"I'm Not Dead!"

It has been some time since I have written about my projects. Admittedly, I have been posting more on my SCA Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.guyton), but since not everyone is a facebook fan, I will update here. (Long post incoming with lots of pics) 

In no particular order...

ALL THE SOCKS!!! I am always knitting socks. Its my favorite thing to knit. Here are some images of the ones I have completed. I think there were some I didn't photograph.

I did knit several other pairs as Christmas gifts for family members, but those I did not photograph sadly. I should have.

Next... A friend was elevated to the Order of the Pelican back in November. I was asked to make her a Pelican themed Byzantine collar.  I used silk and linen fabric, silk embroidery threads and many, many fresh water pearls.

She was very happy with it and it looked wonderful on her.
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I made and donated a small blank journal with an embroidered cover to a silent auction. I was very pleased with how it turned out and fetched a good price from the buyer. I used silk ground fabric and threads to embroider. Gold palions were used as well for embellishment. The flower came from a period binding that is housed in the British Library.

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Two friends, who are the baron's for their local SCA group, asked if I would make them hoods with their arms and the barony's arms on them. These are constructed of wool and linen. The arms were embroidered in silk and hand stitched on. They are modeled by my two sons as I had to mail these off to the recipient.

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 The date is eluding me, it was earlier in summer that I was asked if I could embroider two napkins for a gift basket that was being given to a set of visiting royals. I embroidered with cotton threads for durability onto cotton napkins.

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I bottled another batch of limoncello. I always have a batch steeping away.  My last batch I made some orangcello. I was sad it did not have the brighter orange color that the peels were but it was tasty.  (hubby started sampling a bottle before I was able to take the pictures)

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Another friend was elevated to the Order of the Laurel. She requested that friends embroider a leaf to be appliqued onto her elevation cloak. The leaf i embroidered is below executed in silk threads onto a wool leaf provided by the recipient.

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Lastly, was a modern geeky cross stitch. I have been cross stitching since I was 7 years old. A friend had this pattern and let me copy it so I could make this myself. I love it. I am planning on framing it and hanging it in my "She Shelter" (the basement is my crafting area that hubby appropriately named).  Love me some Doctor Who!

I will make a concerted effort to update this blog more often. It didn't help I was injured by faulty equipment at my job in June that had me on disability for three months (and then they "eliminated my position" and am now job hunting).  Thank you to everyone that reads my blog and gives me encouragement and inspiration.

Ciao!

Heraldic Banner

Yesterday, My protege sister and her husband were invested as the new Baron and Baroness of Concordia of Snows in Scotia NY.  A few months prior, they asked me if I would make them a two sided banner with their coat of arms. She showed me one picture:

This is the coat of arms for the Duke of Savoy in the 14th century.  This standard only measures to be roughly 8" x 10". I decided, with consultation that theirs should be a tad bit bigger. She stated she wanted both of their arms created into a banner in the same fashion as this one.  So, I decided to do a bit of research (GASP!!!) and try to make it as accurate as possible.  Their coat of arms are these:

 I looked at many online to see what they were made of and their size.

15th C Banner of the Catholic Monarchs

Burgundy Flag 1474-76

1476-77 Burgundy Banner

Embroidered and Appliqued heraldic banner at the Museum Miltenburg, Germany

Though many of the banners I looked into were painted, there were a few that were appliqued and embroidered. Well..this is right up my alley.

The banner I made is constructed of black and white linen and silk embroidery and sewing thread.
I used a cardboard template that i traced off of their arms and cut out the elements of them. I used blanket stitch when attaching the flowers, porcupines and mountains to the base linen fabric. The details to the elements was hand embroidered with Splendor Silk threads.  I did use a machine to sew the four set of mini arms together to make each side of the banner. That is the only machine stitching used on the banner.

The final measurement of the banner is roughly 24" x 24". I am quite pleased with how it turned out as were my sister and her husband.

Laurel "Doby Sock" Alms Purse

Many months ago, a friend approached me about making her a sock pouch to present to her apprentice for her elevation ceremony. She originally wanted it knit with her arms woven into it but, being not terribly proficient in color changing in knitting yet, I asked if it could be embroidered and she agreed. She explained that the recipient is a huge Harry Potter fan and that by presenting her with a "sock" at the start of the elevation, she would release her as her apprentice to become a laurel. I LOVED THIS IDEA!!  After inquiring about her persona, I decided to make a sock version of an alms (aumonieres) purse. Alms purses have been found through the years in several coutries: Spain, France, England to name a few.  They vary in shapes, styles and materials made in. 

Some examples:

This alms purse from the 13th century is knit. Currently it is located in Spain. 

 

 

 

Chaplain of a Countess of Bar and its hinged armature Paris, Cluny Museum

 

 

French Alms Purse 1340s

It was from these images and a few others that I took my inspiration to create her purse.

Materials used:

Silk dupioni fabric (blue, antique gold)
Silk sewing thread
Splendor Silk 12 strand twisted embroidery thread
Sulky Embroidery stabilizer
Gold Pallions
Lucet Corder

I obtained an image of her arms from my friend and transferred it to the stabilizer and then used that to outline the design and added the peerage symbol of a Laurel wreath.

Then i placed it over the ground fabric of the antique gold silk. Now while in most of the alms purses the ground fabric was covered with embroidery because it was usually a linen, I did not cover the entire purse in embroidery because I loved the glow of the silk.

Using two strands of silk, I embroidered her arms and the wreath using split stitch, stem stitch and some satin stitch. Outlining the crane and ermine were done with one strand of black silk thread.

Once finished I removed the stabilizer and cut out the shape of the sock. The entirety of it was hand sewn. I added the pallions in sets of three around the wreath/shield on the one side. I had considered putting some on the opposite side of the purse but for practicality purposes, it would rub against the clothing and I feared it would cause them to catch and pull off so I chose not to for that reason.

When it was together, I made the eyelets using an awl (Yes, Jaji, that same deadly awl) and did buttonhole stitches to bind the edging.

The draw strings, hanging cord and edge cording trim are all lucet braided from more silk splendor thread.  Netflix was my biggest friend during all this, LOL!

I was very pleased with how it turned out. I wish I could have seen the recipients face when she was given it but I have been told she liked it very much.

One of these days I'll have to get around to making an alms purse for myself.  HA!!!
#cobblerschildrenhavenoshoes