip - My notes say here, "ketchup: Shiraz, mustard:Merlot, Pinot Noir/spicy".  There were TEN samples, y'all.
5. Savor - What's the aftertaste?  Disa and Martabon had these lovely "wheels of flavor" which were very helpful to pin down a flavor, or just jog one's vocabulary.

Since I'd had so much fun appreciating wine, and Martabon's husband Sir Gwydion seemed lonely at the Beer Appreciation table (the fighting was just winding up), the class headed over there.  Fortunately it was close by.

Warning: I am learning to be downright snobbish on both beers and wines.  And now I have picked up some knowledge to reinforce my uppity opinions.  Did you know that hops, those awful sour things, were only added to probably perfectly good beer as a preservative to keep the beer good on the way to India?  Which occurred AFTER 1600?  So there, I now feel I never have to drink a hoppy beer again.

Here are the ones I really liked. 

I also like the taste of malted barley, which could just be sprinkled on the top of baked goods, to my mind.  And the explanation of the yeast eating up the sugars in the fermented barley, peeing alcohol, and then dying in its own pee, is never going to leave my mind.

After so much alcohol appreciation, we waited around for dinner, and the Viking appreciated cabbage, by frying it with bacon, and we all sat around and appreciated more wine, and the smell of dinner cooking.

There.  A proper blog post.  I have a couple more brewing (ha!) and am headed to Kingdom A&S, so maybe I'm back on the wagon again.

Requoting diamond twill source

I mean to go look at this diamond twill...

 

Sounds like a re.seller who buys from these guys. I got mine direct at 
great prices, they do bulk as well if you
can be patient and wait if they do not have enough in stock. on them to 
put the order together.
Usually a couple of weeks for 10 or more. But well worth the wait and 
the blankets are great for cloaks. LOL.
Here is the direct link. Shhh it's a big secret kept by their 
re-sellers. LOL. http://www.loricamos.vizz.pl/tkanieuk.html

Sandy

On 2/08/2010 10:17 PM, LEWINS SHELAGH wrote:
> I got it from a friend who trades in Viking and Saxon wares, in England. I
> can put you in touch with him if you are interested.
>
> These are actually shawls / wide scarves. One would be enough for a top, or
> for an apron to hang down the front of an apron-dress. Or you might piece
> one into a more suitable shape for a small cloak - or make any number of
> hats, pouches, trimming strips etc. But you couldn't make a whole dress out
> of one. And because the colours vary (they are seconds, though I haven't
> seen any flaws in mine) I think you'd be hard-pressed to get enough the same
> to make a full garment. But I haven't seen his current stock, there might be
> 2 the same and that would probably do an apron-dress.

 Looks great to me! Pretty much looks like this down to the size of the repeats:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_35z6SrYO6Eo/TFWnCRpprXI/AAAAAAAAAGE/bzPGkvrkuPg/s1600/\
Broken+Diamond+twill.jpg
-which was based on the thread/pattern repeat counts at the higher end of the finer fabrics found from the period (gaps between repeats are still there because it was a sample piece and only lightly washed).

Brígiða Vadesbana
http://ooo-shiiiny.livejournal.com/
http://brigidavadesbana.blogspot.com/

 

Early Anglo-Saxon embroidery

More quoting from the lists:

Class Handouts
Unaltered class handouts may be reproduced for use in non-profit teaching 
programs (eg SCA Collegia etc).
* Five Period Stitches - Quick Reference Guide - Oct, 2003 (.pdf 148kb)
* Five Period Stitches - In Depth - March, 2006 (.pdf 2.4 mb) (revised)
* Embroidery for Clothing - Anglo-Saxon - Nov, 2004 (.pdf 3.6 mb) 
* Getting Started with Tunics - March, 2005 (.pdf 535 kb)

 Hi,

The best overview for viking and anglo-saxon embroidery stitches and styles 
is 
http://www.cs.vassar.edu/~capriest/asvembroid.html

this site has a few nice images:
http://kaleeb.galtham.org/pdf/Kaleeb-angloembroidery.pdf

