Inspiration

I just wanted to post a link through to the recently completed tapestry by Lord Rakonczay Gergely. If anyone fancied seeing a proper woven tapestry project, then this is an excellent example of what can be achieved.

....and a chance to gasp in wonder!

http://www.kolumbus.fi/rauno.huikari/verdure.htm

First Display a Success!

I just wanted to thank all the members who brought items for the Raglan Display. We had an enormous outpouring of support for the display, which was greatly appreciated by visitors. The A&S Tent drew in many interested members of the public. I especially want to thank those who gave of their event time sitting and working at the tent. I know we all chatted with various different members and did our part for making Raglan a recruitment tool.
I would like to take the time to thank each member individually for their contribution, so here goes!
Thank you to:
Lady Estrid for her time at the tent and her incredibly clever weaving sampler, cunningly made from project cut offs!
HE Mary Frost for her time at the tent
HE Sagadis for her displaying her woven cloth, spinning and knitting
Lady Marian for her time at the tent hand spun and naturally dyed balls of yarn and her spinning demonstrations and teaching!
HL Gynveive for displaying her wonderful knitting, based on Eleanor of Toledo's stockings. These were admired by many members of the populace.
Lady Alice for her naturally dyed yarns and time at the tent
Duchess Alyssandra Melusine for her braids and braiding demonstration
HE Siubhan for displaying her wonderfully embroidered sleeves

I am not sure that I have accurately thanked everyone for their time at the tent, as I was not there Sunday. So please forgive me if I missed out on thanking you for your time. Please know that all your efforts are greatly appreciated.

I hope to continue to set up A&S Tents or "Teas" at any events I attend. I think this was an excellent way for us to get together and chat with other artisans. I learned loads from my time at the tent with Lady Estrid and am armed with the necessary information to revisit my rigid heddle brocade project! I hope everyone had a similar experience!

Regards,
Jahanarabanu Vivana, ID MoAS

Many Fibre Arts Today!

Today started as a sleepy Sunday, but did not stay that way long. I went downstairs about 1300 and popped in Order of the Phoenix, ok it was already there! During the movie, I enjoyed a nice sugar free swiss mocha and finished three treadling repeats! That means I wove another 6 inches and moved the warp along again! The last week has seen this done twice, so I've woven a foot in the last week. If I keep this up, I'll have an entire yard done by the end of the month. Continuing this same amount of progress, I'll have the two yards I need for this section done by the end of October! I'm really hoping that I can keep this up and get the next section on the loom by the end of this year. I need three sections total. I know this section will take the longest, as once I get this done I should have everything down pat!

But wait there's more, I actually got these six inches done in less than 2 hours. I also hemmed Lady Salonge's cloak, so it is effectively done! I say effectively as I've just embroidered her sun-in-splendour on the back. We've talked about adding her lion on each side at the bottom later. I think we'll probably work on this summer '09 when she doesn't need to be wearing it often!

Finally, I also finished the outline on the second roundel for Odo's hood! I also took the paper pattern off the fabric. I tested a new theory on how to do this. I sparyed the paper down thoroughly, which made getting the paper off go much faster. I think this is a good option for designs that don't have very intricate lines, but I think for many of the other roundels, the dry method will work better. This is due to the fact that the wet paper and silk are difficult to separate in very small areas, such as around the calon cross and the axe heads.

I hope you will all forgive me for not having photos of all this progress, as I've been busy completing stages of projects!

Namaste,
Jahanara

Hobbly Website

For those of you not on LJ, I have created a hobby website. So far it only has my drop spinning instructions on it, but I will add more over time. www.bluedormouse.co.uk. Any comments gratefully received.

Marian X

Newsletter - Insulae Draconis Fibre Arts Interest Group - September 2008

Greetings to everyone,

Welcome to the first Newsletter for the Insulae Draconis Fibre Arts Interest Group.

