Travelling Time and Space

The Pennsic University schedule is online!

57 pages worth of delightful classes - I'll need a time planer to plot out my days at Pennsic! 

Yesterday found me on a roll at the sewing machine: I fixed and altered 2 kirtles and 1 apron dress, finished another Hemd, sewed a pair of bloomers start to finish and after a very pleasant interruption spent sipping wine and chatting with the lovely Lady Martine on my porch I threw in a pair of stockings for good measure.

That is, even for my spontaneous bursts of creativity and energy, a rather unusual feat and it was much helped by the fact that Finndragon happily played house with a number of action figures in his room rather than desire Mommy entertainment and hubby was off to a  good-bye party of a  fellow journalist.

Now I admit I'm easily amused, and by the simplest things ever. One of the things I love about my modern lightweight sewing machine ( which is very different from my assortment of old Singer workhorses that weigh a metric ton) are the funky stitches. "Heirloom" stitches, I believe they are called, and they include leafy scrollwork stitches, little rows of flowers and other stitches I have no clue what they could be possibly used for. My preferred stitch is the running stitch and occasionally I'll use a zigzag on the inside of a dress if I forgot to leave enough seam allowance for a proper seam finish (oh the shame!).

Easily amused, remember? Now while I was finishing seams on my new bloomers last night I decided to follow Milica's example and use a fancy stitch to finish the hem of the legs for a little bit of "bling" - kind of the equivalent to the little pink bow, lace-y edging, etc. on modern underwear. Dozing over the process of gently guiding the fabric while the machine did its 'thing' I mused how it looked very much like a string of laurel leaves - a thought that send my wine-corrupted mind into frantic activity. Oh, the possibilities! .... Then I started giggling which turned into gleeful squealing and now my bloomers sport a flirty laurel wreath on the backside :o)

There - now you know what Laurels wear under their kirtles ... heh!  

...so good.

It looks like my estimate was about right: I do have enough garb to last me a week and then some without having to dip into the darkest corner of the closet with the ubiquitous collection of garb I have but don't like to wear. Heh ... :o)  This is helped by the fact that I haven't grown into either direction since, well, after giving birth to the Finndragon. He did unspeakable things to my hips *sigh*

Back to the list:

- check garb for necessary repairs

- add headwraps/coifs

- add hosen

- add bloomers

- finish 2 more smocks (already cut and assembled but need finishing touches)   

Time is flying and Pennsic is approaching fast.I still can't quite believe that this year I will indeed attend the SCA's biggest event in PA but I do have my pre-registration confirmation and that's proof, right?

Anyways, today - after a very unsuccessful trip to both Home Depot and Lowes for a set of bed rail brackets - I decided to -not- make a bed for Pennsic and rather fall back on the modern convenience of a Northern Territory Camping Cot. Covered up it'l look just fine and I get to cross one item off of my to-do list. A list that is still rather long and time-consuming, if I may say so. Today I'm off of work - vacation! - and I'm in the midst of pulling all available garb out of our packed SCA closet. I need to take stock so that I know what items exactly I have to add before Pennsic and which, while nice to have, can be safely postponed until a later date. 

I have three time periods to dip into: 9th century Norse and 15th and 16th century German, and I'll probably only have to add some undergarments such as smocks, bloomers and stockings and a coif or two and headwraps. Fabric is aplenty and all I need to do is find some time to sew. Riiiight :o)  

This weekend or next we' have to do a test run with the tent and finish the new poles. Our tent has grown miraculously and the uprights ended up half a foot too short which made for saggy sides. Can't have saggy sides, oh noes :o)

Then it's on to staging and packing and just a week after my birthday we'll hit the road!

Oh boy ....:o) 

*bangs head on desk*

*repeatedly*

Going to two events in a row with barely enough time to take care of the laundry before packing everything up again isn't my most favorite thing to do in the world but after missing the Order meeting at TMT I felt I had to be a good Laurel and be present at Trimaris' Summer Art-Sci Fair this past weekend.

And you know what? I'm sooooo glad I went! I had a fabulous time and it's been a long long while that an event felt to me like an event should - relaxed fun, pitching in where needed when needed, camaraderie with laughter and tears of joy, lots of hugs and smiles and time for conversations and of course delighting in cool A&S entries.

What an excellent weekend with delicious food on a site that despite the tick plague was lovely with its ample shade and air-conditioned hall and cabin! If you didn't go, you certainly missed out on some quality SCA time :o)