Queen Arnegunde find, 6th century Frankish:
http://reocities.com/Athens/forum/6948/arnegunde.html

Gabrielle

 

Hedeby apron dress

More possibly useful things from the lists, apologies for not getting who posted this:

Have you seen the summary that Shelagh has already put online?

http://www.shelaghlewins.com/reenactment/hedeby_apron/hedeby_apron.htm

It really does cover about 99% of what Hägg says about apron dresses

 http://needleprayse.webcon.net.au/research/index.html

 

 

Red-tanned leather

Since I've started back to school, I've not been starting much new, though still keeping an eye on possibly useful items that come up on the lists.  From Norsetalk2:

Christopher wrote:

>What would be a period way to a veg tanned leather belt red?

There are a number of extant early and medieval recipes for dyeing leather 
red. The most common dyestuff I've seen referred to for that purpose was 
brazilwood, but madder was also used.

There is an extant Frankish belt in the Arnegunde grave; it's very 
elaborate, with cutwork and gilded parchment and a big gilt bronze 
buckle. It was dyed red with madder.

Here's an SCA-period recipe for dyeing leather red with madder (Rubia 
tinctorum). It's from The Secrets of Alexis of Piedmont (1558).

"To Die Skinnes in chickweede, called in Latin Rubra Maiore, or Rubra 
Tinctorum, into a Redde Colour.

"Having annointed, washed, wronge and layed abroad the skin, as is 
aforesaied, wete it with water that white wine lees and baye salt hath ben 
boiled in, and than wring him. Take than creuiles or crabbe shelles (be
they of the sea or of the river) burned into ashes, the whiche yon
shall temper with the said water of the lees and salt, and rubbe well the 
skinne therwith, than washe him well with cleere water, and wringe 
hym. This done, take ruddle tempered in water of lees, and rubbe the 
skinne well over and over with it, and than with the foresayde ashes, 
wasshinge, and wringinge it thre times. Finallye, after you have wasshed 
him, and wringe him, if you thinke it not be well ynoughe, you shall geue 
him one dienge with brasyll. The paste or masse of Rubia Tinctorum, must 
be made with water that lees or tartre hath bene boiled
in, and the sayed water must be luke warme, and whan you make the paste of 
ruddle, than leave it fo the space of a night. After this, put upon the 
sayd Rubra Tinctorum, a lyttle alom, dragges,or lees, or Alome catinum, 
steped in water. You maye also adde to it the colour of the shearing of
scarlet, whiche hath been taken oute boylinge in lye, which is a goodly 
secrete."

I can't speak for the Chivalry, of course. But I would be impressed 
entirely to itty-bitty pieces if I had a squire who tried to dye his own 
belt red with a period recipe. Let me know if you decide to undertake it, 
or if you have questions.

Carolyn Priest-Dorman // Þóra Sharptooth
http://www.cs.vassar.edu/~capriest/thora.html

 

Hysterical historical video mashups

"Beowulf": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiBaSqO7n9U

"The Vikings" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIvJ2P0giVc

"William the Conqueror": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ8A5gRe_Dw

Apparently these are part of a series - they're wonderful.

(School/work is going really well - but yes, it's taking away from the craftwork/blog while I adjust.  Honnora's diamond twill apron is nearly done - just lacks straps.)

MGT 2010

The Viking, er Saxon* and I went to MGT, and tried out the wool geteld as a pavilion, with one side propped up.

 

(*He's decided to switch sides and move back in time to meet me.  Looks like I get to avoid making myself a Viking apron for good!)

Our friends Vladimir and Illaria sat with us, and brought rugs and their very comfy upholstered chairs.  Besides the upholstery, I really like how the high backs fill in the vertical wall of the tent, visually.  I'm wanting to find more pictures of people seated for more chairy ideas.

We really liked how the tent worked as pavilion.  The front poles are stolen from my sunshade - there's two 8' poles in the middle, and two 6' poles.  This setup works well to hold lots of people and stuff - and we could even lower the lamps over a table and feed a bunch of people in rather grand style.