The IDFAIG held its first meeting at the recent Spring Viceroy Tournament. There was a most encouraging number of people who attended. Not all of you have joined the blog. Please consider doing so and letting us know about the great efforts and beautiful items that you make. Please email me for an invitation to join the blog. Future newsletters will only be sent to members of the blog as it is a convenient way to maintain contact info for group membership.

The first display of work by members of the group will be held at Raglan Fair (11th – 14th September).

I encourage you all to bring a project you are working on, in order to display it. It doesn’t have to be finished, or even close to finished, it also doesn’t matter if it is something that you have displayed elsewhere, there will always be folk who have not yet seen it. The aim of the display is to showcase the work of members of the group and to increase its profile with the idea of broadening the group into a place where people can find support and expertise that will help them develop their own skills.

Please also consider bringing along some small tokens that you can leave next to pieces of work that you admire. We all thrive when encouraged and appreciated and this is a practice that will help foster the Fibre arts and encourage new people who might be nervous of showing their work.


Share your Knowledge:

All of you have got your own area of expertise that you are known and admired for.

I would therefore encourage you to share your knowledge and skill by writing a short article on it. It can be as specific or as broad as you like, the aim is to introduce it to people who might not know about it. It would be wonderful to publish it on the blog and to have a series of articles as a resource that people can refer back to. You could also consider publishing it in the Baelfyr, thereby reaching even more people.

But why stop there? The new event of Insulae Draconis University will be held for the first time next year. What better occasion to show off the multitude of talents of the folk in this region? Enrich this principality by teaching others how to improve their experience within the SCA. This is a historic step in the development of ID and a chance to say “I was there, at the very first one”. Scared of teaching? Never done it before? Do not fear, people will be attending your class because they want to learn. Think of it as a sharing of ideas among equals and a discussion where you demonstrate certain skills. No-one will expect you to be able to answer every question on the subject.

If you do decide to teach a class, please contact the Insulae Draconis MoAS Jahanarabanu Vivana on moas@insulaedraconis.org


IDFAIG Challenge:

Please do not forget the IDFAIG Challenge, to make regalia for the Crown Principality. Banners, tokens, tabards, pouches whatever it may be, please let us know about your work. This is a very noble cause wherein the ID artisans put their skills to the service of our Islands earning glory and honour for themselves and for Insulae Draconis.


In other news:

The new (and final) Janet Arnold book “Patterns of Fashion 4: The cut and construction of linen shirts, smocks, neckwear, headwear and accessories for men and women c. 1540 - 1660” is now available for pre-order from Amazon at a discounted price of £15.00.



Last but not least, please continue to post pictures and information about your projects to the blog: http://idfibreinterestgroup.blogspot.com/ it is most inspiring and encouraging to see the wonderful work you are all creating.

If anyone has any questions about the blog, the group or any of the above subjects, please do not hesitate to contact me on melisende1380@yahoo.co.uk


See you all at Raglan Fair.


Lady Melisende Fitzwalter
IDFAIG Group Leader

Productive Holiday

Yes today was a bank holiday Monday for me, I know we're a week behind, such is life. I did however have an extremely productive holiday. I spent much of the morning in a wonderfully peaceful weaving session. I wove about 10" on Odo's cloak fabric, before fate struck. From the very start the rhythm was a dream. This sessions was a smooth as silk, which is saying something when you're working with wool! The shafts changed with ease, the boat shuttle sailed across the perfect tension that was effortlessly achieved! I got about an hour and a half in, when three of the lights above my loom went out at the same time! I sighed and finished the treadling repeat. It is very difficult to weave all black fabric with so little light though. I do have a fantastic art lamp, but it is currently upstairs, so I can work on Odo's hood embroidery. Alas the cloak will again be put on hold, until I can replace the lights. It shouldn't be too long before I get back to it though, since this session went so well I'll be more motivated to get back to it.
This project has been a fight thus far. Now that we seem to be in sync, I am ready to work on it regularly!

Happy crafting everyone,
Jahanara