What has Úlfhildr been up to? Getting a few projects done. Lots
of puttering with little smaller items.
Figure 1 Sewing box and foot stool freshly painted
Tablet loom:
First up is the continuation of the leg wrap ties from the
building of my new warp weighted tablet loom. Currently have approximately 5
feet/1.5 meters finished. Which is about a quarter of the way done. Even took
it on the road to a Baronial craft and chat. Worked great!
Figure 2 Front and back side of leg wrap ties in progress
Improvements needed
are a carry bag/box that is the appropriate size. Also remembering to use the
clamp at the warp end when transporting....
Two weekends a year, my SCA group has a booth at the local Renaissance
Fair. No sales at our tent, but lots of demos. Looking forward to it, two full
weekends with friends. My best friend is also bringing his tablet loom, so
planning to set up side by side again. In addition to spinning and nalbinding
items, I will be bringing my little loom with its table, tablecloth, chair, and
the new foot stool.
Foot stool:
Next up is a Norse inspired foot stool. The Medieval style
chair I have for demos is a bit too tall, but I also hesitate to cut it down as
it has a fair amount of shaping and more complex angles. This was a purchased chair
and is very pretty. The stool also doubles, as my office chair doesn't go down
far enough for my little Hobbit legs, and I usually weave in my office.
Figure 3 Completed paint on the footstool
The
painting was Norse inspired. The stool itself was parts from the local big box
building store. After taking a rune class at our local Collegium, I knew just
which alphabet I wanted to use, the Gothenburg / Bohuslän Runes, which were
used in Sweden. As this is a foot stool, the text is a joke in English “For
epic feets.” This was then run through a translator into Icelandic, checking
that it was most likely correct, and then to runes based on the phonetics. Overall,
I am very pleased. It is a sturdy little stool, and the decorations give it
that little pop. Works great for its intended purpose too.
Figure 4 A pen for size, about to start penciling in the
design for painting the footstool
Sewing
box:
Figure 5 Finished paint for sewing box
Since
I had the paints out, decided to rework this box. Years ago, I started painting
this little premade box, and just wasn’t happy with it. Never completed the top
as I didn’t like where it was headed. So it has been on a back shelf, just
waiting. So now it has my name, Úlfhildr, in runes across the top, and a sewing
needle, as it is becoming a portable sewing box. My best friend gifted a pair
of Norse sea chests as wedding presents, and mine is now my event crafting box,
as well as a seat. When stuffed with yarn it can still easily be carried to
court to use as a chair. The sewing box will live inside the sea chest.
Currently inside the sewing box are three large spools of thread, beeswax, a
tape measure, a ring thimble, and the German Brickstitch needle book that I
made. Still needs a set of snips with a point protector, but that will come.
Figure 6 Sewing box fits all this. Thread, needle book,
beeswax, measuring tape, and ring thimble
Horn:
Figure 7 Paint all off and showing the natural beauty of
the horn
Picked
up a warhorn from an online merchant. Knew it was kind of a gamble, being
inexpensive and from a big box shipper. Well it was certainly not the horn
pictured, but it makes a nice note. The biggest downfall for me was that it
came painted in an ugly brown paint, which you couldn’t tell on the site. Turns
out that the paint comes off fairly easily with steel wool. Much prettier now.
Will paint the carvings at a later date, once I decide which colors to use.
Figure 8 Warhorn as it came, showing glimpses of the horn
underneath the paint
Figure 9 Lots of progress removing paint with steel wool
Stolas:
As hot
weather is coming, I wanted to make some lighter weight Roman stolas. Even
though Oertha is at a high latitude, warm days are really warm. A friend sent
me her handout on how to make a stola from a saree/sari. So I ordered a couple
of cotton sarees, and very excitedly went to work. This is where I made a
mistake. The handout was perfect, the instructions clear, plus a link for a
video which showed where I wanted some clarification. In all my eagerness, I
did not check the transparency of the main fabric. As it turns out, these
stolas will absolutely have to have an underdress. Still works, but not as
originally intended. Back to the drawing board, or the saree store.
Figure 10 Ezabi making sure the saree
fabric stays on the table