Honnoria, here's how we decided to hang your lamps.  The chain *barely* fits through the eyebolts of the ridgebeam lap.  But the chain is long enough to pull them down significantly.  As the year progresses and the dark comes earlier, I hope to get a chance to light them in the tent.  I want to see how much oil they use, and how bright they are...I wonder if there's a light meter in my camera!

Your Viking apron was rather admired...it's very soft.

This MGT was the first that I had my own pavilion as "home", and so did less bopping around to everyone else's.  Pros and cons to that - I didn't get around to as many people as I usually do, but then again, lots of people did come and say hello.  I made progress on the other edge of trim for Honnoria's apron (the diamond twill that Bergthora is loving on has tablet-woven trim, woven directly onto the cut edges of the fabric to finish them.  You can see green/red trim sewn on with yellow weft here - the other edge will be blue with yellow dots.)  Progress is important these days that I don't have so much time to do SCA stuff.

Another pro was getting to be a resource for people - apparently people see things on this blog, or they hear that I have a thing, and have questions about it.  Bringing all my goodies with me means they can investigate their own questions - I love that I can facilitate self-directed learning, and it motivates me to keep making stuff!  One person (Holla's husband, are you Ingolf? Sorry to not ask your name!) actually recognized my bee-on-a-stick standard as a Frankish bee!  That just about made my day!!!

MGT is actually about fighting, not just bringing out all one's pretties, and I managed to pay a little bit of attention.  I'm starting to get a handle on how fighting styles differ, and forming some theories on how they interact.  Not that I think I'll ever be able to sideline-kibbutz the field, but it'd be nice to be able to provide cross-training support to the Viking Saxon, so that he can play with as little pain as possible.

Pomaireware bean pot debut!

(The cat checks to make sure I am not planning Fricassee d'Feline.)

This is the first in a collection I am making of ceramic cooking pots, in an effort to use more period gear on site.  Although I admittedly started this project motivated by appearance, I am learning that Ceramics May Be Just Better, aided and abetted by Paula Wolfert's  Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking.

Pomairewaire is from Pomaire, Chile, and I bought this pot from Earthfare, which is a grocery chain that will possibly be the death of my favorite health foods coop in Tallahassee.

Yesterday the pot debuted brilliantly.  After following Wolfert's seasoning advice, which seals the pores of the bottom of the pot with casein, I put a pound of great northern beans in six cups of water, set the bean pot in a cast iron pot (as a heat diffuser) and put the whole thing on one of the small eyes of our ceramic stovetop.  (The pound of beans had soaked for four hours.)

It took an hour to heat the pot, slowly raising the dial to a max of 3.5.  The beans went on at 11 am, and were done by 5 (probably at 4 - they were dry at 5) with perfect texture, yummy smelling, and no scorching.  I checked on it a lot, which probably slowed it down, taking the lid off that much.  Next time I will not touch it for three hours, and then start checking!

I'm thinking the next pot I want is an 10" dia. glazed cazuela, with a small hollow handle, so I can pull it off the fire.  It's essentially a  2.5" deep skillet, with straight sides.  You can use it like a small casserole, or like a skillet.

Note: Although the cast iron pot worked well as a heat diffuser, it lost its seasoning on the spot that the bean pot sat.  Probably because the ceramic held heat.  I'm going to need a proper diffuser plate anyway, because 10" won't fit inside any of my cast iron skillets.
 

Leftover dye

What to do with a small batch of leftover black dye?

I needed to dye a bit of fringe leftover from the first diamond twill, black.  Small pot of RIT.

 

I'm inordinately proud of this idea - the point is to make my braid look like a bell-rope, like this:

Tassels everywhere!!! 

(This kit improvement is motivated by helping serve Madhavi's super-authentic Indian feast at Trimaris' 25th year.  My kit has a LONG way to go, before it looks as good as this, but that's part of the fun.)

Cotton dyes incredibly quickly - no wonder it replaced linen and wool so fast - but then I had some leftover dyebath.  I dyed a small bit of wool to use for appliques, but still had some leftover.  Can't throw it down the sink...

Hurrah for not having to completely remake the Viking's banner just yet!  This may not make it through the rain, but it looks quite a bit better already.  I'll iron it in hopes of setting the dye further.